VisitBritain report is too optimistic, says UKinbound
UKinbound has challenged the findings of a report on Britain’s tourism industry, claiming it paints an unrealistic rosy picture.
It said the report, commissioned by Visit Britain and carried out by Deloitte and Oxford Economics, ignores the real threats that are currently causing decline in visitor numbers.
The report forecasts that tourism revenue will grow by more than 60% by 2020 (see earlier story on TravelMole), but UKinbound believes this is too optimistic.
“We do not dispute the real potential for substantial growth in inbound tourism but this potential will pale into insignificance if there are no plans to increase capacity and to address urgently the real barriers to growth,” said UKinbound chief executive
Mary Rance.
“With no plans to increase capacity at Heathrow or any other London airport and in the absence of a strategy to restore the competitiveness of the UK as a destination by addressing the barriers to growth, it is fantasy to suggest that such huge growth is attainable.”
The organisation said even with the benefit of a weak pound, the UK is still experiencing a 3% decline so far in 2010.
It blamed APD and VAT, both of which are due to rise this year.
By Bev Fearis
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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