Weather intelligence has the power to help people plan great days out, say weather and tourism chiefs

The conversation focused on a simple question: how can weather information help people make confident decisions about their leisure time and make the most of their time at attractions, events and destinations? 

Research shows that visitors already check the weather multiple time before choosing what to do, where to go and how best to prepare, but a rain symbol on a weather app can be enough to make a family rethink a day out. The weather rarely tells the whole story in a single icon, so the opportunity is how best to help people access all the practical content available to plan their days out. 

Those taking part in the Summit shared insights from across weather forecasting, broadcasting tourism and government. Together, they looked at how forecasts and weather intelligence can be used to support confident planning, inspiring great days out and showcasing the UK’s visitor offer in every season. 

Tourism representatives shared insight into how weather affects visitor behaviour, business planning around severe forecasts and the overall visitor experience. Weather experts and broadcasters discussed how forecasts are produced, communicated and interpreted by the public.  

Together, the group explored how forecasts, apps, social media and destination communications could work harder for visitors and the places welcoming them. There was strong commitment to collaborate, learn from best practice and share data to help visitors better navigate and use trusted forecast information, strengthening the link between national weather information and local destination planning.  

The Summit also opened up wider opportunities for collaboration, including seasonal campaigns, shared visitor advice, future improvements to app content, and ways for attractions and destinations to signpost reliable weather information more clearly before and during visits. 

Richard Bevan, Met Office Services Director, said: “People usually check the weather before deciding what to do with their day, and we want to make that moment as useful and positive as possible for the tourism industry. By working with outdoor attractions, BBC Weather and government colleagues, we can help visitors use trusted forecasts and tools such as the Met Office app to plan with confidence, discover great experiences and get more from the UK’s brilliant destinations. This is about listening to the tourism sector, continuing to collaborate and share data which turns weather intelligence into practical insight that helps visitors, businesses and destinations thrive.” 

Dom Strange, Chief Operating Officer of Chester Zoo, said: “We know from experience that a single rain icon can be the difference between a family staying home and coming out for the day. That's true whether it's us, a heritage site or a seaside pier. What's come out of this summit is a shared understanding that the tourism industry and the Met Office both want the same thing - forecasts people can properly plan around. Working together gives us a real opportunity to make that happen for visitors and the places welcoming them.”

Olly Reed, Marketing Director at Navigate, said: "One of the most encouraging outcomes from the Summit was the genuine spirit of collaboration. By continuing to bring together visitor data from across the tourism sector alongside weather expertise, we can build a stronger evidence base that helps everyone better understand visitor behaviour and make more informed decisions. This is just the beginning of that collaboration." 

Following the discussion, partners agreed to keep building on the ideas shared at Chester Zoo. Future activity may include seasonal messaging, practical communications for visitors, shared insight from tourism businesses, and further exploration of how destination managers and tourism operators can help visitors use trusted forecasts more effectively.