Colors: Yellow Color
Colors: Yellow Color

A survey shows a record high number of Chinese respondents—more than 60%—who plan to travel in-depth in 2018. “In-depth travels” is a term used by travel websites in China to describe the type of trips that involve more unconventional journeys beyond the typical tourist experience. For the very first time, Africa moved up to first place as the top in-depth travel destination Chinese travelers hope to visit in 2018, dethroning the ever-popular Japan and Australia. Among the destinations in Africa Chinese are most interested in Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, Namibia, Madagascar and Tanzania, according to Travelzoo’s website statistics.

Deal experts say the rapid growth in popularity in exotic destinations such as Morocco and Tunisia is largely due to relaxation of visa requirements for Chinese nationals. Chinese passport holders have been granted visa-free access to visit Morocco since June 2016and Tunisia since February 2017, and visa-on-arrival access to enter Tanzania and Egypt. There was a 378% year-over-year growth in Chinese arrivals in Morocco and 240% in Tunisia during the six months after the easing of visa requirements, which pushed Morocco to first place and Tunisia third as the destinations that enjoyed the greatest growth in Chinese visitors (source: ForwardKeys, October 2017).

Furthermore, the survey showed a 25% increase in the number of requests from  China who plan to take five or more overseas holidays in 2018. Statistics show the click-through rates of Morocco deals have increased 20% since the visa-free Morocco access was announced. Now that the major visa restrictions were lifted Chinese travelers are keen on Africa and their friends will follow. 2018 is about time that Africa took off and continued to grow in popularity throughout the year.

Beach holidays still top the activities Chinese travelers are interested in, followed by food and wine. Third place, however, was taken by historic attractions, rising from fifth spot last year. Cruises climbed to seventh place from tenth and photography tours appeared in the top 10 the first time. Otherwise, shopping dropped out of the top 10 activities for the first time and sightseeing also fell from ninth spot to last.

The days when Chinese tourists were entertained by merely sightseeing and shopping are long gone. The middle class in China are now seeking unforgettable experiences at their own pace when they travel. The destinations that offer rich culture and nature should expect many more Chinese visitors, so we’re confident in our prediction that 2018 will see Africa secure its place as the fastest-growing popular destination among avid Chinese travelers.”

Additionally, the survey revealed that the U.S.—one of the top five destinations of all time for Chinese travelers—fell from the third place to fifth this year while Japan and Australia remain number one and two. The U.K. retains the fourth spot, while no other Western European country made it into the top 10 this year.

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Low Cost Airlines Market by Purpose, Destination and Distribution Channel: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023,” the global low cost airlines market was valued at $117,726 million in 2016, and is projected to reach $207,816 million in 2023, registering a CAGR of 8.6% from 2017 to 2023.

Low cost airlines are passenger airlines, which offer travelling service tickets at relatively cheaper rate compared to other airlines (full service or traditional airline). Low cost airlines are also known as “no frills airlines,” “prizefighters,” “low-cost carriers (LCC),” “discount airlines,” and “budget airlines.” Some of the popular low cost airlines include Ryanair and EasyJet.

The growth of the market is attributed to the rise in economic activity, ease of travel, travel & tourism industry, urbanization, changes in lifestyle, consumers’ preference for low cost service along with non-stops, and frequent service, increase in purchasing power of middle class households especially in the developing regions, and high internet penetration coupled with e-literacy.

In 2016, the global scheduled airline passenger was estimated to be 3.8 billion, and around 28% of these passengers were carried by low cost airlines. However, the distribution/penetration of low cost airlines is equally distributed. For instance, in Latvia, Europe, around 80% of the passengers are flown by low-cost carriers, whereas, in Africa, nearly half of the countries have no low cost airline service.

In 2016, the leisure travel segment was the leading revenue contributor to the global market. However, the market is significantly expanding into the business travel segment, thus the business travel segment is expected to witness lucrative growth rate during the forecast period.

