Discover England: summary insights on overseas visitors to England’s regions

Initial summary report: volume, value, profile, motivations and barriers

August 2016

1 Report contents

1. Introduction: Including research sources and report rationale (Pages 3-5)

2. Executive summary: Key results from each chapter (Pages 6-10)

3. Volume, value and profile: Including trips, nights and spend per year overall, by region and market; proportion of visits to and outside London, by individual region and market; top cities/towns visited overall and by region; seasonality of visits overall, by region and market; duration of holidays overall and by market; key demographics including age and gender; accommodation stayed in during holiday (Pages 11-34)

4. Activities and themes as motivators: Including perceptions of the UK, motivations for holidaying in England, and activities conducted on a holiday in the UK. (Pages 35-43)

5. Booking and consuming travel: Including how overseas visitors hear about England, transport booking methods and accommodation booking methods (Pages 44-47)

6. Hooks and barriers for travelling beyond London: Includes themes illustrating barriers to, and hooks for, going beyond London (Pages 48-55)

7. Regional Pen Portraits: Key product insights on each of England’s regions as well as activities conducted by overseas visitors in each region, ‘dream-only’ activities and attractions admissions numbers (Pages 56-74)

8. Recommendations: Final product-orientated recommendations (Pages 75-77) 2 Introduction

3 Background

The three-year £40million Discover England Fund was announced by the Government last year, with the objective of ensuring that England stays competitive in the rapidly growing global tourism industry, by offering world-class English tourism products to the right customers at the right time. The fund will be awarded to external bidders, with awards for two blocks of projects. It is vital that funding is awarded to bids which are in line with consumer and business trends, and to this end, the fund will also support additional research, to ensure that project teams and potential bidders have access to relevant market intelligence. The research will include the delivery of both broad insights (that is, with potential relevance to any project) and research into specific areas. In considering the types of research relevant for the Discover England Fund, it became evident that much of the information that bidders might require is actually already in existence. This includes information on the VisitBritain Insights pages, the dataset from the International Passenger Survey, other research carried out in the past by VisitBritain, or other secondary data sources. For these reasons, VisitEngland have commissioned BDRC Continental undertake a substantial programme of tailored secondary research to ensure that bidders can easily access and use existing market intelligence to shape both year 1 and years 2-3 projects. The focus of this programme is the international consumer – while the fund is also intended to stimulate domestic tourism, bids must in the first instance demonstrate their potential to generate growth from inbound markets – and therefore all analysis should be focused on inbound markets. This first report seeks to summarise all existing information to provide bidders with an immediate source of information to work from. Subsequent in-depth reports will be produced.

Introduction 4 About this report

There is a large and diverse range of data available on overseas visitors to the UK. The data in this report is largely drawn from the International Passenger Survey (IPS), which includes a combination of publically available raw data and the insights generated by VisitBritain in their dedicated reports. As well as IPS data, the report also draws on the Anholt GfK Nations Brand Index and BDRC Continental’s Global Tourism Monitor. Research sources are cited throughout.

This report aims to draw on the most up-to-date research available. In some cases, data was several years old. For example, ‘activities’ data is based on supplementary questions added to IPS in 2011. With this in mind, some caution should be applied to results in these areas, although there is little evidence to suggest significant changes in recent years. Although the report aims to focus on visitors to England, this is not always possible with the data available. Therefore the report interchanges between ‘England’ and ‘the UK’ where necessary. All figures reported refer to holiday visits.

The report refers to ‘target markets’ throughout. These are France, Germany, USA, Spain, Netherlands, Australia, The Nordics (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland) and China. Markets have been chosen due to their current high volume of visits to England, or (as is the case with China) their potential to visit England in the future.

Introduction 5 Executive summary

6 Executive summary/1

Volume, value and profile of overseas visitors

• Since 2002, holiday trips to England by overseas visitors have increased by 83%, and nights spent in England by 46%. The lower growth in nights spent illustrates a trend towards shorter breaks in that period. The growth has largely been driven by trips to London, which have grown by 89% compared to 52% for trips outside London. • Average trip length has dropped from 7.4 nights in 2002 to 5.9 nights in 2015. Trips to London average 4.9 nights, and trips to Rest of England 6.9 nights. • Spend has gradually increased since 2002 although due to a strengthening pound has plateaued in recent years. • Overseas visitors are most likely to stay in the South East on their holiday (1.6 million visits in 2015), followed by the South West (1 million) and North West (0.7 million). These regions aside, there has been limited consistent upward movement for overseas visits outside London. • There has been significant change in the distribution of markets visiting England for a holiday since 2002. In 2015 the most visits were made from France (1.6 million visits), Germany (1.3 million), USA (1.2 million) and The Nordics (1.1 million). Positively, visits from each of these markets have grown in recent years. • Overseas holiday-makers staying outside of London are most likely to be from Germany, followed by France and the USA. Germany aside, visits from overseas markets have not increased as much as they have in the capital. • Visitors from the USA tend to spend the most money on a holiday to England, visitors from Germany the most outside of London. • There is significant variation in market representation across different regions. Of the 8 featured markets, France generates the highest number of visitors in 2 of England’s regions (London and East of England), Germany in 4 regions (North East, West Midlands, South West and South East) and USA in 3 (North West, Yorkshire and East Midlands). • Manchester, Brighton and Bath are the most visited towns/cities outside of London 7 Executive summary/2

• Seasonality of visits varies by region. London has the most even spread , 30% visiting in both April to June and July to September, and around 1 in 5 visiting in both off-peak quarters. The South West is the least evenly spread, over half visiting in April to June • Hotels and guest houses tend to be the most popular type of accommodation for all markets, in particular for visitors from China, The Nordics and the USA. More than a third of visitors from Australia stayed with friends or relatives in 2015. Visitors from the Netherlands are most likely to be camping or staying at home.

Activities and themes as motivators

• The Gfk Anholt Nations Brand Index survey ranks the UK as 4th in the world for tourism. In particular it is well- regarded for being rich in historic buildings/monuments and for educational qualifications. The UK is less well- regarded for its natural beauty, an attribute for which it is ranked 18th. Despite this lower ranking, perceptions have improved in recent years. • Motivations for visiting England tend to be centred around sight-seeing and experiencing local culture, areas in which England scores higher than the ‘world average’. ‘Resting mind or body’ or ‘visiting beaches/coastal areas’ tend to score lower than average, although countries that index high in this area tend to benefit from good weather. • Activities conducted in the UK tend to mirror visitor motivations – sight-seeing activities, shopping and trips to the pub indexing the highest.

8 Executive summary/3

Booking and consuming travel

• Visitors tend to hear about England through media features, travel guides and peer recommendation. Direct advertising also plays an important role. • The majority of visitors book their travel (72%) and accommodation (66%) directly with their travel or accommodation providers. There is some variation by market – long haul markets such as Australia and China more likely to do so via a travel agent.

Hooks and barriers for travelling beyond London

• Four main themes exist as barriers for overseas visitors travelling beyond London, as identified in VisitBritain’s 2013 London & Beyond Report: – Lack of awareness of the offer outside London: There is a clear lack of awareness of British destinations other than London. Even where awareness exists, understanding of the experiences destinations offer is limited – The all-encompassing London offer: The draw of London is so strong that many feel they wouldn’t have time or the need to go elsewhere. Attracting return visitors and longer stays is crucial to overcome this barrier. – Desire and the importance of ‘experiences’: Consumers are increasingly seeking ‘experiential holidays’ encompassing culture, food, accommodation and unique experiences. Although Britain performs well with ‘culture’ it is less strong on other experiential areas. – Transport concerns: Transport or access was identified as a key practical barrier for those that had not been beyond London. Around half said they would be nervous about driving in the UK and a quarter that it was too expensive to travel outside London. Almost a fifth thought that other places worth going to outside London would be too far to travel.

9 Executive summary/4

• There were seven key themes that acted as hooks for travelling beyond London: – Heritage: History and heritage are strongly associated with Britain’s holiday offer. The most common reason for going beyond London (given by 81%) was that Britain has history spread across the country – Countryside: More than three quarters (78%) of those going beyond London gave Britain’s unique and beautiful countryside as a reason for travel. Amongst those that had not been outside London, 81% said Britain’s countryside would persuade them to do so. – Uniqueness and variety: Britain’s unique and varied nature is also appealing, 80% of those that went beyond London saying they did so because of Britain’s diverse regions, and 75% because it offers unique places to stay – British people and way of life: Over two-thirds of those who went beyond London mentioned the British people as a reason for doing so. 70% wanted to meet British people see the British way of life and 67% because they were friendly and welcoming – Cities and culture: Britain’s fun and vibrant cities were flagged as a factor which might persuade people to outside London. Britain’s contemporary culture was also regarded as a key element of interest. – Trains, tours and packages: Most are willing to travel 2-3 hours from their initial base (typically London) to stay in another destination. Preference is for train travel – a fifth said rail passes would help. Packaged tours and itineraries were also mentioned.

10 Volume, value and profile of overseas visitors

Data taken predominantly from International Passenger Survey (IPS) data

11 Trends in VOLUME of overseas visits to England Source: IPS Source: IPS 14,000 Holiday trips per year (000s) 80,000 Holiday nights per year (000s) 12,229 71,949 12,000 70,000

10,000 9,210 60,000 49,237 8,000 50,000 6,698 44,956 40,000 6,000 4,863 27,773 26,993 3,921 30,000 4,000 21,464 2,574 20,000 2,000 10,000

- - Column1 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Visits to England Visits to London Visits to Rest of England Nights in England Nights in London Nights in rest of England

Since 2002, holiday trips to England by overseas visitors have grown by 83% and nights spent by 46%; the lower growth in nights spent illustrating the trend towards short breaks during that period. This growth has been driven ostensibly by trips which include stays in London which have increased by 89% (nights spent in London growing by 62% in this time). The gap between trips / nights spent in London and spent in the Rest of England has grown significantly in that time: trips including stays in the Rest of England growing by only 52% and nights away by only 26%. Only 32% of all trips to England made by overseas visitors now involve a stay outside of London compared with 38% in 2002.

