BHA travel monitor reveals strong growth in visitor numbers
The British Hospitality Association's (BHA) travel monitor for January shows a 19% year-on-year increase in inbound holiday passenger numbers.
Continuing the strong growth seen at the end of 2016, figures also show a 15% year-on-year increase in spending by visitors from overseas, likely aided by the weaker currency.
The travel monitor, launched last year, reveals outbound holiday passenger growth remained strong for the month of January, up 7% on the previous year, suggesting a slowdown in the UK staycation market
Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, said: "It is encouraging to see yet again a year on year boost in inbound holiday visitors following the Christmas period. The weak pound makes the UK an attractive destination but the government would do well to remember this is just a short-term benefit.
"With political and economic uncertainty increasing it is more important than ever to ensure UK tourism can compete. The UK continues to have on average twice the tourism VAT rate than that across Europe. Alongside businesses investing in the apprenticeship levy, rising business rates and the threat of online platforms such as Airbnb, this signals concern for businesses in the industry, four out of five of which are SMEs."
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