Summer Sales Show Signs of Recovery
Although 2020 has been far from the year we were all hoping for, and tough times still lie ahead for the tourism industry in the UK and across the world, we have noticed a steady increase in sales coming through Open Pass as the summer has progressed and visitors have started to return.
From being at virtually zero in April and May, and then a trickle of sales in June, we’ve seen a significant increase in ticket and pass sales in both July and August as the restrictions across the country have been lifted. In July sales were at 8.75% of the 2019 figure and in August that had increased to 17% when compared to 2019 data. The trend looks set to continue into September as sales for the first week of the month are at 26% of last year’s total. Even though the numbers are still substantially down this steady recovery is encouraging.
Destination passes have fared particularly well with sales of York Pass recovering to 40% of the 2019 amount in August and the Shakespeare’s England Explorer Pass seeing 31% of the sales from the same period last year. Sales in Scotland have been slower to return which may in part be due to the more gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions as well as an earlier return to school north of the border.
There is a long way to go but we’re still remaining positive for the future here at Open Pass. As we enter the autumn months and new restrictions are enforced we’re ready to support our attractions and partners in any way we can.
If you’d like to find out more about the Open Pass system and how we could help your business – from booking systems to increasing your audience – you can find out more about us here.