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UK tourism continues to “face challenges”
The UK continues to face stiff competition in the global tourism market despite recording a 6% rise in visitors in the first half of the year.
The message came from VisitBritain chief executive Tom Wright as provisional data from the Office for National Statistics showed international visits reached 14.9 million in the six months.
Spending also rose by 6% to £6.6 billion.
The breakdown of figures for June showed a 1% overall drop in arrivals year-on-year, with travellers from Western Europe down by 4%, those from North America up 5% and the rest of the world up by 1%. Spending was down 1% in the month to £1.3 billion.
The January-June period saw a 9% rise in visits from North America to 2.1 million, a 6% rise to 9.8 million from Western Europe and a 5% increase from the rest of the world to 2.9 million.
Wright said: “Nearly 15 million international visits is a great start and another record for Britain’s visitor economy.
“However, the industry continues to face challenges and increasing competition from rival destinations.
“If we are to build on this success, we need to continue to woo valuable American and Japanese visitors, explore new markets and ensure that this country offers quality, value-for-money experiences and an unrivalled welcome.”
His comments follow UKinbound warning that “things will get worse before they get better” for the industry due to external pressures such as the Middle East conflict, rising oil prices and a weak dollar exchange rate against the pound.
Report by Phil Davies
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