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for high quality accommodation and increasing demand for all types of accommodation in the future.
These findings provide an important context in the shaping of objectives for this strategy.
Informative Tourism Trends: The National Context
The GB Tourism Survey (GTBS) 2013
This latest annual survey was completed in 2013 and assesses the volumes and values of domestic
tourism in Great Britain. The GBTS is jointly sponsored by VisitEngland, VisitScotland and
VisitWales, and provides a full snapshot of the current domestic tourism market conditions across
the country.
It is estimated that, in 2013, GB residents took around 123 million trips of one night or more within
Britain. These trips involved a total of 374 million nights away from home, resulting in an average
tourism trip length of three nights. Tourism expenditure on these domestic trips was around £23
billion, representing an average spend of £187 per trip and £62 per night away from home.
By relating these levels of tourism volume and value to the total population, the average level of
tourism per head of population can be calculated. In 2013, the average GB adult resident:
took two tourism trips of one night or more away from home within GB;
stayed away from home for approximately three nights per trip;
spent in the region of £190 per trip.
These characteristics of domestic tourism have therefore tended to focus regional or city tourism
strategies to target the short break market rather than full week or longer stay visitors.
Trends for the Next Decade by Visit England (December 2013)
The recession from 2008 to 2011 has changed visitor attitudes and behaviours. Being ‘green’ is less
important to visitors/consumers as the 2008-11 downturn has resulted in more difficult choices on
personal finances. However, consumers still have ethical values and standards; they have gently
shifted to ethical consumerism, i.e. the legitimacy of products and services, boardroom practices,
and supply chain management taking a more responsible approach (corporate social responsibility).
The importance of localism is also increasingly crucial; it is seen to add authenticity and trust.
Other key emergent trends identified in this document are:
Visitors are increasingly time-poor and cash-strapped, consumers will look to maximise their
leisure spend – increasing the number of short breaks (at the expense of longer ones) and
are turning visiting friends & relatives-based breaks into leisure and activity breaks.
Demographic trends will heighten the importance of family trips – and it is the traditional
rural destinations that can benefit if they adapt to the needs of visitors.
‘Nostalgia tourism’ is on the rise; it is driven by consumers’ uncertainty about the future and
the result is visitors looking for authenticity and meaning in their experiences.
Activity tourism is growing as a reaction to more sedentary lifestyles as people seek to ‘de-
stress’ through adventure experiences.
Accommodation is becoming a more complex area to address; a diverse range of
accommodation types will provide security of custom for all. New areas like glamping will
only grow further, traditional large hotels may struggle to hold onto market share.
There is a new consumer desire to increase personal ‘cultural capital’. The lifestyle media
promotion of new skills (antiques, cooking, baking, country crafts) has played a role in this
area and the public are keen to try new things they think have been lost to their families.
Rural destinations in England have an opportunity to tap into something that is
‘quintessentially English’ – the delivery of a unique offer or a point of difference that sets the
destination apart from others.