What makes a good beer garden?
There’s nothing quite like a cold drink on a warm summer day – and with
Sun, sea, sand…and sounds
UK coastal holidays look to be more popular than ever, so how can hospitality businesses make the most of the coming months ahead?
After a warmer than usual spring1 attention now turns to the upcoming summer months ahead. Longer days, hotter temperatures, and of course, the holiday season – which looks to be more popular than ever, particularly in UK coastal locations.
According to our recent survey, 86.2% of people said they have booked or were considering booking a UK coastal break this year, 2 yet in a similar survey conducted by Verdant leisure in 2024 it was found that only 59% of their respondents were planning on taking coastal breaks.
Of these ‘staycationers’, the majority of people said they would be spending up to £400 in hospitality venues and other attractions during their coastal break, whilst some plan to spend up to £1000.2
But what exactly will holidaymakers be spending their money on?
According to our survey the majority of people (89.5%) plan to visit a pub or bar at least once on their coastal break, while one in five plan to visit over five times. 2
Similarly, around 90% said they plan to visit restaurants and cafés while on their UK coastal holiday, with around 40% saying they plan to visit more than once.2
With a typical break lasting around a week, this could mean tourists are planning on visiting hospitality venues around once per day whilst on their coastal break.
So, how can businesses make the most out of this and prepare for the busy season ahead?
All about the atmosphere
Our survey found that, other than cost and convenience, the atmosphere of a hospitality business was ranked the most important aspect to visitors during their coastal break, surpassing both review rating and whether a venue is family friendly. 2
The survey also found that for around 20% of people who plan to visit venues more regularly, the atmosphere ranked the most important aspect overall. 2
So, how can a good atmosphere be achieved?
According to another of our recent surveys, the majority of people said that music is important to creating an appealing atmosphere in hospitality venues, with over two-thirds of customers saying they would leave a venue that isn’t playing music because of the lack of atmosphere. When asked, 53% of customers also said they dislike sitting in silence while eating a meal, while hearing music in a venue was a priority for 21% of people.4
As George Greenaway from the Great British Pub Award Winning pub, The Tamworth Tap explains when speaking about how he uses music in his business:
“Our music works with the time of day, the day of the week and the season. Even the weather is a factor. We create playlists that suit that particular situation and are filed as Christmas, sunny day, Sunday morning etc.”
We have so many comments on how customers have enjoyed the playlists even asking where they can buy the CD. I’m certain we keep customers a little longer as they can’t leave because of the music.”
George Greenaway, The Tamworth Tap
And it’s not just background music that can add to the atmosphere and create an enjoyable experience for customers.
In our survey, around 60% of people said they would be more inclined to visit a hospitality venue if they have live music and/or music related entertainment on offer, while 35.6% ranked live music as the most enjoyable form of entertainment to experience while on a coastal holiday – something that was ranked more popular than arcades, bowling, mini-golf and bingo.2
As George continues:
“Nestled at the bottom [of the garden] is the live music stage flanked by seating and tables. We built it about 5 years ago to utilise the space for live music, which is a huge draw on a Sunday afternoon. We also host live music on some Friday nights and special bank holiday gigs.”
And crucially, music can influence spending in hospitality businesses too. Given the opportunity, 40% of people said that they are more likely to indulge in an extra treat if music, particularly pop music, is playing in a pub or café, while 31% of restaurant diners would be more inclined to order more expensive items on the menu if classical music was playing.4
Similarly, 67% of people admit to leaving a venue after realising no songs were playing, particularly in pubs – where one in five choosing the door over a drink after a silent reception.
Do I need a music licence to use music in my hospitality venue?
Music and live entertainment can be an important aspect for attracting customers into hospitality venues during the summer holiday period. But using music both live and recorded, will usually require TheMusicLicence.
Under The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, permission is needed from the relevant copyright holders – those people who create music – in order to play or perform music in public.
Obtaining TheMusicLicence gives you this permission, in relation to the vast majority of commercially available music. This ranges from grassroots and independent artists and composers through to the biggest names in the business.
Find out more and get TheMusicLicence in time for the summer months ahead by visiting pplprs.co.uk/get-themusiclicence/
References:
- https://smartwatermagazine.com/blogs/simon-h-lee/how-weather-got-stuck-over-uk-and-produced-unusually-dry-and-warm-spring
- Survey performed by PPL PRS via Attest based on 2000 UK adults, April 2025
- https://www.verdantleisure.co.uk/our-journal/travel-trend-report-2024/
- https://pplprs.co.uk/benefitsmusic/how-can-music-influence-consumer-behaviour/
Author
Rhiannon Jepson
Rhiannon Jepson is a Member of The Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has worked in communication roles for around 7 years. She joined PPL PRS in November 2017, shortly after studying for a degree in English Literature, where she developed her love of writing and creativity. Since then, she has completed the CIPR Foundation course and enjoys bringing together her love of communications and music through her role as Senior PR & Communications Executive.
All Posts
Related
Can music really help plants grow?
You may have heard that music can benefit plant growth – but you may wonder
Record Store Day 2025- Insight into one of Leicester’s much loved record stores.
Organised by Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), Record Store Day (RSD) is the biggest event of
Ready to play music?
Set up a new music licence for your business or organisation.
Get TheMusicLicence