AUTUMN GENERAL MEETING PDF Free Download
1 / 115/115
100%
AUTUMN GENERAL
MEETING
8 SEPTEMBER 2025
WELCOME
Rebecca Brooks
Chair
AGENDA
1. Review of Minutes – Emma Gordon, Board Director
2. Association Update – Joss Croft OBE, CEO
3. Headwinds and Tailwinds – David Edwards, Scattered Clouds
4. Q&A
REVIEW OF
MINUTES
Emma Gordon
Board Director
ASSOCIATION
UPDATE
Joss Croft
CEO
MAXIMISING YOUR MEMBERSHIP
Talk to us about your business
Come along to the events
Utilise our marketing services
Host an event or suggest a webinar topic
Engage with each other
9
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO? EVENTS
11
EVENTS TEAM APPOINTMENT
12
UKINBOUND INSPIRE 2025
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO? ADVOCACY
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO? MEDIA
25 pieces of coverage
Over 1 million total reach
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO? MARCOMMS
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO? MARCOMMS
WHAT’S NEXT
•Membership renewals
•Business Barometer
•IFTM Top Resa: 23 – 25 September
•World Travel Market London: 5 – 7 November
•National Sales Conference: 13 November
•Use discount code UKINBMEMBER
•Britain & Ireland Marketplace:
•Use discount code 26UKIBIM
•Annual Convention 2026: bookings opening soon
Inbound tourism: the tailwinds and headwinds
David Edwards
September 2025
Context
Foreign bednights spent in Europe: 2014=100
Outbound travel from all world regions is forecast to grow this year and next
Intentions of Europeans to travel within Europe during next six months
Main challenges facing international tourism according to UNWTO Panel of Experts
Britain is being outcompeted in attracting inbound visitors (growth in period 1995-2024)
European destinations reporting inbound arrivals growth in first half of 2025
Across all countries to have reported
January to June figures to Tourmis
aggregate year-to-date growth in
foreign visitor arrivals stands at 5.1%
Inbound trends
Arrivals at the UK border – rolling 12-month tally
In the first half of 2025 the number of British National
arrivals is 7.2% up on the same period of last year, while
the number of Other Nationality arrivals is up just 0.6%
Visitor visas issued – rolling 12-month tally
In the first half of 2025 the number
of visitor visas issued was 5% up
on the same period of last year
Number of ETAs issued up to June 2025
Inbound volume and value trends 1980-2024
Volume remains 2% below 2019
and spend 8% down in real terms
Average spend per visit 1980-2024 (constant prices)
The amount that the typical inbound visit generates is now one-
third lower in real terms than had been the case in the mid 1980s
Average length of stay (nights) 1980-2024
The decline in spend per visit is due to
length of stay having fallen by around
one-third across the past four decades
Visits (000s) by trip purpose 2019 and 2024
Trip purpose metrics 2019 and 2024
Business Holiday VFR Study Other
2019 4.2 6.0 9.0 42.1 6.2
2024 4.7 5.9 9.7 41.4 4.1
Change 0.5 -0.1 0.7 -0.7 -2.1
2019 £199 £162 £71 £71 £124
2024 £184 £160 £60 £62 £171
Change -£15 -£2 -£11 -£9 £47
2019 £834 £980 £640 £2,987 £768
2024 £867 £951 £579 £2,577 £694
Change £33 -£29 -£61 -£410 -£74
Average length
of stay (nights)
Average spend
per night at 2024
prices
Average spend
per visit at 2024
prices
Regional spread of inbound visits
Purpose mix of inbound visits (000s) by area in 2024
Change in inbound visits 2019-24 (000s)
Leading towns and cities for inbound holiday visits and spend in 2024
London 10,918 1£9,181 London
Edinburgh 1,769 2£1,225 Edinburgh
Manchester 462 3£236 Manchester
Liverpool 347 4£168 Liverpool
Glasgow 307 5£136 Oxford
Inverness 258 6£135 Inverness
Bath 206 7£132 Bath
Oxford 197 8£130 Glasgow
Brighton 174 9£111 Brighton
York 167 10 £75 Cardiff
Cardiff 147 11 £74 York
Bristol 141 12 £72 Cambridge
Birmingham 138 13 £67 Bristol
Cambridge 131 14 £63 Birmingham
Canterbury 121 15 £61 Canterbury
Leeds 82 16 £57 Chester
Stirling 81 17 £43 Southampton
Stratford-upon-Avon 77 18 £41 Stirling
Southampton 63 19 £35 Windsor
Chester 62 20 £32 Leeds
Source:ONS
Spend (£m)
Visits (000s)
Economics
Global population of High Net Worth Individuals in 2024 (millions and annual change)
At a global level the number of HNWIs
has increased by 30% since 2018
UK public sector debt as a percentage of GDP since 1993
Net interest payable on UK public sector debt (£m outturn prices, not seasonally adjusted)
