Domestic tourism continues to rise in the UK

Patriotic Brits are continuing to celebrate the rise in domestic tourism as a recorded 28.7 million trips took place in England between January and April this year.

British tourists enjoy the UK

VisitEngland published their latest results from the Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS) which revealed a record breaking domestic tourism performance in Q1 of 2015.

A massive 28.7 million trips were recorded in the first quarter alone, representing an 18% increase year-on-year and the highest number of trips since the survey began in 2006.

In line with the increase of domestic trips, there was also an 18% increase in expenditure totalling £5 billion when compared to 2014.

During April, the number of domestic overnight trips increased for the fourth consecutive month – rising 10% to 9 million trips. There was also a 5% increase in spend to £1.5 billion; making it the best performing April since 2012.

The report also found that almost half of accommodation providers and 56% of attractions have reported an increase in visitors for Q1.

A prosperous future for the British tourism industry

As a result, local businesses remain confident that the summer holidays will bring even more visits from the British.

James Berresford, Chief Executive Officer at Visit England, said these results are extremely positive for the first quarter of the year and as we approach the school holiday season.

Tracey Crouch, Tourism Minister, echoed these sentiments. He said the growing number of people choosing to holiday at home rather than travel abroad is helping our tourism industry grow while also creating more jobs for British nationals.

The large number of high profile sporting events taking place across the country this year – including the Rugby World Cup – is also expected to influence the holiday decisions of Brits.

Whether you plan to holiday at home or abroad this year it’s important to protect yourself. Book multi trip travel insurance in advance and keep you and your family safe no matter how you holiday

Date Created: 30/07/2015