.jpg)
VisitEngland has
released figures showing that the trend to holiday at home is holding
strong. The latest results from the Great Britain Tourism Survey
reveal that Britons took 104 million overnight trips in England last
year; which is on par with 2011. Domestic tourism spend in England
grew by 9 per cent in 2012, hitting an all-time high of £19.5bn.
Considering Britain as a whole, the number of domestic overnight
trips taken in 2012 fell slightly by half a per cent, with spend up 6
per cent.
The national tourist board cautioned that these results should be considered in context with the poor weather experienced across the country last year, which was the wettest on record for England. Despite the positive overall figures, 2012 was mixed around the country, with many businesses affected by the weather. Overnight trips to both towns and cities increased, whereas trips to the countryside and seaside destinations were down slightly (2 per cent) - however, spend was up across all destination types. Domestic business travel saw a boost last year, with trips up by 3 per cent and spend up by 6 per cent, while the number of holiday trips was unchanged vs 2011, and the number of trips to visit friends and relatives in England saw a 1 per cent drop.
VisitEngland also recorded a considerable rise in the number of domestic day trips in England last year compared to 2011, proving that Britons still have a strong appetite to get out and explore the country. The Great Britain Day Visitor Survey showed that Brits took 1.47 billion day trips in England last year (a rise of 12 per cent), with spend rising by 14 per cent to £48billion.
Outbound figures show that the number of UK residents travelling abroad was also flat in 2012, with no change in the number of trips taken abroad compared to 2011 – indicating that concerns about a possible ‘mass exodus’ of holidaymakers abroad due to the Olympics was largely unfounded.
James Berresford, VisitEngland’s Chief Executive, commented: “These figures clearly show that England is still a much-loved holiday destination for millions of Britons. However, 2012 was a mixed bag for many tourism businesses, and we know that some areas of the country have felt the impact of the poor weather. To boost domestic breaks and inspire even more people to take a holiday at home in 2013, we are working closely with Government on a £4m pan-UK integrated marketing campaign fronted by national icons, Wallace & Gromit. The campaign will kick off on 12 May with a TV advertisement which will see the quintessentially British duo encouraging people to book a break through their local travel agent.”
The national tourist board cautioned that these results should be considered in context with the poor weather experienced across the country last year, which was the wettest on record for England. Despite the positive overall figures, 2012 was mixed around the country, with many businesses affected by the weather. Overnight trips to both towns and cities increased, whereas trips to the countryside and seaside destinations were down slightly (2 per cent) - however, spend was up across all destination types. Domestic business travel saw a boost last year, with trips up by 3 per cent and spend up by 6 per cent, while the number of holiday trips was unchanged vs 2011, and the number of trips to visit friends and relatives in England saw a 1 per cent drop.
VisitEngland also recorded a considerable rise in the number of domestic day trips in England last year compared to 2011, proving that Britons still have a strong appetite to get out and explore the country. The Great Britain Day Visitor Survey showed that Brits took 1.47 billion day trips in England last year (a rise of 12 per cent), with spend rising by 14 per cent to £48billion.
Outbound figures show that the number of UK residents travelling abroad was also flat in 2012, with no change in the number of trips taken abroad compared to 2011 – indicating that concerns about a possible ‘mass exodus’ of holidaymakers abroad due to the Olympics was largely unfounded.
James Berresford, VisitEngland’s Chief Executive, commented: “These figures clearly show that England is still a much-loved holiday destination for millions of Britons. However, 2012 was a mixed bag for many tourism businesses, and we know that some areas of the country have felt the impact of the poor weather. To boost domestic breaks and inspire even more people to take a holiday at home in 2013, we are working closely with Government on a £4m pan-UK integrated marketing campaign fronted by national icons, Wallace & Gromit. The campaign will kick off on 12 May with a TV advertisement which will see the quintessentially British duo encouraging people to book a break through their local travel agent.”
