Domestic tourism on the rise
According to the British Tourism & Travel Show’s industry survey, domestic tourism is continuing to rise.
According to the British Tourism & Travel Show’s industry survey, domestic tourism is continuing to rise.
The survey, which was completed before and at the British Tourism & Travel Show by operators, destination marketing organisations, visitor attractions, destinations and hotels, showed continued positive growth for the sector and ‘upbeat opportunities ahead’, the Show reported.
Findings from the survey included that 67 per cent of respondents saw an increase in domestic visitor numbers and bookings in 2016, and 57 per cent of the group travel organisers, attractions, destinations, hotels and other suppliers who completed the survey think that customer spending habits will improve over the next year, while 78 per cent are feeling either very or fairly optimistic about the future of the domestic travel trade.
According to the Show, there was a general consensus that Brexit will continue to influence future consumer spending and, when asked specifically about the Brexit vote, 39 per cent said last year’s referendum result had no discernible impact on their business, while 28 per cent reported a positive impact. The remaining 33 per cent, many of whom also cater to the outbound tourism market, said it was already having a negative effect. The Show noted that many respondents commented that it may be ‘too early to tell’ the full impact.
Value for money, experience and location were found to be the top three factors customers consider when booking an outing or trip, followed by culture, accessibility, catering and family friendliness.
The Show identified an increase in staycations, more last-minute bookings, a rise in inbound tourism from China, the US and Canada, and a rise in digitalisation as key trends to watch.