New data from online travel company Expedia reveals that bookings through more than 100 Expedia and Hotels.com branded sites from Singapore to the UK grew 196 per cent in 2011 compared to the previous year while they went up 172 per cent and 160 per cent from South Korea and Brazil respectively.
Seamus MacCormaic of Expedia Lodging Partner Services said the information could help hoteliers plan their marketing campaigns more effectively and enable them to cater better for guests from those countries, for this year and beyond.
He said: “There’s no doubt that events in 2012 will attract both global attention and global tourists. However, we want to assist hoteliers in building a strategy that takes them beyond the end of July.
“Giving insights into those countries with rapidly growing travel purchase power is important and something hoteliers should be readily aware of.”
Emerging markets
Singapore, South Korea and Brazil join China, India and Russia on the list of countries expected to bring an increasing number of tourists to the UK in the coming years as their economies develop.
Jordi Tarrida, general manager at Scotland’s Turnberry golf resort told BigHospitality in January that he was already seeing more bookings from guests in Brazil, an increase he attributed to Brazil’s hosting of the 2016 Olympics where golf will be introduced as an Olympic sport for the first time.
Tourism agency VisitBritain is also already targeting Russian travellers through a targeted marketing campaign. Last month Russian Olympic legends, both past and present, were invited to visit tourist spots in Britain as part of a marketing programme to tap into Russia’s outbound industry, predicted to be worth £18bn.
VisitBritain is hoping the campaign will enable the UK to build on the 208,000 visits made by Russians last year and help boost the economy. Russians generally spend £1,454 per trip, twice as much as the average inbound visitor.
Patricia Yates, director of strategy and communications at VisitBritain, said she hoped that showcasing the UK to such high profile figures from Russia would have influence on those back home.
"Their visit will help us capture a larger slice of Russia’s £18bn outbound tourism market and allow us to entice a greater number of visits from this vital BRIC country over the coming years," she said.