Legoland and Alton Towers to charge more at peak times

THE owner of Legoland and Alton Towers is planning to introduce airline-style surge pricing as visitor numbers continue to lag behind pre-Covid levels.

Merlin Entertainments said the new system will mean families paying more on peak summer weekends than they will on rainy weekdays.

This so-called dynamic pricing – widely known as surge pricing – will apply to the top 20 global attractions by the end of this year, and big US sites next year, Merlin said.

The company, which also owns Sea Life and Madame Tussauds, will use computer algorithms to adjust prices in response to supply and demand – pushing up the cost on the most popular days.

Chief executive Scott o’Neil said the move was ‘intuitive’ for the business, which has struggled to lure customers back after the pandemic. He added: ‘If it’s August peak holiday season, sunny and a Saturday, you would expect to pay more than if it was a rainy Tuesday in March.’

Merlin has also suggested the pricing would provide ‘greater flexibility for guests booking online to choose discounted prices for select dates and times’.

Surge pricing is used by budget airlines and hotels, who hike prices in peak seasons. but some experts warn it could backfire for the entertainment industry.

Mark brumby, of Langton Capital, said: ‘If you hike prices at the busiest times, you run the risk of effectively antagonising the maximum number of people possible.’

but Mr o’Neil said the changes will mean more families will be able to afford to go to its parks.

Around 62million people visited Merlin’s 141 attractions across 23 countries last year – up 13 per cent on 2022 but still around 5million fewer than in 2019.