UK inbound tourism operators see some hope

The drop in the value of the pound against the US dollar and lower oil prices are giving a bit of hope to UK inbound tour operators.

There are still deterrents to inbound tourism, however, such as the cumbersome procedures involved in applying for a tourist visa by nationals of countries such as China and Russia that lead to travellers from those countries looking at alternative holiday destinations in Europe.

UKinbound, the tourism trade organization, has said that it will continue to lobby the government on issues that will encourage tourist traffic as conditions in the market become more difficult. The introduction of biometric visas is one focus of the group’s lobbying efforts.

Statistics gathered for August showed a surprising increase of 1.2 per cent in the number of visitors to the UK, as compared with the same month in 2007, and a small rise in advance bookings. This is the first such increase reported since April of this year.

The small increases reported are attributed to group bookings from other EU countries, as visitors take advantage of the weakness of the pound against the euro, the organization explained.

The weakened pound against the US dollar is bringing some good news as well, with reports that US travel agents are recommending the UK as an affordable destination.

The reality of current economic conditions, however, along with the build-up to the American presidential election will likely mean fewer US travellers choosing long-haul destinations at this time.

www.ukinbound.org