Popular attraction Joyland is finding rising costs to be a bit of a joy-killer as it finally succumbs to raising the price of its tokens. The cocktail of operational costs at the park have been hitting hard but that will be compounded next week when the government’s NIC rates rise … and then there’s the business rates too. Are you listening Rachel Reeves…oh, of course not.

Joyland in Great Yarmouth has announced it will be increasing the price of its tokens this season from £2 to £3, following a “signifcant”  rise in its operational costs.

The family fun park, which partially reopened on 22 March before a full return to daily trade after Easter, said it had made the decision in order to “secure our future.”

“This is not a decision we have taken lightly,” said a spokesperson. “Over the past year, our costs have risen significantly – from electricity, utilities, wages, and national insurance contributions to the rising costs of materials and the continuous work that goes into maintaining our rides.”

“The reality is, we probably should have increased our prices last year to £2.50, but we chose to keep them as low as possible for our visitors. Unfortunately, that has had a knock-on effect, and we have now reached a point where we must take action to ensure Joyland remains a commercially viable family business.”

However, as part of ongoing efforts to make visiting Joyland “more accessible and affordable,” the owners will begin trialling wristbands in May, which will give visitors the option to pay one price for unlimited rides during their visit.