bookingkit Leisure Market Index – January 2026

Strong start to 2026: Revenue growth continues as operators shift toward value-driven efficiency

Each month, bookingkit analyses aggregated booking and revenue data from thousands of leisure providers across Europe. The latest insights for January 2026 indicate a positive start to the year: revenue clearly outperforms the benchmarks of the past three years, pricing remains resilient, and market dynamics continue to shift toward higher value per visitor. While ticket volumes show a relative decline, operators are successfully generating stronger returns from a more focused customer base.

Key Insight 1: January revenue outperforms the past three years

Revenue processed in January 2026 surpassed the levels recorded in the same month across the previous three years. This sustained upward trend confirms that operators are able to generate structurally higher revenue even during what was traditionally considered a low season. The data signals a market that is financially healthier and less dependent on peak summer demand. Operators who prioritize high-margin products and smart yield management are particularly well positioned to strengthen their market position early in the year.

Key Insight 2: Lower ticket volume highlights the need for conversion excellence

Ticket volume in January declined compared to the same period in 2024 and 2025. However, this development reflects a structural shift rather than weakening demand. Operators are increasingly achieving higher financial returns from a smaller but more valuable customer base. In this environment, seamless booking experiences and optimized conversion paths become critical. The focus is no longer solely on driving volume, but on converting interest into confirmed, high-quality bookings as efficiently as possible.

Key Insight 3: Pricing power remains intact as growth stabilises

Ticket prices continue to show positive year-over-year growth, maintaining the upward trajectory established throughout 2025. Although the rate of increase has stabilised compared to the pronounced spikes seen last year, the data confirms that pricing power remains robust. Operators are successfully holding higher yield floors without relying on aggressive price hikes, reinforcing a mature and stable pricing environment at the start of 2026.

Lukas C. C. Hempel, Founder & CEO of bookingkit: “January 2026 shows that the leisure market is entering the new year from a position of strength. Revenue continues to grow, pricing remains solid, and operators are proving that value creation matters more than pure volume. The providers who combine strong conversion processes with smart yield strategies will be the ones defining performance in 2026.”

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About the bookingkit Leisure Market Index

The bookingkit Leisure Market Index aggregates anonymised booking and pricing data from thousands of attractions, activity providers and experience operators across Europe. It is released monthly to support operators, journalists and analysts with reliable, real-time sector insights. The Index tracks the following core metrics:

• Revenue: The gross value of ticket sales across all operators
• Tickets: The total number of admission tickets sold
• Price per ticket: How pricing evolves over time and how operators adjust their value propositions

Together, these indicators provide a clear, data-driven view of market dynamics, helping stakeholders identify emerging trends early and understand how consumer demand is shifting.

Disclaimer

The bookingkit Leisure Market Index is based on aggregated and normalised data from bookingkit customers as well as selected public and private sources. While bookingkit strives for accuracy, no guarantee is made regarding completeness or timeliness. The insights reflect bookingkit’s perspective at the time of publication and do not constitute legal, financial or investment advice. All analyses are intended for professional use only.