Discover England: Summary Insights on Overseas Visitors
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Discover England Fund Research Summary Report The Waterways of England January 2018 Contents 1. Introduction 2. Current Tends • This report brings together the key findings and insights relevant to this project from across the 3. Visitors to the Midlands VisitEngland research programme. • It is designed to provide the Discover England Fund 4.Gateways & Transport Large Project teams with a summary of the key themes and relevant market profiles. It can be used 5. Themes and Activities to guide project development activity and inform stakeholders and partner organisations. 6. Accommodation 7. Food & Drink 8. Using Technology 9. Purchase Journey 10. Segment Overview 11. Key Take-Outs 12. Appendix Note 1: Sources are short-referenced on each page. Full details of data sources including links where appropriate are in included in the appendix. Note 2: Data is not always available for all countries that are relevant to the project, due to limitations of the individual source research projects. 2 Introduction 3 Project overview Warwickshire ring • Encourage cross-seasonal and year round benefits both on and alongside the waterways • Explore by narrowboat, on foot or by bike • Complimented by ACE Cultural Destinations grant to broaden the unique cultural offer from local, national and international artists • Itineraries include urban and rural experiences in central England England’s This project has three core aims: • FITs Waterways Product development - increase • 45 – 65 years bookable, commissionable product • Travelling without children along the intuitive routes offered by the • Target Segments: waterways, creating unique, memorable • Core: Explorers holidays in England. • Secondary: Adventurers, Culture Buffs Market development - to increase the knowledge of, and propensity to visit by German and Dutch easy outdoor • Target countries: enthusiasts to England’s Heartland. • Germany • Netherlands Economic impact – use the waterways as the hook to increase volume and value of visitors to the Midlands from Germany and Netherlands, and to upscale this model across more of England’s canals and waterways through applying the same model, product development & distribution. Source: The Waterways of England Business Plan 4 Key Messages and areas of focus Proposition Areas of Focus for this report • England’s waterways are alternately scenic, enthralling • The project extends beyond boating experiences to and beautiful but they also tell the story of this historic holidays and tours that are linked to the waterways, land linking vibrant towns and cities with glorious either on foot or by car. English countryside and rural life. They remain a • Interest therefore is in the mix of experiences and miracle of industrial-age engineering. activities that would be best suited to the core theme. • Based on the rings and rivers of the Midlands, visitors • The focus is on Fully Independent Travellers (FITs). will delight in the waterways as a companion as they walk, their means of accommodation and transport or • The initial focus is on the Warwickshire Ring. the winding backdrop to their holiday journey; not just • Travellers are expected to enter England via looking at, but immersed in, this unique heritage of Birmingham or East Midlands airport. England’s past, treating visitors to a secret way through • Three example itineraries are provided that cover: the back door of real English life. – Both German and Dutch travellers • This is a holiday for people who love England, who are drawn to special places, who enjoy the regenerative – A range of durations from 7 to 14 nights experience of the countryside and wildlife and who – A variety of transport modes – boat, foot & car value the particularly English culture and ambience of – A range of different types of experience, time in traditional towns and energetic cities. The accommodation & food waterways offer easy route-finding by boat, on foot or – Include both urban and rural destinations in the car, and give visitors ample time together to relax, interspersed with the memorable moments that – A range of price points bring their holiday recollections alive. A unique perspective on everyday life and culture in England Source: Briefing call December 2017 5 Current Trends 6 Current Inbound Travel Trends to England (outside of London) • Less than a third of all trips to England overall made by overseas visitors now involve a stay outside of London, however visitors from Germany and the Netherlands are more likely to visit regional England. Holiday Visits (in Holiday Nights (in % Proportion of • Whilst volumes fell in target countries in 2016, there are 000’s) to England 000’s) to England holiday visits to some overall signs of growth (Outside London) (Outside London) England (Outside again in 2017. London) in 2016 • Germany: Visitor numbers and duration of stay inbound from 4,500 Germany have dropped in 700 2016. 