Record breaking first quarter for English tourism
The Great Britain Tourism Survey shows that there were 28.7m trips recorded in England between January and April, a YOY increase of 18 per cent. This coincided with an 18 per cent increase of expenditure taking spending figures to just under £5bn.
The number of holidays to England in this period increased by seven per cent, making the start of 2015 the most successful first quarter in three years. April also saw its best figures for overnight stays since 2012 with a 10 per cent increase in domestic to 9m stays and a spending increase to £1.5bn.
VisitEngland attributes the increase in figures to the adverse weather conditions during the same period in 2014.
James Berresford, chief executive of VisitEngland, said that the industry has bounced back from the damage that was caused by the storms.
“These results tell a positive story for the first quarter as we approach the summer holiday season. The tourism industry’s confidence demonstrates the resilience of businesses who bounced-back after the severe weather conditions that impacted destinations at the beginning of last year.”
Tourism Minister Tracey Crouch said: “The growing numbers of people making the most of England's world-beating destinations is brilliant news for the industry and our economy as a whole.
“We are committed to supporting the tourism industry, helping it to grow and creating jobs throughout the country. I look forward to working with the industry to implement our new 5 Point Plan to further strengthen tourism across the UK."