Volume, value & profile 12 Trends in overseas visitor SPEND in England Source: IPS

8,000 Spend on holiday trips per year (£m) 7,000 7,309 7,387 7,181 6,000 6,405 5,859 5,000 5,602 5,440 5,521 5,440 5,364 4,000 4,688 4,383 4,539 4,055 4,133 3,784 3,945 3,000 3,499 3,694 3,098 3,079 3,125 3,128 2,844 2,000 2,491 2,507 2,172 2,133 1,948 1,000 1,656 1,657 1,727 1,717 1,788 1,816 1,412 1,186 1,211 1,258 926 947 1,008 - 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Spend in England Spend in London Spend in Rest of England

Overseas visitor spend in England has increased Change in proportion of overseas spend in London vs. Rest of England significantly since 2002. As with trips and nights spent, the increase is greater amongst visitors to London. London now accounts for 75% of spend on 30% 25% holiday trips compared with 70% back in 2002. 70% Notably there has been a slight drop in overseas 75% visitor spend since 2014, likely due to a

strengthening pound in this period. 2002 2015

Volume, value & profile 13 Trends in VOLUME of overseas visits to each region Source: IPS Source: IPS 1,800 Number of holiday trips to England’s regions (000s) Holiday nights spent in England’s regions (000s) 9,000 1,600 1,579 8,000 8,209 1,400 7,000 6,516 1,200 6,000 998 1,000 962 5,000 800 4,000 622 710 600 3,368 3,000 2,781 472 400 326 387 2,000 2,163 333 1,707 200 190 1,000 1,106 188 - - 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

South East (inc. London) South West North West South East (inc. London) South West North West East of England Yorkshire West Midlands East of England Yorkshire West Midlands East Midlands North East East Midlands North East Driven by visits (and proximity) to London, overseas visitors are most likely to stay in the South East. Growth outside of London has largely taken place elsewhere in the South East, in the South West and the North West. Although there have been gradual increases in overseas holiday trips to other England regions, rises are not as marked as in the most visited regions. Only the South East, South West and North West recorded a sustained increase in nights spent on holiday since 2002. There has been minimal movement in nights spent in other England regions, some experiencing recent drops.

Volume, value & profile 14 Trends in overseas visitor SPEND in each region Source: IPS 700 Spend on holiday trips in English Regions (£m)

600 559 500

400 392

300 273 200 165 144 121 100 82 79 - 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 South East (inc. London) South West North West East of England Yorkshire West Midlands East Midlands North East

Trends in overseas visitor spend in England’s regions follows a similar pattern to trips – general sustained increases in the South East, South West and the North West, with minimal consistent movement elsewhere.

Volume, value & profile 15 Trends in volume of overseas holiday TRIPS by target market Source: IPS Source: IPS

1,800 Holiday Trips to ENGLAND By Target Market (000s) 700 Holiday Trips to REST OF ENGLAND (OUTSIDE LONDON) by Target Market (000s)

1,600 1,551 600 581 1,400 517 1,290 500 1,200 1,185 1,106 1,000 400

800 314 780 300 286 600 611 223 200 178 400 415 100 200 67 129 - - 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 France Germany USA Spain France Germany USA Spain Netherlands Australia China Nordics Netherlands Australia China Nordics There has been significant movement in the distribution of markets visiting England for a holiday in the last 13 years. In 2002, the USA accounted for around 600,000 more trips than Germany and France (the second and third most prevalent visitors) but in 2015 most trips to England were made by residents of France (up by 107% since 2002) and Germany (up by 78% since 2002). The USA generated the third highest number of trips in 2015, but experienced a significant drop during the financial crisis in 2007. Although trip numbers from the USA are increasing, they are still 14% lower than in 2002. Other notable movements have occurred amongst Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland); visitors from these markets increasing by 161% since 2002. Outside of London, overseas visitors are overwhelmingly most likely to come from Germany and France, both of which have risen gradually since 2002.

Volume, value & profile 16 Trends in volume of overseas holiday NIGHTS by target market Source: IPS Source: IPS

10,000 Holiday Nights in ENGLAND by Target Market (000s) 4,500 Holiday Nights in REST OF ENGLAND (OUTSIDE LONDON) by Target Market (000s) 9,000 4,000 3,948 8,000 3,500 7,280 7,000 6,919 3,000 6,000 2,722 2,500 5,000 4,768 2,201 4,511 2,000 1,976 4,000 3,980 1,860 1,658 1,500 3,000 3,033 1,215 2,000 1,000

1,000 1,077 500 446 - - 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 France Germany USA Spain France Germany USA Spain Netherlands Australia China Nordics Netherlands Australia China Nordics Visitors from the USA spend the most number of nights in England, perhaps unsurprising given the time and financial investment in making a trip. Germany and France generate the second and third highest number of nights. The pattern in the rest of England is markedly different however; Germany accounting for the most number of nights; 3.9 million compared to 2.7 million from France and 2.2 million from the USA. Clearly, the German market should be a focus for projects outside of London.

Volume, value & profile 17 Trends in overseas visitor SPEND by target market Source: IPS Source: IPS

Spend on holiday trips to ENGLAND by Target Market (£m) Spend on holiday trips to REST OF ENGLAND (OUTSIDE LONDON) by Target Market (£m) 1,000 300 900 870 258 800 250 700 200 189 600 583 500 498 150 145 400 143 344369 109 300 100 252 77 200 209 50 76 100 - - 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 France Germany USA Spain France Germany USA Spain Netherlands Australia China Nordics Netherlands Australia China Nordics The USA market generates significantly higher spend in England than any other market; at £870 million pounds in 2015, almost £300 million higher than either The Nordics (the second highest spenders), Germany and France. Outside of London there is some variation, Germany generating the highest spend followed by the USA, Australia and France.

Volume, value & profile 18 Proportion of visitors from each target market visiting outside London (2013-2015 average) Source: IPS Source: IPS

Proportion of visitors from each target market visiting Proportion of visitors from each target market visiting the LONDON (%) REST OF ENGLAND (%) 100 100 86 90 83 90 79 79 79 80 72 80 70 62 70 60 55 60 49 49 50 50 44 45 40 40 31 29 25 30 30 21 20 20 10 10 0 0

Visitors from the USA are the most likely to visit London, followed by The Nordic countries. Almost half (49%) of holiday- makers from China and the Netherlands visit outside London, as do 45% from Germany. Visitors from The Nordics (21%), Spain (25%) and France (31%) are the least likely to visit outside the capital.

Volume, value & profile 19 Proportion of visitors from each target market who visit each region (2013-2015 average)/1 Source: IPS Source: IPS

% who visit North East on their trip % who visit Yorkshire on their trip 25 25 20 20 15 15 10 10 10 5 6 3 3 3 3 4 3 5 1 2 1 1 1 5 2 2 0 0 Australia France Germany USA Netherlands Spain China Nordics Australia France Germany USA Netherlands Spain China Nordics

% who visit North West on their trip % who visit West Midlands on their trip 25 25 20 20 15 15 11 15 10 10 8 5 6 5 5 5 7 3 4 3 4 5 5 2 2 2 0 0 Australia France Germany USA Netherlands Spain China Nordics Australia France Germany USA Netherlands Spain China Nordics Visitors from Australia and China show a higher propensity than other markets to visit Yorkshire, the North West and West Midlands

Volume, value & profile 20 Proportion of visitors from each target market who visit each region (2013-2015 average)/2 Source: IPS Source: IPS

% who visit East Midlands on their trip % who visit South West on their trip 25 25 20 20 15 16 15 15 13 9 10 10 10 7 6 4 5 3 5 1 2 2 1 2 1 5 0 0 Australia France Germany USA Netherlands Spain China Nordics Australia France Germany USA Netherlands Spain China Nordics

% who visit South East on their trip % who visit East of England on their trip 23 25 25 22 21 20 20 16 16 15 15 11 9 10 7 7 10 6 7 4 5 4 4 5 3 5 0 0 Australia France Germany USA Netherlands Spain China Nordics Australia France Germany USA Netherlands Spain China Nordics Visitors from Germany, Australia and the Netherlands are the most likely to visit the South West; Netherlands, Germany and China most likely to visit the South East. China, Netherlands and Australia are most likely to generate visitors to the East of England.

Volume, value & profile 21 Holiday trips to each region by market – 2013 to 2015 average (000s)

Source: IPS West East Of South East London North East North West Yorkshire Midlands East Midlands England South West (excl. London) Australia 357 12 51 45 30 18 30 66 72 France 1,094 13 40 29 34 13 59 105 244 Germany 748 22 59 36 43 18 54 188 265 USA 947 15 63 56 37 19 43 96 122

Netherlands 332 17 32 22 25 16 43 75 136 Spain 546 8 32 23 14 9 25 41 43 China 72 3 14 6 7 1 8 9 19 Nordics 920 12 55 24 22 9 30 51 77

Of the 8 featured markets, France generates the highest number of visitors in 2 of England’s regions (London and East of England), Germany in 4 regions (North East, West Midlands, South West and South East) and USA in 3 (North West, Yorkshire and East Midlands). Despite the dominance of these 3 markets, a number of regions attract varying proportions of visitors from these and other markets. For example, the Netherlands have second highest representation in the North East, third highest in the South East and joint third highest in East of England. Similarly, The Nordics have the third highest representation in London and the North West. Despite generating the highest number of trips to England overall, France tends to be significantly less well-represented in the North of England and Yorkshire.

Volume, value & profile 22 Top English cities/towns stayed in by overseas visitors on holiday trips (2010-15) Source: IPS 000s of visitors 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

1. London 7,325 7,616 7,649 8,509 8,914 9,210 2. Manchester 184 211 215 222 229 268 3. Brighton 157 143 167 210 212 211 4. Bath 159 144 119 176 146 208 5. Liverpool 145 188 173 193 222 198 6. Birmingham 130 148 116 156 156 180 7. Oxford 165 181 140 167 193 180 8. Bristol 103 141 127 140 120 163 9. York 124 139 108 150 201 132 10. Cambridge 128 106 121 126 130 109 11. Hastings 49 70 42 46 59 99 12. Canterbury 96 112 96 99 100 99 NB. IPS measures people who have ‘stayed in’ a town rather than ‘visited’ After London, Manchester attracted the highest number of overseas holiday visitors in 2015, 268,000 in total. This represents an annual increase each year since 2010. Manchester is followed by Brighton, Bath and Liverpool.

