Inbound tourism trade association UKinbound has backed Gatwick’s plans to bring the airport’s second runway into regular use.
The government is due to make a decision on Gatwick’s northern runway plans by the end of February.
The airport said inbound tourism numbers through Gatwick could grow by 61% if the airport’s plans are approved – and this increase would generate £8.74 billion of Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK.
Joss Croft, chief executive of UKinbound, said: “Inbound tourism to the UK was worth £32 billion to our economy in 2024.
“London Gatwick plays a vital role in this industry, delivering many of these visitors to the UK, and drives significant revenue into the whole of the country.
“Growth of the airport will result in better ability for potential customers to visit and with expanded capacity comes the potential for new routes, including from high-value markets such as North America, Asia and the Middle East.”
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The airport said bringing its existing northern runway into routine use “represents a £2.2 billion shovel-ready, privately financed investment which could be operational by the turn of the decade”.
Gatwick also noted its plans align with the government’s target of welcoming 50 million international visitors per year to the UK by 2030, announced by tourism minister Sir Chris Bryant in November.
Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer at Gatwick, added: “If the government is to reach its target it is vital we offer more choice to passengers to enter the UK.
“London Gatwick can play a crucial role in shaping the UK’s tourism landscape, supporting the government’s vision and fostering economic growth and job creation across the whole region.”
The airport cited research from Oxford Economics that shows the number of international visitors through Gatwick will incrementally grow from 5.6 million, out of 46.6 million total passengers in 2019, to nine million by 2038, a 61% increase.
This includes an increase of 1.6 million visitors compared to a scenario without the northern runway, which is currently used as a back-up.