2024
9
UK Leisure Trends Report 2024
2024-12-19T16:01:50+00:00
REPDBBA7F97_3B6C_4345_BCB1_460CC14DC07D
2195
178171
[{"name":"Leisure and Entertainment","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/leisure-entertainment"}]
Report
en_GB
The prolonged cost of living crisis is slowing growth in leisure market value by reducing people’s ability to spend on non-essentials, but is also creating pent-up demand from which the…
  1. /
  2. All Industries
  3. /
  4. Leisure and Entertainment
  5. /
  6. UK Leisure Trends Report 2024

UK Leisure Trends Report 2024

Reports - What's Included
  • Multiple Report Formats
  • Access to our Clients Portal
  • Interactive Databook
  • Custom Presentation Tool

The prolonged cost of living crisis is slowing growth in leisure market value by reducing people’s ability to spend on non-essentials, but is also creating pent-up demand from which the market can benefit in the longer term.

The other main threats the market faces are the rising operational costs that are feeding through into price rises, and competition from in-home alternatives: 61% of leisure consumers say they prefer in-home activities to going out.

Leisure operators can respond to these threats by creating exciting new premium experiences that justify higher prices and deliver the quality and exclusivity consumers are hungry for. Live music and sport will focus on access and hospitality, while rising interest in wellness should create opportunities for the health and fitness sector and in food and drink.

This report looks at the following areas:

  • The continuing impact of the cost of living crisis on leisure spending and activity habits
  • The growing power of online reviews in leisure activity promotion and recommendation
  • The importance of price and convenience in determining leisure activity choices
  • The influence of rising interest in local leisure on venue location and strategy
  • The effects of home working on leisure demand and preferences

Premium experiences can support leisure activity price rises through a focus on access, exclusivity, wellness, and high-quality food and drink.

David Walmsley, Research Analyst

Market Definitions

This Report covers the UK leisure industry.

Mintel’s market size is based on consumer expenditure within the following sectors, as defined by the ONS consumer trends dataset and the Gambling Commission:

  • Culture (cinemas, theatres, concerts, circuses, hire of musicians, clowns, performers and photographers)
  • Gambling (online and land-based gaming and betting)
  • Sport and recreation (sports stadia, racecourses, rinks, golf courses, pools, courts, bowling alleys, gyms, fairs, parks, dancing and skating)

Other leisure markets/activities, such as competitive socialising concepts (eg escape rooms, crazy golf), are discussed throughout this Report but those covered by other Mintel categories (eg foodservice, technology and media) are excluded from market size estimates.

The focus of the Report is primarily on out-of-home leisure, but in-home activities (eg online gambling) are also considered and discussed for comparison.

Collapse All
  1. Executive Summary

    • Opportunities for the leisure market
    • Design premium experiences to raise customer spend
    • Look beyond the city centre to capture the home-centric
    • Use online reviews to showcase venues’ and activities’ best
    • Market dynamics and outlook
    • Market size & forecast
    • Market predictions
    • Living-cost pressure limiting growth
    • Sport and recreation close the culture gap
    • Graph 1: leisure market value, by segment, 2023 and 2024
    • High cost of living stops consumers spending as much as they would like
    • Graph 2: perceptions of the state of the cost of living crisis, 2024
    • Changing work habits drive a shift in leisure market demand
    • Graph 3: current working situation (NET), 2024
    • What consumers want and why
    • Most people enjoy out-of-home leisure – but not as often as they did
    • Graph 4: participation in out-of-home leisure activities, 2023 and 2024
    • Pull of the pub weakens among the young
    • Graph 5: participation in age-restricted out-of-home leisure activities, 2023 and 2024
    • Older people are getting into gaming
    • Graph 6: participation in at-home leisure activities, 2023 and 2024
    • Gaming’s original generation begins to age
    • Promote online reviews to attract younger visitors’ interest
    • Graph 7: sources of information about out-of-home leisure activities, 2024
    • Prioritise price and practicalities to influence people’s leisure choices
    • Graph 8: influences* on leisure activity choice, 2024
    • Demand for local leisure presents new opportunities for growth
    • Graph 9: leisure activity preferences, 2024
    • Innovation and marketing
    • New leisure developments prioritise food and drink
    • Theatre looks for new audience beyond the West End
  2. MARKET DYNAMICS

