Tourism
In August 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans to make Britain one of the top five tourist destinations in the world. But can the hospitality industry realise this goal in the face of budget cuts, growing international competition and burdensome regulations?
Good news for hotels as domestic trips on the up
Hoteliers across the country will welcome the news that domestic trips and holidays have increased for the third consecutive year to record levels, with total spend also on the up.
English Tourism Week 2012 highlights importance of British hospitality
National tourist board VisitEngland has reported the success of the first ever English Tourism Week, which saw hospitality businesses from across the nation play host to over 400 special events and promotions.
BHA calls on hospitality businesses to support VisitEngland’s Holidays at Home campaign
The British Hospitality Association (BHA) is urging hospitality businesses across the UK to support VisitEngland’s new campaign – Holidays at Home are GREAT.
Record-breaking 2011 for tourism, could 2012 be even bigger for hospitality businesses?
Britain’s tourism and hospitality businesses are surfing on the wave of a record-breaking 2011 for overseas visitors and spending, making perfect preparation for a bumper 2012, packed full of iconic, once-in-a-lifetime events.
Businesses warned off “unscrupulous” corporate hospitality suppliers
‘Unscrupulous’ corporate hospitality suppliers are seeking to cash in the UK’s ‘Golden Decade of Sport’ by mis-selling packages to unsuspecting businesses, a corporate hospitality company has warned.
Hotel brands join UK tourism delegation to China
The hotel industry is honing in on an opportunity to tap into the lucrative Chinese tourism market, as representatives from four UK hotel brands join VisitBritain on a key trip to China.
Olympics already having a positive impact on UK tourism
The 2012 Olympics are already having a positive impact on UK tourism, with seven Olympic cities and towns in the top 20 most-stayed-in destinations for 2010, according to new research from VisitBritain.
UK holidays reach record-breaking high for September
The number of international visitors to the UK has risen to record-breaking levels for September, with 2.53 million arrivals and 970,000 holiday visits.
VisitBritain receives major funding boost ahead of bumper 2012
With the year ahead packed full of iconic, once-in-a-lifetime events including the London 2012 Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, VisitBritain has received a welcome injection of £27m funding to help promote the UK.
Hotels and B&Bs to benefit from VisitEngland’s Growing Tourism Locally campaign
Hoteliers and B&B owners throughout the UK will be welcoming the news that VisitEngland’s bid for additional funding from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) has been successful.
BBPA: English Tourism Week 2012 ‘great opportunity’ for pubs
British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) chief executive Brigid Simmonds has urged brewers and pubs to get Behind English Tourism Week next year.
John Penrose to gain first-hand experience of red tape
Tourism Minister John Penrose is set to partake in a work placement at an outdoor pursuits firm in Western-Super-Mare, in order to further understand the challenges and opportunities facing tourism industry small businesses such as red tape.
British tourism set for record-breaking summer?
Latest figures for inbound tourism and visitor spending suggest a record-breaking summer for Britain lies ahead, but experts say the recent riots are a concern for potential visitors.
British domestic tourism increases by 5%
Domestic tourism saw a boost in the first quarter of 2011, with overnight trips in Britain up by 5 per cent on last year.
Tourism to Britain increases 11%
Britain is on its way to recovering its appeal as a holiday destination for international tourists, according to encouraging data on tourism figures so far this year.
UK’s popularity increases with European tourists
The UK has this summer proved to be a more popular tourist destination for other European travellers than in past years, according to new data.
People 1st and GoSkills merge for unified hospitality and travel training
The hospitality skills council People 1st has merged with the transport and travel skills council GoSkills in a move designed to streamline customer service training efforts across the sectors.
Jamie Oliver fronts VisitBritain’s global TV marketing campaign
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is to co-front an international TV advertising campaign that marks the start of VisitBritain’s four-year marketing strategy.
Jamie Oliver invites UK visitors to discover 'great British food'
Jamie Oliver has recorded a personal invitation for global consumers to come and visit Britain as part of tourism agency VisitBritain's global TV advertising campaign.
Hilton signs up to £100m VisitBritain marketing campaign
Hilton Worldwide has become a founding partner in VisitBritain’s £100m tourism marketing programme, which aims to attract an additional four million overseas visitors to the UK.
UK hotel performance: the past, present and future
Delegates at the inaugural Boutique Hotel Summit this week were told to watch their pricing structure for the 2012 London Olympic Games to avoid pricing themselves out of the market.
Hotel prices are more important than brands, finds survey
Nine out of ten UK travellers say they value the price of a hotel more than its brand, finds a new survey.