Volume, value & profile 23 Top towns stayed in by overseas visitors on holiday trips - by region (1)

Source: IPS SOUTH WEST 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (000s of visitors)

1. Bath 159 144 119 176 146 208 2. Bristol 103 141 127 140 120 163 3. Bournemouth 67 59 71 69 51 68 4. Exeter 52 28 28 48 52 64 5. Salisbury 50 56 54 80 57 47 6. Plymouth 72 65 63 75 52 44 7. Torbay 42 44 35 39 51 36 8. St Ives 49 41 23 34 34 36 9. Newquay 28 35 28 35 58 34 10. Penzance 30 18 32 26 26 34 11. Falmouth 24 14 18 11 12 29 12. Weymouth 13 25 16 17 11 21 13. Gloucester 13 10 4 19 23 20 NB. IPS measures people who have ‘stayed in’ a town rather than ‘visited’

N.B. Only towns shown are those recording 20,000 or more visitors in 2015. Generally, numbers within small towns are based on small sample sizes, so should be looked at indicatively i.e. general sizes and trends rather than year-on-year changes Volume, value & profile 24 Top towns stayed in by overseas visitors on holiday trips - by region (2)

Source: IPS SOUTH EAST 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (000s of visitors) 1. Brighton 157 143 167 210 212 211 2. Oxford 165 181 140 167 193 180 3. Canterbury 96 112 96 99 100 99 4. Hastings 49 70 42 46 59 99 5. Eastbourne 54 53 35 51 64 74 6. Windsor 58 80 58 54 77 68 7. Southampton 49 51 47 53 35 66 8. Portsmouth 35 50 29 47 36 53 9. Reading 36 43 46 45 41 37 10. Dover 45 65 64 54 81 36 11. Maidstone 33 45 33 29 33 31 12. Folkestone 20 12 28 26 31 30 13. Chichester 20 21 22 18 26 26 14. Tunbridge Wells 22 35 27 22 21 25 15. Winchester 21 40 18 35 23 23 NB. IPS measures people who have ‘stayed in’ a town rather than ‘visited’ N.B. Only towns shown are those recording 20,000 or more visitors in 2015. Generally, numbers within small towns are based on small sample sizes, so should be looked at indicatively i.e. general sizes and trends rather than year-on-year changes Volume, value & profile 25 Top towns stayed in by overseas visitors on holiday trips - by region (3)

Source: IPS NORTH EAST 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (000s of visitors) 1. Newcastle 73 86 71 68 80 91 2. Durham 16 14 18 18 13 24

NORTH WEST 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (000s of visitors) 1. Manchester 184 211 215 222 229 268 2. Liverpool 145 188 173 193 222 198 3. Chester 51 54 52 45 39 42 4. Windermere 26 23 28 34 43 32

YORKSHIRE 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (000s of visitors) 1. York 124 139 108 150 201 132 2. Leeds 51 64 59 48 67 60 3. Sheffield 30 24 15 20 23 32

NB. IPS measures people who have ‘stayed in’ a town rather than ‘visited’

N.B. Only towns shown are those recording 20,000 or more visitors in 2015. Generally, numbers within small towns are based on small sample sizes, so should be looked at indicatively i.e. general sizes and trends rather than year-on-year changes Volume, value & profile 26 Top towns stayed in by overseas visitors on holiday trips - by region (4)

Source: IPS WEST MIDLANDS 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (000s of visitors) 1. Birmingham 130 148 116 156 156 180 2. Stratford-upon-Avon 28 72 44 55 73 61 3. Coventry 35 35 22 36 15 27

EAST MIDLANDS 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (000s of visitors) 1. Nottingham 48 60 45 49 37 38 2. Leicester 27 25 21 22 19 35

EAST OF ENGLAND 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (000s of visitors) 1. Cambridge 128 106 121 126 130 109 2. Norwich 26 22 24 23 37 34 3. Ipswich 12 12 15 26 9 20 NB. IPS measures people who have ‘stayed in’ a town rather than ‘visited’

N.B. Only towns shown are those recording 20,000 or more visitors in 2015. Generally, numbers within small towns are based on small sample sizes, so should be looked at indicatively i.e. general sizes and trends rather than year-on-year changes Volume, value & profile 27 Seasonality of overseas holiday visits to England’s regions (2015) Source: IPS 2015 Source: IPS 2015

100% 100% 12% 10% 11% 10% 11% 11% 8% 10% 90% 16% 17% 90% 17% 15%

80% 80% 28% 28% 28% 32% 30% 31% 35% 70% 32% 70% 27% 31% 30% 30% 60% 60% 50% 50% 40% 38% 40% 30% 42% 45% 42% 41% 51% 32% 30% 40% 46% 37% 30% 30% 20% 20% 10% 22% 23% 22% 16% 16% 17% 16% 17% 10% 21% 17% 11% 12% 0% 0% London North North Yorkshire West East East of South South England London Rest of England East West Midlands Midlands England West East excl. London Oct-Dec Jul- Sep Apr-Jun Jan- Mar Oct Dec Jul-Sep Apr-Jun Jan-Mar

Seasonality of visits to England tends to vary by different regions. London has the most even spread, 30% visiting in both April to June and July to September, and around 1 in 5 visiting in the off-peak seasons. The South West has the least even spread, over half (51%) visiting in July to September, its largely rural and coastal offer attracting visitors in the summer months.

Volume, value & profile 28 Seasonality of overseas holiday visits by target market (2015) Source: IPS 2015 100% 7% 6% 8% 10% 13% 9% 12% 90% 19% 12% 80% 25% 37% 34% 36% 25% 30% 70%

60% 38%

50% 63% 40% 49% 44% 43% 39% 43% 39% 30% 26% 20%

10% 16% 16% 14% 18% 18% 16% 16% 18% 0% Australia France Germany Spain Netherlands USA China Nordics

Oct-Dec Jul-Sep Apr-Jun Jan-Mar

Seasonality of visits also varies significantly by market, although this is in-part linked to the region of England these markets tend to visit. Markets with the highest propensity to visit London (e.g. France and The Nordics) have a wider seasonal spread, whereas those that tend to visit outside the capital tend to be more focussed in the summer months. To some extent this pattern will be driven by the importance of the weather in enabling markets to enjoy their desired holiday motivations and activities.

Volume, value & profile 29 Duration of overseas holiday visits to England Source: IPS 2015 Source: IPS

Duration of stay in each area of England (2015) 9.0 Average number of nights stayed in each area of England 100% 8.3 6% 5% 8.5 8.2 13% 90% 12% 7.8 7.8 13% 8.0 7.7 7.6 7.5 7.5 80% 7.4 7.4 23% 7.5 7.2 7.2 7.1 6.9 70% 6.9 6.8 6.8 6.9 7.0 6.6 60% 41% 40% 6.4 6.5 6.2 6.5 6.2 6.1 6.1 50% 6.0 5.9 5.9 39% 6.0 5.7 40% 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.3 30% 5.5 5.1 5.1 5.0 5.1 5.0 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 20% 40% 43% 5.0 10% 25% 4.5 0% 4.0 England London Rest of England 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

1-3 nights 4-7 nights 8-14 nights 15+ nights England London Rest of England

As discussed earlier in this report, the average length of overseas holidays to England has steadily declined since 2002. To an extent, this has been driven by the changing composition of short haul vs. long haul visitors i.e. of the eight target markets under consideration within this report, the three long haul markets (USA, Australia, China) represented 40% of all inbound trips in 2002. By 2015, this had fallen to just 24% - average length of stay among inbound visitors naturally declining as a result of this shift. This pattern is consistent in holidays to London and to the Rest of England. Holidays to London, either as part of a broader holiday or as a single destination trip tend to be shorter, on average 4.9 days in 2015, holidays to the Rest of England longer at 6.9 days in 2015.

Volume, value & profile 30 Duration of overseas holiday visits to England – by target market (2015)

Source: IPS 2015 Duration of stay in England (2015) Perhaps unsurprisingly, markets from further 100% 3% 6% 10% 15% 14% 13% afield tend to spend the longest amount of time in 90% 15% 24% 20% 80% 41% England on their holidays. In 2015, visitors from 27% 16% 17% 70% Australia spent 9.6 nights in England on average, 43% 60% 53% China 8.3 nights and USA 6.1 nights. 50% 43% 50% 42% 43% Conversely, visitors from The Nordics spent 4.3 40% 36% 46% nights in England and France 4.5 nights. 30% 31% 20% 15% 29% 28% 27% 25% 31% 10% 16% 8% 12% 0% 1% Australia France Germany Spain USA Netherlands China Nordics 1-3 nights 4-7 nights 8-14 nights 15+ nights

Average number of nights stayed in each area of England (2015) 12.0 11.1

9.6 10.0 9.4 8.3 8.0 7.0 6.8 6.5 6.7 6.1 5.8 6.1 6.0 5.6 5.4 6.0 5.3 5.0 5.0 4.5 4.5 4.3 3.9 4.1 3.9 4.0 3.4

2.0

- Australia France Germany Spain USA Netherlands China Nordics Total England London Rest Of England

Volume, value & profile 31 Gender profile of visitors to the UK by target market (2015) Source: IPS 2015 100%

80% 43% 47% 51% 47% 48% 46% 51% 49% 45% 60%

40% 57% 53% 49% 53% 52% 54% 49% 51% 55% 20%

0% ALL INBOUND Australia France Germany Spain Netherlands USA China Nordics MARKETS Female Male

Average spend per night (£) Male £103 £99 £71 £81 £76 £94 £140 £147 £106

Female £96 £94 £78 £79 £77 £71 £111 £218 £117

Overseas holiday visitors to the UK tend to have a fairly balanced gender profile, with a slight skew towards females. Higher female representation is particularly obvious amongst visitors from the USA. Typically, spend per night tends to be higher amongst male visitors (spending an average of £103 per night compared to £96 per night amongst females). Although this trend is not consistent across markets.

Volume, value & profile 32 Age profile of visitors to the UK by target market (2015) Source: IPS 2015 100% 4% 4% 2% 6% 7% 12% 7% 8% 6% 9% 10% 14% 90% 11% 11% 11% 16% 80% 22% 21% 19% 21% 15% 70% 21% 23% 23% 22% 60% 22% 18% 24% 29% 25% 50% 22% 19% 22% 13% 21% 40% 19% 30% 25% 19% 23% 24% 25% 22% 18% 19% 20% 17% 10% 19% 22% 16% 17% 16% 14% 12% 17% 16% 0% ALL INBOUND Australia France Germany Spain Netherlands USA China Nordics MARKETS 16-24yrs 25-34yrs 35-44yrs 45-54yrs 55-64yrs 65yrs or over

Average spend per night (£)

16-24yrs £78 £64 £69 £69 £72 £70 £128 £220 £88

25-34yrs £107 £90 £88 £79 £71 £79 £114 £232 £97

35-44yrs £109 £108 £71 £76 £89 £106 £124 £148 £120

45-54yrs £112 £117 £96 £91 £78 £82 £139 £171 £135

55-64yrs £108 £93 £70 £96 £98 £102 £144 £138 £127

65yrs+ £90 £120 £63 £74 £79 £54 £97 £120 £126

Around 1 in 5 overseas adult holiday visitors to the UK are aged 55 and over, rising to a third amongst visitors from Australia, 3 in 10 among visitors from USA and around 1 in 4 visitors from the Netherlands. France tends to generate the youngest visitors, 44% aged 34 and under, followed by China (42%), Germany (41%) and Spain (40%).

Volume, value & profile 33 Accommodation stayed in during holiday trips to the UK (2014) Source: IPS 2014

Australia France Germany Spain Netherlands USA China Nordics

Hotel / guest house 62% 56% 62% 61% 60% 73% 82% 79%

Free guest with relatives or friends 35% 17% 11% 16% 12% 18% 12% 10%

Bed & Breakfast 7% 4% 8% 7% 9% 8% 2% 4%

Rented house 7% 6% 8% 6% 10% 7% 1% 6%

Hostel/university/school 4% 4% 6% 10% 5% 4% 3% 2%

Camping/mobile home 2% 1% 4% 1% 8% 0% 3% 1%

Paying guest family or friends house 0% 14% 6% 1% 0% 0% 3% 0%

Other 2% 2% 2% 2% 3% 2% 0% 2%

Hotels and guest houses tend to be the most commonly used accommodation type for all markets, in particular for visitors from China, The Nordics and The USA. More than a third of visitors from Australia stayed with friends and relatives in 2015, suggesting that their tendency to travel outside of London may be driven by ancestry and social ties as much as the offer. Visitors from the Netherlands are most likely to be camping or staying in a mobile home.

