One of the UK’s largest and most visited attractions, Chester Zoo, is leading a nationwide push to change how weather forecasts are displayed on popular apps, warning that misleading rain icons could be costing outdoor attractions up to £137,000 in a single day.

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The conservation zoo has coordinated a joint approach to the Met Office on behalf of more than 80 outdoor attractions across the country, including the Eden Project, Royal Horticultural Society gardens, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Blenheim Palace.

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The group argues that a single raincloud icon summarising a full 24-hour period can create the impression of a complete washout, even when much of the day is dry.

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Operators say families often make decisions based on a quick glance at a phone screen. If they see a raincloud symbol, plans are frequently cancelled.

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Tourism contributes around £147bn annually to the UK economy, with domestic day trips alone worth more than £50bn. Attractions say spontaneous visits are particularly weather-dependent, and research suggests around 70% of people check forecasts before heading out.

Some sites report attendance dropping by as much as 30% following an unfavourable forecast.

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The coalition of attractions stresses that it is not challenging the accuracy of forecasts themselves, but rather how the information is visually presented — particularly by third-party apps that may show overnight rain as an all-day rain icon.

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Dom Strange, Chief Operating Officer of Chester Zoo, said:

“When families see a raincloud icon, many simply stay home.

“The reality might be a brief shower at 6am - but the symbol suggests a washout.

“As the national zoo and one of the UK’s leading attractions, we’re speaking up for the wider visitor economy - from heritage sites to theme parks - and the thousands of jobs that depend on spontaneous visits.

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“The Met Office is the UK’s most trusted weather authority and in a unique position to help lead the way on clearer forecasting so other apps follow their leads. With today’s data and technology, there’s an opportunity to present forecasts in a way that better reflects how the day will actually feel on the ground.”

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Attractions are now calling for a roundtable involving the Met Office, government and major weather app developers to explore practical improvements to forecast presentation. Suggestions include introducing separate daytime and overnight weather icons, clearer written summaries such as “showers early, brighter later”, and indicators showing the proportion of expected dry hours.

Industry leaders say clearer presentation would help families plan days out with confidence while protecting thousands of jobs across the UK visitor economy.

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Olly Reed, Marketing Director at tourism consultancy Navigate, said:

“We work with more than 50 UK visitor attractions and destinations, giving us a broad and representative view of sector performance. Across the sites we support, attendance patterns are closely tracked against forecast data and the picture is consistent - when an unfavourable weather icon appears, visits can drop by an average of around 30%.

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“This is reflective of analysis across a diverse portfolio of heritage sites, gardens, zoos and theme parks. Bookings don’t just shift with the weather itself, they shift with how that weather is framed. In a sector driven by spontaneity, small design choices in forecast presentation can have disproportionate economic consequences. Credit to Chester Zoo for helping shine a light on this.”

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Blackpool Pleasure Beach has also backed the call for clearer forecast presentation.

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James Cox, Director of Marketing, Sales & PR at Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort, added:

“We feel it’s important to add our support to the letter to Professor Endersby at the Met Office on behalf of the UK visitor economy, and to continue the constructive dialogue on how forecast data is presented.

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“In the current economic climate, we know only too well that families see a leisure day out as a considered investment, rather than the throwaway discretionary spend of old. They are cautiously waiting for all deciding factors to align to ensure their investment guarantees the best possible day out. The impact of the weather forecast is therefore intensified, particularly for outdoor attractions. A significant amount of our bookings come within 24 hours before any given day, because people rely on that weather icon.

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“Accurate reports with imagery that better reflects overall conditions are vital. This will help families plan with confidence and provide greater stability for attractions and the wider visitor economy, which depend on accurate forecasting to trade successfully.”