Hotel staff lack knowledge of local areas, finds customer survey
The large majority of people in the UK feel that hotel staff don’t know enough about the local area, which significantly reduces the value of customer service provided.
American Express to promote UK as tourism destination
American Express has created an online portal designed to promote the UK as a tourist destination to its clients around the world.
BHA task force to tackle damaging hospitality regulations
The British Hospitality Association (BHA) will administer an industry task force on deregulation, which will aim to cut through red tape that is holding back the hospitality sector.
Diamond Jubilee: event details revealed
Buckingham Palace has issued details for the Diamond Jubilee celebration events next year, which will mark key dates in the calendars of hospitality operators set to benefit from extra footfall over the long weekend.
Diamond Jubilee double bank holiday to create business boost
The extra bank holidays expected for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee next year are likely to provide the nation’s hospitality operators with a similar boost to that received during the Royal Wedding weekend, says the national tourist board.
Tourists spent £114bn in UK in 2008, says ONS
Domestic and foreign tourists spent a total of £114bn in the UK in 2008, with more money forked out on food than on hotels, according to a new set of experimental data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
US tourists are highest spenders, but visitors declining
US tourists are the highest spenders out of all holidaymakers to the UK, but their numbers continue to decline, according to new data released today by VisitBritain.
Britons to spend £7bn on home holidays this summer
The British tourism industry is set to receive a £7.2bn boost this summer from cash-strapped Britons opting to take their holiday break in the UK, reveals a new travel study conducted by the budget hotel group Travelodge.
Lonely Planet: Britain full of “overpriced” restaurants and hotels that lack style
Britain’s restaurants and hotels are too expensive and lack quality compared to the rest of Europe, and will ultimately drive Britons abroad for their holidays this year.
Ireland cuts VAT for hotels and restaurants
The Irish government has announced a 4.5 per cent cut in VAT on tourism-related goods and services as part of efforts to support the sector and promote employment.
VisitBritain captures global web interest from Royal Wedding
The UK’s tourist agency VisitBritain has released preliminary figures from a marketing study from the Royal Wedding, and has said it hopes to continue to engage the additional international web users who joined its online communities during the event.
London voted 8th top destination by TripAdvisor travellers
Although London remains a top destination for travellers from around the world, the popular tourist destination has this year been overtaken by cities in South Africa, Australia and South America, according to a new survey by TripAdvisor.
British public ready to celebrate Royal Wedding at pub or restaurant
The British public is turning its attention from the Easter break and onto the Royal Wedding this coming weekend, with two-thirds expecting to order a commemorative drink in a restaurant or pub to toast the couple.
London tourism and spend increases as rest of UK dips
International visitors to London spent close to £9bn in the capital last year, with tourist numbers at a four-year high compared to the gloomier picture in the rest of the country.
Tourism ignored in first round of Regional Growth Fund grants
The Regional Growth Fund has refused a bid for funding from VisitEngland in its first round of grants, announced last week.
VisitLondon becomes London & Partners after agency reshuffle
VisitLondon, the capital’s marketing organsation, has merged with other promotional agencies to create one flagship group – London & Partners – as part of the government’s efforts to cut costs and streamline activities.
London voted top destination for US travellers
London is the top European destination for US travellers this year, although the Royal Wedding is not one of the attractions drawing the extra tourists, according to a survey by TripAdvisor.
Government’s Tourism Strategy criticised for shortsightedness
The Government’s Tourism Strategy has been welcomed by the hospitality industry, but criticised for leaving too much to the private sector and for failing to detail how its recommendations will be realised.
Tourism Strategy to create “UK Day” and cut red tape
The Government has suggested moving the May Day Bank Holiday to create a new national “UK Day” and erecting a red tape task force as part of its long-awaited Tourism Strategy, published today.
Luxury Britain campaign targets wealthy Asian tourists
Britain is launching a new marketing campaign to attract affluent Asian and Middle-Eastern tourists by promoting some of the country’s luxury resorts and destinations.
Tourism Strategy: the low-down from John Penrose
The government is on the verge of announcing a new tourism strategy that aims to increase the number of international and domestic tourists for the benefit of the hospitality and leisure industries.
BHA supports VisitBritain marketing cutbacks
The British Hospitality Association has backed VisitBritain’s decision to withdraw its marketing campaign from 14 countries, claiming the tourism agency was in danger of spreading itself “too thin”.