Volume, value & profile 34 Activities and themes as motivators

Data based on a combination of Anholt GfK Nations Brand Index and BDRC Continental’s Global Tourism Monitor (both in 2015)

35 Overseas visitor perceptions of the UK Source: GfK Anholt Nations Brand Index, 2015 Source: GfK Anholt Nations Brand Index, 2015 UK Rankings for Tourism Attributes, 2008- 2015 Words which would describe visiting Great Britain (2015) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 35% 31% Tourism (overall) 4 5 5 4 4 4 3 4 30%

Is rich in historic buildings 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 and monuments 18% 17%

Has a vibrant city life 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 8% 7% 7% 5% 5% Would like to visit if money 7 8 8 6 6 6 5 6 was no object

Is rich in natural beauty 23 24 22 22 22 20 20 18

The GfK Anholt Nations Brand Index survey asks 20,000 consumers across 20 countries to score 50 nations on an array of attributes including tourism, culture and welcome, exports, governance and immigration/investment. The scores given across all these attributes are combined to calculate an overall ‘Nation Brand’ index. In 2015, the UK was ranked 4th for tourism, a strong position it has broadly held for a number of years. The UK had the highest ranking for tourism amongst Chinese respondents, who also ranked the UK in 1st place for culture. The UK’s highest attribute rankings were for educational qualifications, contemporary culture, vibrant city life, and being creative with new ways of thinking. It also scored very highly for being rich in historic buildings and monuments. The UK is less well regarded for being ‘rich in natural beauty’, an attribute for which it is ranked 18th. Despite the lower ranking, perceptions of the UK’s natural offer are improving - the 2015 ranking was the highest to date, and represents a gradual improvement in recent years.

Activities & themes 36 Motivations for taking a SHORT BREAK in England

Source: BDRC Continental Global Tourism Intentions Monitor 2015

MOST IMPORTANT ANY REASON In 2015, BDRC Continental conducted a survey of REASON 16,800 interviews across 24 different countries to All World All World England England Destinations Destinations understand people’s motivations and experience

ANY SIGHTSEEING 69% 60% 40% 35% of visiting a wide range of holiday destinations, of which England was included. See main tourist sights /places of interest 48% 38% 27% 18%

Experience scenery / natural beauty 30% 37% 9% 13% The data revealed some interesting trends, in part

See less well known sights / places of interest 25% 22% 5% 5% underlining the perceptions of the UK revealed by the Gfk Nations Brand Index. ANY ACTIVITY / EXPERIENCES 72% 70% 37% 38%

Experience the local culture 40% 33% 10% 9% Short breaks to England are more than likely than

Experience or learn something new 30% 25% 7% 7% average to be motivated by ‘seeing the main sights’, outlining the country’s strong Nations Go shopping 27% 21% 7% 6% Brand Index rating for ‘historic buildings and Experience some adventure or thrill 13% 15% 4% 3% monuments’. Also scoring higher than average is Go to a specific event 13% 10% 4% 2% the appeal of England’s local culture and Improve physical fitness / body 7% 10% 3% 4% shopping. Underlining England as a ‘doing Taste the local cuisine 19% 29% 1% 4% holiday’ is a lower than average motivation of Take part in hobby 9% 10% - 2% visiting to ‘rest mind or body’. ANY PEOPLE 37% 26% 16% 8% A holiday to England is less likely than average to Meet new people 20% 15% 12% 7% be motivated by ‘scenery/natural beauty’ and Visit friends/ relatives 22% 14% 4% 2% ‘visiting beaches/coastal areas’, although the ANY REST / RELAXATION 30% 47% 6% 17% Nations Brand Index implies that perceptions are Rest mind or body 19% 28% 4% 7% improving. Do as little as possible 10% 13% 1% 2%

Visit beaches / coastal areas 11% 21% - 5% Guaranteed sun / good weather 8% 16% - 3%fsffs 37 Activities & themes Motivations for taking a LONGER HOLIDAY in England

Source: BDRC Continental Global Tourism Intentions Monitor 2015

MOST IMPORTANT ANY REASON ‘Seeing the main sights/places of interest’ is also a REASON leading motivation for longer holidays to England, England All World England All World Destinations Destinations as is ‘experiencing the local culture’ and

ANY SIGHTSEEING 69% 63% 39% 34% ‘shopping’.

See main tourist sights /places of interest 47% 39% 23% 16% ‘Experiencing scenery/natural beauty’ is only

Experience scenery / natural beauty 41% 41% 10% 13% marginally weaker than average as a main

See less well known sights / places of interest 26% 24% 7% 4% motivation for taking a longer holiday to England.

ANY ACTIVITY / EXPERIENCES 72% 70% 36% 35% As with short breaks, ‘resting mind or body’,

Experience the local culture 41% 37% 9% 9% ‘visiting beaches/coastal areas’ and ‘tasting local

Experience or learn something new 28% 28% 2% 4% cuisine’ are lower motivations than average.

Go shopping 23% 19% 5% 4%

Experience some adventure or thrill 15% 17% 3% 4%

Go to a specific event 16% 9% 5% 2%

Improve physical fitness / body 8% 10% 3% 3%

Taste the local cuisine 24% 31% 8% 8%

Take part in hobby 8% 9% 1% 2%

ANY PEOPLE 42% 28% 20% 9%

Meet new people 20% 17% 18% 7%

Visit friends/ relatives 28% 15% 2% 1%

ANY REST / RELAXATION 33% 52% 5% 21%

Rest mind or body 21% 28% - 7%

Do as little as possible 12% 13% 1% 2%

Visit beaches / coastal areas 9% 25% 3% 6% Guaranteed sun / good weather 6% 22% - 6%fsffs 38 Activities & themes Locations where overseas markets would like to stay in the UK Source: GfK Anholt Nations Brand Index, 2013

Locations that respondents would like to stay in (% choosing option) 60% 52% 52% 48% 50% 46%46% 46% 45% 44% 45% 45% 40% 40% 39% 40% 37% 34%35% 34% 33%32% 32% 32% 30% 31% 31% 30% 29% 28% 29% 30% 26% 27% 27% 26%27% 26% 27% 24%24% 22% 20% 21% 20% 20%21% 18% 19% 20% 16% 17% 16%

10%

0% Capital City Interesting city/town Large British cities Historic British cities Traditional 'English Coastal areas of Britain Rural areas of Britian Remote ares of Britain an hour from London countryside' Australia France Germany USA China All

According to the Nations Brand Index, overseas markets are most likely to want to stay in the capital city and historic British cities on a holiday in the UK. Respondents from France are most likely to show a desire to stay in the capital city. The China holiday market is most likely to want to stay in a historic British city, traditional English countryside and coastal areas of Britain pointing to future potential for this market.

Activities & themes 39 Desire to take part in activities among overseas markets Source: GfK Anholt Nations Brand Index, 2014 Source: GfK Anholt Nations Brand Index, 2014 Imagine that you are going to be spending a week on holiday/vacation Australia France Germany Spain USA exploring different places in Britain. To what extend would you be interested in doing each of the following things? Food and drink 80% 66% 67% 70% 76% Percentage of respondents who selected 'Completely interested‘ (2014) Famous attractions 76% 69% 63% 61% 68% Food and drink 74%

Famous attractions 71% Big City 72% 74% 66% 71% 66%

Big City 69% Countryside 82% 68% 67% 73% 75%

Off beaten track 68% Off beaten track 71% 69% 64% 67% 66% Countryside 67% Train to travel from 65% 50% 44% 58% 66% place to place Train to travel from place to place 63% Rent a car 66% 54% 53% 48% 52% Day trips 60%

Rent a car 55% Day trips 57% 61% 65% 46% 63%

Planned Itinerary 53% Full guided tour 45% 45% 39% 44% 52%

Fully guided tour 50% Planned itinerary 57% 52% 40% 50% 53% When Nations Brand Index respondents stated how interested they would be in doing a selection of activities on an imagined holiday in Britain, they were most likely to state ‘food and drink’, ‘famous attractions’, ‘big city’ and ‘off beaten track’. There was some variation by market. In line with known visitor numbers, ‘Big City’ was regarded as most appealing to visitors from France.

Activities & themes 40 Activities conducted in the UK on holiday (2011)

Source: IPS 2011

Went Shopping 71% Parks or Gardens 54% Went to the pub 50% Castles/Historic houses 48% Museums/ Galleries 43% Religious buildings 35% Went to countryside/ villages 22% Went to coast or beaches 15% Theatre/ Musical 14% Went to bars/ nightclubs 14% Attended a festival 4% Went to a live sport event 4% Took part in sports activities 3%

In 2011, VisitBritain added supplementary questions to the International Passenger Survey on specific activities overseas visitors conducted in the UK on their holiday. In line with motivations and perceptions, the activities conducted centred on the UK’s sight-seeing offer. Of the activities mentioned, 4 of the top 6 were either cultural venues (castles/historic houses, museums/galleries and religious buildings) or parks and gardens. Shopping and visits to the pub also featured highly. The UK’s rural offer, be it visits to the countryside/villages or going to the coast/beaches featured further down the list.

Activities & themes 41 Spend attributable to activities amongst overseas visitors to the UK / £m

Source: VisitEngland Valuing Activities Report 2015

£3,000 £2,494 £2,500

£2,000

£1,500 £1,177 £909 £889 £886 £1,000 £652 £550 £487 £500 £364 £305 £286 £137 £116 £99 £85 £65 £56 £56 £0

In 2015, VisitEngland produced a report that placed a value against the activities overseas visitors conduct whilst in the UK. ‘Special shopping’ (purchasing items not regularly bought) was regarded as the most valuable, accounting for £2,494 million annually. ‘Visiting parks/gardens’ (£1,177), ‘historic buildings’ (£909) and ‘museums/art galleries’ (£889) are the next most valuable.

