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TOURISM Music tourism brings £3bn boost


The UK’s booming mus ic industry and festival scene helped generate £3.1bn in music tourism in 2014, according to a new report. T e Wish You Were Here report


by industry body UK Music found that 9.5 million music tourists travelled to live concerts and fes- tivals such as Glastonbury, the Isle of Wight Festival and Scotland’s T-in The Park during the year. Overseas visitors made up 546,000 of these music tourists and spent an average of £751 each. “The UK’s rich music heritage


and infrastructure has made the UK the go-to destination for live music globally and these statistics show how tourism is now a bedrock of British music and the wider economy,” said UK Music CEO Jo Dipple. The report found that music tourism is


Festivals like Glastonbury have been a big draw for music tourists


poised for further growth, having seen the number of overseas music tourists jump 39 per cent between 2011-2014. T is increase in music tourism also brought a boost to employ- ment throughout the country, with 38,238 full-time UK jobs in 2014 sustained by music tourism – a 57 per cent increase since 2012. T e report follows research published last year suggesting an additional £4bn could


be raised for the UK economy by cashing in on the country’s music heritage through attractions linked to stars such as David Bowie, T e Beatles and the Arctic Monkeys. “British music is legendary around the world


and continues to go from strength to strength, with UK artists now accounting for one in seven albums sold worldwide,” said culture secretary John Whittingdale. “Festivals like Glastonbury hold an iconic status and are one of the reasons why international tourism is booming in the UK, drawing in streams of visitors to all parts of the country.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=Q2D5h_O


VisitEngland launches Twitter travel hub


VisitEngland is combining technology with tourism expertise to provide travellers with real-time advice on how to make the most of their trips. The national


tourism


b o dy has launc h e d RealTimeTravelGuide.co.uk a new online hub allowing users to tailor their break using real-time tweets from England’s tourism experts. T e move is designed to refl ect the preference of modern travellers to access tourism information while ‘on-the-go.’ Teaming up with Tourist


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James Berresford launches the new hub with minister Tracey Crouch


Information Centres (TICs) and local desti- nation organisations from across the country, the new service aims to revolutionise how local tourism organisations and businesses share information to consumers via Twitter. It will consolidate real-time information for people researching things to do on holiday, planning a weekend, day trip, or making plans while they are already there.


© CYBERTREK 2015 A quick search of the site reveals a map of


England, pin-pointing local Twitter handles providing real-time information. Users can search the site by destination or by interest, to fi nd information such as news about restau- rants, seasonal activities and upcoming events. “T is is an exciting and pioneering project


and a tourist board fi rst,” said VisitEngland CEO James Berresford. Details: http://lei.sr?a=s7K7r_O


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Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital 13


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