tourism
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Time to ask for
2009 boom for Scottish tourism
ONS figures show an increase in Scotland's share of UK visitor numbers
smart presents
By Pete Hayman
The government will listen –
New figures from the Office for National
if it likes what it's hearing
Statistics (ONS) have shown that Scotland
outperformed the rest of the UK by
increasing its share of overseas visitors
between July and September 2009.
kurt janson is
Compared with the same period in 2008,
policy director
Scotland reported a 25 per cent increase in
at tourism
visitors from North America and a 43 per
alliance
cent increase in visitors from countries
outside Europe and North America.
As a whole, the UK posted a 6 per cent
increase in visitors from North America and Scottish tourism enjoyed a successful year
W
e are fast approaching the a 1 per cent increase from countries
countdown for the election with outside Europe and North America during "This Government and our tourism
every trade association and the three-month period. industries will continue to do all we can to
Government-funded agency worth its Scottish tourism minister Jim Mather said: attract many more visitors to Scotland
salt busily preparing a manifesto for "These figures underline the success of throughout 2010. We and the industry are
what it wants the oncoming government Homecoming 2009, which proved to be an forward planning for the years ahead and
to do for its organisation. exceptional year with events being heavily looking at every opportunity to further
It's a bit like writing a Christmas promoted throughout the world. improve our tourism product."
letter to an unfriendly Santa – you
explain how good you've been all year
(for the economy/employment/social
New five-year plan for Liverpool city centre
policy outcomes) and present a wish list
of initiatives that you'd like Santa to By Pete Hayman
reward you with. In the back of your
mind, however, there's the nagging Liverpool City Council has unveiled a new
thought that Santa is as likely to nick five-year strategy designed to make the city
your toys as he is to deliver new ones. centre a vibrant and desirable place to live,
This time that worry is heightened by work and visit, while also boosting the
the knowledge that there will be very cultural, leisure and retail offer.
few presents for Santa to distribute. The City Centre Management Strategy
Therefore our sector needs to play smart. 2009-14 outlines three key objectives,
Only by presenting initiatives that make including the creation of an infrastructure
savings will we be listened to. to attract inward investment, to encourage
Here's an example of an initiative more visitors to the city centre and to
that provides tourism benefits while develop a unique sense of identity and
saving the government money. In Liverpool is looking to attract more visitors experience for Liverpool.
overseas markets such as India and
China the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has
outsourced the new biometric visa
Britons shun winter breaks for summer holidays
processing centres. The use of these
facilities could be shared with other One in five Britons has cancelled plans compared to 2008-09) are forgoing their
European countries who also have for a winter holiday and are instead usual winter break.
biometric visas. This would reduce UKBA saving for a summer getaway. PwC leisure director David Trunkfield,
costs while the tourism sector would Research by PricewaterhouseCoopers said: "Skiing is perceived as a niche and
benefit as visitors to Europe would only (PwC) claims the recession has caused a luxury holiday and decision making will
need to present themselves once to get shift in booking patterns and a decline in be affected by euro and swiss franc
both a Schengen and a UK visa. If such the people taking winter holidays. exchange rates.
a move only produced a 5 per cent From more than 2,000 people polled, "These winter breaks which act as a
increase in visitors, that's £150m extra a fifth more this year (2009-10 when second holiday remain under pressure."
in foreign revenue for the UK!
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