Legoland and Alton Towers owner plans to charge more at peak times

Merlin Entertainments says surge pricing will help offset decline in visitors since Covid pandemic

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The owner of Legoland, Alton Towers and Madame Tussauds is planning to introduce budget airline-style surge pricing, so families will pay more on peak summer weekends than rainy weekdays, as visitor numbers have fallen since the pandemic.

Scott O'Neil, the chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, which owns 141 attractions in 23 countries, said the group was aiming to introduce a dynamic pricing model - widely known as surge pricing - at its top 20 global attractions by the end of this year, and big US attractions next year.