Activities & themes 42 Activities conducted on holiday in England’s regions (2011) Source: IPS 2006-2011 South East East of West All UK South West London East Midlands Yorkshire North West North East (excl. London) England Midlands Shopping 69% 69% 72% 81% 68% 69% 72% 69% 71% 62%

ng Shopping- clothes/accessories 66% 64% 60% 70% 53% 51% 52% 63% 60% 60%

Shoppi Shopping for souvenirs 58% 54% 57% 60% 42% 49% 45% 55% 43% 66% Dining in Restaurants 79% 71% 59% 83% 69% 58% 80% 70% 68% 79% Going to pubs 48% 53% 42% 53% 45% 55% 61% 56% 66% 77%

Socialising locals 38% 54% 47% 30% 47% 59% 57% 39% 61% 38%

Eating, Eating, drinking, drinking, socialising Going to bars/nightclubs 15% 7% 6% 17% 8% 15% 11% 23% 30% 36% Famous monuments/buildings 64% 55% 57% 70% 48% 45% 38% 44% 36% 41% Parks/gardens 52% 59% 52% 64% 48% 37% 46% 38% 25% 23%

Castles 34% 38% 42% 30% 24% 21% 17% 36% 8% 30% Visiting Visiting

heritage Religious buildings 33% 38% 37% 40% 35% 18% 20% 35% 20% 16% attractions Historic Houses 29% 36% 34% 30% 28% 23% 18% 28% 15% 12% Museums 48% 32% 42% 55% 39% 26% 16% 37% 28% 14% Art galleries 26% 11% 15% 32% 11% 14% 3% 15% 14% 7% Theatres 18% 7% 6% 24% 8% 9% 4% 3% 9% 4% Live music 11% 8% 6% 11% 7% 7% 9% 9% 19% 14%

attractions Festivals 4% 5% 4% 3% 6% 6% 6% 5% 9% 2% Visiting cultural cultural Visiting Locations (e.g. lit, film) 3% 4% 2% 3% 4% 2% 2% 6% 2% 1% Countryside 20% 51% 38% 9% 31% 25% 34% 55% 22% 24% Villages 19% 55% 39% 9% 32% 26% 20% 44% 16% 28%

tal tal Coast/beaches 11% 48% 37% 3% 16% 9% 14% 22% 14% 31%

Visiting Visiting locations rural/coas National parks 7% 26% 11% 4% 4% 8% 8% 26% 9% 16% Walk in countryside 24% 58% 45% 12% 27% 33% 32% 37% 24% 26% Walking by coast 8% 37% 25% 2% 9% 4% 4% 15% 8% 35%

sports Playing golf 2% 3% 4% 0% 3% 3% 3% 5% 1% 0% activities Outdoor/ Going cycling 1% 7% 2% 1% 3% 2% 2% 2% 0% 4% Going on a tour 25% 23% 23% 26% 14% 13% 19% 18% 19% 8% Learning activities 9% 20% 17% 8% 6% 3% 4% 4% 10% 12%

Zoos, aquarium, other wildlife 7% 9% 7% 8% 5% 5% 8% 11% 7% 1% ions

Other Other Visiting a spa/beauty centre 3% 6% 2% 2% 3% 3% 4% 5% 4% 1% Researching ancestry 2% 1% 3% 2% 1% 2% 1% 4% 0% 3% activities/attract Watching live football 2% 1% 1% 2% 3% 3% 3% 2% 8% 19% Activities & themes 43 Booking and consuming travel

Data taken predominantly from International Passenger Survey (IPS) data and BDRC Continental’s Global Tourism Monitor

44 How overseas visitors hear about England (2015)

Source: BDRC Continental Global Tourism Monitor 2015 Source: BDRC Continental Global Tourism Monitor 2015 How recent visitors heard about England Articles / features on TV, radio or in newspapers 44% Travel guides/features 54% Travel guide websites 17% Peer recommendations 50% ANYTRAVEL Travel guidebooks 11%

Tourism Board 48% GUIDES/ FEATURES Advertising by a tour operator / travel agent 14% Tour operator/travel agent 31% Travel agent/tour operator websites 15% Transport Carrier 21% Tour operator brochures / leaflets 11%

Other 16% /TRAVELAGENT

ANYTOUR OPERATOR Talking to tour operator / travel agent staff 4%

BDRC’s Global Tourism Monitor demonstrates the Advertising directly on TV, posters, radio, or newspapers 31% importance of features, travel guides and peer Tourism board/ destination websites 18% recommendations (especially via social media) in Content by destinations/tourism boards on social networking sites 16% driving awareness of England as a destination. Tour

ANYTOURISM BOARD Other brochures/ leaflets about destination 8% operators/travel agents also have a role to play. Advertising by a transport carrier 14%

Advertising directly on TV, posters, radios or ANY

CARRIER Transport carrier websites 12% newspapers are of further importance. TRANSPORT Talking to friends/ relatives 36%

Posts/pictures by friends or relatives on social

NS networking sites 21% ANYPEER

Online review websites e.g. TripAdvisor 13% RECOMMENDATIO

Hotel / resort websites 13%

Other sources 3% ANYOTHER

Booking and consuming travel 45 Transport booking method for holiday trips to the UK (2012)

Source: IPS 2012

13% 7% 26% 21% 23% 32% 49% 64%

86% 91% 72% 77% 75% 66% 50% 36%

ALL INBOUND Australia France Germany Spain Netherlands USA China MARKETS Booked directly with airline / train / ferry operator Booked through a travel agent Don't know / someone else booked

The majority (72%) of overseas holiday visitors to the UK booked their transport directly with their travel operator, around a quarter (26%) doing so through a travel agent. Booking methods vary according to market, long-haul destinations more likely to book via a travel agent, 32% of visitors from the USA doing so, 49% from Australia and 64% from China.

NB: Data is from 2012 and trends may have changed since then.

Booking and consuming travel 46 Accommodation booking behaviour for holiday trips to GB (2012)

Source: IPS 2012

6% 21% 27% 32% 30% 39% 29% 36% 63%

77% 71% 66% 67% 65% 59% 62%

37%

ALL INBOUND Australia France Germany Spain Netherlands USA China MARKETS Booked directly with accomodation provider Booked through a travel agent Someone else booked/I don’t know

Unsurprisingly, accommodation booking behaviour follows a similar pattern to transport booking. The majority (66%) booked directly with their accommodation provider, but less so amongst visitors from the USA (62%), Australia (59%) and China (just 37%).

Booking and consuming travel 47 Hooks and barriers for travelling beyond London

This section is based upon a comprehensive 2013 VisitBritain study into why many visitors to Britain do not travel beyond London – what the barriers are and what attracts those that do go beyond London to do so. Research was undertaken in four established markets (France, Germany, Norway and USA). Please bear in mind that findings reflect views and behaviour in these markets only which may differ to those of other markets (especially emerging markets).

48 Headline findings Source: London and Beyond report 2013 • London remains the key draw within Britain, even for those who have visited before, but many would want to see other places in Britain as well as London again when they return. ‘London Plus’ appeals to the majority. • Knowledge of destinations drives desire, but knowledge of British destinations other than London can be low, although this varies notably by market. • Those who visit London often want to ‘see’ London/ ‘do the sights’ rather than to have a particular type of holiday experience. This is different from behaviour when choosing competitor destinations, and does not reflect the growing importance of ‘experiences’. • The most common practical barriers to going outside London were concerns about transport/ access. • Most common draws for going outside of London were heritage variety, countryside, unique places to stay and the British people. • Travel agents remain important for a minority, especially in Germany and the US, but the majority in each market reported booking independently, with Britain particularly attracting independent travellers. However, there is a gap for tours, packages and agents, or at least suggested itineraries, to enable trips outside London which many lack the knowledge to make the most of. • There is no single ‘ideal’ itinerary when combining London with other destinations (‘London Plus’), but most are willing to travel 2-3 hours to/ between destinations, preferably by train.

Top Ten Tips for promoting ‘London Plus’ 1. Do not over-estimate geographical knowledge of Britain, or assume potential visitors will be aware of even high- profile destinations outside London. 2. Focus on the heritage, variety and countryside outside as well as unique places to stay and the British people . 3. Make sure the ‘experiences’ the destination offers (e.g. luxurious, adventurous) are reflected, and indicate how people will feel (e.g. relaxed) when there, as well as the attractions/ destinations themselves. 4. Do the work for visitors by putting together set itineraries, illustrating the ‘packages’ they could put together themselves. 5. Remind of enjoyment of previous trips to London and include London in suggested itineraries but build on appeal by showing that Britain can offer more than our capital , world famous headline sights on a second visit. 6. Showcase opportunities to relax, enjoy good food and unique/ unusual experiences and places to stay. 7. Avoid inadvertently re-enforcing out of date stereotypes of destinations 8. Compare Britain's offer favourably with similar, well-known ‘regional’ offers in other countries (e.g. Cotswolds/ Tuscany, York/ Seville, Scottish Highlands/ Swiss Alps, Cornish coast/ Spanish Costas) . Flag unique or ‘off-the-beaten-track’ experiences in Britain, away from mass tourist hotspots. 9. Avoid itineraries where driving/ hiring cars is essential (although in some markets this will appeal). Facilitate rail travel, e.g. highlight that booking trains ahead reduces cost considerably, or suggest the use of a BritRail pass. 10. Show travel times rather than distances from London (or between destinations) by train. Remember for most visitors tolerance is 2-3 hours travel time between destinations.

Beyond London – hooks & barriers 49 Barriers to going beyond London: summary Top reasons why recent ‘London only’ visitors have never spent nights in GB outside London

Other places higher up the list to visit 46%

Nervous about driving in UK 46%

So much to do in London wouldn't have time 39%

Don't know what there is to see 29%

Don’t know what its like compared to London 27%

More exciting places elsewhere in Europe as close 26%

Don't know what to expect 25% Four main themes emerged as barriers to going beyond London: Too expensive to travel 25%

Wouldn't know what to do 22% • Lack of knowledge

Weather would put me off 22% • All-encompassing London • Desire to visit and the importance of No great urge to explore other parts 21% ‘experiences’

Wouldn't visit GB for a long time, but would need a long time 19% • Transport concerns

Other places worth going to are too far away from London 19%

The best of Britain can be seen within London 17%

Wouldn't know how to get outside of London 17% 50 Beyond London – hooks & barriers Barriers to going beyond London: themes (1) 1) Lack of knowledge 2) All-encompassing London Two issues are clear. Firstly there is often an ignorance The draw of London itself can, for some, deter them of British destinations other than London i.e. what from going elsewhere in Britain. Two-fifths (39%) said areas or towns visitors could consider. Secondly, even they felt there was so much to do in London they when individual destinations are named there is wouldn’t have time to go elsewhere and one in six frequently a fundamental lack of knowledge about the (17%) said they thought the best of Britain could be experiences on offer and an inability to imagine the seen within London so they wouldn’t need to go type of holiday they would be able to have there. elsewhere.

Claimed knowledge of Britain amongst recent visitors who had stayed only in London The issue here is perhaps length of stay and numbers on a first visit. If coming for a few days only, visitors may not feel there is time to do London ‘justice’ and go elsewhere. Attracting return visitors and longer stays is crucial to increase the nights visitors spend both in London and elsewhere. How can we change perceptions of Britain as primarily a short break destination?

