"THE FUTURE OF BRITISH TOURISM"

"The Future of British Tourism"

"The Future of British Tourism"

The tourism industry can play an important role in a nation's economy by providing opportunities for regional employment, by contributing to the balance of payments and by stimulating economic growth, but in the same time it can be fatal, damaging the national heritage the environment, and the culture and folklore that are normally the pull factors that attract tourist to the destination.

PEST Analysis

The future prosperity of Wales as a tourism destination is likely to be influenced by a variety of factors that will affect the patterns of demand. These factors are political, economical, social and technological.

Political Factors

It is the stated aim of the Government, as outlined in its White Paper of May 1998, to improve the public transport infrastructure of the UK for good of the environment. Improvements in the public transport system will provide faster travel, better connections and enhanced quality. This will have a positive effect on the demand for travel and tourism.

The devolution of Wales from the English Parliament is likely to have a major influence on the future promotion and development in Wales. Currently the government policy is to provide a guideline on how the industry can develop thus contributing to the Welsh economy.

Economical Factors

Tourism is an established and dominant industry in Wales and is responsible for 10% of all jobs and brings in more than £2billion each year. Employment in tourism and related industries has grown which is helping to broaden Wales economic base. Since the UK left the ERM (Exchange Rate Mechanism) in 1993 the Sterling has strengthened to the detriment of overseas visitors.

Social Factors

Lifestyle change is likely to affect the destination, there is an increasing range of competing leisure experiences available. The growth of out of town retail parks, home based sports and fitness activities are likely to continue.

Free time for leisure is becoming increasingly limited for many sectors of the UK population. Work pressures and more complicated lifestyles of people are reducing the time available for leisure. These factors will be affecting the demand for tourism.

Technological Factors

Developments in information, communications and digital technology will create opportunities and challenges for the tourism industry in Wales. The use of the Internet for providing information and service bookings could revolutionise the way tourism product is marketed, sold and distributed.

UK Marketing

1999 was a challenging year for the Welsh tourism industry. The Wales Tourist Board's award winning UK advertising campaign 'Two Hours and a Million Miles Away' was continually used as a forefront for promotion in the television, press and poster advertising. As a result of the advertising campaign, Wales attracted 248,000 responses or brochure enquiries from potential customers, this was 71% increase on the previous year.

The WTB's Millennium year campaign was 'Homecoming - Heraeth 2000', using the latest IT developments to target an audience with an alliance or emotional ties with Wales. The campaign, which ran throughout most of 1999 and 2000, had the aim to show potential visitors that an incredible warm welcome awaits ...