Well, the Summer Holidays are finally here.
“Yay” scream the kids.
“No” scream the parents.
“Aaaargh” screams the tourist industry collectively.
It’s the best and worst of times for tourist attractions throughout the UK. Obviously, it’s the time to make hay while the sun is (hopefully) shining. Simultaneously it’s a period when pausing to catch your breath is difficult, let alone dealing with the ongoing day-to-day admin of running a business.
We believe that by exploring new trends and embracing technological advancements, the tourism industry can propel itself into a future filled with endless possibilities and less ‘Aaaargh’.
We’re not talking about walking around a museum looking at your phone. We’re talking about walking straight into that museum, at a quiet time thanks to pre-payment capabilities and real-time visitor data.
We’re talking pre-ordering lunches, or gift bags for the children, without the queues.
We’re talking working with technology.
We’re keen to support the tourist industry. Tourism drives economic growth, employs significant numbers of people (full and part-time) and creates symbiotic opportunities, for example campsites providing visitors to pubs, theme parks boosting local accommodation, and retailers benefiting from visitors to their towns and cities.
Figures reveal the significant contributions of the sector to the British economy, aswell as its impact on employment and business development.
Taking into account both direct and indirect impacts, including the supply chain, tourism emerges as a major force, contributing a staggering £106 billion to the British economy (GDP).
This significant contribution also supports a vast workforce, providing employment to 2.6 million people. Even when considering direct impacts alone, the tourism industry remains robust, contributing £48 billion and supporting 1.4 million jobs.
The available data (albeit from 2011) further reinforces the significance of this sector, with 208,880 VAT registered businesses in England operating within various tourism sectors, ranging from accommodation and food and drink establishments to transport, travel agencies and cultural activities.
In 2019, tourism saw an impressive influx of visitors, both domestic and overseas. British residents embarked on 99.1 million domestic overnight trips in England, collectively spending a substantial £19.5 billion. Overseas visitors also flocked to England, making 36.1 million trips and contributing an impressive£24.8 billion to the economy. Additionally, domestic day trips within England reached an astounding 1.4 billion in 2018, with spending soaring to £56.5billion.
According to VisitBritain, the sector continues to grow – which is great, but are we in danger of resting on our laurels?
In an increasingly digital age, it’s important to stay a step ahead. We have a golden opportunity in the UK, with our rich history, stunning landscapes and fantastic tourist attractions to seize the moment and ride the crest of the digital wave along the tourism channel.
Our followers on LinkedIn and Twitter will know what we’re talking about – the creation of bespoke apps to drive efficiency and enhance the visitor experience for tourists across the country.
There are endless possibilities with apps, which can evolve in line with a business, to improve the visitor experience for all parties.
We’d be keen to hear your thoughts too! Drop us a message.
