Texas celebrates sharp rise in UK visitors
UK visitor numbers to Texas jumped 22% in 2013 to 192,000, much higher than the 1.9% growth in UK visitors to the US as a whole.
The rise means the state now has a market share of 5%, a 19% increase over 2012 and an all-time record.
The destination put the growth down to a rise in leisure travel and an increase in average stay by two nights to an estimated 11.9 nights.
"We identified the UK as a key market for growth several years ago and instigated a thorough program of product growth, training, marketing support and familiarization trips to support our travel trade partners and to develop the leisure market further," said Tommy Woods, Texas Tourism’s European marketing specialist.
"We are hugely thankful to the trade for the ongoing support and look forward to welcoming more UK holiday makers in the years to come."
Texas Tourism’s UK Office recently ran a London sales mission, with representatives from Texas Tourism, Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Texas Tax Free Shopping and United Airlines meeting with key trade and media contacts.
Earlier this month, Anita Perry, the First Lady of Texas, was present for a trade lunch at the Landmark hotel in London.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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