Visitors to Britain spend record £11.2b in first seven months of 2013
Britain has seen record visitor spending of £11.2b in the first seven months of 2013, as it continues to enjoy the effect of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
That's according to tourism marketing organisation VisitBritain, which this morning launched its Annual Review.
The Review found that for every £1 spent by VisitBritain overseas, £19 was spent by overseas visitors in Britain. So far this year there has been one visitor arriving on these shores every second.
VisitBritain said it had made "significant" progress on its four-year marketing programme and long-term tourism growth strategy.
VisitBritain also estimated that the GREAT Britain marketing campaign, which it operates jointly across government, has contributed £960m to the British economy over the past two years.
And the organisation said it was on track to hit the target of £50m of private sector match funding by the end of the 2014/15 financial year.
In the past twelve months, VisitBritain has worked with partners such as British Airways, easyJet, Expedia and STA Travel.
Over the next year VisitBritain will concentrate its efforts in four areas: image, product, travel trade and access. Upcoming opportunities to inspire people to visit Britain, including the Commonwealth Games in Scotland and the centenary of the birth of Welsh writer Dylan Thomas.
Launching the review, Christopher Rodrigues, Chairman of VisitBritain said: "Our challenge was to turn aspiration into action; to convert the enthusiasm of London 2012 into sustained increases in awareness and intention to visit. I am delighted to report that over the last twelve months VisitBritain has capitalised on this golden opportunity for tourism.
"Our overall strategic aim for 2014 is to build on our international image, engage further with the travel trade, broaden the product range on offer for tourists and make it easier to get to Britain. Through a strong partnership - government, tourist board and industry - I am confident we will achieve the goals we have set ourselves."
Helen Grant, Minister for Tourism, commented: "I want to do all I can to help deliver further growth for the tourism sector, building on the great success of 2012 when we showcased the best of Britain to the world. I look forward to working closely with VisitBritain and the wider tourism industry to encourage more people to come to Britain and enjoy the great culture and heritage we have to offer."
In April, VisitBritain set out an ambitious tourism strategy with the objective to welcome 40 million overseas visitors to Britain by 2020 and create a further 200,000 jobs across the length and breadth of the UK.
