Figures released by tourism site VisitEngland also suggested that business travel within the UK has dropped slightly. Business trips have decreased by 1% while the number of people visiting friends and family in the UK saw a 2% increase. VisitEngland does, however, remain optimistic that the domestic travel industry will continue to grow as 2010’s figures match the huge numbers seen in 2009. This is despite the fact that the recession has left many Britons paying very close attention to their non-essential spending…
Figures released by tourism site VisitEngland also suggested that business travel within the UK has dropped slightly. Business trips have decreased by 1% while the number of people visiting friends and family in the UK saw a 2% increase.
VisitEngland does, however, remain optimistic that the domestic travel industry will continue to grow as 2010’s figures match the huge numbers seen in 2009. This is despite the fact that the recession has left many Britons paying very close attention to their non-essential spending.
James Berresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland, recently said: “Last year was the best ever year for leisure tourism, with domestic holiday trips up by 18% in England and 17% in the UK. Despite a slight downturn in holiday tourism this year compared to 2009, England and the UK are still experiencing double digit growth compared to 2008. The industry should be proud of sustaining strong and consistent figures, especially in view of a World Cup and ongoing economic uncertainty.”
According to VisitEngland there have been approximately 125 million overnight stays in the UK during the past 12 months. That is 7.8 million more than in the period between June 2008 and June 2009. This translates to an increase of 7% and demonstrates that UK residents are more inclined to travel domestically until the recession is truly behind the country.
Although budgets may be tighter, holiday insurance is as important as ever. Before embarking on any holiday travellers should secure a holiday insurance policy to provide cover against travel delays and other unforeseen incidents. Travel insurance policies can help relieve the financial repercussions should an unexpected event occur whilst travelling.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