4,000 600 3,500 • Netherlands: Visits and 530 3,552 500 3,000 duration have both declined. 400 2,500 43 43 • Visitors from both target 2,000 300 markets are more likely than 276 31 1,500 average to travel beyond 200 1,506 1,000 London. 100 500 - 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2002 - 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 Germany Netherlands Average - all markets Germany Germany Netherlands Netherlands 7 Source: IPS 2002-2016 Key challenges – Political, Economic and Social environment; Threat or Opportunity for Britain’s travel market? Geopolitics: Safety / Security Perceptions of Britain Exchange Rate “The Performance of the travel industry in Europe Potential impact both positive and negative: Initial movement post-Brexit vote appears to has been hampered by several events in recent • Some sense of ‘they don’t want us’ from have ‘reset’ the value of the pound. years, including the Eurozone crisis, Brexit, the migrant crisis and terrorist attacks in a number of other European countries. • Makes England a better value destination. countries. All these developments lead to • May increase competitiveness of Ireland • A positive while exchange rates stay at this uncertainty in their own way”. (& Scotland). level and reasonably stable. Euromonitor Travel Landscape from • But also, reinforces the nationalist, island Top 100 Cities November 2017 mentality which can translate to quirky, Exchange Rate Impact (%) Safety and security are therefore real England. important traveller considerations, with • People say they are more likely to visit 60 rural destinations likely to continue to be Britain post-referendum. Germany seen as safe choices among those with 64 concerns. Perceptions of Britain (%) 38 Britain: Safe & Secure destination (%) 71 64 80 Germany 72 65 69 71 65 66 Netherlands 55 38 70 Netherlands The weak pound makes it a good time 50 to visit Britain Germany Netherlands Britain is still an expensive destination Welcoming to visitors Aug-16 Feb/Mar-17 Sep-17 Open minded & tolerant The fall in the pound makes it more likely that I will personally visit Britain 8 Source: Inbound consumer sentiment research Key challenges – Competitive environment - How do we increase consideration of England’s regions outside London? Competitive Environment Growing inbound travel to England’s • As well as competing with other destinations, the regions dominance and perceptions of London have a wider • Alleviating transport concerns and growing awareness impact on other destinations in Britain. of Britain outside London are key challenges. 1. Competitor 2. Dominance of 1. Address Transport 2. Promoting regional Destinations London concerns England Main competitor destination by • The draw of London itself • Promoting our safe road • Awareness of destinations country when considering visit to can deter them from going record and train network and activities / products Britain: elsewhere in Britain outside of London is key. across our regions is a • Germany – Ireland, France • London is a major gateway, • Providing clarity around major barrier. • Netherlands – France, Spain particularly for France journey planning. Reasons for not going beyond Reasons for not going beyond Reasons for not going beyond Reasons for not going beyond London (%)* London (%)* London (%)* London (%)* Nervous about driving Don't know what in the UK 48 there is to see 29 Other places So much to do in higher up the list 46 London wouldn't to visit 39 Too expensive to have time 25 Don't know what travel to expect 25 More exciting places elsewhere 26 Other places worth in Europe as close going to far from 19 Wouldn't know The best of Britain London what to do 22 can be seen within 17 No great urge to London Wouldn't know how to 21 Weather would explore other parts get outside of London 17 put me off 22 * Data is all visitors to England who only visited London 9 Source: IPS via Discover England: summary insights on overseas visitors to England’s regions 2016 Visitors to England are not aware of the attractions outside of London Implications The level of knowledge is low for 4 main themes in the barriers to attractions and destinations beyond travelling beyond London: • Almost all these barriers can be Belief that addressed through strong London. London has communication of the offer The greater perceived knowledge of Lack of everything beyond London in particular the culture and people is interesting, knowledge promotion of rural towns (and as perhaps they don’t know what other cities) on the waterways they don’t know (rural communities, routes. crafts & trades). Transport What do you know about Britain Lack of desire concerns to visit