2024
9
UK Visitor Attractions Market Report 2024
2024-12-05T10:02:00+00:00
REP8B3DB833_0A8F_4A8F_9B92_80905735E110
2195
177899
[{"name":"Leisure and Entertainment","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/leisure-entertainment"}]
Report
en_GB
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 of the…
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  6. UK Visitor Attractions Market Report 2024

UK Visitor Attractions Market Report 2024

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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 of the top 10 attractions were free to visit in 2023, and such value options for attractions will continue to dominate into 2025 as consumers’ finances remain fragile.

Against this backdrop, and with brands facing difficult trading environments and tourism numbers still down, the main threat is that visitor numbers might not recover to the highs of pre-pandemic levels until 2030.

However, this presents an opportunity for brands to be on the front foot, and to innovate and diversify to rebuild. Brands must maximise revenues from existing customers through additional value-added services. Focusing on reducing friction points in the experience, as well as reimagining spaces in unique and novel ways, can help drive added value for brands.

This report looks at the following areas:

  • The continuing impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the visitor attractions market, and its effect on visitor numbers
  • Attractions that consumers have visited and insights into the booking window for their most recent attraction visit
  • How visitor attraction brands can leverage extra paid-for experiences and features to drive monetisation opportunities
  • Consumer attitudes towards the use of technology in visitor attraction venues and how brands can use this to diversify content, improve efficiency and appeal to broader audiences

Visitor attractions can continue to rebuild audiences by diversifying spaces, offering additional premium services and enhancing experiences with technology.

Joe Birch, Senior Technology and Leisure Analyst

Market Definitions

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

This Report examines the UK market for visitor attractions in the UK.

Collapse All
  1. Executive Summary

    • Opportunities for the visitor attractions market
    • With overall visitor numbers down,  get creative to boost visitor numbers
    • Take the opportunity to maximise revenues from existing guests
    • Technology can help streamline the visitor experience and create diverse content to boost audiences
    • Younger and more affluent consumers are amenable to using AI tools in the booking process
    • Market dynamics and outlook
    • Number of visits remains well below pre-pandemic level
    • Graph 1: total number of visits to UK visitor attractions, 2019-24
    • Outlook for visitor attractions
    • Market is recovering, but visits won't return to pre-pandemic levels before 2030
    • Consumers are still feeling the squeeze and tourism is still rebuilding
    • Graph 2: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-24
    • What consumers want and why
    • Overall visitor numbers continue to recover
    • Graph 3: adults who visited attractions in the last 12 months, 2019-24
    • Value options continue to grow most strongly
    • Graph 4: types of visitor attraction visited in the last 12 months, 2022 vs 2024
    • Bundle attractions to serve distinct tastes in visitor attractions
    • Graph 5: repertoire of visitor attractions visited in the past 12 months, 2024
    • Technology is a key tool in the booking process, but don't discount the human touch
    • Graph 6: methods of booking tickets for most recent visitor attraction experience, 2024
    • Tap into the window of opportunity for executing advanced attraction bookings
    • Graph 7: booking timescale for most recent leisure activity, 2024
    • Encourage visitors to trade up with fastrack experiences
    • Graph 8: premium features consumers would be willing to pay more for at visitor attractions, ranked 1st, 2024
    • Use technology to enhance not distract from the visitor attraction experience
    • Graph 9: attitudes towards visitor attractions, 2024
    • Innovation and marketing
    • Universal unveils plans for theme park, while Merlin delivers the thrills
    • Sensory experiences come to life through immersive exhibitions
  2. Market Dynamics

    • Market size
    • Number of visits remains well below pre-pandemic level
    • Graph 10: total number of visits to UK visitor attractions, 2019-24
    • Fewer people are visiting attractions
    • Total visiting figures hide the mixed picture
    • Market forecast
    • Market is recovering but visits won't return to pre-pandemic levels before 2030
    • Boost memberships to encourage return visits
    • Market segmentation
    • Museums and galleries benefitted from return of inbound tourism
    • Graph 11: visitor attraction admission trends, 2020-23
    • The British Museum was the most visited attraction in 2023
    • Scope for free attractions to find new revenue streams
    • Market drivers
    • Consumers are still feeling the squeeze
    • Graph 12: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-24
    • Cost of visitor attractions continues to rise
    • Gloomy weather continues to hurt outdoor attractions
    • Inbound tourism yet to return to pre-pandemic levels
    • Graph 13: number of inbound visits to the UK, 2019-23
    • Stress the environmental benefits of a staycation
    • Promoting nature through the lens of mental health
  3. What Consumers Want and Why

