Rainbow Productions says increasing the dwell-time of park visitors - through photos with mascots, meeting and greeting a favourite TV character or watching a show - will help to increase catering spend and retail sales per head of visitors.

The company works to assist the attractions sector in this by offering services including the creation of bespoke brand characters embodying the values of an attraction or ride which can also be another focal point for a branded merchandise programme.

For example, the Alton Towers Bear (pictured) regularly appears at retail outlets within the park, hugging visitors, posing for photos and helping draw attention to the associated merchandise on sale.

Another option is live shows featuring licensed costume characters and/or puppets, or characters developed specifically for the client. 'Meet and greet' appearances by celebrity figures is a further alternative; Rainbow holds the exclusive licences for characters including Bart Simpson, Wallace and Gromit and Paddington Bear.