UK TOURISM

UK Tourism

UK Tourism

Tourism Industry

Multi-disciplinary nature of the tourism industry has marked it as a most valuable asset. All components of tourism and hospitality trade have equal importance to the attainment of significant growth and development of the tourism industry. Economists estimates that 409.4 million visits were made to tourist attractions in 2000. Museums and art galleries received the largest share of these visits, followed by country parks and historic properties. Leisure parks also took a significant share of visits. The latter category share increased between 1997 and 2000, while the top three categories saw a fall in visitor numbers. The number of visits to tourist attractions fell in 1998, before recovering in 1999 and 2000. Overall visitor numbers increased by just 0.2% between 1997 and 2000, despite the opening of the Millennium Dome, the Tate Modern, the British Airways London Eye and other major attractions in the last year. Total expenditure at tourist attractions in 2000 was approximately 1.5 bn. In general, the inclement weather in 2000 dampened demand at many attractions — particularly outdoor attractions reliant on the day-trip market. The medium-term effect of the strength of sterling has continued to dampen demand from overseas residents for tourism in the UK. Since 1980, the average number of visits per attraction has declined by 3%. There are a number of reasons for this decline, including the growing number of attractions, the increasing demand for overseas holidays, and an increase in competition from other pastimes, such as shopping and sporting activities (Wurzburger, Rebecca, 2009).

Between 1996 and 2000, the proportion of UK adults who had visited a museum at least once in the previous 12 months fell from 26.2% to 23.6%. In 1999, 6,215 tourist attractions (excluding churches and cathedrals) recorded or estimated number of visits they received during the year. Of these, 2,328 recorded or estimated at least 10,000 visits. Of the attractions with more than 10,000 visits, 264 (11%) were owned by central government and a further 673 (29%) were owned by local authorities. A modest increase in the number of overseas leisure visitors to the UK in 2001 may simulate a small rise in the number of visits to tourist attractions, but this will be offset by fewer new attractions and the loss of 6.5 million Millennium Dome visit. For this reason, Expert forecasts that the total number of visits to tourist attractions will fall marginally in 2001. Any increase will be the result of favourable weather (Wurzburger, Rebecca, 2009).

Market Trends

Demand for tourist attractions is determined largely by trends in UK domestic holiday tourism, the number of overseas visitors to the UK, and the day-trip market, although local visitors account for most of visitors to obvious attractions. In general, the larger the tourist attraction, the more dependent it is on the day-trip and tourism markets. Since 1990, the average number of visits per attraction has declined by 3%. There are a number of reasons for this decline, including the growing number of attractions, the increasing demand for overseas holidays, ...