The Adrenalin Jungle featured in the Nottingham Evening Post on Saturday Evenings Entertainment Section. The following article spoke about Nottingham being one of Britains top stag and hen party destinations and the market is now big money business. Read the whole article here:

STAGGERING VALUE OF THE HENS AND STAGS TO OUR CITY

You start downing the beer in the early evening and those still standing by last orders sway unsteadily to a curry house and order far too much lager and vindaloo.

So much for the traditional stag night, of which no further detail will be required by squeamish readers. Traditional hen nights follow a similar pattern, perhaps with pasta and piña coladas.

But that’s all a bit 20th-century. The modern stag or hen do is not a night out in the home town but an action-packed away weekend – with Prague, Riga and Berlin, accessible via budget airlines, competing with British dusk-till-dawn cities such as Newcastle, Manchester and Nottingham.

Yes, Nottingham, whose diverse nightlife, daytime attractions and weekend hotel capacity have made it a top destination for lads on the lash or ladies priming a girlfriend for her wedding day.

It all comes at a cost. A survey this year for loan and mortgages firm Ocean Finance claimed that the average cost of joining such a celebration stands at £250, with accommodation, travel, meals and drinks accounting for the biggest costs.

Ten per cent of respondents said they spent as much as £500 during a stag or hen event but more than a quarter said they could not afford to accept their invitations. No complaints from the Nottingham hospitality industry if all that money goes into tills at local hotels, activity centres, restaurants and bars.

Nottingham is near the top of the UK stag party destination table compiled by events organiser Chillisauce. Stag and hen parties stopping in Nottingham for two nights need something to do between hangovers. A popular daytime diversion is the Adrenalin Jungle in Sherwood Forest, which offers activities including paintballing, 4×4 driving, Segway riding, an assault course, clay pigeon shooting, treasure hunts, falconry and karting.

Reacting to the Ocean Finance study, Adrenalin Jungle owner Don Logan said: “I was astonished to hear how much people were paying to ensure they have a memorable send-off before the big day. But, as a lot of groups book through agencies, they are paying commission on events they could book directly.

“Having run this company for more than 21 years, I’ve seen these types of events become more and more popular with stag and hen do parties – particularly during recent years.”

Mr Logan said his visitors could experience three to five hours of entertainment for as little as £35.

“Of course, it’s important that friends get together to celebrate such a happy time,” he said, “but some of the costs are extortionate for what they are getting.”

The Adrenalin Jungle is ranked fourth in TripAdvisor’s list of best things to do in Nottingham and was awarded the 2015 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

However, stag and hen organiser Chillisauce disputes that bookings are necessarily more expensive if made through an agency. A spokeswoman said the company was sometimes able to buy tickets and places in volume, therefore at advantageous prices, meaning that the customer was paying no more than the standard charge.

This year, Chillisauce has sent more than 25,000 people on organised weekends in Nottingham – ahead of Manchester, Birmingham and even London. Already, bookings are up 30 per cent for 2016.

Nottingham is more popular with stags than hens, with the company sending five boys’ groups to the city for every hen gathering.

The most popular weekend in Nottingham this year was May bank holiday, when more than 5,000 stags visited the city via Chillisauce.

The company said more than 100,000 pints were drunk and more than £1.4m was poured into the local economy through bars, restaurants, hotels, transport and activity centres.

“Not only does a bustling night life offer some of the best bars and nightclubs in the country,” said Chillisauce spokeswoman Rachel Harrison, ”but the range of activities available close to the city centre is what makes Nottingham really stand out.”

The most popular daytime requests included adrenaline-pumping experiences like clay pigeon shooting, white-water rafting and go-karting. At night, Oceana, Club Ink and Hooters were most in demand.