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Issue 52 May/June 2013 £2.75
Study shows a ‘mixed bag’ for tourism By Christina Eccles
2012 was a ‘mixed bag’ for English tourism, according to figures, with many businesses affected by bad weather, but tourism spend hitting an all time high. Results from the Great Britain Tourism Survey revealed Britons took 104m overnight trips in England last year, on a par with 2011, with domestic tourism spend in England growing by nine per cent to hit £19.5bn for the first time. Considering Britain as a whole, the number of domestic overnight trips taken in 2012 fell slightly by half a per cent and although figures were positive overall, many tourism businesses were affected by bad weather and the wettest year in England on record. Other key findings included: Overnight trips to both towns and cities increased, whereas trips to the countryside and seaside destinations were down slightly by two per cent. However, spend was up across all destination types. Domestic business travel also saw a boost last year, with trips up by three per cent and spend up by six per cent. The number of holiday trips was unchanged versus 2011, while the
number of trips to visit friends and relatives in England saw a one per cent drop. Brits took 1.47b day trips in England last year (a rise of 12 per cent), with spend rising by 14 per cent to £48b. Outbound figures show the number of UK residents travelling abroad was also flat in 2012, with no change in the number of trips taken compared to 2011 – indicating that concerns about a possible ‘mass exodus’ of holidaymakers abroad due to the Olympics was largely unfounded. Chief executive of VisitEngland James Berresford said: “These figures clearly show that England is still a much-loved holiday destination for millions of Britons. However, 2012 was a mixed bag for many tourism businesses, and we know that some areas of the country have felt the impact of the poor weather. “To boost domestic breaks and inspire even more people to take a holiday at home in 2013, we are working closely with Government on a £4m pan-UK integrated marketing campaign fronted by national icons, Wallace and Gromit.” For more on how Wallace and Gromit are planning to boost tourism this year, see page three.
Campaign to attract German market
Popular actress Kim Cattrall will star in Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth, opening in London’s West End on June 12. Best known for her role as Samantha Jones in Sex and the City, the star will play the role of fading Hollywood legend Alexandra Del Lago in the production, which is on at The Old Vic. For more on Sweet Bird of Youth and a round up of the latest theatre news, see our dedicated Centre Stage section starting on page 13. Credit: Kate Orne
VISITBRITAIN has rolled out the first phase of a new campaign with Hostelworld.com, designed to attract the German youth market. The TV advert will be shown across most major German television networks, promoting Britain as a must visitdestination. It focuses on important factors to the German market such as value and welcome, encouraging travellers to explore the UK using the Hostelworld website. VisitBritain’s marketing director Joss Croft said: “The youth market generally look for affordable accommodation with a friendly welcome and buzzing atmosphere. Britain and Hostelworld.com can deliver these aspects right across the country. The ad provides the necessary platform to target those more discerning German travellers wanting good value accommodation options when planning a trip to Britain.” CEO of Hostelworld.com Feargal Mooney added: “The TV ad will engage with a hugely influential market for both Hostelworld.com and VisitBritain which gives us the opportunity to inspire more bookings and as a consequence more visits across Britain.”