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Issue 27 March/April 2009 £2.75
Big rise in French tourists expected
How tourism industry must adapt By Dominic Musgrave TOURISM businesses need to create a clear reason why people should come and visit Britain, it has been claimed. Barbara Cassani, chairman of Jurys Inn, says the industry needs to innovate and adapt to changing market conditions. Speaking at the annual UKinbound convention in Manchester, she said: “Tourism doesn’t need bail-outs, but it does needs a compelling story to tell the rest of the world why it should visit. The days of Cool Britannia are gone – along with most of the city of London. What are we replacing Cool Britannia with? I don’t think Gordon Brown’s worried face markets Britain particularly well. “Being called the ‘Reykjavik of the Thames’ doesn’t portray the UK as an upbeat, dynamic place to take a short break or holiday.” Barbara, who was part of the London 2012 Olympic bid committee, challenged the government and industry to present a cleverly fashioned, positive face for the country to the rest of the world in the run-up to the Olympics. She added: “We need a snappy answer to “Why should I visit
Britain?” Of course the Olympic Games will offer a fantastic reason for people to visit the UK, but we want it to be more than a summer jamboree. The run up to 2012 should begin with a clearly understood programme of events around the country starting this year. To be fair, Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture was a fantastic start. What’s next? “In the UK, we have fabulous cities and lovely countryside that will look even more attractive to American and European travellers who will benefit from the depreciation of the pound.” She also questioned whether visitors were motivated to come back for a second or third time and backed VisitBritain chairman Christopher Rodrigues’ warning of a danger of the UK losing its reputation for service. “I’m not really convinced with the moves of some of our competitors towards creating hotels with no human interaction. You can’t build an emotional connection without people delivering service. The reality is that in a recessionary environment, you need to offer more keenly priced products. The good times will come round again.”
The award-winning costumes that appeared in smash-hit movie The Duchess are on show at Chatsworth in a new display showcasing the role it has played in television and film. The wedding clothes worn by Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes in the film about the Duchess of Devonshire will be shown alongside previously unseen footage filmed on location at Chatsworth.
THE number of French tourists visiting the UK is expected to rocket this year because of the weak exchange rate. Hotel booking website hotels.com reported an increase of more than 75 per cent in people searching for places to stay in London in December compared with the previous year. A spokesperson for the site said: “A combination of falling hotel prices and the pound dropping so much that it is almost at parity with the Euro means it is a really good time for people to book hotels in this country.” Travel firms including Eurostar and P&O Ferries have reported a rise of between 10 and 15 per cent in the number of people booking trips across the Channel.