Inbound tourism figures for the full year 2004 have exceeded expectations by over 1.2 million, reaching 27.5 million visits…
Inbound tourism figures for the full year 2004 have exceeded expectations by over 1.2 million, reaching 27.5 million visits – an eleven per cent increase on 2003 – VisitBritain said today.
The figures confirmed 2004 as the best ever-recorded year for inbound visits, rising seven per cent compared to the previous record in 1998. During January to December, the fastest growth rates came from markets outside of Western Europe and North America. The Rest of World region performed particularly well – up 20 per cent on 2003 (5.4 million) – with Western European visits rising 10 per cent to 17.7 million, and visits from North America increasing nine per cent year on year (4.4 million).
The provisional data also indicates that the £12.8 billion spent by overseas visitors in 2004 is up eight per cent on 2003 and level with figures from 2000.
Tom Wright, VisitBritain chief executive, said: “This is welcome news for Britain`s tourism industry as we approach a new season. While visitor spending is improving, the industry cannot afford to be complacent as spend per visit has not regained the ground lost over the last few years. An unfavourable exchange rate with the US dollar and the trend towards shorter visits from some markets present challenges for the industry to face.
“Britain must advance its position around the world by investing further into developing markets. For 2005, VisitBritain will extend its presence into the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Malaysia and Thailand – through travel trade, media and PR strategies, coupled to website development and contact centre activities. This follows on from recent expansion into China, Poland, Russia and South Korea.”
VisitBritain is undertaking a number of initiatives to address the challenges facing inbound tourism and raise international visitor spending in Britain. The launch of So British, VisitBritain`s consumer magazine for luxury travel and lifestyle, will help encourage wealthy Americans with a passion for British brands to visit Britain and enjoy the quality, good service and individuality of the destination.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
