Visitengland News
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.
VisitEngland figures reveal booming tourism sector
The latest results from the Great Britain Tourism Survey published by VisitEngland reveal a record breaking performance for domestic tourism in the first quarter of the year. Some 28.7 million trips were recorded in England between January and April this year, an 18 per cent increase year on year, and the highest number of trips recorded during the first quarter since the survey began in 2006.
VisitEngland reveals strong domestic tourism figures for UK
The latest results from the Great Britain Tourism Survey reveal a strong performance for domestic tourism in the first quarter of the year. There were 19.7 million trips recorded in England between January and March this year, the highest number of trips recorded during the first quarter for seven years.
UKinbound and VisitEngland embark on partnership
UKinbound and VisitEngland hosted its first joint workshop in conjunction with England’s Heritage Cities, with all partners uniting to grow the inbound tourism market beyond London after it was identified that 77% of UK’s inbound visitors stated that they would like to explore more of the UK.
VisitEngland chairman Lady Cobham receives CBE from Prince of Wales
VisitEngland chairman Lady Cobham has been awarded a CBE for services to tourism and received the honour from HRH the Prince of Wales. She joined VisitEngland in 2009 when the tourist board was created and has been instrumental in driving forward the objectives of England’s Strategic Framework for Tourism to maximise tourism’s contribution to the economy, employment and quality of life in England.
English attractions see rise in visitor numbers during 2013
Visits to attractions in England increased by five per cent in 2013 according to VisitEngland’s Annual Attractions Survey. This demonstrates the important contribution England’s attractions make to the UK economy and the potential for future growth in the tourism sector.
VisitEngland to share star ratings on TripAdvisor
In a new partnership with TripAdvisor, VisitEngland’s official star ratings will now be displayed on the TripAdvisor property pages of participating accommodation providers in England. VisitEngland now joins organisations such as the AA as providers of official star ratings for TripAdvisor. This partnership forms part of a raft of projects by VisitEngland aimed at supporting tourism businesses to engage with digital platforms.
VisitEngland reveals summer optimism in tourism market
Results of the Great British Tourism Survey released by VisitEngland today reveal 3.8 million domestic holiday trips were taken in England in April 2014, a ten per cent increase on the same period last year, with tourism spend up five per cent for the month. The early months of 2014 were characterised by extremely wet weather which had a negative impact on figures.
Visit England recalibrates Visitor Attraction Quality scheme
VisitEngland’s Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme has undergone a complete refresh following an in-depth review and industry consultation. The changes aim to reflect the diverse attractions on offer in England and to support them to deliver the best possible visitor experience.
Millions of Brits enjoy Christmas getaway
VisitEngland’s latest Trip Tracker survey reveals that planned overnight trips this Christmas and New year are likely to generate some £1.9 billion spend for the UK economy, around £1.6 billion of which will be spent in England. A total of 10.1 million Brits plan to make the most of the festive season by taking an overnight trip in the UK, with 8.6 million people planning to take that trip in England.