Tourism


Freeing domestic tourism from red tape


kurT janson is policy director of Tourism Alliance


Tourism thrives despite double-dip T


he government is keen to boost domestic tourism – provided that there is no cost involved. Here’s how to do it – simply amend the


Package Travel Regulations to remove “other significant tourism service” from the defi- nition of a package. To the uninitiated, the Package Travel


Regulations were introduced in 1992 and aimed at protecting consumers in the area of package travel. Tey were primarily intro- duced to protect customers in case the operator through which they booked their holiday went out of businesses or provided services of an unacceptable standard. A package is defined as being any com-


bination of at least two of the following components – a) transport, b) accommo- dation and c) other significant service. While there is good reason to protect peo-


ple travelling overseas, the downside is that the regulations mean that a B&B in a village cannot work with the local pub to provide an offer such as “two nights’ accommodation including meals at the local pub for £100” without establishing a trust account, provid- ing detailed information including who the representative is, what the complaints pro- cedure is and the cancelation and refund processes. Similarly, a country hotel can- not offer a “two-night weekend golf break including two rounds of golf at the local course” without being subject to the regu- lations and being legally responsible for any injury a customer may suffer. Te costs associated with these require-


ments mean very few small tourism businesses in the UK work together to develop packages for customers. Te solution is to simply remove the “other significant tourism services” from the definition so that a package is simply the combination of transport and accommodation. Tis would help to create a more favour-


able regulatory environment for businesses to bundle products within destinations. It would allow destinations to produce com- petitive and compelling products and help spread tourism spend across a destination. Freeing domestic tourism from red tape can only be a good thing.


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Te UK’s tourism sector has outperformed the economy on the whole after racking up a 12.6 per cent increase in total revenue between 2007 and 2011. A report, com- missioned by budget hotel chain Travelodge and com- piled by specialist consultant Kurt Janson, shows that total revenue increased to £40bn during the period. Te econ- omy in general only grew by 8 per cent during the period. Te study has been described as the first comprehensive report into how the UK tour- ism industry has performed during the longest double dip recession since WWII. Te industry grew job numbers by 2,000


between 2007 and 2011. Although relatively modest, the growth


makes the sector one of few to have added jobs in the period. At the same time the num- ber of manufacturing jobs fell by -17 per cent, construction by -15 per cent, finance by -7 per cent and transport by -6 per cent. Te UK’s appeal as a tourist destination


has remained strong during the recession, with overall visitor numbers increasing by 3.1 per cent to 157.4m. Staycations now form the backbone of the UK’s tourism economy, with domestic trips and holidays increasing by 5.6 per cent to 126.6m. Tis shows that Britons have reacquainted themselves with holidaying


Te UK’s tourism sector has managed to weathered the economic storm


at home, and city breaks emerge as particularly popular, accounting for almost a quarter (23 per cent) of all domestic breaks. Te number of trips taken by Britons over-


seas has declined by 12.6 million (-18.1 per cent), from 69.4m to 56.8m. Grant Hearn, Travelodge CEO said: “As the


UK’s fiſth largest sector we are creating jobs and providing long lasting career opportu- nities, something very few industries in the economy can say at present. “Te issue we face is that tourism is quite low


on the agenda for the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, therefore it is essential that the Government takes action and moves our industry to where it belongs - the Department for Business, Skills and Innovation.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=z7R5R


Inbound visit numbers highest since 2007


Inbound tourist numbers to the UK during November 2012 were up 9 per cent on the previous year, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed. It makes for the busiest


November since 2007 – the year before the global eco- nomic crisis plunged the UK into recession. Overseas visitors spent


more than £17.2bn over the last 11 months – a record high in nominal terms. Holiday visits were up nine per cent, visits to friends and family were up six per cent and business visits were up 11 per cent. Patricia Yates, director of strategy at


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital Te number of inbound tourists is now back at pre-recession levels


VisitBritain said: “We expect to reach our fore- cast of 31 million visits for the full year (2012),


giving us the perfect foundation to see contin- ued strong growth in international tourism in 2013 contributing revenue to the UK econ- omy and creating new jobs across Britain.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=E2t3h


Twitter: @leisureopps © Cybertrek 2013


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