The OBR forecast for 2025/26 is £111bn,
equivalent to about half annual spending on the
NHS and double the amount spent on defence
UK 30-year gilts: average monthly yield since 1998
Inflation vs Bank of England base rate
Price Indices for 12 months to Julyy 2025 (2015 = 100)
Holiday centres, camping sites, youth hostels and similar 193
Passenger transport by air 166
Travel insurance 163
Passenger transport by sea and inland waterway 163
Package holidays 155
Museums, libraries, zoological gardens 154
Hotels, motels and similar accomodation services 154
Restaurants and cafes 147
Toll facilities and parking meters 146
Passengar transport by taxi and hired car with driver 143
Recreational and sporting services: Attendance 142
Passenger transport by railway 139
Cinemas, theatres, concerts 137
Consumer Price Index 136
Petrol 122
Travel goods 94
Source; ONS
Exchange rates
If the US Supreme Court upholds the
view that Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are
illegal, global financial and currency
markets will likely be unsettled
Europe Brent Spot Price ($s per barrel, unadjusted for inflation)
OECD Consumer Confidence since 1973
Competitiveness
WEF analysis highlights price competitiveness as a key weakness (UK rank out of 119)
Some examples
Increased likelihood of a “visitor
levy” being introduced in parts of
England, Scotland and Wales
With the exception of those from
Ireland, visitors who don’t need a
visa are now required to apply for
an ETA, which will cost them £16
The most important drivers of destination choice for potential inbound visitors
Offers good value for money 66%
Is a welcoming place to visit 64%
Is good for relaxing, resting, recharging 61%
There is beautiful coast and countryside to explore 61%
I can roam around visiting many types of places 60%
It's easy to get around once there 60%
There is a good variety of food and drink to try 57%
It's easy to get to 55%
Is a place where I can explore history and heritage 54%
Offers lots of different experiences in one destination 54%
It has experiences I can't have anywhere else 53%
There are vibrant towns and cities to explore 53%
Is good for seeing famous sites, places, ticking off the 'must do' list 52%
Is inclusive and accessible for visitors like me 51%
Is good to visit at any time of year 50%
It has surprising and unexpected experiences 48%
Is a mixture of old and new 47%
Has an interesting mix of cultures from around the world 46%
There are interesting local people to meet 45%
It offers the opportunity to travel sustainably/responsibly 44%
Has a thriving arts and contemporary culture scene 41%
A good place for treating myself 40%
A place recommended by friends or family 40%
If I don't visit soon, I'd miss out 35%
Offers experiences I want to share on social media 34%
Findings based on research
undertaken by VisitBritain, with
percentages being the proportion
who scored each aspect as 5, 6 or 7
on a 7-point scale from “not at all
important” to “extremely important”
Proportion of potential visitors that associate Britain with each statement
Offers good value for money 33%
Is a welcoming place to visit 48%
Is good for relaxing, resting, recharging 38%
There is beautiful coast and countryside to explore 47%
I can roam around visiting many types of places 56%
It's easy to get around once there 53%
There is a good variety of food and drink to try 43%
Is easy to get to 48%
Is a place where I can explore history and heritage 57%
Offers lots of different experiences in one destination 53%
It has experiences I can't have anywhere else 44%
There are vibrant towns and cities to explore 57%
Is good for seeing famous sites, places, ticking off the 'must do' list 55%
Is inclusive and accessible for visitors like me 50%
Is good to visit at any time of year 42%
It has surprising and unexpected experiences 44%
Is a mixture of old and new 55%
Has an interesting mix of cultures from around the world 51%
There are interesting local people to meet 47%
It offers the opportunity to travel sustainably/responsibly 38%
Has a thriving arts and contemporary culture scene 47%
A good place for treating myself 40%
A place recommended by friends or family 39%
If I don't visit soon, I'd miss out 27%
Offers experiences I want to share on social media 42%
Perceptions of Britain around the world (Rank, typically out of fifty nations)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
