Ancillary Revenue

Ancillary revenue is income a business earns from products and services sold in addition to its core offering.

For an attraction, the core offering is usually admission or the tour itself. Ancillary revenue includes food and beverage, retail and merchandise, souvenir photos, equipment rentals, lockers, parking, and add-on activities. Airlines popularized the term with fees for bags and seat selection.

Why it matters for operators

Ancillary sales often carry higher margins than admissions and can make the difference on a slow day. Tracking them by revenue center shows which ones deserve more staff time and floor space.

Related terms

• Per-guest revenue

• Average order value

• Retail and food and beverage POS