At a glance

Leisure operators are shifting from relying solely on footfall to focusing on loyalty-led engagement using customer data and connected systems. This change is driven by the need for sustainable growth through customer relationships, with membership models and personalised offers becoming central. However, many businesses face challenges due to fragmented systems, and are adopting incremental technology integration to modernise without major disruptions.

Leisure operators can no longer rely on footfall alone to drive growth, as the sector shifts towards loyalty-led engagement built around customer data, connected systems and recurring relationships.

Across the leisure landscape, from activity venues and attractions to sports facilities and gyms, operators are increasingly recognising that sustainable growth now depends on engaging customers before, during and after their visit, rather than relying on people simply turning up.

Membership models, digital booking journeys and personalised offers are becoming central to this shift, helping operators encourage repeat visits and increase spend per customer.

Industry data suggests the move towards loyalty-led engagement is already gathering pace. In the attractions sector, more than 56% of venues now offer membership schemes, with members visiting nearly four times more often than non-members, demonstrating the significant impact that loyalty programs can have on retention and revenue. Meanwhile the UK fitness industry, one of the most mature examples of a membership-led model, now has more than 11 million members and a market value exceeding £6bn, according to industry research.

However, while many operators recognise the opportunity, implementing these models can be challenging, particularly as the sector continues to face cost pressures and operational uncertainty.

Many venues still operate multiple disconnected systems for bookings, payments, memberships and marketing, making it difficult to create seamless customer journeys or access meaningful customer insights.

According to bespoke software consultancy, Propel Tech, this fragmentation is one of the biggest barriers preventing leisure businesses from fully embracing platform-led growth.

David Ritchie, founder of Propel Tech, says: “Leisure businesses are under real pressure right now, so understandably many operators are cautious about technology investment, but the reality is that the market has changed. Growth is no longer just about attracting footfall, it’s about building relationships with customers and giving them reasons to come back.”

Rather than replacing existing systems entirely, Ritchie says many operators are beginning to focus on connecting the technology they already have, enabling them to introduce loyalty programs and unify customer data without major disruption: “For many operators the challenge isn’t a lack of tools, it’s that those tools don’t talk to each other. Off-the-shelf systems can solve individual problems, but they rarely deliver a seamless journey across booking, payments, CRM and marketing. Integration is increasingly becoming the differentiator.”

This more incremental approach to modernisation is already being adopted across the leisure sector.Football venue operator Powerleague, for example, recently introduced a digital membership scheme designed to encourage repeat play and strengthen relationships with its regular players. By connecting membership management with its booking systems and customer data, the business has been able to create a more structured loyalty model while maintaining its existing operational platforms.

Ritchie believes this type of step-by-step transformation will become increasingly common as operators look for practical ways to modernise without taking on significant financial or operational risk: “The most successful operators aren’t trying to reinvent everything overnight, they’re starting with the foundations - loyalty, connected systems and unified data - and then building from there. Once that platform exists, businesses can start layering on things like AI-driven pricing, personalised offers or automated marketing.”

As the leisure market continues to evolve, Ritchie believes operators that treat technology as a platform for customer relationships rather than simply operational infrastructure will be best placed to grow: “This shift towards platform-led engagement is already happening. The operators that move early will be the ones that turn it into a real competitive advantage.”