Beyond London – hooks & barriers 51 Barriers to going beyond London: themes (2) 3) Desire to visit and the importance of ‘experiences’ As outlined earlier in this report, Britain in general, is In attracting return and longer visits it may be that perceived as a ‘sightseeing’ destination rather than an ‘experiences’ are key. Consumers report they are ‘experiential’ one, which results in a short trip and not increasingly seeking holidays that are experiential with necessarily returning once they have seen the sights everyday culture, food, accommodation and unique they wished to ‘tick off’. However, those who had ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences being ranked as key to been further than London were more likely to see making a ‘great holiday’. Britain as offering experiential holidays and as such Britain performs less well on the more important take longer trips to Britain and more frequently. factors of weather, relaxation, value, food, 4) Transport accommodation, unique experiences, being different The most common practical barriers identified by to everyday life and offering ‘off the beaten track’ those who had not been beyond London were related experiences. to transport or access. Almost half (46%) said they Importance of various holiday aspects and extent to would be nervous about driving in the UK and a which agree Britain offers quarter (25%) that it was too expensive to travel outside London. Almost a fifth (19%) thought that other places ‘worth going to’ outside London would be too far from London, or if travelling elsewhere in Britain 15% said it was too difficult to get to other regions. 17% even said they wouldn’t know how to get outside London. Around a quarter said there were more exciting places elsewhere in Europe which were as close to London as other British regions, perhaps reflecting a greater knowledge of transport to the continent than the extent of transport available within Britain. Beyond London – hooks & barriers 52 Appeal of going beyond London: summary

Reasons why recent visitors who did go beyond London did so Six main themes emerged as hooks for going History spread across country, not just London 81% beyond London: Diverse regions which make for an interesting… 80% Countryside is unique and beautiful 78% Unique places to stay outside London 75% Wanted to meet British people and see way of life 70% 1. Heritage British are friendly and welcoming 67% 2. Countryside Coastline is unique and beautiful 66% Other cities are fun and vibrant 65% 3. Uniqueness and variety Heard so much, want to experience it myself 62% Something specific I wanted to see 60% 4. British people and way of life 5. Cities and culture Aspects which would persuade recent 'London only' visitors to go beyond London Unique places to stay 84% 6. Trains, tours and packages Countryside is unique and beautiful 81% Specific cultural or historical sites 80% Unique and diverse regions 79% The following pages discusses these themes in British cities are fun and vibrant 78% Coastline is unique and beautiful 76% more detail. Hear so much, have to experience 75% Travelling is good value 74% Everything in Britain is so close 74% History spread around the country 73% British are friendly and welcoming 72% Meet British people and way of life 70% Specific museums/venues to see 67% Wilderness offers a place to escape 65% See places made famous by media 62% To do what normal British people do 61% Specific concerts 61% Unique so have to experience 60% Countryside great for walking 55% For 'real Britain' 51% For best modern day culture 43% Trace ancestral route 35% Sporting event 35%

Beyond London – hooks & barriers 53 Appeal of going beyond London: themes (1) 1) Heritage 3) Uniqueness and variety History and heritage are strongly associated with Britain’s unique and varied nature is also appealing, Britain’s holiday offer and the most common reason with 80% of those who went beyond London saying why those who went beyond London did so, given by they did so because Britain’s diverse regions make for 81%, was because Britain has history spread across the an interesting holiday. Having unique places to stay country, not just in London. around the country was also a draw, a reason for 75% When discussing heritage, ‘awe’ and ‘amazement’ of those who had been outside London. (especially those from the US) were common themes Amongst those who had not been outside London, but also it seems that there was a danger it could unique places to stay was the most commonly cited seem a little flat if just about seeing / ticking off major aspect which would persuade them to do so, given by sites – it is important to get across the ‘experience’ 84%. and the story behind a place. 4) British people and way of life 2) Countryside Over two-thirds of those who went beyond London Three-quarters (78%) of those going beyond London mentioned the British people as a reason for travelling gave Britain’s unique and beautiful countryside as a outside London. 70% wanted to meet the British reason for travel. Amongst those who had not been people and see the British way of life and 67% because outside London, 81% said Britain’s countryside would they were friendly and welcoming. persuade them to do so – the second most popular Amongst those who had only been to London, 49% factor. Coastline also appealed (76%). had ‘lots of interest’ in culture and people outside Countryside was a major lever to convey ‘unique, London and the idea of British people being different, beautiful and relaxing. The ‘bucolic beauty’ welcoming and seeing British way of life were factors of southern England was mentioned although there which persuade around 70%. were concerns over access and how to get there. Coastline was generally less motivating, but Cornwall and South West were mentioned. 54 Beyond London – hooks & barriers Appeal of going beyond London: themes (2) 5) Cities and culture Of those who had been to London, a third (34%) had This again reflects insufficient knowledge of Britain ‘lots of interest’ in major cities outside London and among many visitors which inhibits their ability to Britain’s fun and vibrant cities were flagged as a factor independently organise multi-destination trips and which might persuade people to go outside London by highlights a potential gap for tours, packages and over three-quarters (78%). agents for at least suggested itineraries to facilitate Britain’s contemporary culture (music, art, fashion and trips outside London. food) also emerged as key elements of interest. Useful aids to organise a ‘London Plus’ trip 6) Trains, tours and packages Most are willing to travel 2-3 hours from their initial base (typically London) to stay in another destination. With concerns about driving for many, preference is for train travel. Train was the most popular choice of transport when going between London / elsewhere – a fifth said rail passes would help. Packaged tours and itineraries were also mentioned by many to enable them to get the most from the trip. Amongst those who had never been outside London, almost a fifth (18%) said if they did so they would want to be on an organised tour with their transport arranged. When asked what would make a ‘London & Beyond’ trip easier they were most likely to mention package tours with accommodation and transport all arranged (38%) Beyond London – hooks & barriers 55 Regional pen portraits – product opportunities

Data taken predominantly from Visit Britain’s ‘Inbound tourism to Britain’s nations and regions’ report (2013)

56 South West – key product insights South West includes the counties of Bristol UA, Cornwall & Scillies, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire

Dream ‘only in South West’ Activities Key Insights: (% listing SW activities in top three - out of 18 options) • The South West is particularly popular Watching sunrise at Stonehenge 29% with well-connected France. Germany, the republic of Ireland and the Netherlands Visiting Harry Potter locations e.g. Gloucester 10% are also large markets. Cathedral • The area particularly attracts visits from Watching bands play at Glastonbury 8% families and children as well as older visitors. • Summer months see a clear peak in visits, Most visited attractions 2015 (000s of visits)* tying in with the popularity of outdoor activities such as walking along the coast Paid admission Free admission and visiting parks and gardens Stonehenge 1,367 Bath Abbey 400 • Heritage is also a key draw with historic houses and castles visited by many. Roman Baths 1,045 The Donkey 320 Stonehenge is perhaps the most iconic Sanctuary, Devon attraction in the region but being able to Eden Project 960 visit villages, pubs and meet the locals is also important. Bristol Zoo 545 • The region has plenty to keep visitors busy Source: VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey 2015 and attracts longer stays than any other region, with a third staying for over a *N.B. Attractions numbers include all visitors, not just week. overseas visitors • Although cycling, learning activities and visiting spas are niche activities, overseas visitors in the South West are more likely to involve these on their visit than visitors staying anywhere lese in Britain.

57 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities South West – product themes Going out to eat, drink or socialise Charts illustrate the % of visitors to the region who experience the region’s product Dining in restaurants 71% 79% Visiting heritage related attractions Going to pubs 53% 48% Famous monuments 55% / buildings 64% Socialising with 54% Visiting rural / coastal locations the locals 38% Parks / gardens 59% 52% Countryside 51% Going to bars 7% 20% / nightclubs Castles 38% 15% 34% SOUTH WEST ONLY Villages 55% 19% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Religious buildings 38% Going shopping 33% Coast / 48% 69% beaches 11% Shopping Historic houses 36% 29% 69% National 26% Shopping for clothes parks 64% Visiting cultural attractions 7% / accessories 66%

Shopping for 32% Participating in outdoor / sports activities 54% Museums souvenirs 58% 48% Walk in 58% Art galleries 11% countryside 24% 26% Walking by 37% Other activities / attractions Theatres 7% coast 8% 18% Going on a tour 23% Playing golf 3% 25% Live music 8% 2% 11% Learning activities 20% Going cycling 7% SOUTH WEST ONLY 9% Festivals 5% 1% 4% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY SOUTH WEST ONLY Zoos, aquarium, 9% Locations 4% other wildlife 7% (e.g. literary, film) 3% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Visiting a spa 6% / beauty centre 3%

N.B. Data compares overseas visitors staying only in the South West with other overseas visitors Researching ancestry 1% 2% who stayed only in another region of the UK (including London). Source: IPS Going to watch live 1% SOUTH WEST ONLY football (at a stadium) 2% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY

58 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities London – key product insights

Dream ‘only in London’ Activities Key Insights: (% listing London activities in top three - out of 18 options) • London is Britain’s most important draw A tour of Buckingham Palace 32% for inbound tourists. It welcomes more holiday visits from overseas than the rest Shopping in Harrods 19% of Britain combined Seeing a Shakespeare plat at the Globe 11% • The vast majority of holiday visitors to London stay only in London, and for less than a week • Perceptions of London’s offer tend to Most visited attractions 2015 (000s of visits)* centre on built heritage, royal links and traditional iconic images, especially in Paid admission Free admission emerging markets. London is also seen as Tower of London 2,785 British Museum 6,821 dynamic and exciting. • London attracts everyone, but sees a Westminster Abbey 1,664 National Gallery 5,908 notable higher proportion of younger St Paul’s Cathedral 1,609 Natural History 5,284 people visiting for short breaks than other areas do Museum • The long haul, high spending, US market is Kew Gardens 1,270 Tate Modern 4,713 second largest for London Source: VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey 2015 • Visiting famous buildings, museums, art galleries, parks and gardens are very popular activities, with many visitors also *N.B. Attractions numbers include all visitors, not just going to the theatre overseas visitors • The majority of holiday visits involve shopping and eating out with London’s nightlife also important

59 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities London – product themes Charts illustrate the % of visitors to the region who experience the region’s product Going out to eat, drink or socialise

Dining in restaurants 83% 79%

Going to pubs 53% Visiting heritage related attractions 48%

Famous monuments 70% Socialising with 30% / buildings 64% Visiting rural / coastal locations the locals 38% Parks / gardens 64% 52% Countryside 9% Going to bars 17% 20% / nightclubs 15% Castles 30% 34% Villages 9% LONDON ONLY 19% Going shopping ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Religious buildings 40% 33% Coast / beaches 3% 81% 11% Shopping 69% Historic houses 30% 29% Shopping for clothes National parks 4% 70% / accessories 66% Visiting cultural attractions 7% Shopping for 60% souvenirs 58% Museums 55% Participating in outdoor / sports activities 48% 12% 32% Walk in countryside Art galleries 24% 26% Other activities / attractions 24% Walking by coast 2% Theatres 26% 18% 8% Going on a tour 25% Live music 11% Playing golf 0% 2% 11% Learning activities 8% 9% Festivals 3% 4% Going cycling 1% LONDON ONLY 1% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Zoos, aquarium, 8% Locations 3% LONDON ONLY other wildlife 7% (e.g. literary, film) 3% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Visiting a spa 2% / beauty centre 3%

Researching ancestry 2% N.B. Data compares overseas visitors staying only in London with other overseas visitors who 2% LONDON ONLY stayed only in another region of the UK. Going to watch live 2% football (at a stadium) 2% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Source: IPS

60 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities South East (excl. London) – key product insights

South East includes the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey & West Sussex

Top of mind activities in the South East (no ‘Dream only in Key Insights: South East’ activities were mentioned) • Outdoor activities, parks and gardens as well The South East isn’t particularly top-of-mind, but there were as the areas coast and countryside are very popular with many going walking and some mentions of Oxford, and spontaneous mentions of the minorities playing golf or cycling. Royal Family indicating potential interest in Windsor and • The South Easts heritage is a strong draw – it other attractions with royal link. is one of the areas where overseas visitors are especially likely to visit a castle, a historic house or a religious building. Most visited attractions 2015 (000s of visits)* • Museums are a headline draw and the South East also attracts a relatively large proportion Paid admission Free admission for learning activities. RHS Wisley 1088 Ashmolean Museum 848 • There are perhaps fewer concerns about the weather in the South East – as many visitors Canterbury Cathedral 957 University Museum of 640 come in late spring/ early summer as in the Natural History usual peak season. Blenheim Palace 763 Brighton Pier 4,600 • Shopping and eating out in restaurants are amongst the most popular activities for Leeds Castle 564 Pitt Rivers Museum 418 overseas visitors in the South East – with excellent connectivity to several European Woburn Safari Park 490 The Beaney, 326 neighbours and long stays common there is Canterbury scope for visitors to relax with low key Marwell Wildlife 477 activities. Source: VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey 2015 • The area attracts more holiday visits including children than any other – some perhaps on *N.B. Attractions numbers include all visitors, not just school coach trips taking advantage of easy overseas visitors ferry links.

