UK leisure spending to break £80bn barrier this year

Consumer spending on the UK leisure industry is expected to pass £80bn for the time ever this year, fuelled by growth across a wide range of sectors.

That’s according to a new report by market intelligence firm Mintel, which says an estimated spend of £80.3bn in 2015 reflects a 15 per cent increase on 2010, when the market was valued at £69.6bn.

While restaurants and pubs remain responsible for a major chunk of leisure spending, the recent growth has been sparked largely by a boom in concert and festival attendances, sports participation and cinema visits.

The Mintel report reveals that music festival and concert sales have been the headline act over the past five years, rising by 45 per cent between 2010 and 2015 – the strongest rate of value growth across the entire leisure industry. Analysts cite declining record sales as a key factor in the resurgence of live music, with artists touring more frequently to boost their earnings.

Meanwhile, the sports participation market has also performed strongly, growing by 31 per cent between 2010 and 2015 to reach £3.9bn. Sales of sports goods and equipment have been the bedrock of this growth, while the live sports market has also risen sharply in this period – up 26 per cent to £1.4bn.

“The market has been driven mostly by price increases as operators’ cost bases have risen steadily as a result of sharp rises in utility costs and increases in the minimum wage,” said Mintel senior leisure analyst Michael Oliver.

“Partly on the back of the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics and as well as a result of government campaigns such as Get Active, sports participation spending has also seen a strong rise during this period.”

For a full copy of the report, click here.