At last month's Greater Together LA, a multiday expo aimed to foster collaboration between the U.S. and U.K., features editor Emma Weissmann sat down with Patricia Yates, CEO of VisitBritain and VisitEngland, to hear more about the state of tourism in the U.K., hot spots within the region and how American clients fit into the country's tourism pie.
Patricia Yates
Q: Lately, we've seen several global factors -- geopolitical instability, high prices and potential fuel shortages -- send shock waves through the travel industry. Have you seen an impact?
A: The worst thing for travel is a lack of consumer confidence. There's this narrative going around in Europe that airlines are going to run out of fuel. And British Airways is saying, "We have the fuel to fly our program, so we're not going to be canceling flights because of fuel." I think people, particularly on holiday, they want certainty. So that's a really positive message to get out. If you look at this summer, most of the trade has sold this summer, anyway; we're probably 85% sold for the summer already. It's about retaining confidence so that people don't think, "Oh, I can't travel." You absolutely can travel, and Britain is open and ready to welcome you. I think the worry will be if we see a slowing of bookings coming through, but I haven't seen that yet. What I've heard is a great deal of optimism.
Q: How do this year's tourism numbers look?
A: We're forecasting around 7.5 billion pounds in spend (roughly $10 billion) and about 5.5 million people traveling this year. Spend is just slightly up from last year, and we're just slightly down on visits at this stage. I think we're focusing on holding right now.
Q: How about in regards to the American market specifically?
A: I think Americans are still traveling. They're still spending money, and they're still choosing Britain.
Q: What areas are you seeing interest in?
A: Americans love London, and they love Scotland. But we're starting to see them exploring some more of our cities, like Manchester. Manchester is really contemporary and modern. It's got a strong student population, which automatically gives it a young vibe. And then, of course, there's Liverpool: The vibe has started about the new upcoming film [series, to premiere in 2028] with the Beatles for people to say, "Come and see Liverpool before the crowds hit." And perhaps we'll see more Americans coming and traveling to see football after the World Cup. I think that sports tourism is always a draw, and the joy of football season is it's in winter, so it gets people traveling out of season.
Q: Tell me about the feedback from last year's "Starring Great Britain" marketing campaign.
A: We're running it again this year and just looking at our investment program for it in the U.S. We're asking, "How do we go to stage two, which is rather difficult, when we've got such a great stage one from last year?" I think it's fair to say that it will look to have that emotional connectivity to really drive visits and that immediacy of, "You have to come now."
Q: Where do travel advisors fit into your priorities?
A: There's a trade mission that we are doing during this event. On the first day, we brought in advisors from across the States; I think that's a real recognition of their power. Pre-Covid, we all thought, "Everyone is going to get the information online." Actually, what we find is there is so much information online, you don't have time to [plan yourself]. That personal advice becomes really valuable again. So it's the rise, again, of the travel advisor.
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This interview was edited for length and clarity.