Visitengland News
UK revels in record year of tourism growth
An extra £872 million in visitor spending was generated across the UK in the last year as a result of work by national tourism agency VisitBritain/VisitEngland latest figures show. This means for every pound invested in the organisation, £20 of additional visitor spend was generated for the economy.
Gardens lead growth at visitor attractions in England
Gardens and zoos saw the most significant growth in visitors to attractions last year, according to VisitEngland’s annual attractions survey.
VisitEngland predicts £1.7bn Easter tourism boost for UK economy
VisitEngland’s Easter Trip Tracker survey shows 6.6 million Brits are planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK this Easter weekend. The tourism body finds this will bring an estimated £1.7 billion boost to the British economy.
Ex-Virgin Atlantic chief Ridgway to head VisitBritain
UK culture secretary Karen Bradley has appointed Steve Ridgway as the new chair of the British Tourist Authority, which includes VisitBritain and VisitEngland, while and Denis Wormwell will take up the role of chair of the VisitEngland advisory board.
Day Tripper: Record spend from English travellers
New figures from VisitEngland show that Brits spent a record-breaking £45.3 billion on day trips across England in the first eleven months of 2016, setting a new record for the survey. January to November 2016 also saw the highest number of day trips taken in the first eleven months of the year at 1.35 billion visits in England.
International visitors boost UK tourism sector
International visitors spent an extra £800 million across the nations and regions of Britain in the last year as a result of work by the national tourism agency VisitBritain, latest figures show. This means that every £1 invested in VisitBritain’s activities resulted in an overseas visitor spending £23 in Britain. Domestic visitors spent an additional £97.2 million in England as a result of VisitEngland’s 2015 ‘Holidays at Home are GREAT’ campaign.
UK government unveils Tourism Action Plan as prices fall
The UK government had unveiled a series of measures designed to boost the domestic tourism sector. Branded the Tourism Action Plan, the agenda aims to capitalise on the weaker pound currently making trips cheaper for overseas visitors. The pound has fallen from $1.49 on the day of the Brexit referendum in July to lows of $1.28 in July and August.
VisitEngland expects post Brexit tourism spike
Business confidence among accommodation providers is at a record high for the summer holidays in a VisitEngland survey. The ‘business confidence’ survey findings also show that out of 500 accommodation providers, more than half are expecting an increase in visitors following the EU referendum outcome with a particular boost expected for the domestic market.
VisitEngland reveals record breaking tourism spend
Latest figures from VisitEngland show a record-breaking first quarter for the amount spent on overnight domestic holiday trips in England. Visitors spent £1.8 billion from January to March, up 23 per cent on the same period last year. The number of domestic overnight holiday trips also set a new record for a first quarter with 7.3 million visits, up ten per cent compared to the same period in 2015.
Engagement programme underway for Discover England Fund
More than 100 representatives from the travel industry across England attended the first in a series of sessions launching earlier as a regional engagement programme for the new £40 million Discover England Fund got underway. The session was the first of six to be held across the country throughout February and March led by Sally Balcombe, VisitEngland/VisitBritain chief executive, who will be setting out ambitions for the fund’s delivery, the high-level criteria for potential bidders to consider and suggested timeframes for its phased implementation.
Millions of Brits planning Bank Holiday getaway
VisitEngland’s Bank Holiday Trip Tracker Survey today reveals that 4.8 million Brits, or nine per cent of the adult population, are planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK this August Bank Holiday weekend. This includes some 4.5 million planning a holiday in England. This is likely to generate some £1.2 billion for the UK economy, £1.1 billion of which will be spent in England.
English attractions see visitor numbers continue to grow
Visits to England’s attractions increased by four per cent in 2014, consolidating the sector’s return to growth following 2013’s positive figures, according to VisitEngland’s Annual Attractions Survey. The figures continue the growth of visitor numbers to England’s tourist attractions in 2013, demonstrating the important contribution attractions make to the tourism industry and the English economy, which is worth £106 billion in total.