ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT
EDITOR’S LETTER VISAS – NOT SEXY, BUT VITAL
ON THE COVER: Nathan Sawaya, the Brick Artist, with Gray
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That’s the view of a number of industry leaders – most recently Merlin Entertainments’ CEO, Nick Varney, who’s fl agged up the UK’s visa policies as “a joke”, and is calling for reform. Tourists are put off visiting some world destina- tions by visa palavers and cost. As a result, profi ts don’t follow investment to the extent they could and the cross-marketing of attractions by operators with global portfolios doesn’t have the impact it would in a more open market. Even a small change could make a big difference given the volumes of
G
tourists who hit the road each year. Global arrivals exceeded the billion mark for the fi rst time in 2012 and the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is forecasting growth of per cent a year on this number to 2030. Nations which recognise the value of tourists to their economies and
make it easy and cheap for people to visit are seeing the benefi ts, as are the visitor attractions which sit within their borders.
“Of the 656 million tourists who visited G20 countries in 2011, 110 million needed a visa, but millions more were deterred from travelling by the cost and diffi culty of obtaining one”
Some regions, such as the EU, have streamlined their systems. The
Schengen Agreement – signed in 1985 – created the Schengen Area, which operates like a single state for visa purposes and covers 26 European countries, including most EU members, plus Iceland and Norway. The UK and Ireland opted out of Schengen – one of the reasons for Varney’s ire. The G20 meeting in Mexico in 2012 historically recognised travel and
tourism as a “vehicle for job creation, economic growth and development”, with G20 leaders committing, for the fi rst time, to support the industry. Of the 656 million tourists who visited G20 countries in 2011, 110 million needed a visa, but millions more were found to have been deterred from travelling by the cost and diffi culty of obtaining one. Research by the World Travel and Tourism Council and the UNWTO
showed the G20 could boost international tourist numbers by 122 million, generate an extra US$206bn (£131bn, 154bn) and create fi ve million extra jobs by 2015, simply by improving visa processes. With this item fi rmly on the agenda internationally, the industry needs to join the lobby with all possi- ble haste. Varney is right to be bringing it to our attention.
Liz Terry, editor, twitter: @elizterry THE LEISURE MEDIA COMPANY PUBLISHES
The Leisure Media Company Ltd, Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 1DJ UK Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385 Fax: +44 (0)1462 433909 e-mail:
attractions@leisuremedia.com www.attractionsmanagement.com
AM 1 2013 ©cybertrek 2013
lobal growth in some parts of the attractions and tourism industry is being held back by confusing and antiquated visa regulations.
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COVER PHOTO: NATHAN SAWAYA /
BRICKARTIST.COM
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