Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Understand how UK inbound and
domestic tourism are af ected by internal
and external factors
SECTION 4
delays, mo
s
t t
r
avellers are willing to sacrifi ce a little
time i
n
r
et
urn for a safer journey.
UK inbound and domestic tourism are constantly
changing and it is important for all travel and tourism
organisations to understand the many factors that have
an effect on the sector.
Domestic and inbound tourists tend to react differently
to health, safety and security concerns. British people
generally take a pragmatic approach to travel and tend
not to cancel holiday bookings or change their plans
to any great extent. Some overseas visitors, however,
react quickly to security incidents and cancel bookings
immediately. VisitBritain, using research commissioned
by its Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group
(TIER), estimated that the 7/7 2005 London bombings
resulted in a 2 per cent fall in overseas visitor numbers
for 2005, representing a loss to the UK economy of at
least £300 million. As 50 per cent of all overseas visitors
travel to London, this equates to a fall in revenue of
£150 million to the capital.
Activity 3.10
To help with the assessment for t
hi
s section you
should collect information
o
n
f
actors affecting UK
inbound and domestic t
o
ur
is
m from a variety of
sources on a regular bas
i
s while completing this unit.
This will prove valuab
l
e when being assessed for P4,
M2 and D2.
This activit
y
is designed to provide evidence for P5.
Accessibility
Factors af ecting inbound and
domestic tourism
We saw earlier in this unit that the UK is a very accessible
destination for overseas visitors, with a growing
number of air and ferry services, plus the extension of
the Channel Tunnel high-speed rail link. Accessibility is
also about travelling to different parts of the UK, using
the road network and public transport services on offer.
It is also important that tourists with specifi c needs, for
example mobility problems, have easy access to tourist
facilities, which is why the government has introduced
legislation under the Disability Discrimination Act.
This section discusses some of the most important
factors affecting UK inbound and domestic tourism,
which can be either internal (occurring within the UK)
or external (occurring outside of the UK).
Health, safety and security
Britain is one of the safest countries in the world for
tourists to visit and explore, but recent terrorist events
around the world, and the London bombings of 7/7
2005 in particular, have made safety and security a key
issue for tourists and those involved in managing the
travel and tourism sector in the UK. Following 9/11,
extra security measures were introduced at airports
across the world, while the London bombings led
to heightened security at railway stations across the
country. Although such measures can cause extra
Marketing campaigns
VisitBritain and the National Tourist Boards in the UK
carry out marketing campaigns to persuade people to
visit their particular destinations. These are a mixture
of press, radio and TV advertising, direct marketing,
internet marketing, sales promotions, public relations
work and brochure production.
