Britain

The Lowdown: Tom Kerridge's pub programme

01-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

Chef and publican Tom Kerridge will headline a new primetime TV show on BBC Two about British pubs that are under threat.

January 2016 breaks UK's international visits record

24-Mar-2016 By Emma Eversham

The number of international visitors arriving in the UK in January rose 6 per cent on the previous year, breaking a record for the month and marking an 'encouraging start to the year' according to marketing agency VisitBritain. 

UK tourism jobs growing faster than other sectors

03-Feb-2016 By Liam Garrahan

Jobs in the UK’s tourism industry have grown by 12 per cent over five years to 2014, more than double the growth witnessed across other sectors of the economy.

Hospitable nation: Britain ranks in top 10 of most welcoming countries

19-Nov-2013 By Emma Eversham

Britain has ranked for the first time within the top 10 most welcoming nations while also retaining its third place as Overall Nation Brand for the third year running. 

Culture Secretary outlines strategy to grow UK tourism by 29%

30-Apr-2013 By Emma Eversham

Culture Secretary Maria Miller has outlined a strategy to help grow tourism to the UK by 29 per cent over the next seven years.

Fruitful February: Over £1bn spent by nearly 2 million visitors

12-Apr-2013 By Luke Nicholls

National tourist board VisitBritain has today welcomed a ‘bumper February’ with the latest figures from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) showing a 14 per cent rise in the number of overseas visitors and a 9 per cent increase in spend.

‘New nation of coffee drinkers’ will help coffee shops turn over more than £8bn by 2017

19-Dec-2012 By Emma Eversham

The coffee shop market will exceed 20,000 outlets and turn over more than £8bn by 2017, according to predictions by management consultants Allegra Strategies.

Wake up and smell the coffee: Surveys reveal importance of coffee to restaurants and pubs

18-Oct-2012 By Peter Ruddick

According to two surveys, hospitality operators are increasingly realising the importance of coffee to their businesses with national pub chains now selling more cups of the beverage than their coffee shop neighbours on the high street.

Hospitality industry urged by VisitBritain to help deliver 40m tourists by 2020

10-Oct-2012 By Peter Ruddick

VisitBritain is calling on the hospitality industry to help it achieve an ambitious inbound tourism growth strategy by taking part in a consultation and helping address perceived weaknesses of Britain's image such as food, value and welcome.

UK and World’s 50 Best chefs visit Number 10 to promote ‘Great’ UK food scene

30-Apr-2012 By Emma Eversham

More than 150 chefs, restaurateurs and food producers operating in the UK, as well as some of the World’s 50 Best chefs, are visiting Downing Street today to launch a campaign to promote the UK’s food scene abroad.

Record-breaking 2011 for tourism, could 2012 be even bigger for hospitality businesses?

10-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

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.

Camra urges Government to save Britain’s suburban pubs

24-Jan-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has today urged the Government to take action to save Britain’s historic pub culture in the light of new research which reveals that 16 pubs now close across the country every week.

VisitBritain calls on hospitality businesses to ‘Share Your GREAT Britain’

06-Jan-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Hospitality businesses are being urged to make use of a free online toolkit from VisitBritain that allows users to participate in, and benefit from the ‘GREAT Britain – You’re Invited’ 2012 campaign.

Pubs provide ‘shop window’ for rural Britain

22-Nov-2011 By Luke Nicholls

The Great British Pub is ‘crucial to the tourism offer in rural areas’, providing a ‘shop window to Britain, reflecting their urban or rural setting.’

Hospitality industry urged to improve customer service for 2012 Olympics

21-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Businesses within the hospitality industry are being urged to improve their service standards in time for the 2012 London Olympics as a survey reveals that nearly three quarters of people don't think they are good enough.

Lonely Planet: Britain full of “overpriced” restaurants and hotels that lack style

12-May-2011 By Becky Paskin

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.

Service standards: Why is British service so poor?

07-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Britain may be the second most popular country in the world, according to the recent BBC World Service Country Rating Poll, but when it comes to delivering a warm, hospitable welcome, we rank just 14th.

Royal Wedding to provide two-year tourism boost for UK

17-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

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

VisitBritain and BA campaign set to boost tourism

06-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

VisitBritian and British Airways today launch a new campaign designed to attract more tourists to the country, which includes special discount deals with hotels.

CAMRA reveals 16 best British pubs

16-Sep-2010 By Rachel Johnson

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has named the 16 best real ale pubs in Britain in its yearly guide released today

Restaurants, pubs and hotels get behind British Tourism Week 2010

12-Mar-2010 By Emma Eversham

Hotels, pubs and restaurants will be in the spotlight from next Monday with the start of British Tourism Week 2010

The UK's customer service still poor compared to the United States

17-Jul-2007 By Restaurant

The food revolution may have vamped up the UK's food offering but our customer service is still oceans apart from the United States, says Fay Maschler In 1917, a certain George M. Cohan wrote a song called Over There. The aim was to urge American...