The early months of 2014 were characterised by extremely wet weather which had a negative impact on figures. However a later, milder Easter had a positive effect on business, providing a welcome boost for tourism. Year to date domestic holiday trips for 2014 are now on a par with 2013 and tourism spend is up by 6%.
Results of the Great British Tourism Survey (GBTS) released by VisitEngland revealed 3.8 million domestic holiday trips were taken in England in April 2014, a 10% increase on the same period last year, with tourism spend up 5% for the month.
The early months of 2014 were characterised by extremely wet weather which had a negative impact on figures. However a later, milder Easter had a positive effect on business, providing a welcome boost for tourism. Year to date domestic holiday trips for 2014 are now on a par with 2013 and tourism spend is up by 6%.
Results from a more recent VisitEngland survey reveals businesses are confident about the summer following strong bookings so far. Looking ahead, over 90% of businesses say they feel confident about the summer holidays, with over 70% of accommodation providers reporting strong forward bookings for the rest of the school holiday period.
Addressing the poor start to the year, VisitEngland launched a £2 million government funded campaign to support businesses affected by the floods. This two-part campaign included a series of business support workshops in affected areas, supporting some 755 tourism businesses around the country; and an advertising campaign to combat negative perceptions and drive holiday bookings in England ahead of the Easter break.
VisitEngland Chief Executive James Berresford said: “It is fantastic to see a boost in domestic holiday trips and spend for April and businesses feeling confident as the Summer holiday period gets well underway. This demonstrates the resilience of the tourism industry following the impact of the extreme weather earlier this year and the success of the flood support campaign. We have seen the trend to holiday at home soar in the past five years and it’s a trend we’re confident will continue.”
VisitEngland star ratings to appear on TripAdvisor as part of new partnership
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.
James Berresford said: “Our star ratings appearing on TripAdvisor is a fantastic benefit to VisitEngland’s scheme, demonstrating the importance of star ratings in helping potential customers to choose their accommodation with confidence. It is also an opportunity for our official star rated accommodation providers to raise their profile even further by having their stars displayed on one of the world’s leading travel websites. This is one of a number of new developments we are putting in place to support business to secure a strong online presence”.
Catherine Tremaine, Vice President of Content, TripAdvisor said: “We are pleased to be working with VisitEngland to display the national tourist board’s official star ratings for graded accommodations on TripAdvisor. We know that user-generated ratings and reviews have a significant impact on travellers’ planning activity and booking decisions – and coupled with the official star ratings, travellers are able to make a well-informed booking decision, suitable for their needs.”
Official star ratings are awarded to accommodation providers in England who have signed up to VisitEngland’s National Quality Assessment Scheme, and allow potential customers to choose their accommodation with confidence. The star ratings are determined by the services and facilities provided for guests, the quality of the welcome, the service and hospitality of the staff, the food, and the cleanliness.
VisitEngland star ratings will be automatically updated on TripAdvisor on a weekly basis to update any changes and ensure stars are displayed alongside new entries.
Additional benefits of being part of VisitEngland’s Star Rating Scheme includes an annual assessment by one of VisitEngland’s professional assessors; Silver and Gold awards for hotels and guest accommodation and Gold awards for self-catering properties to help businesses stand apart from the competition; Breakfast awards to acknowledge a quality breakfast and excellent service and hospitality; access to advice and support; and being eligible for the annual VisitEngland Awards for Excellence which celebrate the very best of English tourism.
Photo caption: Manchester.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