Be wary of Olympics ‘displacement effect’, warns Minister
The Minister of Tourism John Penrose has warned the hospitality sector to be wary of a ‘displacement effect’ that could be caused by the Olympics, saying it is crucial to treat the event as the hors d’oeuvre rather than the main course if the UK is to see any long-term benefit.
VisitBritain forced to withdraw marketing from 14 countries
VisitBritain is withdrawing its marketing campaign from 14 countries and cutting 70 jobs in reaction to the Government spending cuts in October last year.
Risks to UK tourism threaten Olympics legacy, warns BHA
The UK tourism and hospitality sectors stand to lose out on the full benefits of the Olympic Games if the country does not address a number of major obstacles it faces, the chief executive of the British Hospitality Association told industry leaders yesterday.
Industry can pay for hotel star scheme, says government
The national tourist board has confirmed that its hotel star rating scheme will not disappear, but that it may change format if it loses government funding next month.
Government set to abandon support for hotel star-rating system
The star rating system used to rank the quality of hotels is set to lose Government backing, after ministers decided consumer review websites offer more accurate information.
VisitEngland launches business website for tourism industry
VsitEngland has launched a new corporate website, which aims to provide the tourism and hospitality industries with research and statistics relevant to their business.
Pubs to get Royal Wedding late license extension
Ministers are expected to allow pubs in England and Wales to stay open for longer for two nights of the Royal Wedding weekend, in a bid to boost tourism.
Tourism marketing campaign to create 50,000 jobs
A new four-year £100m marketing campaign devised by VisitBritain is estimated to create 50,000 tourism jobs and boost visitor spending in the UK by £2bn.
British tourism set to rise in 2011
Britain is on target to attract 300,000 more visitors next year as confidence amongst overseas travellers returns.
Visit London to be merged
Visit London, the capital's tourist board, is to be merged with two other bodies, the mayor's office has said.
John Penrose: Bigging up the Bocuse d’Or
John Penrose, Minister for Tourism, believes cooking is Britain's secret "tourism weapon", and urges the whole country to back Simon Hulstone and his bid for the 2011 Bocuse d'Or trophy...
England lose bid to host 2018 World Cup to Russia
England’s 2018 World Cup bid has been lost to Russia, an opportunity that would have boosted the UK economy by £3.2bn.
Government urged to rethink London tourism cuts
The tourism industry and the British Hospitality Association (BHA) have written to London Mayor, Boris Johnson, the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, urging them to consider the risks of funding cuts to London’s tourist industry ahead of the Olympic Games.
Research shows which tourists will be most drawn by Royal Wedding
Foreign tourists most likely to visit the UK during next year’s royal wedding are visitors from Russia, Brazil, Malaysia and the Czech Republic, according to research on the appeal of the Royal Family to other nations
Royal Wedding to provide two-year tourism boost for UK
The royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton next year is expected to bring a two-year boost for hospitality operators, as tourists from across the globe flock to the UK ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games
“Excellent” British holidays are boosting domestic tourism
"Excellent" holiday experiences and concerns over job security will help boost the popularity of the staycation in the future, VisitEngland has said
London named World's Leading Destination once more
London has been voted the World’s Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards for the fifth time, following a rise in international visitors to the capital this year
VisitBritain reviews operations to optimise Olympics tourism plan
Following the £80bn worth of spending cuts announced by the Government today, national tourism agency VisitBritain will need to review its operations if its Olympic tourism strategy is to remain on track
Britain remains fourth most admired country in the world
Britain has maintained its position as the fourth most admired country in the world, falling only behind the USA, Germany and France
Hospitality sector to lead economic recovery
The UK hospitality industry could become one of the key building blocks for an economic recovery, according to a new report released today
Domestic holidays dip by 3 per cent but bumper figures continue
The number of domestic travellers in the UK in the first half of 2010 has dipped by three per cent compared to the same period last year
VisitBritain and BA campaign set to boost tourism
VisitBritian and British Airways today launch a new campaign designed to attract more tourists to the country, which includes special discount deals with hotels.
Inbound tourism figures “encouraging”, but still below pre-recession level
A recovery in the number of visitors to the UK has been described as “encouraging”, although the level is still significantly below pre-recession figures
Tourism vital to British economy says David Cameron
David Cameron has pledged to ‘stand fully behind every effort’ to boost British tourism, as he aims to make Britain one of the top five tourist destinations in the world
Tourism to soar by 60 per cent, but only with Government backing
The value of British tourism is set to soar by over 60 per cent over the next decade, with the number of jobs in the industry rising by over 250,000