CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Tourism occurs in many ways under the domestic and international tourism. International tourism mainly occurs through inbound and outbound tourism. However domestic tourism entails adventure, fun or recreational, experiential, and other forms of recreational or professional purposes (Truyols, 2023). The Inbound (overseas, and their spending trends) in the UK have shown an increasing trend since 2010 (See Fig. 8). Under both international and domestic tourism, the role of destination management cannot be overlooked. These Destination Management Companies (DMC) are often responsible in the travel and tourism industries for managing different aspects of a destination, where a destination can be any place such as a country, region, city, or particular areas of attraction (Reali, 2022). These companies are responsible to manage and streamline amenities and services for tourists. Some of the top DMCs in the UK include Ovation, England DMC, and Spectra. However, the role of Visit Britain is cardinal as a tourism agency. The DMC is responsible for promoting the UK as a premier travel destination (Visit Britain, 2024).

This report addresses the elements of the tourism sector such as sustainability, and stakeholder collaboration. There are also significant challenges posed by evolving customer preferences (Pforr and Hosie, 2008), which need to be addressed. Hence, this report focuses on the role of Visit Britain in fostering domestic and international tourism in the UK. Focusing mainly on the strategies employed by the DMC to enhance the quality of service offerings in tourism, and their unique approaches to fulfil a growing demand for sustainable travel solutions in the UK.

CHAPTER TWO: THE UNDERSTANDING OF TOURISM PRODUCT AND STAKEHOLDERS OF THE ORGANISATION

2.1.            History of Visit Britain

Visit Britain is part of the British Tourist Authority (BTA) operating since 1969. Visit Britain has been a central organisation in promoting tourism, both domestically and internationally. Visit Britain is a brand name for the British Tourism Authority (BTA). Visit Britain is a non-departmental public body based on the functions, duties, and power stipulated in the Tourism Act (1969) (Visit Britain, 2024). The body encourages international visitors to come to the UK. Fig. 2 illustrates an approximately 27% increase in overseas visitors to the UK (Visit Britain, 2024, p. 13).  The body aims to encourage domestic tourism. It also plays an imperative role in promoting the provision and improvement of tourist amenities in the UK. Its assistive role in policy-making and implementation can also not be overlooked.  According to Visit Britain, the body currently represents Great Britain as a tourist destination from across 21 international markets.

Visit England is also a part of the body which aims to lead England’s visitor economy. This body further ensures a resilient, sustainable, and world-class visitor economy.

Figure 1: Visit England: The English Visitor Economy

Source: Illustration extracted from (Visit Britain, 2024, p.14), based on the British Tourist Authority Annual Report and Accounts Performance Report (British Tourist Authority, 2023)

The efforts of the statutory body boosted economic activity in the UK by approximately £673 million in 2023 (British Tourist Authority, 2023). Visit Britain has been able to accomplish these imperatives through the GREAT Campaign, aiming to offer SME training and outlining industry best practices. These initiatives have helped the body intervene and bolster the local industries to match changing consumer preferences. However, the British Tourist Authority as a statutory body encompasses the following strategy, responsible for the sector growth in the UK.

Figure 2: BTA Corporate Strategy and Priorities under Visit Britain and Visit England (Visit Britain, 2024)

According to Visit Britain, they are responsible for sharing their brand story, reaching out to overseas customers, engaging with key partners, and enabling the growth of national business events globally (under the GREAT initiative). According to Visit England, they embed new destination landscapes, delivered a sustainable visitor economy strategy for England, led sustainability initiatives, and won more business events for England.

Visit Britain has currently partnered with travel companies in the UK including British Airways, TripAdvisor, Wego, Skyscanner, and HelloWorld (Visit Britain, 2024, p.18). These partnerships aim to foster joint campaigns to improve travel outcomes for overseas visitors and spending outcomes for these imperatives.

