NEWS


‘Tourism is growing faster than the digital industry’


By Samantha Mayling


Tourism is a “vital, growing” part of the British economy – but the UK is losing market share and its tourism productivity levels are lower than average.


That was the message from


VisitBritain’s director of strategy and communications, Patricia Yates, at the annual Tourism Society ‘Prospects for Tourism’ event. She said tourism accounts for 9%


of UK GDP and is “really driving the economy”, with a predicted growth rate of 3.8% a year – faster than the digital industry. Both 2017 and 2018 are expected


to be record-breaking years for inbound numbers, with overseas visits forecast to top 40 million for the first time this year. There is strong growth from


the US – the UK’s biggest overseas market – but there is also political uncertainty in the Gulf, with a blockade on Qatar, which might affect high-spending visitors from that region.


Big names back tourism conference


Leading trade associations and tourism firms are supporting Future Global Opportunities for UK Tourism – a major conference in Liverpool (June 28). Taking place during the


International Business Festival, the conference media partner is TravelGBI. VisitBritain, VisitEngland, Marketing Liverpool, UKinbound, Tourism Society, Tourism Alliance, the Association of Group Travel Organisers, Hudsons Historic Houses & Gardens, Signpost and Web Ticket Manager


are also supporting the event. bit.ly/UKTourismConference


4 TravelGBI | February 2018 Prospects for Tourism Patricia Yates at Domestic overnight trip numbers


are flat, but spending is up – and the number of day visits is a particular concern as visits and spending are both down, said Yates. However, the UK is losing


market share, despite successive record years, as rival destinations are spending more on tourism marketing. The UK’s tourism productivity


is also lower than competitor countries in terms of GDP per worker, and lower than the average across all sectors in the UK. Yates also pointed out that


spending per visit has remained flat


for 10 years when the figures take inflation into account. “Does this mean that we should


think more about driving spend- per-head than actual numbers?” she asked delegates. She hopes the Tourism Sector


Deal could be an answer to the industry’s productivity problems, by increasing the tourism season and improving the business and events sector. The sector deal could also boost


the image of jobs in tourism; improve digital and transport connections; and develop Tourism Zones to help make the sector more competitive. Commenting on new tourism


minister Michael Ellis, she said: “We have to stop him going to the ‘dark side’ of arts and heritage – we must tell him about the importance of tourism.” The Tourism Society ‘Prospects for Tourism’ event was held at


Google UK’s London head office. � See p9 for more from ‘Prospects for Tourism’.


Inbound visitor numbers to top 40 million in 2018


Britain is likely to welcome 41.7 million overseas tourists this year, two years ahead of predictions, said Patricia Yates, VisitBritain director. She told the Tourism Society’s


Prospects event that VisitBritain had predicted back in 2013 that inbound arrivals would reach 40 million by 2020. However, successive years of


record numbers means that 2017’s total was 39.9 million – an increase of 6.2% on 2016 – and 2018’s figure is likely to be 41.7 million – up 4.4% year-on-year. The top market is the US, followed by Australia, Germany, France, Spain,


Netherlands, Canada, China and Italy. � There were a record 12.7 million visits to English regions outside London in the first nine months of 2017, up 4% year-on-year. Of the English regions, the


North West and the West Midlands had the largest percentage growth in overseas visits, both up 10% year-on-year, to 2.4 million and 1.8 million respectively. Meanwhile, there were 909,000


overseas visits to Wales from January to September last year, up 6% year-on-year, and visitors spent £337 million. In Scotland, overseas visits increased 14% year-on-year to 2.6 million, with overseas visitors spending £1.8 billion. Tourism minister Michael Ellis


said: “It is fantastic news that towns and cities across the UK are benefiting from the boom in tourism, and as the new tourism minister I want to ensure that this trend continues. “Promoting the UK as a must-


COMING ROUND AGAIN: The Harrogate Spring Flower Show (April 26-29) features show gardens, more than 100 plant nurseries and the UK’s biggest floral art exhibition


flowershow.org.uk


visit destination to the rest of the world is paramount in ensuring that local areas can reap the benefits of tourism and I am committed to working with the sector to drive economic growth across the UK.”


travelgbi.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32