This year’s late Easter holidays returned record visitor numbers across our portfolio of brands, which cover the length and breadth of the UK.
Group-wide figures reported at the close of the two-week holiday period revealed a phenomenal 60 per cent year-on-year increase in guest numbers, with GreenWood Family Park recording a standout 174 per cent upshot versus 12 months ago.
The wonderful Easter weather was a significant boost to the North Wales park’s numbers but the successes were not limited to outdoor attractions. York’s Chocolate Story – which always comes into its own at this time of year – reported a 66 per cent uplift compared to Easter 2024, showing the pull of immersive storytelling was significant whatever the weather and whether indoors or out.
Be it exploring iconic landmarks like Spinnaker Tower or The Loch Ness Centre, diving into history at The Real Mary King’s Close or Oxford Castle & Prison, or walking in the footsteps of the stars at the Coronation Street Experience or Emmerdale Village Tour, each and every attraction saw record visitor numbers.
Easter highlights included:
🎢 GreenWood Family Park – up 174 per cent
🍫 York’s Chocolate Story – up 66 per cent
🦖 The Loch Ness Centre – up 59 per cent
🎬 Emmerdale Village Tour – up 51 per cent
This group-wide success reflects the strength of our storytelling, the passion of our teams, and the enduring appetite for unique, place-based experiences. From exploring Edinburgh’s hidden closes to tasting your way through York’s chocolate history, guests came ready for real, immersive days out.
But it’s undeniable that the warm Easter weather and the fact it fell towards the end of April, also came as a huge benefit. Insights from Navigate’s recent ‘How was Easter 2025 for visitor attractions?’ report highlighted how “last-minute bookers and walk-ups dominate” this year’s audience trends, with the sunny weather inspiring guests to get out and about at short notice. Flexible staffing to welcome these late-bookers was key to converting those spontaneous decisions into even more great guest experiences.
While every attraction saw significant year-on-year growth, the incredible 174 per cent uptick at North Wales’ GreenWood Family Park was a particular highlight.
Commenting on the Easter success, Chris Jones, GreenWood’s General Manager, said: “This Easter has been nothing short of phenomenal for us. The sunny weather and late Easter certainly helped bring people out, but what really drove our success was the growing appetite for meaningful, memory-making family days out. GreenWood offers exactly that as a place where families can play, explore and connect in nature – so it’s clear that message is resonating more than ever.
“We were thrilled to welcome so many new and returning guests, and credit goes to our brilliant team for delivering an outstanding experience throughout the holidays. We can’t wait to carry this momentum into a fantastic summer ahead!”
With summer just around the corner, we’re now planning to build on this momentum and help make even more memories.