OVERALL Nations Brand Index 34433333333425645
Tourism 45544434534446666
Is rich in historic buildings and monuments 44445555555555555
Has a vibrant city life and urban attractions 44444444444446555
Would like to visit if money was no object 788666565656577710
Is rich in natural beauty 23 24 22 22 22 20 20 18 24 24 24 26 23 31 31 27 23
Culture 34644455554534345
Interesting & exciting contemporary culture 44443333434344444
Excels at sport 78856544545534555
Has a rich cultural heritage 67777776777768866
People 666444457667410 810 10
If visited, people would make me feel very welcome 14 13 13 12 13 10 13 11 12 13 15 16 11 18 16 19 18
Source: VisitBritain
Connectivity
Easy to reach
•There are few island nations that an international visitor can arrive at by sea,
rail or air
•Air is the mode of choice (or necessity) for the majority of international
visitors to Britain
•Focussing solely on scheduled air routes with more than 1,000 annual
passengers in 2024 the UK was connected to 110 countries and 403 foreign
airports
•Of the 1,781 distinct routes in operation 43% served an airport in or around
London
87% of inbound visitor spend comes courtesy of those visiting by air
By the end of the
decade Eurostar
should finally
face competition
Passenger mix by airport
Average daily flights at European airports (1st January-24th August 2025)
23rd Stansted 558
24th Manchester 553
37th Luton 371
40th Edinburgh 343
IST has 5 runways,
with a 6th by 2028,
AMS has 6 runways
Proportion of inbound holiday visitors using each mode to get around Britain
Public transport fares in Britain, most notably rail,
often compare unfavourably with those overseas,
especially for last minute purchases
The availability of public EV charging devices is highly variable (per 100,000 of population)
Demographics
Workforce age comparisons (Great Britain, 2023)
Projected population change in Great Britain over the next ten years
The cost of the state pension represented 2% of the economy
in the 1950s, today it’s 5%, by the 2070s it will be 8% if no
changes are made. The number of pensioners per 1,000
working age people is about 280 now, by 2070 it will be 393
Demographic change
•As is the case in Britain, an ageing population poses a challenge in many of
our European source markets
•In Asia, the demographic headwinds faced by Japan are well publicised, but
China faces an equally difficult predicament
•Migration is changing the profile of long-haul source markets such as
Australia, Canada and the USA, eroding how connected to Britain potential
visitors will feel
•Demand for accessible tourism is set to grow due to an ageing visitor profile
with additional needs, whether physical, sensory or cognitive
•This underscores the need to ensure that information, facilities and customer
service are as inclusive as is practical
QUESTIONS
Inbound tourism: the tailwinds and headwinds
David Edwards
September 2025
Context
Foreign bednights spent in Europe: 2014=100
Outbound travel from all world regions is forecast to grow this year and next
Intentions of Europeans to travel within Europe during next six months
Main challenges facing international tourism according to UNWTO Panel of Experts
Britain is being outcompeted in attracting inbound visitors (growth in period 1995-2024)
European destinations reporting inbound arrivals growth in first half of 2025
Across all countries to have reported
January to June figures to Tourmis
aggregate year-to-date growth in
foreign visitor arrivals stands at 5.1%
Inbound trends
Arrivals at the UK border – rolling 12-month tally
In the first half of 2025 the number of British National
arrivals is 7.2% up on the same period of last year, while
the number of Other Nationality arrivals is up just 0.6%
Visitor visas issued – rolling 12-month tally
In the first half of 2025 the number
of visitor visas issued was 5% up
on the same period of last year
Number of ETAs issued up to June 2025
Inbound volume and value trends 1980-2024
Volume remains 2% below 2019
and spend 8% down in real terms
Average spend per visit 1980-2024 (constant prices)
The amount that the typical inbound visit generates is now one-
third lower in real terms than had been the case in the mid 1980s
Average length of stay (nights) 1980-2024
The decline in spend per visit is due to
length of stay having fallen by around
one-third across the past four decades
Visits (000s) by trip purpose 2019 and 2024
Trip purpose metrics 2019 and 2024
