Struggling families are forking out up to 20 per cent more for family days out than they did in 2021 — and children are missing out as a result, according to Labour figures.
Lucy Powell, the shadow culture secretary, released the data showing prices for families at some UK attractions had shot up by nearly £40 since a year ago. According to a report in the Mirror, going to the cinema, theatres or concerts costs 13 per cent more, while football matches are 10 per cent more, while visiting museums, libraries and zoos are up an average 5 per cent.
A family trip to Alton Towers is 18 per cent more at the gate, while Drayton Manor is £30 more expensive for four "adults" if they didn't pre-book — a rise of 20 per cent. Alton Towers and Drayton Manor claimed that the vast majority of visitors book in advance, and would therefore not be affected by price rises at the gate.
Ms Powell, the Labour and Co-operative MP for Manchester Central, said that after two years of disruption due to Covid children were now facing missing out again as their families could no longer afford the day trips. She told the Mirror: "This is the first summer that children can get out and enjoy themselves after the disruption of the last two years but the Tory’s failure to tackle the cost of living crisis is pushing these experiences out of reach for too many families. Instead of taking chunks out of each other in their leadership contest and chucking economic credibility out the door, we need a government fully focused on dealing with the cost of living crisis, so that coming out of Covid kids don’t miss out on another summer of fun and fall further behind.”
Inflation calculations by the Office for National Statistics revealed the year-on-year rises. Nick Varney, chief executive officer for Merlin Entertainments, which runs Alton Towers, said: “Despite the entire leisure and hospitality industry pointing out the dangers of VAT increases, the Government imposed the higher rate of VAT this year, increasing prices for consumers.
"Britain needs to compete with cheaper European holiday destinations to be attractive for domestic and international visitors. Long-term, and post-Brexit, it is crucial Britain competes internationally, and VAT should have been the key lever for government to drive growth."
A year ago a family of four with two children over 12 would pay a combined £138 if they paid on the door at Drayton Manor, whereas now it costs £168. However, advance tickets are £27.50 — a £2 drop from last summer. A spokesman there said: “Drayton Manor Resort offers dynamic ticket pricing, which means the earlier you book, the better the price of your ticket. Guests are able to take advantage of this, with up to 30 per cent off the gate price when booked in advance, meaning family tickets can be purchased from as little as £27.50 each.”
