US confident Brexit won’t dent UK visitor numbers
US-marketing group Brand USA is still expecting a 20% increase in UK visitors over the next five years, despite sterling’s recent slide in value.
Overall, the States are aiming for 100 million visitors a year by 2021, of which the UK is expected to contribute an additional one million.
CEO and president Chris Thompson said he was ‘still very bullish’ about the UK market, despite the weakened pound making trips to the US more expensive. "
"The currency situation is not something new," said Thompson, "we have dealt with this in the past."
The UK is the second biggest long-haul market for the US and its second highest spender, after China. Last year, the US saw an 18% increase in visitors. There was a further 8% rise in visitors from the UK in the first quarter of this year.
Thompson said he was confident that even UK holidaymakers who are feeling the pinch from the falling pound would still travel to the US, but possibly spend less by choosing better value options. "They might downgrade from luxury accommodation or change where they eat, but they will still come to the US becasue our UK friends and visitors are very familiar with the diversity it offers."
He said the challenge for Brand USA was to promote destinations beyond Florida, California and New York, which are already popular with UK holidaymakers.
Brand USA will launch a new marketing campaign in the first quarter of next year, which will, said Thompson, include the UK.
Regarding the US presidential election campaign involving Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, which has gained international attention, Thompson said: "It is certainly been interesting in that we have candidates and campaigns that are very different from what we have seen in the past but I feel either confident that either candidate is going to be a great partner for Brand USA."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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