VisitBritain will lead a major industry mission to Japan this week (6th – 8th September) with the aim of boosting tourism visits and spending in Britain…
VisitBritain will lead a major industry mission to Japan this week (6th – 8th September) with the aim of boosting tourism visits and spending in Britain .
Lead by VisitBritain board member Lady Cobham, 29 key members of the travel industry will be traveling to Tokyo for a three-day conference designed to reinvigorate Japanese interest in traveling to Britain.
Japan is an integral market of British tourism with around 314,000 visits made each year and currently ranks 10th in the league table of overseas visitor spending in the UK.
Since 1989, the number of Japanese tourists coming to Britain has been falling, largely down to a slow down in Japan’s economy. However, the latest figures for international tourists show that there has been a 30% growth in the number of visits by Japanese tourists. Last year, the average visit to Britain from Japan generated £871, compared to the world average of £476 – highlighting the importance of Japanese visitors to the British economy.
In addition to briefings by the British Embassy to Japan, members of the travel trade will have the opportunity to meet directly with Japanese tour operators.
VisitBritain board member, Lady Cobham, said:
“With the Japanese Tourism Bureau forecasting a seven per cent rise in outbound travel over the summer, there has never been a better time to strengthen our links with tour operators to remind them of all that makes Britain a world-class destination.”
“This is a superb opportunity for Britain’s tourism industry to increase its profile in Japan. The Japanese tourist market is vitally important for British tourism and we hope that this sales mission will further stimulate the market”.
Following the sales mission to Japan, members of the British travel trade will head to Malaysia to participate in Destination Britain. Over 1.9 million visitors from the 12 countries sending travel and tourism representatives on the unique trade mission spend more than £1.6 billion experiencing all that Britain has to offer.
From the 12 to 15 September, Destination Britain will take over the Sheraton Perdana in Langkawi, Malaysia for a morning workshop and two days of pre-arranged business appointments. Buyers from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea will attend to meet with VisitBritain and its partners to discover the best accommodation, attractions and tours available for their clients on holiday or business in Britain. For the first time, the event welcomes buyers from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.
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