The company behind tourist destinations like Legoland, Alton Towers and a host of others is planning to introduce budget airline-style surge pricing, which will see visitors pay more or less depending on the time of year, in a similar vein to airlines.

In a statement, Merlin Attractions said: "[The new system] brings us in line with competitors and the broader holiday industry that have similar pricing structures, which benefit guests who choose to book off-peak”. It said the changes would “enable greater flexibility for guests booking online to choose discounted prices for select dates and times.

"To ensure we continue to deliver the best value and experience for our guests, we regularly review our pricing structure and admission prices in line with the marketplace and we reduce them in off peak periods. This also makes sure that the peak period experience is optimised by avoiding overcrowding. This approach clearly works because our guest satisfaction is at an all-time high."

But bosses have also justified that visitors "shouldn't expect" to pay the same amount during the height of summer as they would during a "rainy" weekday earlier in the year.

Scott O’Neil, the chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, told the FInancial Times: "If [an attraction] is in the UK, it’s August peak holiday season, sunny and a Saturday, you would expect to pay more than if it was a rainy Tuesday in March"