As we head into autumn and the start of a new school year, tourist resorts around the UK are counting the profits after another booming staycation season. Chief amongst these chosen destinations for holiday makers was the South-West* of England, home to the most important regional event of the trade show calendar, Giving & Living (14th-16th January, Westpoint, Exeter).
Hospitality tech provider Zonal and CGA by NielsenIQ found in a survey of more than 2,000 UK consumers that 81% of respondents intended to holiday in a UK hotel this year. 44% avoided overseas trips due to cost-of-living increases, whilst 39% are staycationing because they prefer to travel within the UK, up 12% from 2022. 28% said they would stay in a UK hotel more than once in this year. Extremes of heat overseas have also made the more temperate British climate more appealing.
It isn’t just Brits who are enjoying the treasures our native shores have to offer. VisitBritain/VisitEngland, reported that last year the UK welcomed 31.2m inbound visitors who spent £26.5bn. Spend per visit in 2022 was well up on 2019, partly due to a longer than average length of stay for visitors, especially in the first quarter of the year.
The overall tourism forecast for 2023 is 37.5 million visitors, who are predicted to spend £30.9 billion*. This is an upgrade on earlier forecasts due to strong end of year results for 2022.
VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said: “Our upgraded forecast is on the back of the stronger recovery we’re seeing, led by the USA with spending by American visitors up 42% to a record £6 billion last year alone. Spending by visitors from our major European markets including France and Spain is also coming back strongly”.
Looking ahead to next year, the forecast is very positive, with visitor numbers expected to have fully recovered to their pre-Covid volumes by the end of 2024.
Giving & Living organiser, Mike Anderson of Hale Events said: “The British tourist trade is undoubtedly benefitting from the rise of staycations and continued enthusiasm for holidays closer to home. The restoration of visitor numbers from overseas is very positive news that bodes extremely well for the 2024 season”.
For more information about Giving & Living call 01934 733433, email mail@hale-events.com, or visit the website: givingliving.co.uk.
* This is 109% of the 2019 level in nominal terms although 90% in real terms (taking inflation into account).
* According to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, top tourist sites in the South West region include Stonehenge, the Roman Baths and Pump Rooms, Longleat Safari Park, Moors Valley Country Park, the Eden Project, Westonbirt National Arboretum, Haldon Forest Park, Beechenhurst, St Michael’s Mount, Stourhead, Tyntesfield and Kingston Lacy.
