Planning for success this summer season

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Get ahead of the competition this summer by publishing your events early. Learn key booking trends, capture early bird sales, and optimise your ticketing for maximum revenue and visibility with our expert tips for a successful summer season.

Planning for success this Summer season

Introduction

Summer is one of the busiest seasons for ticket sales, and the key to a successful event is getting in front of your audience early. According to our Visitor Attraction Trends report, visitors book events as early as 12 weeks before the experience date. By publishing your summer events now on Beyonk, you’ll capture eager customers who are already planning their holidays and experiences.

Key dates for Summer 2025

May half term dates: 26th to 30th May

UK school holidays: 22nd July until early September (ranges across different areas)

Scotland school holidays: 30th June until mid-August (earlier than UK holiday dates)

August bank holiday: 25th August

Types of bookers

We’ve found that families and parents in the UK typically fit into three categories when booking tickets for summer experiences.

Early planners (9-12 weeks ahead)

A dedicated group of visitors start planning their summer experiences well in advance, (more likely with young families). These early planners are highly intentional with their bookings and want to secure their experiences before peak demand kicks in.

4-6% of total summer bookings occur in this period

Popular theme parks, summer festivals, and high-demand experiences

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Top tip: Use early bird discounts to lock in this group and build awareness early

Savvy schedulers (3-8 weeks ahead)

The savvy schedulers represent the highest volume period for summer bookings. By this stage, many visitors are finalising their plans, comparing options, and securing their bookings before peak season prices and availability constraints set in.

24-35% of total summer bookings happen during this timeframe

Highest volume period as parents finalise summer holiday plans

Approximately 70-75% of summer bookings are placed by the end of June

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Top tip: Run targeted marketing campaigns, offer bundle deals to convert booking decisions

Deadline dashers (during summer months)

The deadline dashers represent the final surge of summer bookings. This phase includes a high volume of spontaneous bookers, weekend planners, and last-minute decision-makers who rely on flexibility and availability rather than long-term planning.

59-71% of bookings occur within 1-2 weeks of the event date

Day trips: roughly 40-45% booked with less than a week's notice

5% increase in bookings placed out-of-office hours

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Top tip: Optimise mobile-first checkout for and use urgency tactics like “Last few tickets remaining” or discount codes to capture impulse buyers

Why now?

What we find is that, whilst typically visitors book within a couple of weeks of an event date, unless you’ve got schedules up for at least 12 weeks, you will be risking some revenue within the ‘early planner’ demographic (for example, tourists, who need to book accommodation etc. around the same time)

Put simply: By not having your summer events schedules live by April you're potentially missing up to 6% of your total bookings. These early planners won't wait - they'll book competing experiences that are already available.

Extra benefits to publishing early

✔ Maximise visibility & SEO – The earlier your event is online, the more time search engines have to rank it and when your customers are looking at your other products, they’ll be aware of your summer events

✔ Capture early bird sales – Many customers want to plan ahead, especially families and tourists

✔ Outshine competitors – Beat others to market and secure bookings before they do

✔ Boost revenue & marketing ROI – More lead time means more opportunity for marketing, upselling, and generating word-of-mouth buzz

Preparation for a more competitive season

To maximise bookings and stay ahead of the competition here are some key actions to take or consider before the peak season:

🌟 Make sure you have a prominent ‘Book now’ button

🌟 Consider reducing checkout questions - for faster checkout

🌟 88% of bookings happen on Mobile - make sure your mobile view is optimised

🌟 Consolidated ticket options to make it easier for visitors to select the tickets relevant to them.

🌟 Be better than the competition and add video content to your experience listings

🌟 Set up customer self-serve to reduce admin and empower your customers

🌟 Sell Summer season memberships or passes before going live to lock in cash flow and repeat visits