The government's Great British Summer Savings scheme, which has offered families reduced costs on days out, is scheduled to end on 1 September. The initiative included a VAT cut from 20% to 5% on children's meals in restaurants and tickets to various attractions, alongside free bus fares in England for children aged five to fifteen.
Since its launch on 25 June, the scheme has reportedly saved families millions of pounds. Haven, a leading holiday park operator, announced it returned over £4 million to holidaymakers, with approximately 251,000 families benefiting across its UK sites. ODEON also stated that more than 1.2 million guests have benefited from discounted cinema trips.
Greene King, another participant, reported selling over 1.1 million children’s meals and recording more than 80,000 entries to its Wacky Warehouse venues, resulting in cumulative customer savings exceeding £740,000. Merlin Entertainments, operating attractions like Alton Towers and LEGOLAND Windsor, welcomed almost 5 million guests to its UK sites during the scheme's duration.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey MP, encouraged families to utilise the remaining savings over the bank holiday weekend. Over 2,100 eateries and attractions across the UK are listed on the government’s deal finder website.