Business Holiday VFR Study Other
2019 4.2 6.0 9.0 42.1 6.2
2024 4.7 5.9 9.7 41.4 4.1
Change 0.5 -0.1 0.7 -0.7 -2.1
2019 £199 £162 £71 £71 £124
2024 £184 £160 £60 £62 £171
Change -£15 -£2 -£11 -£9 £47
2019 £834 £980 £640 £2,987 £768
2024 £867 £951 £579 £2,577 £694
Change £33 -£29 -£61 -£410 -£74
Average length
of stay (nights)
Average spend
per night at 2024
prices
Average spend
per visit at 2024
prices
Regional spread of inbound visits
Purpose mix of inbound visits (000s) by area in 2024
Change in inbound visits 2019-24 (000s)
Leading towns and cities for inbound holiday visits and spend in 2024
London 10,918 1£9,181 London
Edinburgh 1,769 2£1,225 Edinburgh
Manchester 462 3£236 Manchester
Liverpool 347 4£168 Liverpool
Glasgow 307 5£136 Oxford
Inverness 258 6£135 Inverness
Bath 206 7£132 Bath
Oxford 197 8£130 Glasgow
Brighton 174 9£111 Brighton
York 167 10 £75 Cardiff
Cardiff 147 11 £74 York
Bristol 141 12 £72 Cambridge
Birmingham 138 13 £67 Bristol
Cambridge 131 14 £63 Birmingham
Canterbury 121 15 £61 Canterbury
Leeds 82 16 £57 Chester
Stirling 81 17 £43 Southampton
Stratford-upon-Avon 77 18 £41 Stirling
Southampton 63 19 £35 Windsor
Chester 62 20 £32 Leeds
Source:ONS
Spend (£m)
Visits (000s)
Economics
Global population of High Net Worth Individuals in 2024 (millions and annual change)
At a global level the number of HNWIs
has increased by 30% since 2018
UK public sector debt as a percentage of GDP since 1993
Net interest payable on UK public sector debt (£m outturn prices, not seasonally adjusted)
The OBR forecast for 2025/26 is £111bn,
equivalent to about half annual spending on the
NHS and double the amount spent on defence
UK 30-year gilts: average monthly yield since 1998
Inflation vs Bank of England base rate
Price Indices for 12 months to Julyy 2025 (2015 = 100)
Holiday centres, camping sites, youth hostels and similar 193
Passenger transport by air 166
Travel insurance 163
Passenger transport by sea and inland waterway 163
Package holidays 155
Museums, libraries, zoological gardens 154
Hotels, motels and similar accomodation services 154
Restaurants and cafes 147
Toll facilities and parking meters 146
Passengar transport by taxi and hired car with driver 143
Recreational and sporting services: Attendance 142
Passenger transport by railway 139
Cinemas, theatres, concerts 137
Consumer Price Index 136
Petrol 122
Travel goods 94
Source; ONS
Exchange rates
If the US Supreme Court upholds the
view that Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are
illegal, global financial and currency
markets will likely be unsettled
Europe Brent Spot Price ($s per barrel, unadjusted for inflation)
OECD Consumer Confidence since 1973
Competitiveness
WEF analysis highlights price competitiveness as a key weakness (UK rank out of 119)
Some examples
Increased likelihood of a “visitor
levy” being introduced in parts of
England, Scotland and Wales
With the exception of those from
Ireland, visitors who don’t need a
visa are now required to apply for
an ETA, which will cost them £16
The most important drivers of destination choice for potential inbound visitors
Offers good value for money 66%
Is a welcoming place to visit 64%
Is good for relaxing, resting, recharging 61%
There is beautiful coast and countryside to explore 61%
I can roam around visiting many types of places 60%
It's easy to get around once there 60%
There is a good variety of food and drink to try 57%
It's easy to get to 55%
Is a place where I can explore history and heritage 54%
Offers lots of different experiences in one destination 54%
It has experiences I can't have anywhere else 53%
There are vibrant towns and cities to explore 53%
Is good for seeing famous sites, places, ticking off the 'must do' list 52%
Is inclusive and accessible for visitors like me 51%
Is good to visit at any time of year 50%
It has surprising and unexpected experiences 48%
Is a mixture of old and new 47%
Has an interesting mix of cultures from around the world 46%
There are interesting local people to meet 45%
It offers the opportunity to travel sustainably/responsibly 44%
Has a thriving arts and contemporary culture scene 41%
A good place for treating myself 40%
A place recommended by friends or family 40%
If I don't visit soon, I'd miss out 35%
Offers experiences I want to share on social media 34%
Findings based on research
undertaken by VisitBritain, with
percentages being the proportion
