Soaring euro good for UK tourism, says BTTF manager

The soaring euro should provide a big boost for the UK’s travel and tourism industry this year, said British Travel Trade Fair event manager Graeme Barnett. The strength of the euro makes Britain more attractive not only to UK holidaymakers, but to international tourists as well, he said. Barnett, organiser of the British Travel Trade Fair which takes place at Birmingham’s NEC next week, said the euro’s rise had far outstripped Britain’s inflation rate. “Two years ago, €100 would have cost £61.73. At the moment, €100 costs about £68.50, a rise of nearly 11 per cent.A family of four on a 14-day holiday, budgeting to spend even a modest €100 a day on meals, drinks, ice-creams, admission charges and the like will find the cost of their spending money has gone up by nearly £100 in just two years.” Equally, he said, holidaymakers in major eurozone source markets such as Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland will see the UK as a great value destination. The two-day British Travel Trade Fair kicks off next Wednesday and this year’s programme of events will include free seminars on international marketing, the family market and working with the media. Seats are allocated on a first-come basis. On Wednesday, minister of tourism Richard Caborn will launch the Visit Britain City Culture campaign and chief executive of Hoseasons Richard Carrick will be put under the spotlight by Travel Weekly editor Martin Lane. On Thursday, industry experts will deal with burning issues in a Tourism Question Time, chaired by Tim Addison of the London Development Agency, and two teams of travel industry personalities will pit their wits against each other in a light-hearted version of the TV quiz show Have I Got News for You. More than 420 exhibitors will be attending the British Travel Trade Fair, including first timers Leisure Breaks, Vodafone, Norfolk Tourism, Science Museum and Destination Wessex. It will take place on March 3-4 in Hall 12 of Birmingham’s NEC.