A new report has revealed that the tourism sector thinks the UK still has work to do to tempt overseas travellers to holiday in the country in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The response comes as the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) found a large gap in the number of outbound and inbound flights to and from the UK as worldwide tourism recovers from two years of turmoil.
The report found that outbound flight bookings from the UK have almost reached pre-pandemic levels, with holiday favourites such as Turkey, Greece and Spain performing well.
In contrast, inbound flight bookings to the UK are around 45 per cent down compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Bookings to Turkey are up an impressive 53 per cent, followed by Greece at 51 per cent, as British holidaymakers rush to get away on a longed-for foreign holiday after two years of travel restrictions.
While the report found that inbound bookings to the UK were 1,453 per cent up in 2021, it was a year hit by lockdowns and restrictions.
As the economy begins to recover from the pandemic, the comparison to 2019 is concerning as a drop in travellers visiting the UK from overseas will have ramifications for the British tourism industry.
While the number of travellers coming from overseas may be slow to recover, there is no doubt that the pandemic saw a huge demand for travel within the UK as British holidaymakers explored their home country.
UK tourism hotspots, including Cumbria, soared in popularity, while tourists also explored the nation’s cities and places of natural beauty, which helped support homegrown tourism businesses during a very difficult period.
In a bid to support the tourism industry in the UK, the Government last summer launched the Tourism Recovery Plan, which aims to recover domestic tourism to pre-pandemic levels by 2022 and international tourism by 2023.
The Government also says that it has supported the tourism industry by giving out over £25 billion in grants, loans and tax breaks, along with a VAT cut for certain businesses.
It comes as 2022 shapes up to be a big year for Britain, both at home and on the world stage, thanks to Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
For help and advice on related matters, get in touch with our expert team today.
