Rainy Day Online Action Plan for Attractions

Neil Lewin More 

Published by:
Neil
Owner

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It’s August, peak season, and the time of year that you’ll often see attraction marketers out in the car park doing a sun dance. I’m not sure that the dancing has been working so far for the summer holidays - the weather’s been a mixed bag, and if you’re running an attraction right now, you’ll be familiar with the challenges.

Families are leaving things to the last minute, feverishly checking forecasts before they click ‘book’ - and if your website doesn’t give them confidence, they’re going elsewhere.

I thought it would be helpful to make a quick Rainy Day Website Action Plan. It’s not about fancy offers or complex products, it’s just about making some quick updates so that guests feel good about booking - even if the weather's not on your side.

Best of all, you don't need more budget or complicated systems plus most of the tips here are quick enough to make progress in under an hour…

1. Stop hiding your rainy day offer

Most attractions bury their indoor options in an FAQ. But that’s no help to a family trying to decide what to do today - if you’ve got stuff that’s still great in the rain, start shouting about it. Add a section to your homepage or ticketing page that says: “What happens if it rains?”

Let people know:

  • What’s still open
  • Where they can take shelter
  • Any offers and incentives (more on this below)

It doesn’t need to be fancy, plus if you can, create some visuals and promo panels to switch in to direct guests to your rainy day offerings or highlight areas on an interactive map to make it more visual.

2. Show what a rainy day at your attraction actually looks like

Don’t just tell your visitors that it’ll still be great, show them:

  • Add images showing families in wet weather gear
  • Highlight kids in indoor play zones or activities
  • Warm cafés, shows and exhibits under cover
  • If you can, include guest quotes like: “We got soaked and still had a brilliant time.”

I’ve noticed on our recent trip to Devon that often I couldn’t tell what was indoors until we arrived. And that lack of clarity nearly put us off. You’ve probably got more to offer in the rain than you think so just make it easy to find… and if you really struggle with a lack of indoor space, then that’s where point 3 comes in…

3. Offer a simple weather guarantee

The biggest blocker to booking in bad weather is families' fear of wasting money. You don’t need to give refunds, just offer flexibility and reassurance… something like:

“Book with confidence - come back within 7 days if it rains.” ... or... “If it rains for more than 2 hours, we’ll invite you back for free.”

If you already do this, great - but try and make sure it's front and centre. Get it on the ticket page, maybe as a line under the “Buy now” button so it's totally obvious.

Ideas to consider:

  • Weather Buster Tickets
  • Rainy Day Guarantee
  • Wet Weather Promise

Having a simple guarantee helps mitigate the downside and ensures that visitors see the value you’re offering. If you already have free return or multi-day tickets then highlight how great these are for visiting flexibly around any bad weather.

4. Have a rainy day message ready to go

Don’t wait for the weather to turn before you react. Have your rainy day comms lined up in advance - here's some examples:

  • Email: “Rain on the radar? We’ve got you covered.”
  • Facebook post: “Too wet for the park? Here’s your rainy day rescue.”
  • Website pop-up: “Rain? We’re still open — and still full of fun.”

You can go further with a low-effort offer like “Free hot drink if it rains during your visit”, but honestly, the reassurance alone might be enough to convert them.

5. Embrace it

Some of the best memories happen in the worst weather.

If your attraction still runs well in the rain, lean into it. Create mini rainy day experiences:

  • Puddle-jumping photo spots
  • “Rainy Day Explorer” trails
  • Free ponchos for kids

You don’t need to invent new events. You just need to show guests that your team, your setup and your experience are ready - whatever the forecast.

And there’s probably stuff you’re already doing that just needs better signposting online.

Final thought

You can’t control the weather. But you can control the story your website tells.

If your attraction website builds confidence, sets expectations, and makes rainy day visits feel like a smart decision - you’ll win bookings your competitors lose.

If you want more simple, practical ideas like this then drop me a line and I can send you our LOOP Digital Survival Guide - packed with bite-sized ways to improve your website fast, without needing to have big budgets.

Otherwise read more stories from Loop By Semantic and Semantic Limited over at https://loop.semantic.co.uk/