TOURISM
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Heritage tourism 'worth £21bn'
New research by Oxford Economics reveals tourists' expenditure habits
By Pete Hayman
New research commissioned by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has revealed that the heritage tourism industry contrib- utes nearly £21bn towards the UK economy. According to the Oxford Economics study,
the sector is worth more to the UK in terms of gross domestic product than the advertising, car manufacturing or film industries. Commissioned in 2009, the HLF research explored how tourism visits and spending are driven by heritage and looked at a random sample of 62 schemes completed between 2004 and 2007. Among the key findings is that more
than 10 million holiday trips are taken by overseas visitors to the UK each year, with 40 per cent citing heritage as a primary reason for visiting the country. The research found that heritage tourism is a £12.4bn a year industry, including the
Taking Tourism Seriously
Politicians are starting to recognise the sector's value
KURT JANSON is policy director for Tourism Alliance
40 per cent of inbound visitors to the UK cited heritage as a primary reason to travel
broader expenditure driven by a desire to visit heritage attractions, such as local restaurants and hotels.
Investing in success: Heritage and the UK
tourism economy has also revealed that heritage tourism supports 195,000 jobs.
Airline losses set to be 'less than predicted'
By Pete Hayman
The International Air Transport Association has reduced its 2010 loss forecast by half after it was reported that the sector was recovering quicker than anticipated. An upturn in passenger demand seen by
year-end gains continuing into 2010 has helped the association, which represents 230 carriers, to halve predicted losses to US$2.8bn (£1.8bn, €2bn). Demand, which decreased by 2.9 per
Demand decreased by 2.9 per cent in 2009
cent during 2009, is now poised to increase by 5.6 per cent this year.
Bristol International Airport's multi-mil- lion pound expansion plans have moved forward after the local authority recommended the scheme for approval. North Somerset Council's South Area
Council backing for Bristol Airport development
Plans include expanding the terminal
Committee considered the airport's application on 3 March, which will now go before the main planning and regulatory committee for a final decision.
© Cybertrek 2010
building by 6,700sq m (72,118sq ft) to the east and 3,600sq m (38,750sq ft) to the west in a bid to double the available floor area. New walkways, bridges and car parks are also included. The development proposals will have
to be referred to the government due to its impact on green belt land.
S
ay it in hushed voices but, just maybe, politicians are starting to take tourism seriously. On 12
March, I was up in Blackpool to hear George Osborne give a speech on tourism and announce a number of policies that the Conservatives would bring in if they are in power after 6 May. When was the last time a chancellor or shadow chancellor gave a speech on tourism? The speech contained specific,
meaningful, tourism pledges. These included ensuring that self-catering cottages are non impacted by the government’s repeal of the Furnished Holiday Letting Rules and establishing a public/private sector fund for promoting the UK in connection with the 2012 Olympics. At the Tourism Alliance Parliamentary Reception the following Monday, the shadow tourism minister Tobias Ellwood announced a further range of policies, including that the Conservatives would have a dedicated tourism minister and the implementation of a Schengen bolt-on visa to make it more viable for European tours from countries such as China to include the UK on itineraries. In response, tourism minister
Margaret Hodge announced (at the same event) that the government was to trial visa applications that could be completed in Chinese and that all three parties had agreed to take forward the issue of daylight saving (putting the clocks forward an hour in winter). So maybe tourism’s time of being taken seriously as one of the country’s biggest industries is at hand.
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IMAGE: GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL / GLASGOW MUSEUMS
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