THEUK is presently facing tougher competition from rival overseas destinations than ever before, British Tourist Authority chief executive Jeff Hamblin has warned.
Speaking at a meeting of the Hotel Marketing Association in London, Hamblin said: “Not only is the relative cost of travel falling year on year, but also the general trend towards globalisation has broadened people’s horizons when they are considering travel destinations.
“We have no divine right to expect visitors to come to Britain, which means we have got to work hard to win their business.”
Hamblin pointed out that in the last few years, competitors like the US, France and Ireland had spent a lot more than the BTA in key markets.
For instance, the Texas state government spends more than £15.5m a year on marketing, while the BTA’s total marketing budget for the whole country is up to £15m.
Hamblin claimed the threat of competition from rival destinations had prompted the recent restructure of the BTA’s overseas offices. This meant streamlining priority markets from 50 to 27. Of those that remain, 14 are in Europe and 13 are long-haul markets.
The restructuring initiative was intended to free up an extra £5m to spend on promoting the UK in these key markets, said Hamblin.
Other initiatives include the launch of a training programme for overseas travel agents later this year; a scheme to improve on the standards of the BTA’s call centres; and also the further development of its Internet site.
The BTA is also focusing on promoting the UK as a millennium destination under the slogan “Britain – Now is the Time”.
Last year, an estimated 26m overseas visitors came to the UK, spending £12.8bn. Accommodation accounted for £4.6bn of the total spend.