61 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities South East (excl. London) – product themes Charts illustrate the % of visitors to the region who experience the region’s product Going out to eat, drink or socialise

Dining in restaurants 59% 79% Visiting heritage related attractions

Famous monuments Going to pubs 42% 57% 48% / buildings 64% Visiting rural / coastal locations 52% Socialising with 47% Parks / gardens Countryside 38% the locals 52% 20% 38% 42% Going to bars 6% Castles Villages 39% / nightclubs 34% 19% 15% SOUTH EAST ONLY Religious buildings 37% 33% Coast / beaches 37% 11% Going shopping ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY

Historic houses 34% 72% 29% National parks 11% Shopping 7% 69% Visiting cultural attractions Shopping for clothes 60% Participating in outdoor / sports activities / accessories 66% 42% Museums 45% Shopping for 57% 48% Walk in countryside souvenirs 58% 24% Art galleries 15% 26% Walking by coast 25% 8% Theatres 6% Other activities / attractions 18% Playing golf 4% 23% 2% Going on a tour 6% 25% Live music SOUTH EAST ONLY 11% Going cycling 2% 1% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Learning activities 17% Festivals 4% 9% 4% Zoos, aquarium, 7% Locations 2% other wildlife (e.g. literary, film) 3% SOUTH EAST ONLY 7% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Visiting a spa 2% / beauty centre 3%

Researching ancestry 3% 2%

Going to watch live 1% SOUTH EAST ONLY football (at a stadium) 2% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY 62 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities The East of England – key product insights

East England includes the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk

Top of mind activities in the East of England (no ‘Dream Key Insights: only in East of England’ activities were mentioned) • Near neighbours Germany and the Netherlands are important markets. The East of England isn’t particularly top-of-mind, although Scenery and outdoor activities are often there was some spontaneous mention of Cambridge. People popular with these visitors and this is had positive associations with country pubs, gardens and reflected in the relatively high proportions flowers all of which feature in the East of England. visiting the countryside. • Cambridge is a major draw and helps attract a high proportion of young visitors. • The area’s heritage is important with Most visited attractions 2015 (000s of visits)* religious buildings and museums included Paid admission Free admission in the trip for many. • A relatively high proportion staying with Colchester Zoo 964 Fitzwilliam Museum 418 friends or relatives (and a lower proportion in hotels) may contribute to Whipsnade Zoo 737 Needham Lake 320 easting out being less common in this Imperial War Museum, 374 area. Duxford • Although niche activities, theatre and festivals also attract some visitors with Angelsea Abbey 333 the area seeing one of the highest Source: VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey 2015 propensities for theatre visits outside of London. *N.B. Attractions numbers include all visitors, not just overseas visitors

63 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities East England– product themes Going out to eat, drink or socialise Charts illustrate the % of visitors to the region who experience the region’s product Dining in restaurants 69% 79%

Going to pubs 45% Visiting heritage related attractions 48%

Famous monuments 48% Socialising with 47% / buildings 64% the locals 38% Visiting rural / coastal locations Going to bars Parks / gardens 48% 8% 52% / nightclubs Countryside 31% 15% 20% Castles 24% EAST OF ENGLAND ONLY 34% Villages 32% Going shopping ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY 19% Religious buildings 35% 68% 33% Shopping Coast / beaches 16% 69% 11% Historic houses 28% Shopping for clothes 29% 53% National parks 4% / accessories 66% 7% Visiting cultural attractions Shopping for 42% Participating in outdoor / sports activities souvenirs 58% Museums 39% 48% Walk in countryside 27% 24% Art galleries 11% 26% Other activities / attractions Walking by coast 9% Theatres 8% 8% Going on a tour 14% 18% 25% Playing golf 3% 7% 2% Live music Learning activities 6% 11% EAST OF ENGLAND ONLY 9% Going cycling 3% 1% Festivals 6% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY 4% Zoos, aquarium, 5% other wildlife 7% Locations 4% EAST OF ENGLAND ONLY (e.g. literary, film) 3% Visiting a spa 3% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY / beauty centre 3%

Researching ancestry 1% 2%

Going to watch live 3% EAST OF ENGLAND ONLY football (at a stadium) 2% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY

64 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities West Midlands– key product insights

West Midlands includes the counties of Hereford & Worcester, Shropshire Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands

Key Insights: Top of mind activities in the West Midlands (no ‘Dream • Holiday visits are particularly likely to only in West Midlands’ activities were mentioned) include going to a theatre with Stratford- The West Midlands isn’t particularly top-of-mind, but there upon-Avon a major draw. • The West Midlands is also one of the most were spontaneous mentions of Shakespeare and positive popular areas for watching sport, the associations with country pubs, castles, gardens and flowers. number of visitors coming primarily for this reason behind only London and the North West. • Going to the pub and socialising with locals is popular, whilst eating out is less Most visited attractions 2015 (000s of visits)* likely here than in many areas- probably a Paid admission Free admission reflection of the high proportion of visits which involve staying as a guest with Drayton Manor Theme 1,210 Birmingham Museum 910 friends or relatives. Park and Art Gallery • Those from the Irish Republic and France West Midland Safari 700 MAC Birmingham 1,028 dominate overseas visits to the area, Park accounting for 2 in 5 holidaymakers (compared to around 1 in 5 nationally). Attingham Park 402 RAF Museum Cosford 355 Short travel times and event based visits Shakespeare's 383 Coventry Transport 321 may contribute to relatively few visits Birthplace Museum lasting over a week. Source: VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey 2015 • The West Midlands attracts holiday visits all year round, possibly boosted by non- seasonal activities such as shopping or *N.B. Attractions numbers include all visitors, not just going to the theatre. overseas visitors • The area sees relatively high numbers of visits from those travelling with children but also from older visitors. 65 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities West Midlands – product themes Charts illustrate the % of visitors to the region who experience the region’s product Going out to eat, drink or socialise

Dining in restaurants 58% 79% Visiting heritage related attractions Going to pubs 55% Famous monuments 45% 48% / buildings 64% Socialising with 59% the locals 38% Parks / gardens 37% 52% Visiting rural / coastal locations Going to bars 15% 25% Countryside / nightclubs 15% Castles 21% 20% 34% WEST MIDLANDS ONLY Villages 26% Going shopping ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Religious buildings 18% 19% 33% Shopping 69% Coast / beaches 9% 69% Historic houses 23% 11% 29% Shopping for clothes 51% 8% / accessories 66% Visiting cultural attractions National parks 7% Shopping for 49% souvenirs 58% Museums 26% Participating in outdoor / sports activities 48% 33% Art galleries 14% Walk in countryside 26% 24% Other activities / attractions 13% Theatres 9% Walking by coast 4% Going on a tour 18% 8% 25%

Live music 7% Playing golf 3% 3% 2% Learning activities 11% 9% 6% WEST MIDLANDS ONLY Festivals Going cycling 2% Zoos, aquarium, 5% 4% 1% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY other wildlife 7% Locations 2% (e.g. literary, film) 3% WEST MIDLANDS ONLY Visiting a spa 3% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY / beauty centre 3%

Researching ancestry 2% 2%

Going to watch live 3% WEST MIDLANDS ONLY football (at a stadium) 2% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY

66 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities East Midlands– key product insights

East Midlands includes the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire (exc. North Lincolnshire), Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire

Key Insights: Most visited attractions 2015 (000s of visits)* • Eating out, socialising and going to Paid admission Free admission pubs is popular here. Visitors seem to Chatsworth House 622 Rufford Abbey 452 take advantage of the good value for money on offer, the amount they Belton House 382 Sherwood Forest 423 spend per visit and per night is Wicksteed Park 360 Wollaton Hall / Park 283 relatively low. • Visiting the countryside and walking is Calke Abbey 311 included on around a third of visits • Shopping is also often part of the trip Source: VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey 2015 • The East Midlands sees notably higher proportion of visits from middle aged holidaymakers (aged 35 to 54) with *N.B. Attractions numbers include all visitors, not just the Republic of Ireland the major overseas visitors market. • Inbound tourism is quite seasonal in the East Midlands.

67 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities East Midlands – product themes Going out to eat, drink or socialise

Charts illustrate the % of visitors to the region who experience the region’s product Dining in restaurants 80% 79%

Going to pubs 61% Visiting heritage related attractions 48% Socialising with Famous monuments 57% 38% the locals / buildings 64% 38% Going to bars 11% Parks / gardens 46% Visiting rural / coastal locations 52% / nightclubs 15% Countryside 34% 20% EAST MIDLANDS ONLY Castles 17% 34% Going shopping ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Villages 20% 19% Religious buildings 20% 72% 33% Shopping 69% Coast / beaches 14% 11% Historic houses 18% Shopping for clothes 52% 29% / accessories 66% National parks 8% Visiting cultural attractions 7% Shopping for 45% souvenirs 58% Participating in outdoor / sports activities Museums 16% 48% Walk in countryside 32% Art galleries 3% 24% 26% Other activities / attractions 4% 4% Walking by coast 19% Theatres 8% Going on a tour 18% 25% 3% 9% Playing golf Live music 2% Learning activities 4% 11% EAST MIDLANDS ONLY 9% Going cycling 2% Festivals 6% 1% Zoos, aquarium, 4% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY 8% other wildlife 7% Locations 2% (e.g. literary, film) 3% EAST MIDLANDS ONLY Visiting a spa 4% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY / beauty centre 3%

Researching ancestry 1% 2%

Going to watch live 3% EAST MIDLANDS ONLY football (at a stadium) 2% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY

68 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities Yorkshire – key product insights

Yorkshire and the Humber includes the counties of East Yorkshire, Hull UA, North Yorkshire, Northern Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire.

