Chester Zoo to host weather summit with Met Office and visitor attractions
Talks aim to improve how forecasts are displayed
Chester Zoo will host a weather summit today (13th July 2026), bringing together the Met Office, government officials, and leaders from 16 of the UK's top visitor attractions to address how weather forecasts are presented to the public.
The event follows concerns raised in March about rain icons on weather apps causing significant financial losses for attractions, with some reportedly losing up to £137,000 in a day due to misleading forecasts.
The summit, chaired by Nigel Wilkinson MBE from Visit Britain, will include delegates such as the Head of Domestic Tourism from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, senior Met Office figures, and representatives from key attractions including Chester Zoo and Go Ape.
Survey Reveals Impact of Misleading Forecasts
Recent research from Chester Zoo and Navigate consultancy highlights that over 60% of visitor attractions in the UK experience a 40% drop in attendance following inaccurately displayed weather forecasts.
Attractions propose solutions such as dividing the forecast into more detailed time slots, similar to Norway's YR, and introducing clearer summaries and "dry hours" indicators.
More than 80% of surveyed attractions view these approaches as beneficial.
The initiative has gained support beyond visitor attractions, with organisations like the National Association of British Market Authorities and UK Events backing the cause.
Dom Strange, Chief Operating Officer of Chester Zoo, emphasised the importance of action, stating, "We want to leave this room with recommendations we can actually put into practice."
Olly Reed, Marketing Director at Navigate, added, "The difference now is that the people who can influence what happens next are in the room."
These discussions aim to produce practical solutions and positively impact weather-dependent trading throughout the UK economy.