00:01Tourism is one of the UK's largest industries, supporting businesses, jobs and local economies
00:07across England and Wales. From accommodation providers and attractions to hospitality venues
00:13and transport links, the sector plays a major role in everyday communities. We've been speaking
00:18to the director of Visit England about why tourism matters and what the outlook is for the visitor
00:24economy. Tourism is, I think of it sometimes as a little bit of a Cinderella industry in
00:30that people don't realise quite how big and how important it is. Tourism employs over 2.2
00:38million people. It's domestic tourism impacts on our gross domestic product about 127 billion
00:48pounds and there are many hundreds of thousands of small SME businesses that make up our tourism
00:55industry. So, really important. Although major landmarks often attract attention, a large part
01:02of the visitor economy is made up of smaller and independent businesses. That includes places to
01:08stay, places to eat and attractions that rely on people choosing to travel. Together they form the
01:13infrastructure that helps tourism operate across towns, cities and rural areas.
01:18They're hugely important, both to the wider visitor economy, but also to the local community. Because
01:25if you think about it, what makes a place good to live in, the things that people like, tend to
01:33be the
01:33independent shops, the independent restaurants. That feeling that creates a community and gives a sense of
01:40place. Well, they're also the reasons people like to visit places. So, what's good for the resident
01:45is good for the visitor. The sector is estimated to generate around £127 billion each year for the
01:54economy. It also supports more than two million jobs in England alone, across a wide range of roles.
02:00That means tourism often has an impact well beyond the places visitors come to see.
02:05It's that combination that creates enough turnover to keep the business going. So, without tourism and
02:13the visitors that come through tourism, our places, our communities, they wouldn't be as interesting and
02:21they wouldn't be as independent. Latest projections suggest international travel to the UK could continue
02:27to increase in the coming years. Forecasts indicate millions more visits are possible alongside a rise in
02:33spending by overseas travellers. Industry groups say trends like this can have a direct effect on businesses
02:38that rely on visitor demand. But tourism is also shaped by wider conditions around the world. Economic
02:45changes, travel demand and international events can all influence how many people decide to visit. Industry
02:52forecasts point to potential growth, while also noting there are uncertainties that could affect the pace of recovery.
02:58At that point, I would have said the growth was being driven from America. You know, the American
03:04visitors had come back and they had really embraced our campaign of starring Great Britain. So we've been
03:13doing a film and TV based campaign in America which highlights all the films and things that are filmed
03:19here and says, you know, so if you like Peaky Blinders, you really need to go and see the real
03:25star of the show,
03:26which is Great Britain. And it's been a fantastic campaign and the Americans have been lapping it up.
03:33At the moment, travel is changing. So what I'm urging people to do in order to keep supporting those
03:40businesses is actually think about domestic trips. In the same way as we did directly after Covid,
03:47I defy anyone to tell me that they know England so well that there aren't still undiscovered gems out there.
03:54Tourism organisations say the visitor economy continues to play a key role in supporting
04:00businesses and employment across communities. With forecasts suggesting visits and spending may rise,
04:06attention is now turning to how the industry prepares for the period ahead
04:10and adapts to changing travel patterns.
04:12mod projections.
04:12news
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