A trip to tourist attractions such as Madame Tussauds, the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, London Zoo and Westminster Abbey have all become a lot more expensive in real terms in the past 50 years
London tourist attractions have shot up hugely in real-terms prices in the past 50 years.
Which? Travel researchers analysed the cost of major attractions in the UK as well as flights and holiday packages to see how holiday prices have changed since the magazine’s first issue in 1974. The research found that flight costs have fallen significantly in real terms since the 70s, but they’re now pricier on average than the comparative lows of the 90s or early 2000s. Package holiday prices are also rising.
The cost of UK days out, however, has risen the most. In 1974, entry to the Tower of London was just 10p – the equivalent of 90p in today’s money. Visit this year however, and you’d pay a whopping £34.80 per adult – an increase of 3,767%
While entry to Madame Tussauds was once just 75p, or £7 in today’s money, a ticket now costs £33 if purchased in advance – rising to as much as £42 if purchased on the day, an increase of 500% based on the on the day price.
A ticket to Kew Gardens meanwhile was just 1p (9p in today’s money) in 1974. Now prices range from between £12 and £24 per adult depending on whether you visit in summer or winter, and whether you book in advance, an increase of 26,566%, based on the most expensive ticket.
London Zoo, which was once just 80p to enter (£7.20 in today’s money), costs £27 per head during off-peak periods, and up to £33 at weekends, an increase of 358% based on the weekend ticket.
On the flip side of things, flying has become a lot cheaper in the past five decades, making a holiday abroad much more affordable now than 50 years ago.
In the early to mid 70s, flights were particularly expensive, and prices could fluctuate quickly. Between late 1973 and March 1974, crude oil soared in price by 300%, sending prices soaring, while inflation hit a peak of 23% in 1975. At the time, shopping around wasn’t an option to secure a better price, as it was illegal for airlines to set their own fares, which were instead set by national governments.
A flight to the Greek capital Athens in 1974 would have cost 313% more in real terms than it does today. In 1974 the average price was £80 (£723 when adjusted for inflation) compared to just £175 in August 2023.
Similarly, a flight to Rome, Italy was 238% more on average, costing £55 (£497 in today’s money) compared to £147 in August 2023.
But while today’s flight prices are cheaper than 1974, they are not as cheap as they were in the golden era of cheap flights, from the 90s onwards. According to the Office for National Statistics, the average return flight from the UK to Europe cost just £123 in summer 2010 (£181 in today’s money), but had risen by 78% to £322 on average in 2023.
Package holidays also used to be a lot cheaper. Which? research found a package in the 70s or 80s was comparatively cheap. In 1986 a week’s package on the Costa Blanca during the summer would cost £160, the equivalent of £456 at today’s prices (although the accommodation provided would not necessarily be the same quality as today – potentially just a bunk in a dorm).
By 1991, a package, including two weeks half-board at an average hotel in the summer cost £450 per person in Spain (£986 at today’s prices), £507 per person in Italy (equivalent to £1,110 in today’s money), and £517 per person in Greece (equivalent to £1,132).
Packages today are much more expensive on average, with recent analysis finding that the average price of just a single week half-board in Spain this August would cost £995 per person – comparable to a two week break in the 90s. A week in Italy half-board would be £1,120 each, and in Greece it would be £1,257 each.
The rising cost of UK tourist attractions
(1974 price, today’s equivalent adjusted for inflation, 2024 price)
- Tower of London: 10p, 90p, £34.80
- Madame Tussauds: 75p, £7, £33 (off-peak up to £47 peak for standard tickets)
- Kew Gardens: 1p, 9p, £12 (winter weekday) to £24 (Feb-Oct weekend)
- St Paul’s Cathedral: free, £25
- Westminster Abbey: free, £29
- London Zoo: 80p, £7.20, £27 (off peak) / £33 (weekends)
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