VisitEngland, Bourne Leisure and Hoseasons Group have urged the domestic tourism industry to aid the faltering economy by encouraging consumers to take a UK break regardless of their finances.
At a joint breakfast briefing today at The Travel Convention in Malta this morning, Hoseasons Group managing director Geoff Cowley said: “The UK domestic tourism industry benefits the economy on several levels.
“If someone books a cottage or goes to stay in a park in a rural location in the UK, eats out, visits attractions, shops and uses local transportation, this supports local businesses, benefits the wider rural economy and job creation, and ultimately helps these people afford a holiday themselves.
“If everyone associated with the domestic tourism industry can pull together, tourism can have a real impact on the UK economy over the next year.”
“We also know VisitEngland and other country-based tourism bodies are likely to face spending cuts, and they simply can’t be expected to do more with less.
“This means private tourism businesses are going to have to get more involved in the positive promotion of the UK as a destination.”
Bourne Leisure head of retail sales Allan Lambert stressed the importance of investing in product to keep customers coming back.
“Taking a break at home has long been a staple element of the British lifestyle, tapped into more so than ever over the last few years, as guests look for greater value for money – a trend that is evidently here to stay,” he said.
“With economic stability still a concern for many, our strategy – and that of many of our domestic colleagues – of reinvestment to expand and upgrade our products based upon customer feedback is clearly paramount in the sustainability of our brands in a potentially critical period for the travel industry.”
- More from the Travel Convention at travelweekly.co.uk/abta2010