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Inbound tourism entering a period of great opportunities


KURT JANSON is policy director of Tourism Alliance


Saatchi appointed by VisitBritain ToM WaLker


Advertising agency M&C Saatchi has been appointed to work on VisitBritain’s new You’re Invited global market- ing campaign. Te agency has been tasked


A


lthough both inbound and domestic tourism numbers for 2010 showed a slight fall, there is a place where tourism is con-


tinuing to rise – the government agenda. When the coalition programme was


launched in May 2010, many commentators were surprised to see a specific undertaking to “take steps to improve the competitive- ness of the UK tourism industry, recognising the important part it plays in our national economy”. Tis new-found interest was rein- forced by the Prime Minister’s speech on the importance of tourism to the UK economy in August and the subsequent undertaking to produce a National Tourism Strategy. Te latest step up the government agenda


for the tourism industry came in the Prime Minister’s speech on 6 January, where he unveiled plans to target support into indus- tries that the government considers best able to provide the growth and job opportunities required to rebuild the economy. To use the PM’s own words, “Getting behind tourism, green energy, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, the industries of the future – all this is crucial.” To have tourism identified as being one


of the five industries of the future is a step- change from the previous position of having to convince government that tourism was a legitimate sector to be recognised in the development of policy. However, there is a long way to go before we consider it “job done”. What the sector needs to do now is offer the government measures that it can take – within budget restraints – to provide economic growth and employment. The Tourism Alliance is developing a


menu of opportunities to help stimulate visitor numbers. A large part of this will be reducing the level of regulatory burden affecting businesses and the tourism minis- ter has recently agreed to ‘develop a problem’ in consultation with the industry to achieve this. Tere are also efficiencies that can be achieved within existing procedures, such as visa processing, which will boost growth. Tis will help focus government efforts to


where they will provide the greatest return for both businesses and for UK plc.


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with creating a campaign aimed at boosting tourism around the forthcoming Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the 2012 London Olympic Games. Te agency will work ‘pro


bono’ for the five-month period between January and May 2011, when the campaign is due to be launched to consumers. Te theme will be extending a message of


welcome and inviting the world to visit Britain in the run up to, during and beyond 2012. Te company is lead by brothers Maurice and


Saatchi’s campaign will promote events such as the Royal Wedding


Charles Saatchi, famous for iconic market- ing such as the 1979 “Labour isn’t Working” campaign for the Conservative Party in 1979 - resulting in a landslide election victory for then opposition leader Margaret Tatcher.


Welsh tourism figures beat expectations peTe hayMaN


Welsh tourism performed better than expected between January and September last year, according to the latest UK Tourism Survey. Te study found that UK residents made nearly 7.3 million visits to Wales that involved


an overnight stay, down one per cent on the previous year. Meanwhile, the total number of nights spent


in Wales by domestic residents increased by one per cent to nearly 28.9 million. Visitors to wales spent £1.237m, up three per cent.


Mayor: New London hub ‘vital for growth’ peTe hayMaN


London mayor Boris Johnson has called on the government to create a new hub airport in south east England in order to help encourage future UK economic growth. A new report overseen by


Transport for London dep- uty chair Daniel Moylan has claimed that jobs would go to other European countries if UK capacity is not increased. Johnson has now urged the


government to review its avi- ation policy and has received the backing of a number of business leaders from the ser- vices and aviation sectors. “Te capital’s airports are full, our runways


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital Boris Johnson has called for a new hub airport to help drive UK growth “We need to start planning for a brand new


are rammed and we risk losing jobs should we fail to act,” said Johnson.


airport that can help meet the ever increasing demand for aviation and act as a hub, particu- larly to the rest of the UK.”


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


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