UKinbound has released detailed information about the spending habits of UK inbound visitors.
The data revealed:
· USA dominates UK inbound market spend
· Gulf state visitors most lucrative – all six GCC markets in the top 10 for highest spend per visitor
· Visitors from the Nordics, Benelux countries, USA, Italy and Spain rank eating out highly – their restaurant spend, as a proportion of total spend is significantly higher than the global average
· Visitors from Denmark, South Korea and Israel – spend significantly more on live entertainment, relative to total spend, than the global average
· Visitors from China, Hong Kong and Thailand like to buy UK products – retail accounts for over half of the value of all transactions made by these visitors
· Latin American visitors enjoy the UK’s tourist attractions and exhibitions – this market tends to spend a higher proportion than the global average on this category
According to the International Passenger Survey, over 37.6 million people visited the UK in 2016 (a 4% increase on 2015), spending £22.5 billion (an increase of 2%). Other data shows that spending peaked in July and August with overall spending in the second half of 2016 higher than in the first half, as the exchange rate remained favourable for inbound visitors.
UKinbound’s chief executive officer, Deirdre Wells OBE said: “We are delighted to present these results alongside industry partner VisitBritain. The findings provide a valuable insight regarding inbound visitors’ spending habits and provide further evidence of the incredible contribution that tourism makes to the UK economy. Further understanding our visitors will allow our members to tailor their itineraries, products and services, ensuring the UK remains a world class tourism destination.”
VisitBritain’s chief executive officer, Sally Balcombe said: “We want Britain to be top of people’s list as a ‘must-go now’ destination. Understanding more about what our visitors want, and getting a fast read out of where they spend their money, will ensure we get the right products to them at the right time. The insights from this type of research are invaluable for the industry and crucial for us staying a competitive travel destination.”
Comments are closed.