Great British Summer Savings - Temporary VAT Cut Announced for UK Family Attractions This Summer

Great British Summer Savings - Government VAT Reduction

UK family attractions, hospitality businesses and visitor economy operators are set to benefit from a temporary summer VAT reduction designed to lower the cost of family days out. The expectation is that this is passed on to their customers by means of discounts and special offers..

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that VAT will be cut from 20% to 5% on a range of eligible family-focused leisure, cultural and hospitality spending during the school summer holidays. The temporary reduction is due to run from 25 June to 1 September 2026, covering the main UK school holiday period.

The measure forms part of the government’s “Great British Summer Savings” campaign, which is aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures and supporting sectors including hospitality, attractions and leisure.

Businesses will be responsible for deciding whether and how to pass the VAT saving on to customers.

What the VAT cut will cover

· Admission tickets for attractions, including:

o theme parks

o amusement parks

o fairs

o museums

o zoos

o wildlife parks

o nature reserves

o adventure parks

o soft play centres

o circuses

o observation attractions

· Children’s and family tickets for:

o cinemas

o theatres

o concerts

o shows

o exhibitions

· Children’s meals served in:

o restaurants

o cafés

o other eligible hospitality venues for on-premises consumption

What this means for tourism and hospitality businesses

For visitor attractions and hospitality venues, the summer VAT cut creates an opportunity to encourage domestic visits during the peak family holiday period.

Businesses may wish to consider:

· updating ticketing and booking systems before the scheme begins

· reviewing advertised prices for eligible tickets and products

· making clear which items qualify for the temporary VAT reduction

· highlighting family-value messages in summer marketing campaigns

· preparing staff to answer customer questions about the scheme

· working with local partners to promote affordable days out

The measure may be particularly relevant for attractions that rely on family audiences during the summer, including zoos, theme parks, museums, wildlife attractions and family entertainment venues.

Linked transport and food measures

Alongside the VAT reduction, the government has announced additional summer cost-of-living measures, including:

· free bus travel for under-16s in England during August

· targeted cuts to import taxes on more than a hundred food products

· continued freeze on fuel duty until the end of 2026 rather than this September

The free bus travel measure may support access to local attractions, town centres, hospitality venues and family events during August, particularly for households without access to a car.

Key dates for operators

Tourism and hospitality businesses should note the following dates:

· 25 June 2026: temporary VAT reduction expected to begin

· August 2026: free bus travel for under-16s in England

· 1 September 2026: temporary VAT reduction expected to end

Industry considerations

The announcement gives the sector as a whole a defined summer window in which to promote value-led offers to family audiences.

Potential actions for operators include:

· creating “summer savings” landing pages

· refreshing family ticket bundles

· coordinating campaigns with local destination partners

· linking attraction offers with public transport messaging

· reviewing café and children’s menu pricing

· confirm eligibility for specific products, tickets or services before advertising savings

· ensuring VAT treatment is reviewed and correctly recognised

The temporary reduction in VAT to 5% for eligible family attractions, children’s entertainment tickets and children’s meals presents a timely opportunity for the UK tourism and hospitality sector to stimulate summer demand. The measure is designed to ease cost-of-living pressures for families while supporting visitor attractions, hospitality venues and local destinations during the peak holiday period.

For tourism businesses the key value lies in clear communication, accurate pricing and coordinated promotion. Attractions, restaurants, cafés and destination partners should use the summer window to highlight affordability, encourage domestic days out and strengthen family-focused offers. While the savings depend on businesses passing the VAT reduction on to customers, the scheme provides a practical platform for marketing value-led experiences and supporting footfall across the visitor economy.

Further Information

For further Government information, please click here

Tourism South East will be supporting all our members in their promotions with a ‘Great British Summer Savings' offers page and targeted social media. Be one of the first to upload your special offers here.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further support or information: membership@tourismse.com