2.2.            Present State of Visit Britain

Visit Britain, under the BTA, is currently in the transitional phase. The body is experiencing incremental growth in inbound tourism, but certain challenges still exist for the post-pandemic recovery. Approximately 39.5 million international visits were reported in the UK (Visit Britain, 2024) (See Fig. 8). This represents approximately a 5% and 10% increase compared to the previous year and 2010, respectively. The current international visits have reduced by approximately 3% as compared to 2019, which was recorded as the best performance standpoint. Spending by inbound visitors recorded a cumulative of £34.1 billion in 2024 (See Fig. 8). This shows a 7% and 20% increase as compared to the financial periods of 2023, and 2019, respectively. Inbound visitor spending shows an incremental year-on-year growth as compared to the contrasting outcomes from the number of visitors. This explains the impact and effectiveness of the strategy shown in Fig. 4. Visit Britain aims to market the tourism sector as a whole. However, Visit England as a statutory body of the BTA aims to diversify strategy into regional outcomes. This has significantly helped Visit Britain and Visit England achieve significant regional and national growth in tourism industry outcomes.

2.2.1.      Key Markets Contributing to the Spending Trends

Figure 3: Overseas Travel and Tourism: May 2022 Provisional Results (ONS, 2022)

Fig. 5 shows a significant portion of inbound visitors from the EU15 countries. These mainly comprise Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.  The EU 15 countries are still subjected to remain under the 2019 levels due to the post-pandemic recovery crunch (ONS, 2022). However, the total inbound visitor spending from North America reported £6.7 billion in 2024 (Visit Britain, 2024). Asia is also a significant contributor to the UK’s inbound visitor spending. China alone contributed £1.7 billion to the UK’s inbound visitor spending during 2024 (Visit Britain, 2024). A consistent growth is anticipated for inbound visitors from Asian markets due to the GREAT campaign. However, European visitors are contracting due to alternative tourist destinations. The outlook for North America is very positive as it is growing faster than the other countries or regions (See Fig. 5).

2.2.2.      Strategic Initiatives

Visit Britain is currently implementing a target marketing campaign in the 21 proposed countries based on the EU 15, North America, Asia, and the Middle East. This campaign is driven by the GREAT initiative under the BTA. The initiative focuses on the UK’s cultural heritage, modern attractions, and the growing trends for screen tourism. Screen tourism spending alone contributed approximately £730 million to the economy in 2021, with projected growth reaching £900 million by the end of 2024 (SIGN, 2021). The strategic partnerships with tourism companies (such as airways, and hotels) aim to convert consumer interest (through GREAT initiatives), into actual, tangible bookings.

2.2.3.      Current Challenges for Visit Britain

One of the most significant challenges includes the recovery of the visitor economy post-2019 levels (due to recovery from the pandemic). The cumulative number of visitors in 2024 decreased by approximately 5.4% compared with 2019 (See Fig. 8). The impact of the pandemic has receded by the end of the year and remained dormant during the current financial period (Visit Britain, 2024).

The GREAT campaign is highly dependent on the budgetary constraints from the Cabinet Office. Currently, the funding for the BTA comes from the following sources, which are then distributed across Visit Britain and Visit England.

Figure 4: Funding from the Cabinet Office (£ millions) (Visit Britain, 2024, p. 24)

The British Tourism Authority receives Grant-in-Aid from the Department of Culture, Media, and Sports (DCMS) (Visit Britain, 2024). This department contributed to funding of £53.2 million during the 2022-23 financial year. GIA funding was reduced in 2024 due to a focus on the Commonwealth Games and GREAT funding (Visit Britain, 2024). This shows a greater focus on the GREAT initiative but offsets the overall funding by a slight reduction from 67 million to 66.1 million during 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively.

Another key challenge includes the procurement of new finance and HR systems. These departmental challenges entail financial and time pressure to focus on the new procuring and new financial systems under the current HR systems (Visit Britain, 2024, p. 27).

The retail operations also reported low levels of financial contribution for BTA. A majority of these challenges resulted from high-profile cyber-attacks (Visit Britain, 2024, p.27). This is one of the most significant risk factors, challenging the current framework for growth in the international tourism sector. Any cyber attack on the framework can hamper sustained growth initiatives for Visit Britain.

