If the image above tells us one thing, it’s that this summer was a pretty mixed bag. With budget airlines announcing record months and tourism bosses saying that "it's not predictable anymore", there are a lot of changes to learn from.

In this article, we’ll explore exactly why this year was so divisive. We’ll look at the trends we’re seeing from those that did well and what you can do as a visitor attraction in the coming months.

The reason for such a mixed summer is last-minute decision-making. The weather and the cost of living crisis have impacted UK tourism decisions, causing people to wait and see if the sun will shine and whether they can get a bargain if they leave things to the last minute. This year, the sun wasn't guaranteed in the UK, so tourists had to look elsewhere. 

This, coupled with the fact that we saw low-budget airlines offering deals and reduced prices in the summer (for the first time in years), meant the UK didn't seem in with a fair chance.

While some attractions have had a challenging summer, many of our clients have enjoyed record years. We've seen outdoor attractions both up and down in numbers, with indoor attractions facing a similar story. But the reason might be more complicated than first thought.

When we talk about performance for visitor attractions, depending on the teams we speak to there are three different metrics used for describing how well things are:

1. Year on Year - How are you doing compared to this time last year?

2. Up on target/ budget - How are you doing compared to the targets and budgets you set at the start of the year for this year?

3. Benchmark - How are you compared to 2019/ pre-pandemic years?

Each metric helps you understand how well you’re actually doing, but can tell a different story. Across the board, many are quoting that visitor numbers are around the same as last year, though some are down on the targets they set themselves for 2024. 

Generally, though, many have done equal to or better than 2023, but consider this year not a strong summer. Why? According to our research, many attractions have set their targets and budgets for a bumper year this year. Many aimed to reach the levels of 2019, so they set targets accordingly. But, to put it as plainly as possible, the world of days out, tourism and attractions, are no longer the same as it was five years ago. Those days are gone, and we need to reset our expectations accordingly.

On top of this, we need to acknowledge that the overall number of potential attraction visitors is down by around 10%. Looking back at stats from earlier in the year, we know an older audience avoided overcrowded attractions (See research from ALVA & the V&A here). Now, many people in this age range are leaving the tourism space altogether, and they're being replaced by a 16 to 35-year-old market that has seen a 7% growth. On balance, that 7% growth isn’t counteracting the loss of the older audiences, so we’re seeing a drop here, which is what we mean when we say we're not getting back to 2019 levels - we're adding people to our tourism pot but can’t quite keep up with the ones we’re losing. It’s true that repeat visits are higher, but we’re not counting these as new visitors.

But there is hope - here are some trends we've analysed across attractions that are reporting high-performing summers:

Those attractions with high-performing membership schemes or gift-aid-free return visits have seen a rise in visitors using these tickets. The reason? The cost of living crisis has significantly affected society; people are looking to make memories with their families but at a reduced price. 

Also, many families have decided not to go away this summer. Whether due to parents having to work more or the cost of going further afield, many stayed home and utilised the tickets and experiences near them.

The last twelve months have seen some viral trends across the internet, and attractions have capitalised on these. Whether it was the V&A's genius Taylor Swift exhibition or the fantastic Design Museum collaboration with Barbie, high-profile pop culture exhibitions have worked wonders this year.

Not only that, but attractions that have brought in familiar branded characters have seen visitor spikes on these days. Why? People want familiarity, and characters they know and love are a guaranteed good time. Bringing in well-known iconic characters/exhibitions/ themes is a surefire way to make the most of your summer.

New events, festivals, and experiences at attractions this summer have seen a high uptake in attendance and brought people out for the day. Not only did this give these attractions a new campaign or angle in their marketing, but they're also showcasing a new side of the visitor experience people might not have been aware of before. Maybe even bringing in a new audience or different demographic. 

Data is all about the past, but with summer done and dusted, how can you ensure that the remainder of the year makes this year one to remember? Here are three solutions we'd recommend implementing right away:

It’s clear now that relying on visitor income won’t be sustainable in the future. For this reason, one of our first recommendations to our partners across the board, from the biggest, to the smallest, is to diversify and consider sensible revenue growth for five, ten, and fifteen years rather than focusing on short-term visitor numbers. Think of visitor income as one stream, but look at online storefronts, sellable content, experiences, events, gifting, etc. 

Build out your different streams that all filter into the same pot at the end of the year. A fantastic example is the National Trust, earning over £3 million annually from their second-hand book shops. Find your areas of revenue growth outside of day visits.

Hopefully, by now, you’ve got your marketing mix right, focusing on families, tourists, and the like, but for the next six months, we’d recommend focusing marketing efforts on the 16 to 34-year-old audience. Why? This is the most promising upcoming market for potential growth across the board. This group is willing to try new experiences, is ok with venturing out in all weathers, and is the best at shouting from the (social media) rooftops when they’ve had a great experience.

Be mindful, though—precision is key with this demographic, so be sure that the creative you’re using speaks to them. They’ll likely be found online, looking for impressive experiences to share through Instagram and TikTok. Why not curate a location on-site to ensure you make this easy for them to do so?

As we mentioned before, the last-minute decision-makers aren’t going anywhere, but it’s highly unlikely your long-term bookers will return (unless it’s for popular/limited ticket events like Christmas lights or feeding some animals!).

When we look at some of the summer's winners, the “Easyjets” and travel companies that offer last-minute deals have always been years ahead on digital advertising in this area. That's precisely what they did at the start of the summer: spun up reactive campaigns online, and boom, it worked. As visitor attractions, we need to be able to react just like this in Autumn and Winter. The only place you can get last-minute advertising with the right messaging for the right audience is digital. There's no point in getting a billboard six months out or a magazine for next year when you might have to change your marketing based on the weather, based on costs, or even based on the new normal. Use your organic social content and email marketing to drive loyalty, familiarity and community, converting them to bookers with digital advertising when the time is right.

We’re proud of the work we’ve carried out this summer to help our clients achieve their targets. Summer isn’t the six weeks of paradise it once was, so as visitor attractions, we have to react to these turbulent times. Competition is higher than ever before, and the weather, the cost of living, and consumer behaviour aren’t predictable, so we have to react, adjust and adapt. 

We work with our industry partners to ensure we have our finger on the pulse for the sector and our clients. If you’ve got a challenging few months ahead and need a trusted partner to help, reach out to us at hello@navigate.agency or fill in the box below. 

Good luck for the next few months; who knows what the future holds.