who scored each aspect as 5, 6 or 7
on a 7-point scale from “not at all
important” to “extremely important”
Proportion of potential visitors that associate Britain with each statement
Offers good value for money 33%
Is a welcoming place to visit 48%
Is good for relaxing, resting, recharging 38%
There is beautiful coast and countryside to explore 47%
I can roam around visiting many types of places 56%
It's easy to get around once there 53%
There is a good variety of food and drink to try 43%
Is easy to get to 48%
Is a place where I can explore history and heritage 57%
Offers lots of different experiences in one destination 53%
It has experiences I can't have anywhere else 44%
There are vibrant towns and cities to explore 57%
Is good for seeing famous sites, places, ticking off the 'must do' list 55%
Is inclusive and accessible for visitors like me 50%
Is good to visit at any time of year 42%
It has surprising and unexpected experiences 44%
Is a mixture of old and new 55%
Has an interesting mix of cultures from around the world 51%
There are interesting local people to meet 47%
It offers the opportunity to travel sustainably/responsibly 38%
Has a thriving arts and contemporary culture scene 47%
A good place for treating myself 40%
A place recommended by friends or family 39%
If I don't visit soon, I'd miss out 27%
Offers experiences I want to share on social media 42%
Perceptions of Britain around the world (Rank, typically out of fifty nations)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
OVERALL Nations Brand Index 34433333333425645
Tourism 45544434534446666
Is rich in historic buildings and monuments 44445555555555555
Has a vibrant city life and urban attractions 44444444444446555
Would like to visit if money was no object 788666565656577710
Is rich in natural beauty 23 24 22 22 22 20 20 18 24 24 24 26 23 31 31 27 23
Culture 34644455554534345
Interesting & exciting contemporary culture 44443333434344444
Excels at sport 78856544545534555
Has a rich cultural heritage 67777776777768866
People 666444457667410 810 10
If visited, people would make me feel very welcome 14 13 13 12 13 10 13 11 12 13 15 16 11 18 16 19 18
Source: VisitBritain
Connectivity
Easy to reach
•There are few island nations that an international visitor can arrive at by sea,
rail or air
•Air is the mode of choice (or necessity) for the majority of international
visitors to Britain
•Focussing solely on scheduled air routes with more than 1,000 annual
passengers in 2024 the UK was connected to 110 countries and 403 foreign
airports
•Of the 1,781 distinct routes in operation 43% served an airport in or around
London
87% of inbound visitor spend comes courtesy of those visiting by air
By the end of the
decade Eurostar
should finally
face competition
Passenger mix by airport
Average daily flights at European airports (1st January-24th August 2025)
23rd Stansted 558
24th Manchester 553
37th Luton 371
40th Edinburgh 343
IST has 5 runways,
with a 6th by 2028,
AMS has 6 runways
Proportion of inbound holiday visitors using each mode to get around Britain
Public transport fares in Britain, most notably rail,
often compare unfavourably with those overseas,
especially for last minute purchases
The availability of public EV charging devices is highly variable (per 100,000 of population)
Demographics
Workforce age comparisons (Great Britain, 2023)
Projected population change in Great Britain over the next ten years
The cost of the state pension represented 2% of the economy
in the 1950s, today it’s 5%, by the 2070s it will be 8% if no
changes are made. The number of pensioners per 1,000
working age people is about 280 now, by 2070 it will be 393
Demographic change
•As is the case in Britain, an ageing population poses a challenge in many of
our European source markets
•In Asia, the demographic headwinds faced by Japan are well publicised, but
China faces an equally difficult predicament
•Migration is changing the profile of long-haul source markets such as
Australia, Canada and the USA, eroding how connected to Britain potential
visitors will feel
•Demand for accessible tourism is set to grow due to an ageing visitor profile
with additional needs, whether physical, sensory or cognitive
•This underscores the need to ensure that information, facilities and customer
service are as inclusive as is practical
www.scatteredclouds.co.uk
@tourismstats.bsky.social
www.linkedin.com/in/scatteredclouds