2.3.            The Impact of Current Competitors

Visit Britain has two types of competition. These include other national and regional DMSs in Ireland, France, and Scotland. The UK was anointed as 4^th largest and strongest tourism brand in 2023, as compared to 6^th place in 2022 (Visit Britain, 2024). However, the following competitors are one of the greatest contenders compromising inbound visits to the UK.

2.3.1.      Tourism Ireland

Tourism Ireland aggressively markets Ireland’s scenic landscapes, cultural heritage, and unique events such as the St. Patrick’s Day annual celebrations. Tourism Ireland focuses mainly on the North American and European markets, which are significant contributors to the UK’s annual inbound visits. Approximately 21.7% of the total inbound visits to Ireland came from the United States of America (CSO, 2024). Additionally, inbound tourists from Europe included 32.6% and 8% from the UK and Germany, respectively (CSO, 2024). This shows that Tourism Ireland has been able to attract a majority of outbound tourists from the UK. This poses a significant risk for the GREAT initiative efforts of the BTA.

2.3.2.      Atout France

France’s national tourism agency (Atout France) has been seen historically as the biggest contender for Visit Britain. Atout France has been able to leverage the diverse attractions in France. These mainly comprise of Paris’s urban charm to the French Riveria’s allure.

Figure 5: Most Visited Cultural and Recreational Sites in France (2017) (Statista, 2024)

Disneyland alone was the reason for approximately 15 million inbound tourists to France in 2017 (Statista, 2024). However, other tourist attractions may not be the sole purpose of inbound travel into France (apart from the Eiffel Tower). Nevertheless, the Louvre Museum, Versailles Palace, and other tourist visits accumulated 39.394 million inbound visits (except for Disney Land and the Eiffel Tower) (See Fig. 7). The inbound visits to France increased from 60.461 million in 2017 to 101 million in 2024 (Road Genius, 2024). The impact of the Paris Olympics was a mere 1 million additional visits as compared to 2024 (Road Genius, 2024). Although the comparison in size of visitors might not be relevant, due to the significant historical and geographical differences between France and the UK. However, the inbound tourist visits to France and the UK increased by approximately 66.6% and -5.84%, respectively, in 2024 as compared with 2017. This shows that Paris is the strongest European contender for Visit Britain (or BTA for that matter).

2.3.3.      Visit Scotland

Scotland within the UK is also a significant competitor. This is because a majority of domestic travellers, who go to the nearest European destinations are now preferring Scotland. The main Scottish attractions include outdoor adventures, festivals such as the Edinburgh Fringe, and the local heritage drawing attention away from UK and European destinations.

The impact of this competition is one of the most significant reasons Visit Britain is unable to recover post-pandemic. This requires the following strategies.

·         Visit Britain must emphasise diversity in tourist offerings, such as a shift to promote regional attractions, screen tourism, and off-the-beaten-path destinations.

·         Visit Britain should integrate green tourism practices and promote sustainable tourism (like that in Denmark).

·         Visit Britain should continue collaboration with key partners, such as airlines, hospitality, and other direct or indirect tourist operations.

2.4.            Key Stakeholders

Visit Britain has to collaborate with key stakeholders, such as investors and the local communities. These stakeholders are important in promoting the UK as a top international and domestic tourism destination.

2.4.1.      Stakeholder Expectations

Investments mainly come from the public, operational, capital, and commercial findings (Visit Britain, 2024). They mainly comprise the Department for Digital Culture, Media, and Sports (DCMS). DCMS has high expectations of their investment based on an approximation of visitor numbers, their length of stay, and updates on funds allocation.

