Many of us have fond memories of one of the best 90s TV shows, the Crystal Maze. So fond in fact that a Crystal Maze experience has just opened up in London and is already booked up until November.
As TripAdvisor data shows, the popularity of this kind of interactive team experience has seen a big increase in the past year. In 2015 alone, the number of so-called Escape Game experiences listed on the site increased by 263% in the UK1. The common format of an Escape Games experience is being locked in a room with a team of other participants and having to find your way out within a set time limit by solving a series of puzzles.
And it’s not just the UK where this type of attraction is growing in popularity, says TripAdvisor spokesperson, James Kay, “It seems to be a worldwide phenomenon. In 2015, the number of Escape Games listed worldwide on TripAdvisor rose by almost 400%.”
In addition to the number of listings, there has also been a marked increase in the number of reviews for these attractions. Worldwide there were five times more reviews on TripAdvisor for Escape Games in 2015 versus 2014 and in the first three months of 2016 there were already almost double the amount of reviews submitted for Escape Games than in the whole of 20142. In the UK, the number of reviews for escape game attractions increased by over 270% in 2015.
Of the top ten countries in the world with the largest number of Escape Game attractions listed on TripAdvisor, the UK ranks seventh. The United States boasts the most, followed by Russia and then Spain.
Top 10 countries worldwide with highest number of Escape Games
1. United States
2. Russia
3. Spain
4. Poland
5. Canada
6. Germany
7. United Kingdom
8. The Netherlands
9. Ukraine
10. Turkey
Top UK destinations with highest number of Escape Game attractions (cities with three +)3
1. London – 26
2. Manchester and Edinburgh – 6
3. Glasgow, Liverpool and Bristol – 5
4. Newcastle, Blackpool, Nottingham and Sheffield – 3
UK’s 10 best rated Escape Games4
1. ClueQuest - The Live Escape Game – London
2. Clue HQ - The Live Escape Game – Warrington
3. Enigma Escape – London
4. HintHunt – London
5. Tick Tock Unlock – Leeds
6. Secret Studio – London
7. GR8escape York – York
8. Clue Finders Ltd – Liverpool
9. Escape Live – Birmingham
10. Escapologic - Nottingham
1Number of escape games listed on TripAdvisor worldwide and in the UK between 2014 and March 31 2016
2Number of reviews for escape games listed on TripAdvisor worldwide and the UK between 2014 and March 31 2016
3Selected by analysing the full list of UK escape game listings and their location
4Top escape game listings in the UK were selected according to quality and quantity of reviews
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site**, enabling travellers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travellers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 350 million unique monthly visitors***, and 320 million reviews and opinions covering 6.2 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 48 markets worldwide.
TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP), through its subsidiaries, manages and operates websites under 23 other travel media brands:
www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com,www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl, www.besttables.com andwww.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com,www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com,www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, andwww.virtualtourist.com.
**Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, November 2015
***Source: TripAdvisor log files, Q3 2015