    • Market size
    • Leisure spending defies living-cost crisis
    • Better-off better able to absorb living cost and activity price rises
    • Market forecast
    • Living-cost pressures set to limit spending growth
    • Focus on premium or value to keep customers spending
    • Market segmentation
    • Sport and recreation close the culture gap
    • Graph 10: leisure market value, by segment 2023 and 2024
    • Culture
    • Graph 11: culture segment value, 2019-24
    • Live music is culture segment’s headline act
    • Sport and recreation
    • Graph 12: sport and recreation segment value, 2019-24
    • More affluent core customer base keeps sports segment in growth
    • Gambling
    • Graph 13: gambling segment value, 2019-24
    • Regulatory change to reshape online sector
    • Market drivers
    • Leisure sector grows faster than the economy overall
    • Graph 14: GDP, 2021-24
    • Living-cost crisis limits people’s ability to spend
    • Graph 15: perceptions of the state of the cost of living crisis, 2024
    • Price cap rises will push many people to use less energy
    • Habits and sentiment are becoming entrenched
    • Graph 16: financial confidence over the coming year, 2024
    • Middle aged are least optimistic
    • Graph 17: people reporting healthy personal finances, by age, 2024
    • Home work creates more time for play
    • Graph 18: current working situation (NET), 2024
    • Prioritise wellness to meet post-pandemic demand
    • Graph 19: change in priorities compared to a year ago, 2024
    • Use new technologies to open more doors
    • Graph 20: use of and interest in new technologies, 2024
    • Tech shapes what leisure looks like and how we access it…
    • …but doesn’t always put the customer first
  3. What Consumers Want and Why

    • Leisure activities
    • Food and drink are people’s priorities
    • Mass participation masks falling frequency in some segments
    • Graph 21: participation in out-of-home leisure activities, 2022-24
    • More younger people are declining pub drinks
    • Graph 22: participation in age-restricted out-of-home leisure activities, 2022-24
    • Older age groups get into gaming
    • Graph 23: participation in at-home leisure activities, 2022-24
    • Variety threatens frequency when money is tight
    • Graph 24: repertoires of leisure activities, 2024
    • Upscale venue visitor profiles offer price rise potential
    • Graph 25: participation in leisure activities, by socio-economic status and annual household income, 2024
    • Older people are dining out and gaming in
    • Graph 26: participation in video gaming, 2022 and 2024
    • Researching leisure venues
    • Ask the internet
    • Graph 27: sources of information about out-of-home leisure activities, 2024
    • Prioritise online reviews to earn visitors’ trust
    • Graph 28: sources of information about out-of-home-leisure activities, 2016
    • Online opinion is the new word of mouth
    • Rise of recommendation costs venues control of their message
    • Graph 29: sources of out-of-home leisure activity information, by type, 2024
    • Better-off have more choice
    • Graph 30: sources of information about out-of-home leisure activities, by annual household income, 2024
    • Older people know what they like – and like what they know
    • Graph 31: participation in out-of-home leisure activities without seeking information about them, by age, 2024
    • Influencing activity choice
    • Price and access drive activity choice
    • Help consumers save time and money
    • Graph 32: influences on leisure activity choice, 2024
    • Eight in 10 are cost-conscious…
    • Graph 33: influences on leisure activity choice, by type, 2024
    • …but most of these put price before value
    • Older people prioritise price and accessibility
    • Graph 34: influences on leisure activity choice, by age, 2024
    • Attract younger people with food and drink in social settings
    • Graph 35: influences on leisure activity choice, by age, 2024
    • Social media provides a powerful platform for healthy eating options
    • Leisure preferences
    • Local leisure leads
    • Lifestyle changes boost leisure provision closer to home
    • Graph 36: leisure activity preferences, 2024
    • Use pop-up partnerships to reduce risks of venue investment
    • Graph 37: preference for leisure activities close to home, by area of residence, 2024
    • Early evening a key battleground for the grey pound
    • Graph 38: Dislike of late-finishing evening leisure activities, by age, 2024
    • Encourage music fans to widen their leisure repertoires
    • Graph 39: music fans’ out-of-home leisure preferences, 2024
    • Most leisure venues can add to their meal appeal
    • Graph 40: preference for eating and drinking at leisure venues, by venues visited, 2024
    • Not going out: Younger people more willing to stay home if circumstances change
    • Graph 41: preference for in-home leisure activities, by age, 2024
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS

