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Issue 46 May/June 2012 £2.75
London is in front in race for tourists By Christina Eccles OTHER parts of the UK are trailing behind London in the race to attract inbound tourists this summer, it has been claimed. According to VisitBritain figures, the country could potentially receive a £17.6b windfall from tourism this year, as a number of high profile events – such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations – take place. But despite this increased level of interest in Britain, research from online travel resource Gogobot found that just 16 per cent of users have shared reviews, travel guides or hotel recommendations for the country’s second most popular destination Edinburgh. This is compared to 72 per cent of tourists preparing their visits to the UK who are focusing their attention on London – suggesting other parts of the UK could potentially lose out on a tourism windfall. Gogobot CEO and founder Travis Katz said: “The UK is in danger of missing a trick unless it does more to publicise areas beyond the capital. “One in five people on Facebook
today have a friend using Gogobot, and while activity on our site around the UK has risen dramatically over the last few months, we’re only seeing this happen in London.” Travis also said the summer of 2012 provides a great chance for places all over the country to showcase their offering to people around the world – and destinations should be looking to maximise publicity around their areas online. He added: “Potentially there’s over £1b of extra tourist income up for grabs in 2012. It’s the perfect opportunity for places around Britain to show the world what they have to offer. “It’s never been easier to share and suggest recommendations for places to go thanks to social networking. If the whole of the UK is going to reap the rewards from the year ahead, people need to be going online and telling others about what their part of the UK has to offer.” What do you think summer 2012 will bring for the UK tourism industry? Contact the Destination UK newsroom with your thoughts by emailing ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or via Twitter @DUKMag
Over a third ‘don’t save for holidays’
A host of famous faces have teamed up with hotel booking specialist LateRooms. com for a new campaign, Destination Inspiration. As part of the campaign, TV foodie Lisa Faulkner, pictured, style guru Caryn Franklin and explorer Ray Mears will appear at a series of events – held in London hotels – which will showcase short break ideas inspired by their passions for food, fashion and the great outdoors.
OVER a third of workers either don’t save for their summer holiday or put it all on their credit card, a survey from the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals has found. The survey, which looked into how people budget their salaries when planning their holiday, found that 15 per cent of people rely on their credit card to cover the cost and over a fifth do not save at all. Senior Policy Liaison Officer at the CIPP Diana Bruce said: “With the economy still in a fragile state it comes as no surprise to find that many employees do not have the disposable income available to put money by for their holidays. “The public sector is facing a third year of pay freezes and even those who are lucky enough to get a pay rise may find it is barely matching inflation. Coupled with the increases in the cost of running a home and getting to work, many have had to start paying serious attention to their spending habits.”