New Christie & Co report reveals a buoyant leisure market with strong buyer demand across the UK
Specialist business property adviser Christie & Co has today launched its inaugural Leisure Market Review, which reflects on activity, trends and challenges across the sector, from holiday parks and marinas to visitor attractions, and provides an outlook for the rest of the year.
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The report notes that the leisure sector has demonstrated resilience and adaptability so far this year, amid a shifting economic and political landscape, and continues to attract significant investor interest.
The transactional market indicates strong demand for high-quality, well-operated assets, with the number of offers made on leisure businesses more than doubling in H1 2025 compared to H1 2024 and the number of deals agreed in this period tripling. The report explores current trends such as continued consolidation in the sector through M&A activity and the use of creative sale-and-leaseback strategies to unlock capital.
The report also discusses the ongoing operational challenges and cost pressures impacting leisure business owners, and how operators are evolving their offering to justify pricing and retain customer loyalty.
A summary of market insights from each of Christie & Co’s specialist areas are as follows, with further insights in the full report:
- Marinas: The industry is fragmented, with most marinas under private ownership and only a relatively small number of transactions taking place each year. Marinas with over 200 berths and potential for diversification remain particularly sought after, and interest from Private Equity is growing, especially among multi-site operators seeking capital restructuring. High development costs and limited locations remain major barriers to entry and, as a result, the market is seeing increased consolidation and opportunistic acquisitions.
- Holiday Parks: The holiday and residential park markets have shown some cautious early signs of recovery so far this year. Demand continues for larger static-led parks, with proven occupancy and associated cash flow. Niche operators offering premium accommodation and facilities continue to perform well.
- Visitor Attractions: The market is currently navigating evolving consumer expectations, economic pressures, and technological innovation. Despite ongoing cost-of-living concerns, visitor attraction businesses are adapting to meet new demand for value, sustainability, and immersive experiences. A diverse buyer group are actively seeking these assets, ranging from multi-site/corporate operators through to lifestyle buyers, high net worth individuals and charitable organisations.
Jon Patrick, Director and Head of Leisure & Development at Christie & Co, said, “The launch of our first Leisure Market Review provides timely insight into a sector that continues to evolve in the face of shifting economic headwinds. Despite ongoing challenges, we’ve seen remarkable resilience and a clear uptick in transactional activity in early 2025, particularly for high-performing assets with opportunities to diversity their income streams. The appetite from investors remains solid, and we are optimistic about the continued steady growth of the sector.”
To read the Leisure Market Review 2025, click here: https://www.christie.com/sectors/leisure/leisure-market-review-2025/
For further information on this press release, contact:
Jasmine Davis, Corporate Communications Manager
P: +44 7561 115179
E: jasmine.davis@christie.com
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