Figure 6: Historic and Forecast Inbound visits (millions) and spend (£ billions) (Visit Britain, 2024, p.27)

Fig. 8 shows a significant projection of the total number of visitors and its impact on the tourism economy. According to Fig. 8, the total inbound visitors will increase by approximately 2%, compared with 2023. Additionally, the average total spending in 2024 is projected to reach £32.5 billion; a 4.5% increase as compared with 2023. DCMS has invested heavily in the tourist outlook for the upcoming year. Even though the total funding has decreased to £66.1 million from £67 million in 2022 (See Fig. 6). DCMS expects a strong focus on GREAT campaigns to establish a strong foothold in the international markets for UK tourism offerings (Visit Britain, 2024, p. 27). The spending per visit for single inbound visitors reported an 18% increase compared to 2019 (Visit Britain, 2024, p. 27). The length of stay is also slightly higher in 2023, compared to the 2019 average for an average inbound visitor (Visit Britain, 2024, p. 27). These findings suggest that Visit Britain can significantly influence the funding decision of DCMS. The findings suggest a recovery pattern for the tourism sector, based on international visits to the UK.

The local communities also play a significant role in shaping domestic tourism in the UK. They often play the role of hosts for international visitors, therefore, reflecting economic benefits, infrastructural development, and cultural integration. Local communities’ perceptions about international visits are positive. This is mainly because international tourism in the UK contributes significantly to its national GDP. The total contribution of international tourism to the UK was reported £237.1 billion in 2022 (Statista, 2024b). Moreover, the total travel and tourism employment in the UK is approximated to 3.64 million jobs (Statista, 2024a). Although the jobs from the travel and tourism industry in the UK reported approximately 15% decrease. This figure is, nonetheless, imperative for shaping the perceptual outcomes for the local communities. A greater investment in infrastructure development is also a result of increased tourism spending. The government in particular plays a key role in preserving the local heritage for tourism purposes. These outcomes help negate the negative cultural and environmental impacts of an increase in tourism. Therefore, these economic infrastructure and cultural aspects are the key expectations from the local communities. Considering both are important for Visit Britain to maintain sustainable growth in international visits to the UK.

2.4.2.      Techniques for Stakeholder Engagement

Visit Britain uses performance metrics, collaborative planning, and digital innovation to engage stakeholders. The stakeholders mainly comprise the DCMS and local communities.

Performance metrics to engage the DCMS comprise total inbound visitors, total visitor spending, average visitor spending (per visitor), and the average duration of stay. Visit Britain has denoted a stark increase in the performance metrics mentioned above. The comparison is based on the base year performance for the financial period in 2019. The results suggest a 4.5% projected increase in total visitors to the UK in 2024. Spending per visit reported an 18% increase as compared with 2019. These findings suggest that positive engagement methods have resulted in higher stakes of DCMS in policy formulation and implementation. Visit Britain is a key player having an assistive role. This occurs through a strong partnership with DCMS as a key stakeholder.

Visit Britain uses sustainable tourism grants that support eco-tourism and community-led projects to foster local ownership and tourism development (Visit Britain, 2024, p.29). Public surveys are conducted, such as the British Tourist Authority surveys; to gain important feedback from the local communities. This feedback mainly focuses on certain local tourism campaigns and policies, and their overall impact on the collective stakeholders group. Local communities expect these policies and campaigns to align with local priorities. Therefore, sustainable and eco-friendly tourism can emphasise local efforts. Visit Britain aligns with this perceptive role through training programs too. The body ensures service quality and cultural diversity among the residents to promote both domestic and international tourism.

CHAPTER THREE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF TOURISM PRODUCTS (QUALITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ASPECTS)

3.1.            Risks and Risk Management Strategies

The risks faced by Visit Britain encompass financial, sustainability, operational, reputational, and external environmental impacts. The risks are explained in detail below.

3.1.1.      Economic Risks

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in macroeconomic implications for the tourism industry in the UK. This resulted in a significant impact on the UK's tourism and travel recovery. Visit Britain reported a decline in tourism by approximately 70% in 2020 compared to 2019 (Visit Britain, 2024). Visit Britain invested heavily in marketing under the GREAT campaign to focus only on the regions that could contribute to the economic recovery. These include the North America, EU 15, and China. Visit Britain has also ensured a strong partnership with DCMS to ensure stable funding for these new initiatives. Although recovery is not significant. Nevertheless, post-pandemic recovery has started to reciprocate outcomes similar to 2019.

