The UK attractions cutting prices by up to 15% for summer

As the Great British Savings Scheme kicks off, Which? asked some of the UK’s largest attractions if they will commit to passing savings on to consumers 

The cost of days out in the UK has soared in recent years, but this summer you can save on admission to some top UK attractions through a new government programme called Great British Summer Savings (GBBS). 

For eligible leisure and hospitality companies, the government is cutting the VAT they must pay on admission tickets to attractions from 20% to 5% between 25 June and 1 September. That VAT cut leaves the attraction with a saving of 15%, but it is not required to pass this saving on to customers. 

The good news is that of those who are joining the scheme, most committed to Which? that they will pass on the full savings to customers by reducing the price of entry tickets. But not every attraction is participating, while others are but won’t pass on all the savings.

Which attractions will be cheaper this summer?

Notes: LEGOLAND Windsor Adventure Golf is not part of the scheme and 20% VAT applies. The London Eye River Cruise is not part of the scheme, and 0% VAT will continue to apply.

Three attractions confirmed they were enrolling the scheme, but would only be passing on partial savings onto customers. Those were Eureka! Science and Discovery, Go Ape and Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Eureka! Science and DiscoveryGo ApeBlackpool Pleasure Beach

Of the 26 companies we emailed, 8 companies did not respond. Those were Madame Tussauds London (which operates separately from Madame Tussauds Blackpool), Brighton Palace Pier, The View from the Shard, Barry Island Pleasure Park, Adventure Coast Southport, Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park, National Space Center, and Adventure Island Southend.

I’ve already bought tickets — can I get my money back?

In some cases, you might be able to get a partial refund of up to 15% from the attraction, but retroactive refunds aren’t a legal obligation. 

Merlin, which operates 10 of the attractions we contacted, including Alton Towers, Legoland Windsor Resort, The London Eye and Thorpe Park, said it will not offer retrospective refunds and will pay the full 20% VAT on all tickets already purchased.

If you’ve bought tickets for an attraction and aren’t sure whether you’re owed a refund, you could try contacting the company’s customer services department. Ask if the attraction is participating in GBSS and offering partial refunds — and if so, whether this process is automatic, or you need to do something. 

Why some museums and charity venues can’t participate

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/vat-great-british-summer-savings-aTALY3e9VCdh