Complete a survey about holidays – Merlin annual passes to be won!NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

With Christmas behind us and the start of the holiday booking season about to begin we’ve beenasked to speak to Mumsnetters about their holidays.

This survey is open to all UK Mumsnetters.

To complete the survey please click here.

Everyone who completes the survey and adds their details to the end will be entered into a prize

draw where:

One winner will receive a Premium UK Merlin Entertainments Annual Pass for a family of 4 (worth a value of £676).

Two winners will receive a UK Merlin Entertainments Annual Pass for a family of 4 (worth a value of £516)

The UK Merlin Annual Pass gives its holders access to 31 top attractions including: Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort, THORPE PARK Resort and The London Eye.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

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done - interesting debate too!

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Done! Haven't been away in ages so would love love love this prize! Fingers crossed!

Living in an area that relies heavily on tourism for the local economy, I'm glad my MP is campaigning for VAT to be reduced. By reducing the costs, more people will be able to afford days out/holidays. It is the smaller places that suffer the most when purse strings are having to be tightened and luxuries cut back on, not the likes of Legoland etc. that will always be busy.

If a ticket is currently £5, then the current VAT is £1. If the VAT percentage is reduced or even removed I have no doubt that the ticket will still be £5. You would have to be very naive to think it wouldn't.

Done.

I love VAT, me :)

I get it - the general idea is that if VAT is cut, price comes down, more people can afford it and bums on seats increases. So ultimately the same or more VAT in total being handed over to HMRC is the grand plan.

That obviously needs the Merlins of this land to keep the net price the same. In sales to the public, the net and VAT breakdown is just not a consideration - it is the gross charge that matters, and the Merlins will charge whatever they think people will pay.

0% VAT isn't going to happen, the UK has no jurisdiction to extend the zero rate.

And, and - a straight comparison to VAT rates in other EU countries isn't enough. The UK may indeed have a relatively high rate of VAT for these things, but generally lower direct taxes - all of which feeds into the net charges.

And sorry, I ain't swapping my guaranteed sunny beach for a UK damp squib on the promise of a 5% VAT rate.

Done. As others have said I find it a bit bizarre...I don't choose where to holiday on the basis of the local VAT rate!

As a private company merlin could reduce their entrance fees if they want more visitors than arguing the toss about VAT.

Equally I don't suddenly start to care about an issue because my local eurosceptic MP does!

I can't imagine they're going to be very pleased with the responses they get!

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I agree with majority here. Tourism is a supremely successful industry in the UK, I don't believe changing the VAT rate would have any impact other than reducing the revenue of the country from tourists (the country, not Merlin).

Merlin, if your prices are too high, it's because your margins are inflated, lower your margins, not the UK taxpayers income! Also I have no problem at all with tourists who come to enjoy the UK, without partaking in Merlin's products....

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interesting-did evryone else get a marketing email from Merlin shortly after doing this survey (despite the assurance at the bottom of the survey that said this wouldn't happen)?

No. But I am already on their database as an annual pass holder.

Done - although the main reason we don't holiday in the UK is the price compared to overseas, we've just been pricing up renting a cottage near a nice beach in the UK in the school summer holidays - even before we factor in the cost of petrol to drive there ourselves, we'd be better off paying for flights and renting a villa in Spain or Portugal - slightly worse off if hire a car in a foreign country, but not siginificantly. Once you factor in the difference in weather, it doesn't seem worth it.

Sadly, holidaying in the UK is too expensive in comparasion, lowering VAT might help, but only if holiday companies pass on the savings.

Done. May have been slightly honest!

Done, I really do not care about VAT, that may make me a bad person

Done, would love to go to cornwall on holiday on year, but its cheaper to go abroad.
which is bonkers
there's lots of places in the uk I would like to visit
and I think this would make it more affordable

The question asking whether we think VAT should be higher, lower or the same as in the EU: you can't answer that without answering questions about every aspect of the other 80% of how the price is made up and all the other ways in which the country raises its budget. I look at Merlin and think HOW much to park??? While I don't think I have ever paid for parking at any kind of European attraction. (So I'd like the premium Pass, please ).

I agree with all the other posters. I don't think there's a real case for lowering vat for this sort of thing. If I can afford to visit a theme park then I can afford to give the nhs and schools a bit of my money too. The real scandal is having to pay north of £3 for a coffee or ice lolly at most of these places, and that you can pay £40 to visit but spend all day in queues.

Agree that the survey needs work - there wasn't a box for "I think my MP has more important things to worry about".

Done.strange survey

Done.

Does anyone else find that, on the iPad, the surveys are very very small? Like this.