3.1.2.      Sustainability Risks

Environmental protection is both mandated and perceived as an important risk factors by the public in general. Ensuring the safety of the local heritage is necessary to encourage inbound tourism. Visit Britain has to mandate both national and regional tourism guidelines to foster a safe and eco-friendly tourism mechanism. Any deviance can result in reputational damages for the organisation. Therefore, Visit Britain has ensured key partnerships with airlines and travel companies to encourage the adoption of low-carbon practices. These mainly promote rail travel and domestic flights. Hence, the organisation has been able to control sustainability risks to some extent.

3.1.3.      Operational Risks

Cyber threats and disruptions in digital platforms are significant operational risks (Visit Britain, 2024, p. 27). Moreover, a 900% rise in fraudulent travel bookings was reported during 2023 (BBC, 2024). These fraudulent domestic behaviour can compromise the impact of the GREAT campaign. The BTA particularly invested in the IT infrastructure by implementing advanced cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive personal data (Visit Britain, 2024, p. 27). Investments into the GREAT campaigns also reflect a greater emphasis on marketing to high-potential markets. These signify the impeccable role of Visit Britain in their ability to retain the UK as a top-visit destination.

3.1.4.      Competition Risks

Competition from Atout France is amongst the fiercest. Other competitors include Visit Scotland and Tourism Ireland. A high competition in the EU 15 denotes a significantly lesser market share for international tourism prospects for the UK. The BTA has strategized separating international tourism from domestic and regional tourism. This strategy has helped Visit Britain market the unique selling point across 21 countries. Moreover, partnerships with regional boards, airlines, and cultural institutions such as Museums and heritage sites have integrated unique tourism experiences. Hence, Visit Britain has been able to contain competition risks (to some extent).

3.2.            Sustainable Strategies for Visit Britain

3.2.1.      Environmental Sustainability

Visit Britain promotes eco-friendly tourism through domestic attraction for the Scottish Highlands and Northumberland to reduce overcrowding in hotspots, such as London and Edinburgh (Visit Britain, 2024). This helps preserve the natural landscapes and biodiversity.

3.2.2.      Economic Sustainability

Visit Britain promotes regional tourism which resulted in approximately 3.64 million jobs in 2023 (Visit Britain, 2024). Sustainable funding sources are ensured by a strong partnership with the DCMS. Visit Britain also encourages consuming locally made products and services.

3.2.3.      Social Sustainability

Visit Britain enhances the safeguarding of historical sites through initiatives such as “Heritage is GREAT” (Visit Britain, 2024). Partnership with healthcare and social care aims to offer inclusive tourism by promoting accessibility for people with disabilities (Visit Britain, 2024, p.17).

3.2.4.      Monitoring and Evaluation

Annual sustainability reporting outlines regional development goals. Currently, Visit Britain is emphasising the reduction of carbon footprint and promoting green tourism practices (Visit Britain, 2024). Data is assessed in these reports to inform assistive policy implementations.

CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION

Visit Britain demonstrates resilience and adaptability post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery. However, full recovery has not yet been achieved. Visit Britain, nevertheless, is in the growth strategy while it still emphasises sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation to market through the GREAT campaign in 21 countries. Key challenges include high competition from Atout France, Tourism Ireland, and Visit Scotland.

4.1.            Recommendations

4.1.1.      Leverage Digital Engagement

The use of AI-powered chatbots and virtual reality tours can help enhance marketing outcomes (such as engagement) through the GREAT initiatives.

4.1.2.      Deepen Stakeholder Collaboration

A strong collaboration with local communities, travel agencies, and sustainability advocates is necessary to promote authentic and eco-friendly tourism offerings.

4.1.3.      Service Diversification

Instead of focusing on geographical realities; Visit Britain must also realise diversifying tourism attractions through infrastructure development and reducing pressure on popular areas (such as London and Edinburgh).

4.1.4.      Focus on Accessibility

Investments in infrastructure and tourist campaigns will help fulfil inbound visitors’ diverse needs.