Do You Use Data to Plan Staffing and Resources at Your Attraction?

Why it matters

Staff are often one of the biggest costs at an attraction, and also a main reason visitors leave happy or annoyed. Too few people at the ticket desk on a sunny holiday Saturday creates long queues and bad reviews. Too many people on a rainy Tuesday in the low season wastes money. Some attractions still plan staff schedules by habit, copying last year’s schedule. Data makes the plan more accurate and easier to explain to the team.

Advance bookings are especially useful because they show demand before it arrives. Arival and Phocuswright surveyed 2,550 travelers in the US, UK, France, Germany and Spain in Q4 2025 and found that between 27% and 34% booked experiences ahead because they worried spots would sell out. When visitors book ahead, you get an early signal of how busy each day will be. The more of your visitors you can move to advance booking, the better you can plan staff, guides, cleaning and stock.

How to check where you stand

• Do you plan staff schedules based on past visitor numbers by day and hour, not only on habit?
• Do you check advance bookings each week and adjust staffing for the coming days?
• Do you factor in school holidays, local events, cruise ship visits or weather forecasts?
• Do you know your busiest hour of the day and staff the ticket desk and entrance for it?
• Do you plan stock for the cafe and shop based on expected visitor numbers?

How to improve step by step

1. Map your busy and quiet times. Use your ticket data to find visitor numbers by day of the week and hour of the day. Mark the clear peaks, such as late mornings or weekend afternoons.
2. Build a simple demand calendar. On one calendar, add school holidays, public holidays, local festivals, events at your attraction and any group bookings. These are the days that need extra planning.
3. Check advance bookings weekly. Look at online ticket sales for the next one to two weeks. Compare them with the same week last year to see if demand is higher or lower than usual.
4. Add the weather. Outdoor attractions tend to get busier on dry days, and indoor attractions often get busier on rainy ones. Check the forecast a few days ahead and keep a list of staff who can take extra shifts.
5. Match staff to tasks, not only to hours. Decide how many people you need at tickets, guiding, security, cafe and cleaning at each level of demand. Write this down as a simple staffing guide.
6. Plan stock and resources the same way. Use expected visitor numbers to plan cafe food, shop stock, audio guides and printed maps. This reduces waste and avoids running out on busy days.
7. Review after each busy period. After a holiday weekend or event, ask what went well and where queues formed. Update your staffing guide so next time is better.

How AI assistants see this

ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity and similar tools do not see your staff schedule, but they do read what visitors write about you. Reviews that mention long queues, closed cafes or no staff to help can shape how these tools describe your attraction. Good planning helps you avoid those comments. You can also publish useful details, such as your quieter times or tips like “book ahead on weekends”, on your website and Google listing. AI tools can pass this kind of practical advice on to travelers.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Copying last year’s staff schedule without checking this year’s bookings, events and calendar.
• Planning only total staff numbers, without deciding which tasks need people at which times.
• Ignoring advance booking data, which is often the best early warning of a busy day.

Key takeaways

• Data from tickets, bookings, holidays and weather makes staff planning more accurate.
• Advance bookings give you an early view of demand, so encourage visitors to book ahead.
• Plan staff by task and by hour, not only by total headcount.
• Review each busy period and update your plan so it improves every season.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need special software to plan staff with data?

No. A spreadsheet with past visitor numbers by day and hour, plus a calendar of holidays and events, is a strong start. Scheduling software can help later, but the thinking matters more than the tool.

How far ahead should an attraction plan its staffing?

A rough plan for the season, a firmer plan two to four weeks ahead, and a final check a few days before is a practical rhythm. This gives staff notice while still letting you adjust to bookings and weather.

How can I get more visitors to book in advance?

Make online booking easy, show clearly when slots or tours are limited, and offer a small benefit such as a timed entry with no queue. Mention advance booking in your confirmation emails, website and Google listing.

Sources

1. Arival and Phocuswright, Travel Experiences 2026 traveler survey, reported by Hotel-Online: https://www.hotel-online.com/news/travelers-are-packing-more-experiences-into-every-trip-but-refusing-to-spend-more