TOURISM Inbound tourism hits new heights
British inbound tourism increased again in the first half of 2014, setting a new record for over- seas visitor numbers, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. Tere were 16.4 million inbound visits to
Britain from January to June 2014 – an increase of eight per cent compared to the first half of 2013. Te results continue the momentum from 2013, which was a record year for inbound tourism, with 32.9 million visitors coming to Britain’s shores over the 12-month period. June 2014 alone also saw a record 3.18
million visits from overseas – a 10 per cent increase on June 2013. Spending by visitors to Britain also increased in June, up four per cent in nominal terms to a total of £1.97bn. Holiday visits were strong across the first
half of 2014 – 12 per cent above 2013 results – and accounted for 44 per cent of visits in June. “The UK’s fine heritage, world-leading
attractions and vibrant retail offering continue to attract increasing numbers of overseas vis- itors,” said Barclays head of hospitality and leisure Mike Saul. “Wealthy consumers from emerging economies such as Asia and the Middle East, together with visitors from the three highest spending countries, the USA, France and Germany, are driving growth in visits and higher spend from overseas.” Visits from the rest of the world regions (Asia Pacific, Middle East, Latin America
Government must look beyond top-line tourism figures
KURT JANSON is policy director of the Tourism Alliance
London once again helped pull the crowds in
and Africa) were flat during June compared to last year, but aſter a good start to 2014, are currently two per cent higher over the first six months of this year against 2013’s figures. Visitors from the rest of the world regions
– particularly the Middle East – will oſten spend far higher amounts of money than visitors from traditional markets. A recent report found that visitors from the Middle East are Britain’s most zealous interna- tional shoppers, with clothes or shoes at the top of their shopping list. Of the Middle Eastern visitors, Kuwaitis were shown to be the biggest spenders, with the average visit from that country delivering £4,000 to the UK economy. By comparison, the average French visitor will spend an average of £343. Details:
http://lei.sr?a=W3w6d
Survey highlights sector’s role in recovery
Figures from the latest Labour Force Survey show that the tourism industry is helping to drive the UK’s economic recovery through job creation. The numbers produced by the
Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that total employment across the UK increased by 820,000 over 2013 – of which 120,000 jobs (15 per cent) were attributable to the UK tourism industry. With 39 per cent of these new tourism jobs going to peo- ple under the age of 30, the growth of the UK tourism industry is also one of the leading factors in the 20 per cent reduction in youth unemploy- ment highlighted by the statistics. “Over the last five years the
M
uch was made of the International Passenger Survey figures released in recent weeks. Tey showed
that the number of visitors to the UK and amount they spend continues to increase, and value of tourism to the UK economy continues to rise. In 2013, inbound tourism revenue was up by 13 per cent to a record £21bn, creating an estimated 42,000 new jobs in the process. Tis is all good news. However, behind this good news there is
some unpleasant reading. A recent report by the European Travel Commission contains figures which show the growth in tourism to the UK is actually below the European aver- age. Yes, we have been doing well, but a lot of other EU countries have been doing better. Of even more concern are figures that the
Tourism Alliance has produced that look at the growth of tourism to the UK from the country’s 35 main source markets since 2006, and compares this growth to the growth in outbound tourism from these countries. Tis research shows that, of the UK’s top
35 source markets for inbound tourism, the rise in visitor numbers to the UK has only exceeded the outbound tourism rise in four markets – Brazil, Lithuania, Romania and Greece. In the others, we lost market share. It also shows that the UK has been per-
forming particularly badly in some of its large traditional markets. For exam- ple, outbound tourism from Germany has increased 8 per cent since 2006 – however, the number of German visitors to the UK has decreased by 13 per cent over the same period. Similarly, in the UK’s biggest source market, the US, outbound tourism has fallen by 5 per cent since 2006, but the number vis- iting the UK has decreased by 27 per cent. Tis poor performance has been masked
Tourism Alliance chair Ufi Ibrahim wants more government support
UK tourism industry has shown that it is world leader, generating significantly increased export earnings and employ- ment for the UK economy that has helped to pull the country out of recession,” said Tourism Alliance chair Ufi Ibrahim. “What we need now is to work with government to
© CYBERTREK 2014
develop policies on issues such as VAT, APD and visas, that build on this performance.” Last year was a record for inbound UK tour- ism with 33 million people visiting and spending £21bn in the UK economy during 2013. Meanwhile, the first six months of 2014 have seen visitor numbers jump further (see story above). Details:
http://lei.sr?a=M8T4m
Twitter: @leisureopps
by significant increases in the amount these visitors are spending in the UK, due to the weaker post-recession pound. But with the UK economy improving along with the strength of the pound, the UK’s underper- formance will be increasingly exposed. It is therefore crucial that the government heeds the warning signs, rather than remaining complacent that tourism will continue to provide growth and employment.
Read Leisure Opportunities online:
www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital 13
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