In 2025, it’s no longer enough to just “post and hope.” If you want your leisure business to be seen, shared, and booked, you need a smart hashtag strategy.
Hashtags are still one of the most effective tools for boosting your reach organically on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and even Facebook. When used correctly, they can help your content land in front of the exact people you want to attract—whether that’s families looking for weekend fun, tourists planning their next staycation, or locals searching for events near them.
In this blog, we’ll break down how leisure businesses can research, organise, and use hashtags to get discovered by the right audience in 2025—and how to avoid outdated practices that could hold your content back.
Why Hashtags Still Matter in 2025
You might’ve heard that hashtags are “dead”—but that’s far from the truth. Platforms have certainly evolved, with algorithms now relying heavily on search keywords, alt text, and AI-generated topic clustering. But hashtags remain an important visibility booster and search filter, especially for local or niche content.
Why hashtags still work:
✅ They help users discover content related to their interests.
✅ They improve searchability—many people still search by hashtag.
✅ They signal to the algorithm what your content is about.
✅ They categorise content in a way that helps new audiences find you.
Step 1: Know Your Hashtag Categories
Start by building hashtag banks—groupings of tags you can use depending on the type of content or campaign.
Here are five essential hashtag categories for leisure venues:
Location-Based Hashtags
Helps people nearby discover your venue or event.
Examples:
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#ManchesterThingsToDo -
#VisitCornwall2025 -
#BristolEats -
#FamilyFunInLeeds
🔎 Pro tip: Add current year tags for tourism (e.g. #VisitYorkshire2025).
Industry-Specific Hashtags
Niches your venue fits into—such as family attractions, hospitality, events or wellness.
Examples:
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#SoftPlayUK -
#FamilyEntertainmentCentre -
#IndoorActivitiesUK -
#HospitalityMarketing -
#WellnessRetreatsUK
Audience-Focused Hashtags
Appeal to the people you want to attract—families, couples, students, tourists, etc.
Examples:
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#MumLifeUK -
#DaysOutWithKids -
#CouplesWhoTravel -
#StudentDealsUK -
#PetFriendlyPlaces
Content-Type Hashtags
These are based on what’s in the post—such as behind-the-scenes footage, events, food, or fun.
Examples:
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#BehindTheScenes -
#BirthdayPartyIdeasUK -
#AfternoonTeaGoals -
#VenueDecorInspo
Branded or Campaign-Specific Hashtags
Help you build brand recognition and track content.
Examples:
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#[YourBusinessName]Moments -
#[YourVenue]Celebrates2025 -
#BounceAtBigFunPark
Encourage your audience to use them for competitions or shout-outs!
Step 2: How to Research Effective Hashtags
Not all hashtags are created equal. Using generic or spammy ones like #fun or #happy won’t get you far. You need relevant, medium-traffic tags that are actively used but not oversaturated.
Where to look:
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Instagram’s Search Bar – Start typing your core keyword to see related tags and how many posts use them.
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TikTok’s Trends Tab – See what’s rising in popularity in your category.
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Competitor Posts – Study what’s working for similar venues.
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Google Search – Try searches like “best hashtags for UK family attractions 2025.”
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Tools like:
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Display Purposes
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Flick
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Hashtag Expert
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TikTok Creative Centre (great for trend tracking)
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🎯 Target hashtags with between 5k and 500k uses for better visibility.
Step 3: Build Your Hashtag Banks
Once you’ve researched your top tags, create ready-to-use hashtag banks grouped by content theme.
Here’s an example bank for a family activity centre in Birmingham:
🎉 General Fun Content:
#FamilyFunUK #BirminghamDaysOut #SoftPlayLife #ThingsToDoWithKids #IndoorActivities
🎂 Party Promotion Posts:
#BirthdayPartyBirmingham #PartyVenueUK #KidsPartyIdeas #CelebrationCentral #BookYourParty
📍 Local Discovery:
#WestMidlandsFun #VisitBirmingham2025 #LocalFamilyFavourites #BrumWithKids
📷 Behind-the-Scenes:
#BTSAtOurVenue #VenueSetUp #DailyPrep #HospitalityLife #MakingMagicHappen
💡 Save these in your Notes app or social scheduling tool so you can copy, paste, and adapt easily.
Step 4: How Many Hashtags to Use (by Platform)
In 2025, quality beats quantity. Use hashtags purposefully—not just to fill the caption space.
Instagram (Feed):
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Use 3–7 highly relevant hashtags.
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Put them in the caption, not in the comments.
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Add location tagging as well for extra discovery.
Instagram (Reels):
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Use 3–5 niche or trending hashtags.
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Prioritise audio and caption keywords for discoverability.
TikTok:
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Use 2–4 hashtags, and mix trending with niche.
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Avoid overly generic tags like
#fypor#viral.
Facebook:
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Use 1–2 hashtags max—this platform doesn’t rely heavily on them.
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Focus on event-based or location tags (
#BristolEvents).
Step 5: Update and Rotate Your Hashtags Monthly
Hashtags are dynamic. A tag that worked last year might be irrelevant today.
✅ Review your banks monthly.
✅ Add seasonal or campaign-specific tags.
✅ Track performance and tweak based on engagement.
Bonus Tip: Encourage UGC with Hashtag Challenges
Want more reach without doing all the work? Launch a branded hashtag challenge.
For example:
🎥 “Tag us in your best birthday party moment with #PartyAtThePlayBarn for a chance to win a free session!”
📣 Promote it in your venue, on social, and in email campaigns.
This builds a community around your brand, boosts visibility, and generates content for you to repost.
Let LeisureBoost Handle Your Hashtags—and More
Not sure where to start? Hashtag strategy is just one part of running a successful social presence. At LeisureBoost, we manage the entire process—from strategy to scheduling—so you don’t have to.
🧠 Custom hashtag research for your local area and niche
📱 Monthly content calendars with ready-to-go hashtags
📸 Optimised posts, reels, and stories designed to grow your brand
💬 Social media management that actually gets results
📩 Let’s make sure the right audience finds you. Contact LeisureBoost today and let us boost your social presence in 2025 and beyond.
