Mondelez International – the parent company of confectioners Cadbury – has unveiled plans to redevelop and expand its Cadbury World attraction at its Dunedin site in New Zealand.

Despite Mondelez recently announcing the sale of its factory site in Dunedin, Cadbury World will remain open, expanding into the site’s redeveloped Dairy Building.

According to Mondelez, the expanded Cadbury World will offer a better experience and increased capacity to meet visitor demand.

Simon Currant & Associates – a Tasmania-based tourism development firm – will lead the conceptualisation of the attraction, according to local publication Otago Daily Times, with yet-to-be chosen local architects and contractors being used for the final redevelopment.

Combined with the dairy’s heritage, a walkthrough interactive journey will tell visitors the story of Cadbury’s, from source to final product. Seemingly taking inspiration from Roald Dahl and his children’s classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the plans include a glass elevator and chocolate waterfall. A Pepper’s Ghost-style hologram exhibit on the manufacturing process and an interactive history of the Dunedin site are also on the cards.

The NZ$3m (US$2.1m, €2m, £1.65m) investment is predicted to increase visitor numbers by around 70,000 people a year, bringing the total up to 180,000 annual visitors. Mondelez announced in February the closure of the rest of the factory site, with operations being moved into existing sites in Australia.

“The Cadbury factory is a historic landmark in the centre of Dunedin, and as such, its future use will be of significant interest to the local community,” said a Mondelez statement.

“Mondelez is ready to invest in redevelopment work to make Cadbury World an even better visitor experience. The company is confident the exciting plans for redevelopment and the prospect of more visitors and jobs at Cadbury World will appeal to the people of Dunedin.”