Key Insights: Top of mind activities in Yorkshire (no ‘Dream only in • Yorkshire’s countryside, villages and Yorkshire’ activities were mentioned) national parks are a key draw with Yorkshire isn’t particularly top-of-mind, but there were holidays here more likely to include positive associations with country pubs which are of course a these than those in most other areas feature of Yorkshire. • Built heritage is also important with a relatively high proportion of holiday makers visiting castles and religious buildings (perhaps abbeys). • Socialising and visiting pubs are also Most visited attractions 2015 (000s of visits)* very popular Paid admission Free admission • Yorkshire appeals to all ages but compared to other areas is not Flamingoland 1,471 Millennium Gallery, 764 notable likely to welcome older Sheffield visitors. Holidays here are often Jorvik Viking Centre 330 National Railway 733 longer, with around one in six staying Museum over a fortnight. There is a high Yorkshire Wildlife Park 678 Yorkshire Sculpture 639 degree of seasonality. Park • The Netherlands is the second highest volume market here compared to fifth The Deep 398 National Media 442 across the UK. Countryside and Museum outdoor activities are important for RHS Harlow Carr 379 Dutch visitors Fountains Abbey 376 Tropical World, Leeds 359

Source: VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey 2015 *N.B. Attractions numbers include all visitors, not just overseas visitors 69 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities Yorkshire – product themes Going out to eat, drink or socialise Charts illustrate the % of visitors to the region who experience the region’s product Dining in restaurants 70% 79%

Going to pubs 56% Visiting heritage related attractions 48%

Famous monuments 44% Socialising with 39% 64% / buildings the locals 38% Visiting rural / coastal locations Parks / gardens 38% Going to bars 23% 52% Countryside 55% / nightclubs 20% 15% Castles 36% YORKSHIRE 34% Villages 44% 19% Going shopping ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Religious buildings 35% 33% 69% Coast / beaches 22% Shopping 11% 69% Historic houses 28% 29% 26% Shopping for clothes 63% National parks / accessories 66% 7% Visiting cultural attractions Shopping for 55% Participating in outdoor / sports activities souvenirs 58% Museums 37% 48% Walk in countryside 37% 24% Art galleries 15% 26% Walking by coast 15% Other activities / attractions 3% 8% Theatres Going on a tour 18% 18% Playing golf 5% 25% 2% 9% Live music 4% 11% YORKSHIRE Learning activities Going cycling 2% 9% 1% Festivals 5% 4% Zoos, aquarium, 11% other wildlife 7% Locations 6% YORKSHIRE (e.g. literary, film) 3% Visiting a spa 5% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY / beauty centre 3%

Researching ancestry 4% 2%

Going to watch live 2% YORKSHIRE football (at a stadium) 2% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY 70 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities North West England– key product insights

North West includes the counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside

Dream ‘only in North West’ Activities Key Insights: (% listing London activities in top 3 out of 18 options) • The North West sees a good spread Watching an English Premier League football 19% across the seasons, with the summer match not especially a peak. Football is a driver for winter visits and the North Going on a Beatles tour in Liverpool 11% West sees a huge volume of visitors primarily to watch sport. Most visited attractions 2015 (000s of visits) • The North Wests culture is a major draw, especially live music but also Paid admission Free admission art, theatres and festivals. Chester Zoo 1,517 Merseyside Maritime 662 • Overseas visitors to the North West Museum typically stay for a short break, and spend is relatively low. There is Windermere Lake 1483 Museum of Liverpool 747 perhaps opportunity to encourage Cruises longer stays. Tatton Park 875 Tate Liverpool 626 • The area is popular with young visitors Museum of science 697 who come to eat out, go to pubs, bars and clubs. Socialising with the locals is and industry also important (perhaps reflecting World Museum, 659 personal links with the major market Liverpool of the Republic of Ireland) National Football 468 • There is an opportunity to build Museum awareness of the North West’s offer in terms of heritage (and Source: VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey 2015 regeneration) and countryside, with *N.B. Attractions numbers include all visitors, not just potential visitors perhaps unaware of overseas visitors the proximity of the Lake District to the areas major cities. 71 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities North West England – product themes Charts illustrate the % of visitors to the region who experience the region’s product Going out to eat, drink or socialise

Dining in restaurants 68% 79% Visiting heritage related attractions Going to pubs 66% Famous monuments 36% 48% / buildings 64% Socialising with 61% Parks / gardens 25% the locals 38% 52% Visiting rural / coastal locations Going to bars Countryside 22% 30% Castles 8% 20% / nightclubs 34% 15% NORTH WEST ONLY Villages 16% Religious buildings 20% 19% 33% Going shopping ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY

Coast / beaches 14% 71% Historic houses 15% 11% Shopping 29% 69% Visiting cultural attractions National parks 9% Shopping for clothes 60% 7% / accessories 66%

Museums 28% Participating in outdoor / sports activities Shopping for 43% 48% souvenirs 58% 24% Art galleries 14% Walk in countryside 26% 24% Other activities / attractions Theatres 9% Walking by coast 8% 18% 8% Going on a tour 19% 25% Live music 19% Playing golf 1% 2% 11% Learning activities 10% Festivals 9% NORTH WEST ONLY 9% 4% Going cycling 1% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Zoos, aquarium, 7% Locations 2% other wildlife 7% (e.g. literary, film) 3% NORTH WEST ONLY ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Visiting a spa 4% / beauty centre 3%

Researching ancestry 0% 2%

Going to watch live 8% NORTH WEST ONLY football (at a stadium) 2% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY 72 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities North East England– key product insights

North East includes the counties of Durham, Northumberland, Tees Valley/ Cleveland, Tyne & Wear

Dream ‘only in North East’ Activities Key Insights: (% listing London activities in top 3 out of 18 options) • The North East sees a unique mix of Watching an English Premier League football 19% visitors. Whilst those from the Republic match of Ireland are most numerous the area Visiting Harry Potter locations (e.g. Alnwick 10% welcomes relatively high proportions from Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. Castle) • The area is popular with young visitors who come to eat out, go to pubs, bars Most visited attractions 2015 (000s of visits)* and clubs. • This mix of visitors, and short stays, Paid admission Free admission lead to high spend per night. Beamish 671 Great North Museum 487 • Castles, coast and the Northumbria national park are also popular. Cragside 232 BALTIC Centre 519 • With short breaks common visitors Gibside 229 Durham Cathedral 755 perhaps do not have opportunity to visit a range of attractions and there Wallington House, 217 Discovery Museum 412 may be opportunity to ‘sell; a wider Gardens and Estate offer in terms of wider culture and Sunderland Museum 322 heritage. and Winter Gardens • There is a good seasonal spread with football attracting some low season Source: VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey 2015 visits.

*N.B. Attractions numbers include all visitors, not just overseas visitors

73 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities North East England – product themes Charts illustrate the % of visitors to the region who experience the region’s product Going out to eat, drink or socialise

Dining in restaurants 79% 79% Visiting heritage related attractions Going to pubs 77% Visiting rural / coastal locations 48% Famous monuments 41% Countryside 24% / buildings 64% 20% Socialising with 38% the locals 38% Parks / gardens 23% 28% 52% Villages 19% Going to bars 36% / nightclubs 15% Castles 30% 34% Coast / beaches 31% 11% NORTH EAST ONLY Going shopping ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Religious buildings 16% 33% National parks 16% 7% Shopping 62% Historic houses 12% 69% 29% Participating in outdoor / sports activities Shopping for clothes 60% Visiting cultural attractions / accessories 66% Walk in countryside 26% 24% Shopping for 66% Museums 14% souvenirs 58% 48% Walking by coast 35% 8% Art galleries 7% 26% Playing golf 0% 2% Other activities / attractions 4% Theatres 8% 18% Going on a tour Going cycling 4% 1% NORTH EAST ONLY 25% Live music 14% 11% ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Learning activities 12% 9% Festivals 2% 4% Zoos, aquarium, 1% other wildlife Locations 1% 7% (e.g. literary, film) 3% NORTH EAST ONLY ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Visiting a spa 1% / beauty centre 3%

Researching ancestry 3% 2% NORTH EAST ONLY ALL ONE UK REGION ONLY Going to watch live 19% football (at a stadium) 2% 74 Regional Pen Portraits – product opportunities Recommendations

75 Recommendations/1

This report demonstrates clear opportunities amongst the overseas holiday audience for successful bidders of the Discover England fund. Holiday trips and spend have increased for a number of years, from a mix of long-haul and short- haul markets. With economic growth likely to continue in key markets such as Germany, France and the USA, increased holiday visits should increase too. However, although overseas visitor growth has taken place across England, the focus has been very much in London, and there are clear barriers to overseas visitors travelling further afield. The danger therefore, is that the rest of England fails to take full advantage of increased tourism.

Key barriers for winning bidders outside London

Our sections on ‘activities and themes as motivators’ and ‘hooks and barriers for travelling beyond London’ highlight clear practical and psychological barriers that need to be overcome to facilitate travel beyond the capital. A leading obstacle is a lack of ‘awareness’ of the destinations and attractions that exist outside of London. Any product funded by the Discover England Fund will need to raise awareness of its existence and offer, at a micro level and in the context of its location. Enabling visits outside London with itineraries, packages and easy-travel will help overcome existing barriers to travel.

Offering a point of difference

Central to a successful product is its ability to offer a benefit to its customers. England is viewed positively for its historic buildings and monuments, and current visits from overseas visitors tend to centre around visits to these types of attractions. Given the strength of England’s historical brand, bidders should harness this wherever relevant.

76 Recommendations/2

However, with the ‘all-encompassing London offer’ presenting a barrier to visits outside the capital, simply appealing to visitors’ desire for history and heritage is unlikely to be enough to draw them outside of the capital – at least on a first visit. In addition, destinations will need to provide a point of difference to the London cultural offer. This point of difference could be England’s natural beauty (perceptions of which are gradually improving), the escape it offers from London’s urban environment, as well as the opportunities it provides for wellness holidays and adventure tourism. The ‘structural’ barrier of the British weather however, means that natural beauty should be combined with wet-weather alternatives. Projects outside London may also wish to harness the rise in experiential travel. Experiential holidays tend to be identity- forming for the holiday-maker. They are typically immersive, local, authentic and adventurous - a natural point of difference to the ‘box-ticking’, sight-seeing London holiday. Should bidders opt for this route, they will need to convey their destination’s authentic history, stories and traditions, as well as local cuisine.

Further research

These findings provide an initial summary of the existing primary research on overseas visitors to England. We hope to expand on these findings and recommendations in ensuing reports, a timetable for which will be circulated. If you have any specific queries or channels of investigation, please get in touch with the contacts on the following page.

77 Further information

Jon Young: BDRC Continental: [email protected]

Steve Mills: BDRC Continental: [email protected]

78