Boom year for London tourism

#LONDON continued to welcome record numbers of international tourists – more than 5.2 million – between July and September last year, according to the Office for National Statistics. 

The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ‘London is the best big city on the planet. We really know how to roll out the red carpet and put on a show for the millions of visitors who flock here year after year.

London also recorded a rise in the number of domestic visits to the city, with 9.3 million trips to London during the first nine months of 2015.

This growth has contributed £2.25 billion to London’s economy.

The number of international visits to London has risen steadily over the last five years, with 2014 seeing a record-breaking 17.4 million trips to the capital, a trend which has been matched across the UK as a whole.

VisitBritain has forecast that the number of overseas visitors travelling to the UK in 2016 will increase again by 3.8 per cent to 36.7 million, with those tourists spending almost £23 billion.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Travel trends report highlights 12 destinations to watch

The 2016 travel trends report by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has flagged up the ‘12 Destinations to watch’. The report, released in association with the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) also highlights emerging and key trends in travel which will influence holiday habits in the year ahead.

It suggests that almost a quarter (23%) of the population are expecting to spend more on their holidays, up slightly from 20% last year. 

Almost one in five people (18%) say they will travel to a country they have never been to before in 2016, compared to 9% who said this last year. 

ABTA has identified its ‘12 #Destinations to watch’ for #2016; places that are expected to capture the public’s imagination. These are: 

• Abu Dhabi 
• Canada 
• China – the Silk Road 
• France 
• Hawaii 
• Iceland
• Iran 
• Naples and Apulia (Italy) 
• Peru 
• Poland 
• Queensland, Australia
• Sri Lanka

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/89813764@N06/8538211616">Peru-11</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/47125846@N08/5186405054">Epcot - Terracotta Man</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/62992761@N04/5799865781">SriLanka</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license)

Travelling Brits losing £££s on foreign currency spreads

UK RESIDENTS lose more than £1.24 billion every year to currency spreads when travelling abroad, according to research by Centtrip.

Centtrip’s analysis reveals that travellers are hit by an average 3.5% spread on foreign currencies including the euro and the US and Australian dollars. On the average spend for a trip – £591 – this translates as a hit of £20.70 when converting sterling into the local currency.

Centtrip’s analysis of the destinations that benefit most from UK travel reveals that UK residents spend more than £16.3 billion each year travelling to their top five destinations, with more than £6 billion being spent in Spain alone. This equates to more than £190 million in lost sterling due to differences between the market exchange rate and the sell rate of a typical travel money company. This is followed by the US, where UK residents lose more than £109.1 million to currency spreads each year, and France, with £109 million.

Brian Jamieson, co-founder and managing director of Centtrip, said: ‘The recent fall in the euro has hugely aided UK travellers when going abroad, especially when considering that 12 of the 20 most-visited countries for Britons are within the eurozone. However, our research reveals the huge losses made by travellers to currency spreads, which can amount to a significant sum over the course of the year.

‘People travelling further afield – where the average spend on a trip is typically higher – or those who make frequent trips abroad are hit even harder by currency spreads. It is therefore imperative that regular travellers, whether for business or pleasure, ensure they protect themselves from currency spreads by paying close attention to currency fluctuations and choose a currency provider who ensures they get the best rates available.’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/125992663@N02/14597682161">Forex</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)