‘Poorly designed’ policies threatening London’s grip on global tourism Hospitality London’s competitiveness as a leading culture and tourism destination is being undermined by “poorly designed” policies, the West End’s leading business advocate has warned. Dee Corsi, chief executive of the New West End Company (NWEC), has said that London is “competing with one hand tied behind its back” compared to global rivals whose policymakers are [...]
London hotel occupancy slides as Iran war wreaks travel havoc Hospitality International travel chaos caused by the Iran war is beginning to hit London’s hotels, fresh data has found. The occupancy of London’s hotels fell year on year in March, according to audit firm RSM.Hotel experts attribute the decline to a fall in tourism. Luxury London hotels enjoy a huge amount of custom from Middle Eastern [...]
Brits booking holidays last minute over Iran war fears, says Jet2 Transport & Infrastructure Budget airline Jet2 said Brits are leaving holiday bookings until the very last minute as the Iran war threatens to wreak havoc on summer tourism plans. The UK’s third-largest package holiday provider said on Wednesday: “Since commencement of the conflict in the Middle East, the booking profile has become increasingly close to departure.” But the [...]
Manchester unveils £15bn plan to become go-to tourist destination outside London January 29, 2025 Greater Manchester has unveiled plans to grow its visitor economy to be worth £15bn by the end of the decade in a bid to be the go-to tourism destination in the UK outside of London. The new strategy, which covers a five-year period through to 2030, aims to increase the region’s visitor economy from around [...]
Can Liverpool replace London as UK’s tourism capital? January 17, 2025 The Liverpool City Region is making a bold play to replace London as the tourism capital of the UK. Local leaders have unveiled a five-year plan which it hopes will boost the region’s economy, create jobs and become the go-to destination in the country. Liverpool has been emboldened in its ambitions after hosting major cultural [...]
Titanic Belfast targets international tourism as profit surges December 16, 2024 Titanic Belfast has targeted international tourists to continue its recent remarkable growth after its turnover and profit both surged during its latest financial year. The Northern Ireland museum is to focus on attracting visitors from Europe and long-haul destinations after noticing a shift in consumer patterns following the Covid-19 pandemic. The change comes after Titanic [...]
London Big Bus Tours operator slashes loss as sales accelerate November 5, 2024 The group that operates London Big Bus Tours cut its pre-tax loss by more than $50m (£38.5m) during its latest financial year. Big Bus Tours Group has posted a pre-tax loss of $31m for the 12 months to 30 April, 2024, having made a loss of $82.4m in its prior year. Newly-filed accounts with Companies [...]
The View from The Shard remains troubled despite ‘positive’ outlook October 10, 2024 The company behind the viewing gallery at The Shard remained in the red for a fourth consecutive year despite it its revenue continuing to rise. The London attraction has reported a pre-tax loss of £678,839 for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The total comes after the firm also posted a pre-tax loss [...]
West End: Tourist tax ‘disadvantage’ costs retailers hundreds of millions September 16, 2024 Retail business in London missed out on a projected £220m in the first half of 2024 due to the ongoing effect of the so-called tourist tax, despite continued growth in international visitor numbers. The number of international visitors to London was three per cent above pre-pandemic levels, but spending in the West End fell nearly [...]
Kurt Geiger boss joins list of retailers slamming the end of tax-free shopping September 2, 2024 Kurt Geiger’s boss has said the UK is shooting itself in the foot by not bringing back tax-free shopping for international visitors. Kurt Geiger’s chief executive, Neil Clifford, told The Times that the end of VAT-free shopping has had a “massively negative effect” on Britain”. “International tourists, whether it be Middle Eastern or American travellers, [...]