• Late surges matter - Visitor numbers spiked late in the Easter break, driven by flexible school holidays, favourable weather, and changing family spending habits.
• Spontaneity rules - Walk-ups and last-minute bookers dominated. Long-lead marketing alone isn’t enough.
• Nimble programming wins - Attractions that introduced new activities and adapted on the fly managed crowds better and boosted satisfaction.

Summer success doesn’t start in July. What worked at Easter is likely to help in summer too. Although late bookers are now the norm, there were early bookings from confident planners, so it’s vital to try and attract these as early as possible. Obviously, last-minute surges driven by weather and emotion aren’t going away, but getting those pre-planners in now will help. You need to speak to both. 

How to do this? We’d recommend running always-on ads via Google Display, Meta, and Performance Max. Look to test lead-gen and remarketing funnels across these platforms, and double down on what works. 

Ahead of the holidays, create weather-specific campaigns now (sunny, rainy, peak) and have them ready to go live across the summer, depending on the reaction to the season. You want your campaigns warm and humming, not starting cold. So, building data sets and learning outside of summer will help with this. 

This isn’t about AI-driven price hikes when more people are looking to book; this will only lead to brand dislike. But Easter proved that value-led pricing works, and families will pay more when the offer is right, as long as they can guarantee their place in the fun. 

This summer, we recommend using peak and off-peak pricing to drive yield, depending on your historic demand patterns. Look to bundle experiences to maximise family spend if possible too. Can you include early access, food and drink, gift shop vouchers, whatever will look to commit spending ahead of time. 

But ensure you’re linking pricing to premium benefits, not just access. What are they getting they couldn't just get on the day? Make pricing a strategic tool, not just an admin task. 

In the scramble to drive footfall, it’s easy to focus on the mechanics: price points, time slots, weather-proofing. But the real driver of action? Emotion. This Easter, families didn’t just look for “something to do.” They looked for a moment of joy. A break from routine. A reason to gather. Attractions that tapped into these emotional outcomes; togetherness, escape, ease, didn’t just fill slots; they built an audience. 

Sure, dynamic pricing helped optimise revenue. But the hook? It wasn’t “£12 entry”, it was “Make the most of the sunshine”, “One big day out to remember”, or “Smiles guaranteed, whatever the weather” etc. Discounts and logistics belong on your booking page. Your campaigns should leave people with the feeling they want to have. Because when people buy a ticket, what they’re really buying is a promise. Joy. Peace. Memories worth repeating.

No one raves about a long queue or a lack of toilets. Use Easter learnings to refine visitor flow, train teams for peak-day scenarios, and add pop-up offers to relieve pressure points. If it breaks under pressure, fix it before July. The strongest brands are the most resilient ones.

A great way to get ahead is to look at your reviews on TripAdvisor or Google (not just the good reviews, though). What are the pain points? What are the frustrations? Although some might seem unfair, what’s the core of the issue? Long queues? Not enough choice in the cafe? Get together a working group and see what can be done. Yes, it might lead to fewer complaints, but a better experience will lead to lifetime visitors.