Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Access to information
Other countries that are showing increases in the
number of visitors to the UK include many Far Eastern
countries, including China, Malaysia, South Korea and
Taiwan, Middle Eastern states, including the United
Arab Emirates (UAE), and countries in South America,
such as Brazil and Argentina.
Access to information prior to taking a trip and while
in a destination is vital to encourage inbound and
domestic tourists to visit an area and to get the most
out of their stay. The supply of tourist information
on Britain for overseas visitors is co-ordinated by
VisitBritain, the government-funded body responsible
for marketing Britain to the rest of the world (and
England to the British). It operates in 35 key overseas
markets around the world, distributing brochures and
other publicity materials, maintaining websites and
answering enquiries from potential travellers to Britain
(see case study in Unit 1 on page 27). The National
Tourist Boards covering Wales, Scotland and Northern
Ireland also promote their respective countries to
overseas and UK visitors.
Overseas visitors to the UK are made up of individuals,
groups, people on business, students and those visiting
friends and relatives. They are drawn to the UK for a
number of reasons, but recent research from VisitBritain
indicates that the most important attractions of the UK
are history, heritage, culture, gardens and countryside,
with British pubs also being mentioned as an important
reason to visit!
Domestic tourists
The internet is rapidly becoming the most popular
source of up-to-date information for tourists to and
within the UK. It is particularly useful for fi nding
information on events and attractions, as well as
for booking accommodation and transport. Tourist
information centres play a key role in servicing the
needs of tourists while in their destination. Staff offer
invaluable local advice on attractions, accommodation,
events and transport services, as well as carrying out
a range of revenue-earning activities such as selling
maps and making accommodation bookings on behalf
of customers. Guide books, such as those published by
Lonely Planet and Rough Guides, are used by overseas
visitors to Britain to discover information before they
visit and while travelling in the UK.
Domestic tourists are all the British people who take
holidays, short breaks and day visits within the UK.
Figures for 2009 show that UK residents made 126
million trips within the UK, spending more than £21.8
billion. The domestic tourism market is made up of a
variety of different types of tourists all carrying out a
range of different activities, including:
Individuals;
Groups;
School, college and university groups;
Business tourists;
People visiting friends and relatives (VFR).
The south-west of England was the most popular
region for tourist trips (21.02 million) in 2009, followed
by the south-east (18.26 million) and north-west (13.73
million).
Accommodation
The diverse nature of the domestic and inbound
markets to the UK means that there is a demand for
all types of accommodation to meet particular needs,
from budget hostel accommodation and 5-star hotels
in city centres to farm guesthouses and self-catering
cottages in the countryside. Hotels and guesthouses
(23 per cent of all nights) were the most popular type of
accommodation used by all tourists in the UK in 2009,
followed by staying in a rented house (19 per cent).
However, 41 per cent of all tourists stayed for free with
a friend or relative.
Needs of inbound and domestic
tourists
Most tourists, whether living in the UK or visiting from
overseas, have similar general needs when it comes
to enjoying a holiday, short break or day visit in this
country. These are discussed in detail in the following
sections of this unit.
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