“Britain is stagnant,” the Labour Party declared, vowing to make changes once it takes power. On July 5, its leader, Keir Starmer, became the next British Prime Minister. Tourists around the world are curious to see how Britain will change its tourism industry.
Tourists have flocked to the UK before. Its heritage and cultural and traditional sites are considered the “jewels in the European crown”. In 2019, the UK welcomed nearly 41 million visitors. In 2023, when the number of tourists increases globally, the UK has not fully recovered, with nearly 38 million visitors. The number of visa applicants is down 19% compared to before the pandemic.
Britain has a beautiful coastline, but in recent years many beaches have become increasingly polluted by sewage. Duty-free shopping for tourists is limited, and EU visitors now need a passport to visit. Meanwhile, plans put forward by the British government, such as modernising transport infrastructure, will take around 10 years to complete.
Tom Jenkins, CEO of the European Tourism Organisation, said the UK tourism industry was “doing very well” but there had been more demand for mainland Europe this year. Americans were also less crazy about the UK and visitor numbers were stabilising.
Patricia Yates, CEO of VisitBritain, the website of the British Tourist Board, disputed that claim, saying American tourists are driving the recovery. Kayla Zeigner, CEO of Destination Europe, said she is receiving more tours to the UK than ever before.
But the UK has been hit by a shift in post-pandemic travel trends, according to Marcy Zyonse, director of travel company Live The Dream. “The UK is very low on the list of places people want to visit,” she said. Visitors from English-speaking countries are increasingly choosing destinations where they don’t share their language in search of new experiences.
Experts added that the UK tourism industry is still suffering from the after-effects of the pandemic. To make Britain “great again”, according to experts, the new government may have to use tourism as an economic lever. The strength of tourism is that it can connect quickly and advertise to the right people at the right time. However, the government needs to pour a lot of money into the tourism promotion budget. According to Patricia Yates of VisitBritain, their budget is about 23 million USD per year. Meanwhile, the figure for tourism in neighboring Ireland is 85.5 million USD.
Yates wants the government to pay more attention to tourism, which accounts for more than 3 million jobs and about 10% of the economy. The welcome message is one of the most important campaigns to attract visitors. Meanwhile, the UK has many prejudices about friendliness. Visa fees are high. A one-year visa for Chinese visitors to the UK costs the same as a 10-year visa to the US. Marcus Lee, CEO of China Travel Online, said visa policy is one of the top three drivers of attracting Chinese tourists.
Yates said the number of visitors from Middle Eastern countries increased significantly when the UK introduced electronic travel authorization (ETA), which made the process faster than the traditional method of submitting documents.
Tax exemptions are also a problem for the UK tourism industry. After leaving the EU (Brexit) in 2021, the British government abolished tax-free shopping for non-EU citizens. Data from the New West End Company, which represents more than 600 businesses in central London, in February showed that the number of visitors to the UK in 2023 was about 4% lower than in 2019. But spending was down 19%. Wealthy visitors from Gulf countries to the UK increased by 20% but they spent only 10% more on shopping compared to 2019. The same is true for visitors from around the world. American visitors to the UK in 2023 increased by 8% but spent 14% less. Meanwhile, in Italy and Spain, American spending increased by 143% and 179%, respectively.
Dee Corsi, CEO of New West End, said visitors to the UK were spending less because of the loss of duty-free status. While the UK struggles to recover to pre-pandemic levels, Europe is picking up the pace.
EU citizens now need a passport to travel to the UK, whereas before Brexit they could cross the border with an ID card. Jenkins added in 2021 that around 75% of Europeans do not have a passport.
To "rescue the UK tourism industry", the government is suggested to spend more on marketing and attracting tourists. Promotional ideas should also be modern and in line with current tourist preferences.
Later this year, VisitBritain will launch a "Starring Great Britain" campaign to promote popular film locations. The government is also looking to promote off-season travel for cheaper prices.
In addition, Yates believes that Britain needs to improve its international reputation as a friendly, culturally diverse and vibrant country.
TH (according to VnExpress)Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/anh-danh-mat-vi-the-la-diem-nong-du-lich-387390.html
Comment (0)