INTERVIEW
"THE STAYCATION STARTED IN 2009 AND HELD STEADY IN 2010, BUT SOME OPERATORS HAVE SAID IT DROPPED OFF LAST YEAR
tal approach is needed. For example, transport, aviation capacity and visas all impact on the industry, but the levers sit in other departments. Following on from the government’s tourism strategy, VisitBritain has now embarked on a competitive assess- ment across its 20 key markets, looking much more closely at what the levers and barriers are, as well as the competition. “We are only at the start of this process, and it’s already throw- ing up more granular information than we had before,” says Dawe. “We are using the process to find opportunities to grow markets and decide on what action is needed, whether that be pol- icy, product packaging or marketing. For example, even though Heathrow is a global hub, it has less point to point aviation capacity than between China and France, or China and Germany.” Chinese visits are increasing and expected to continue increasing, but they still only represent around 120,000 out of 30 million visitors. However, it is a valuable market
TOURISM FIGURES
International visitor numbers and spending in the UK rose in September 2011, with the IPS figures showing 2.53 million arrivals with record numbers for holiday visits (970,000). Visitor spend for the month was up seven per cent on the low of September 2010, with £1.5bn coming into the UK economy from overseas. Overall spend was up four per cent from 2010, with record earnings of £13.2bn recorded across Britain by September 2011.
Innovative vacations: 'Glamping' (luxury camping) appears to be a growing trend
because they are high spenders and it's seen as having great potential.
NOT ALL ABOUT LONDON London is a brilliant magnet for tour- ists and it's what attracts many visitors for the first time. Long-haul visitors have London as one of their stops on a three-part European tour, and Europeans come for the shop- ping and the culture. However, Dawe acknowledges that sometimes visitors fail to appreciate there's more to the UK than London. “There isn’t anything London-centric in UK tourism policy,” she says. “However, its star shines very brightly and this can put other cities in the shadow. London is a fan- tastic world city, the only global city in Europe. It’s our leading star attraction, it pulls in a lot of first time visitors and when they come back they tend to ven- ture further afield.” The Australians, Kiwis and the Dutch tend to be the most adventurous when they visit. There are some innovative products being developed in the UK market, which will have appeal for both UK and
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overseas visitors, including the ‘glamp- ing’ trend (luxury camping). However, Dawe says that many visitors enjoy the aspects which we moan about, including public transport. “The stand- ards and service have really improved in the last 20 years and this is partly because of British people travelling abroad and then expecting the same standards at home,” says Dawe.
THE STAYCATION In the last few years, largely as a result of the weak pound and the recession, Brits have holidayed more in the UK. “The staycation started in 2009 and held steady in 2010, but some operators have said it dropped off last year,” says Dawe. “Many people feel more in control of their spending when they stay at home and there's a realisation that the quality has improved and it’s a good place to holiday with young children. “However, if we have a bad summer, or long cold winter, then it’s natu- ral for people to want to go and lie on a beach. But, there’s a huge cliché,
ISSUE 1 2012 © cybertrek 2011
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FEATHER DOWN FARMS.
FEATHERDOWN.CO.UK
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