Try our business solution for free!

Amusement and theme parks in the United Kingdom (UK) - statistics & facts

Whether it’s seeking thrills on a wild rollercoaster or taking a more leisurely trip down the lazy river, theme parks are a popular leisure destination for children and adults alike. In the United Kingdom (UK), the market size of the amusement and theme parks industry was estimated at approximately 944 million GBP in 2022. The sector reported recovery from the previous year when it was significantly impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The health crisis led to a decline in activity and even the closure of amusement parks for several weeks or months, reducing both annual attendance figures and the number of businesses operating within the industry.

Theme park attendance

The United Kingdom has a wide variety of amusement parks for children and adults, some of which rank among the top amusement parks in Europe in terms of attendance. Outside of the pandemic context, Legoland Windsor typically ranked as the most visited theme park in the country, having recorded 2.43 million visitors in 2019. However, attendance figures drastically dropped for leading amusement and theme parks in the United Kingdom in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. During this unprecedented year, the theme park which reported the highest attendance was Alton Towers Resort in Staffordshire, England, with approximately 670,000 visitors going to the park throughout the year.

Merlin Entertainments Ltd

The British entertainment company Merlin Entertainments Ltd is one of the largest attraction operators in the world. Looking at the number of Merlin Entertainments’ attractions worldwide gives an insight into the diversity of the firm’s portfolio: 46 Sealife centers, 23 Legoland Discovery Centers, and 22 Madame Tussauds operated globally under the company’s name in 2020. Moreover, a further detailed assessment of the revenue achieved by Merlin Entertainments Ltd in 2020 shows that the most successful branches in operation were Midway Attractions (which encompasses brands such as Sea Life, The Dungeons, and Madame Tussauds) and Legoland Parks, which each generated 228 million GBP in revenue.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 16, 2022

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Revenue of Legoland Parks worldwide from 2011 to 2021 (in million GBP)

Theme Parks & Water Parks

Legoland revenue worldwide 2011-2021

Attendance at Alton Towers theme park in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2009 to 2021 (in millions)

Theme Parks & Water Parks

Alton Towers theme park attendance in the United Kingdom (UK) 2009-2021

Attendance at Thorpe Park theme park in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2009 to 2021 (in millions)

Theme Parks & Water Parks

Thorpe Park theme park attendance in the United Kingdom (UK) 2009-2021

Related topics

Recommended

4

Recommended statistics

Industry overview

8

Industry overview

Attendance

5

Attendance

Roller coasters

3

Roller coasters

Brand focus: Merlin Entertainments

7

Brand focus: Merlin Entertainments

Reports & StudiesGet the best reports to understand your industry

Parks in the United States
Parks in the United States
Domestic tourism in the United Kingdom
Domestic tourism in the United Kingdom
Tourism in London
Tourism in London
Amusement and theme parks
Amusement and theme parks
Theme / Museum Index 2020
Theme / Museum Index 2020
Merlin Entertainments annual report 2020
Merlin Entertainments annual report 2020

Contact

Get in touch with us. We are happy to help.
Statista Locations
Contact Vayola Jocelyn
Vayola Jocelyn
Client Support Specialist– Contact (United States)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Contact Yolanda Mega
Yolanda Mega
Operations Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
asia.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (SGT)

Contact Kisara Mizuno
Kisara Mizuno
Senior Business Development Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
support.japan@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 10:00am - 6:00pm (JST)

Contact Lodovica Biagi
Lodovica Biagi
Director of Operations– Contact (Europe)
Email
eu.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9:30am - 5pm (GMT)

Contact Carolina Dulin
Carolina Dulin
Associate Director - LAC– Contact (Latin America)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Menu