SECTOR FOCUS

IN DELHI, GREAT BILLBOARDS WILL LINE THE MAIN ROUTES AND 200 GREAT-BRANDED TAXIS WILL BE ON THE STREETS

HIDDEN GIANT Long considered one of the world’s most attractive destinations for foreign visitors, the UK holds a globally competitive position in the tourism and heritage sector. Often regarded as the ‘hidden giant’ of the British economy, tourism is the UK’s fi fth-largest industry, supporting some 2.6m jobs and worth £115bn each year. Around £52bn is generated by businesses providing tourism-related goods and services, while £63bn is contributed by supporting companies in the supply chain. 2011 was a record year for UK tourism,

with the country attracting 30.6m visitors, 800,000 more than in 2010. In particular, there was an impressive growth in visitor numbers from high-growth economies such as Brazil (42 per cent), China (26 per cent) and India (11 per cent). This looks set to continue, with GVA from the UK tourism industry forecast

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to grow at 3.5 per cent per annum over the next decade, making it one of the country’s best performing and fastest- growing sectors. As a result, the UK has developed an

international reputation for the provision and export of tourism and heritage- related products and services – for which there is a growing global demand. UK companies are successful in a

wide range of areas, including tourism consultancy, leisure and sports equipment (particularly play equipment), crafts, the garden sector, equestrianism, and the design, build and operation of visitor

attractions such as museums, galleries and theme parks. Such expertise has helped to make tourism the UK’s third- largest export earner, behind chemicals and fi nancial services.

IMAGE CAMPAIGN Given its economic importance and its role as one of the most potent shapers of the UK’s image around the world, tourism is a major plank of the GREAT initiative. Run by UK Trade & Investment, Visit Britain, the British Council and the Foreign and Commonwealth Offi ce, GREAT aims to showcase all that is best about the UK to key international tourism and business audiences. February saw the launch of the £39m

GREAT advertising campaign, which, working in conjunction with other marketing programmes such as ‘You’re Invited’, has a target of attracting an extra 4.6m visitors to the UK over the

things that you need to know about UK tourism

Tourism is the UK’s fi fth-largest industry, worth £115bn each year to the economy

It supports 2.6m jobs (one in 12 jobs in the UK) and more than 200,000 SMEs

Tourism is the UK’s third-largest export revenue generator

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