    • Attraction visiting
    • Overall visitor numbers continue to recover
    • Graph 14: adults who have visited a visitor attraction in the last 12 months, 2019-24
    • Overall visiting driven by younger generations
    • Promote quality time with family and friends at your attraction
    • Be nimble and proactive in the face of the Great British weather
    • Value options continue to grow most strongly
    • Graph 15: types of visitor attraction visited, last 12 months, 2022 vs 2024
    • Create opportunities for mini visits and 'lite' tours
    • Broaden the appeal of theme parks beyond young thrill seekers
    • Graph 16: selected visitor attractions visited, last 12 months, by generation, 2024
    • Tap into family fun
    • Attraction bundles can appeal to multi-site visitors
    • Graph 17: repertoire of visitor attractions visited in the past 12 months, 2024
    • Bundle attractions to serve distinct tastes in visitor attractions
    • Explore flexible, alternative ways to reach and engage consumers
    • Most recent attraction visited
    • Consumers most enjoy outdoor experiences and educational visits
    • Graph 18: most recent visitor attraction visited, 2024
    • Methods of booking visitor attractions
    • Technology is a key tool in the booking process, but don't discount the human touch
    • Graph 19: methods of booking tickets for most recent visitor attraction experience, 2024
    • Promote booking methods to different age groups to break down barriers to visiting
    • Graph 20: methods of booking tickets for most recent visitor attraction experience, by generation, 2024
    • Incentivise app downloads in the booking phase
    • Traditional personal interaction is preferred for cultural visitors
    • The booking window
    • Tap into the window of opportunity for executing advanced attraction bookings
    • Graph 21: booking timescale for most recent visitor attraction experience, 2024
    • Older generations prefer certainty in advanced booking
    • Encourage prebooking with added incentives and discounts
    • Promote FOMO to encourage booking execution
    • Graph 22: time of booking attraction, by most recent attraction visited, 2024
    • Premiumisation opportunities in the attraction sector
    • Encourage visitors to trade up with fastrack experiences
    • Graph 23: premium features consumers would be willing to pay more for at visitor attractions, ranked 1st, 2024
    • Encourage consumers to max out their experience with an overnight stay
    • Promote the convenience of shortcuts to make the visitor experience effortless
    • Eventise your space to create value through novelty
    • Help consumers make the most out of their visit with guided tours
    • Pull back the curtain to make visitors' dreams come true
    • Graph 24: willingness to pay more for behind-the-scenes experiences or VIP facilities at a visitor attraction (any rank), by age and gender, 2024
    • Attitudes towards technology in attraction visiting
    • Consumer engagement starts at the planning stage
    • Graph 25: attitudes towards discounts and planning tools for visitor attractions, 2024
    • Experiment with AI to personalise your customers' app experience
    • Graph 26: interest in using digital tools or AI chatbots to plan/book visits to visitor attractions, by generation, 2024
    • Create bespoke maps of your attraction for added convenience
    • Graph 27: attitudes towards technology in visitor attraction experiences, 2024
    • Promote the utility of bespoke maps for young families
    • Blend the immersive and the real for powerful hybrid exhibits
    • Graph 28: attitudes towards use of technology in visitor attraction experiences, 2024
    • Reimagine your collections in innovate ways to encourage repeat visits
    • Graph 29: consumers who like to visit attractions that use technology to provide interactive experiences, by generation, 2024
    • Younger males are keen on tech-driven experiences
    • Balance the trade-off between tech utility and need for a digital detox
    • Graph 30: consumers who think attractions that can help you detox from using technology are appealing, by age and gender, 2024
  4. Innovation And Marketing Trends

    • Launch activity and innovation
    • Universal unveils plans for theme park and resort in the Midlands
    • Merlin delivers thrills with new record-breaking rollercoaster
    • VR attraction showcases the evolution of life
    • Bubble Planet brings immersive play for kids of all ages
    • 'Immersive' is the buzzword as brands look to feed the senses in attractions
    • Britain’s diverse museum scene helps to showcase heritage
    • UK garden attractions set for sustainability focus
    • Scotland promotes health upside of visiting green spaces
    • Merlin and Coca Cola offer sweetener for good recycling practices
    • Tech for good aims to enhance visitor attractions and highlight conservation efforts
    • Hybrid digital and real-world attractions can create unique experiences
    • Immersive art exhibitions bring scale and sensory stimulus to exhibitions
    • TV adaptation provide stimulus for ground-breaking new dinosaur exhibition
  5. Appendix

    • Supplementary data
    • UK recorded its seventh wettest year on record in 2023
    • Market forecast data and methodology
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals (volume)
    • Forecast methodology
    • Report scope and definitions
    • Products covered in this report
    • Market definition
    • Abbreviations and terms
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Snoop SpendMapper methodology

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