    • Launch activity and innovation
    • Food and drink a priority for new leisure developments
    • Football ‘Nanzones’ tackle loneliness among older people
    • Elvis is (virtually) back in the building
    • Swimming programme brings the outdoors in
    • Westfield beats West End in broadening theatre’s reach
    • Safe spaces support female fitness
    • Massive Attack with minimal impact
  5. Appendix

    • Supplementary data
    • Population projections for over-50s
    • Market forecast data and methodology
    • Market size: underlying data
    • Market forecast: underlying data
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals
    • Forecast methodology
    • Report scope and definitions
    • Market definition
    • Abbreviations and terms
    • Consumer research methodology

Why Choose Mintel?

Mintel is the world’s leading market intelligence agency. We show you how consumers think today and tomorrow. As a trusted partner to industry leaders, we deliver game-changing insights to businesses across the globe, fuelling their marketing and innovation strategies that will shape the future.

Access high-quality market research with every purchase of Mintel’s consumer reports. Here’s what else is included in your report purchase:

  • Multiple Report Formats: Mintel’s reports are available in PDF and PPT formats, and are delivered straight to your inbox, so you can easily share Mintel’s market intelligence.
  • Access to Mintel’s Clients Portal: After your purchase is completed, you’ll receive an invitation to join Mintel’s Clients Portal, providing instant access to supplementary insights from Mintel’s industry experts.
  • Interactive Databook: Mintel’s bespoke consumer data is presented as an interactive website, so you can deep dive into your chosen topic, explore demographics and download specific statistics.
  • Custom Presentation Tool: Easily incorporate selected research data and analysis into a tailor-made presentation to win over clients and stakeholders.

Take a look at a sample PDF report below:

Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
£ 2,195 (Excl.Tax)
  • Instant access when you pay by credit card
  • Save up to 20% when you purchase multiple reports
Buy now

Is this report right for you?

From consumer reports to customised growth strategies. We have an option to suit your business requirements.

Find out more

Popular Related Reports

Global Outlook on Sustainability: A Consumer Study 2024-25

£ 5,000£ 21,600

Mintel’s 2024-25 Global Outlook on Sustainability: A Consumer Study is designed to help you understand what brands and companies should prioritise in order to educate consumers and ensure...

Find out more

UK Gaming Consumer 2024

£ 2,195

Consumer financial sentiment remains fragile with many still feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. This may dampen consumer demand for purchases of high-end gaming consoles, monitors and...

Find out more

UK Spectator Sports Market Report 2024

£ 2,195

The continuing cost of living crisis is increasing the market’s reliance on its more affluent core audience. Although overall value is still on the rise, attendances are fragile...

Find out more

UK Visitor Attractions Market Report 2024

£ 2,195

Cost is the biggest barrier to visiting attractions, and operators in this market have also faced significant increases in running costs, leading to higher ticket prices. Nine out...

Find out more

UK Film and Cinema Market Report 2024

£ 2,195

Despite competition from streaming services, half of consumers still prefer to go to the cinema to watch a film, proving the activity's enduring appeal. Reviews and ratings have...

Find out more

UK Cycling Market Report 2024

£ 2,195

A total of 2.2 million bicycles are sold in the UK every year, at an average price of £502. It's a male dominated market, but e-bikes are still...

Find out more

Trusted by global industry leaders

We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.

By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.

For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.

Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon

We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.

As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.

We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.

 

Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink

One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.

We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.

We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.

Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch

Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.

When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.

The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.

Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave

We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.

Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.

Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners

Is this report right for you?

From consumer reports to customised growth strategies. We have an option to suit your business requirements.

Find out more