Over a half a million new jobs will be created in tourism over the next decade according to VisitEngland. A bumper 2015 will kick start this decade of growth with an exceptionally high number of anniversaries and events happening this year.
Cornucopia of stunning events and anniversaries in 2015
“England’s tourism industry can look forward to 2015 with confidence,” said James Berresford, chief executive of VisitEngland. “There is a cornucopia of stunning events and anniversaries falling this year which we’d expect to drive up visitor numbers right across the country. All this with a tailwind of growing consumer confidence and a falling oil price which cuts the cost of leisure travel, makes us optimistic for a busy year of welcoming more visitors from home and abroad.”
Some of the biggest events:
- Rugby World Cup in September, which is expected to contribute almost £1bn to the economy during six weeks of games across 10 cities.
- 800th anniversary of Magna Carta
- 50th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill’s death
- bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo
- 150 years since the publication of Alice in Wonderland
- 125th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s birth
- opening of Wayne Hemingway’s Dreamland in Margate, a recreation of the world’s first amusement park.
Engine of growth
During the recession tourism has been an engine of growth, with holiday spending at home by Brits jumping by 24 per cent between 2008 and 2013, and overseas visitor spend growing by 29 per cent over the same period.
Helen Grant, Minister for Tourism, welcomed the predictions for 2015 saying: “The continued success of UK tourism is fantastic news, driving growth and supporting 2.6 million jobs in England alone. Our tourism strategy is working and is a vital part of the government’s long term economic plan. We are committed to keeping up this momentum and doing all we can to help an industry that is predicted to double in size over the next decade.”
Much of this growth will come from British people taking more trips and holidays at home, with domestic tourism continuing to account for over 70 per cent of all spending.
In order to capitalise on the year’s tourism events, VisitEngland will be running a number of exciting campaigns to make the most of what is expected to be a vintage year for English tourism.
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