The reality for many adventure centres, escape rooms, climbing gyms, spas, tour operators and hospitality venues right now is clear:

Demand hasn’t disappeared — but the way people choose where to spend their money has changed.

Customers are more selective. Budgets are tighter. And loyalty is earned, not assumed.

The businesses that grow in this environment aren’t the ones offering the lowest price…

They’re the ones offering the clearest value.

So, here are 5 strategic shifts you can make today that will increase revenue, improve guest experience and strengthen your position in the market — without adding unnecessary cost or operational chaos.

1. Reduce Session Availability & Increase Capacity Per Session

When times feel tough, many businesses panic and open their calendar wider: More days. More times. More availability.

But this spreads bookings thin, increases staffing costs, and creates sessions with too few people to be profitable.

Instead, do the opposite:

• Reduce session frequency

• Increase group size capacity

• Concentrate demand into fewer, fuller sessions

This gives you:

• Higher profitability per session

• Better energy and atmosphere on-site

• Less burnout for your staff

• Clearer planning and prep

Scarcity also drives urgency.

When you go from “Book anytime” → to “We run 3 sessions per day — when they’re full, they’re full”. Bookings move faster.

2. Increase Perceived Value (Without Increasing Cost)

Pricing sensitivity doesn’t mean people want cheap. It means they want to feel like they’re getting more than they paid for.

Small, thoughtful value adds make a big impact:

• Free tea/coffee on arrival = Warm welcome, hospitality moment

• Printed group photo = Memory and shareability

• Name badges / team boards = Personalised, professional, “organised” feel

• Certificate for kids = Keepsake → repeat visits

• Ingredient packs/takeaways in workshops = Extends the experience

The goal is to elevate the opening and closing moments of the experience.

People remember first impression → peak moment → final moment.

Design those three deliberately.

3. Create Themed Events & Seasonal Campaigns

Seasonality isn’t a problem — it’s a sales engine. Seasonal framing gives customers a reason to book now, rather than “sometime soon”.

Examples:

• Halloween: “The Forest at Night: Lantern Trail & Storyfire”

• Christmas: “Festive Family Escape Adventure + Hot Chocolate Bar”

• Valentine’s: “Adventure for Two: Bow + Axe Date Night”

• Easter: “Crack the Clue Trail: Egg Hunt + Puzzle Challenge”

You don’t need new infrastructure. You just need a story.

Theme amplifies emotion, and emotion is what sells experiences.

4. Yes — You Can Put Your Prices Up

This one feels uncomfortable — especially when the news cycle is shouting “cost-of-living crisis”.

But you are not selling fuel or bread. You’re selling meaningful, memorable experiences.

The right customers will continue to pay for that.

And here’s the important maths:

• When you increase prices, almost the entire increase goes straight to profit.

• You’re not adding more staff.

• You’re not adding more overhead.

• You’re just charging closer to the true value of what you deliver.

Even a £5 increase per person often has more financial impact than filling an extra session every week.

Be brave. Be fair. Communicate value clearly.

5. Make the Booking Journey Effortless

Customers have less patience than ever.

If they can’t book in 30 seconds, they will leave and book somewhere else.

Your booking process needs to be:

• Online

• Mobile-friendly

• Clear

• Fast

• Immediate confirmation

Not: “Fill out this enquiry form and we'll get back to you.”

That friction alone kills more revenue than marketing ever fixes.

This is exactly why we built 53° — to make the running of an experience-driven business easier, faster and smoother.

Because growth happens when:

• Teams know what’s happening

• Guests know where to go and when

• The admin doesn’t get in the way

And your energy goes back into delivering great experiences, not fighting spreadsheets, inboxes and last-minute chaos.