Visitor numbers show steady improvement, but still down on last year
The number of visitors to the UK was still down in June according to the latest figures released by the British Incoming Tour Operators Association (BITOA).
Figures show there were 1.33% fewer visitors in June 2002 compared to the same month last year. The situation has improved slightly from May, when TravelMole reported visitor numbers were down 4.78%. The number of visitors making forward bookings also improved in June to reach 2.12% down, which BITOA reported as encouraging, following the dip of 7.91% in forward bookings during May.
The British Tourism Authority (BTA), which compiles its own visitor statistics found that visitor numbers had increased in June compared to the same month last year. A spokesperson for BTA said that the reason for the difference in figures was that BITOA didn’t include business travel.
The BTA spokesperson said that although the June figures were encouraging, when compared to 2000, which they regard as “the last normal year”, figures were still down. “Rather than look at a year-on-year comparison, we compare figures with 2000 levels, before the impact of foot-and-mouth disease. Bearing this is mind, the number of visitors to the UK during the second quarter of 2002 was 3% lower than 2000 figures. It is encouraging to see these figures show a slight recovery, but we would like to see a return to 2000 levels.”
BTA also reported that although visitor spending for the second quarter of 2002 had reached it’s forecasts, visitor spending remains low, down 11% from 2000. “Visitor spending is likely to take at least two years to fully recover from the damaging effects of foot-and-mouth disease and 11 September”, said the spokesperson.
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