inbound
goods bought by overseas visitors (the VAT Retail Export Scheme) “has been made”, insisting: “We know our competitors are successfully attracting high-spending visitors at our expense. We just need the political movement to get the scheme reintroduced.” Croft added that “there are also
a significant number of demand and supply side issues to fix” including costs and access to visas, the skills shortage and lack of available accommodation.
VISA FEES HIKE
Tourism leaders hit out at the government in the summer when it announced a hike in visa fees from the autumn. UKinbound joined industry coalition the Tourism Alliance to denounce the increase as “catastrophic”, warning the move made the UK “uncompetitive with many countries, including our nearest competitors across the EU”. The government nonetheless raised
visitor and business visa fees by 15% and other visas by 20%. The changes meant the cost of a five-year, multiple- entry visa rose from £670 to £770.
FIGURE 75: INBOUND VISITORS BY KEY MARKETS
5m 10m 15m 20m 25m
0 EU 24.8m 22.3m 19m FIGURE 74:
10 20 30 40 50
0 All visits
OVERSEAS VISITORS TO UK, 2000-23 Holidays
41 39.1 36.8 35.3 32.7 32.8 30 27.7 25.2 22.8 24.2 24.7 31.9 31 30.4 31.9 32.2 33.6 31.2 40.3 40.9 37.1*
9.3 7.6
7.7 8 9.3
9.7 10.6 10.8 10.9 12 11.9 12.4 12 -7%
13 13.9 14.2 14.7
16.6 16.2 16.9
14.4 11.1
6.4 1.2 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2023
*Visits/holidays for 12 months to June 2023. All visits include business and visiting friends & relations (VFR). Source: ONS
12.1
15*
INBOUND travel and tourism to the UK has recovered
strongly but not yet back to the 2019 level (Figures 73 & 74). However, US visitor numbers have soared (Figure 75)
Addressing a Tourism Alliance
policy conference in September, acting tourism minister Sir John Whittingdale insisted the government “recognises the challenges the sector faces”, saying: “I know skills are high on the list of immediate challenges [with] the sector carrying a 20%
vacancy rate, [and] I know you’re FRQFHUQHG DERXW /HYHOb
WRXULVP
courses [which are to lose funding].” He also acknowledged the issue with
% change H1 2023 on 2019
4.5m 2.5m 1m
2019 US 4.4m
0.6m 0.4m 2021
Europe non-EU China 4.6m 2m
73,000 2022
5.4m 2.4m
0.16m 2023*
+23%
visa fees, noting “we do seem to make it difficult for people to come here” and expressed “frustration at sitting behind a desk at DCMS [when] time and again decisions are taken elsewhere”. Whittingdale noted: “We’re
outspent many times by some countries.” But he said: “I don’t anticipate being in a position to increase marketing spending.” Tom Jenkins, chair of the Tourism
-65% All visits Source: ONS
Alliance and chief executive of European tourism association Etoa, told him: “We have a really tough sell in markets requiring visas.”
Travel Weekly Insight Report 2024 55
Visitors (million)
Visitors (million)
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