Twycross Zoo has successfully completed its second smooth Ele move, with Minbu, the Asian Elephant, packing her trunk and going to the seaside. Minbu is part of the all-female Elephant herd at the Leicestershire attraction that are being moved to Blackpool Zoo as part of an important breeding programme.

Mother and baby duo, Noorjahan and Esha, will be the last to arrive, joining Minbu, Tara and their new Ele friend, Kate.

A departure date for the elephants is yet to be confirmed, as it completely depends on when they are ready. However, experts at the Zoo say visitors can still see the adorable pair for a little while yet!

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett was today awarded Worldwide Tourism Minister of the Year by the prestigious Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) in Berlin, Germany.

“It is truly humbling to be recognized in this manner at such a major international event. I accept this award, not for myself but for the people of Jamaica – it is clear that we have made our mark on the globe. The world now knows that Jamaica can host the biggest conferences and that we have some of the best attractions and hotels. No matter the passion point of our visitor, we can deliver,” said the Minister.

During the ceremony, Jamaica also received the PATWA International Travel Award 2017 for Best Destination for Adventure Tourism.

PATWA is a professional organisation of travel writers, which was founded in 1998 and works with both the public and private sectors to support sustainable growth and improve the quality of travel and tourism. It adheres to the fundamental principles of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations (UN), and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). PATWA is an affiliate member of UNWTO.

Tomorrow, on 8 March, six all-female crews from Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings and Brussels Airlines will start their morning rounds to Berlin on time for the International Women’s Day. The jets are flown from Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Vienna, Zurich and Brussels by two female pilots each.

In order to send out another signal on this day, the FlyingLab on flight LH440 from Frankfurt to Houston is under the command of a purely female crew – in the cabin, in the cockpit and also in front of the camera. The A380’s in-flight conference will not only focus on the various aspects of digital transformation, but will also highlight the achievements of women in a technology-dominated environment. A total of six speakers will talk about artificial intelligence, virtual reality and the future of work and mobility. The FlyingLab is the world’s only open innovation platform in the air. It consists of an on-board conference, which every passenger can follow on his or her own personal device and the opportunity to test the latest innovative products and services. The aim of this FlyingLab will be the South by Southwest (SXSW) – the world’s largest festival for interactive marketing, music and film that takes place annually in Austin, Texas.

„We have already been able to increase the number of female applicants at our pilot flying school by addressing applicants in a more targeted manner and by making it easier to combine family and work,” says Dr. Bettina Volkens, Member of the Executive Board for Human Resources and Legal Affairs of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. “15 percent of our junior pilots are currently female.”

As early as 1988, the first two women began their scheduled service at Lufthansa. In 2010, there was a premiere for the global airfreight industry: A freighter from Lufthansa Cargo took off with a purely female crew. Women in the cockpit are no longer rare. Approximately six percent of the Lufthansa Group’s pilots are female and their share has risen steadily over the past few years. Approximately 80 percent of the cabin crew are female. For the growing number of female pilots, Lufthansa has had the word “Kapitänin” (“Captain”) specially approved by the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache.

In addition to the cockpit, the Lufthansa Group also aims to increase the proportion of women in management positions. This is currently 15 percent. By 2021, the proportion of female executives at first management level is to be increased to 18 percent and at second management level to as much as 24 percent. „In order to meet these goals, we are preparing our best female junior executives for their future management responsibilities with our own one-year program,” says Volkens. At the same time, it is important to me to reduce unconscious bias when filling vacancies. A specially programmed video supports our hiring managers in selecting the right personnel for the right job.

A prominent Caribbean tourism leader is calling on the region's leaders to pay more attention to the need to protect and support women working in tourism, the region's biggest money earner.

Karolin Troubetzkoy, executive director of St. Lucia's storied Jade Mountain resort and its adjoining sister property, Anse Chastanet, said "Caribbean women are some of the most powerful and accomplished women in the global tourism and hospitality sectors, but there is still a need to ensure they can shine and advance without being compromised or limited."

Speaking on the occasion of International Women's Day, Troubetzkoy, who is also President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), suggested opening a dialogue to review with female leaders in the Caribbean tourism industry the sort of concerns that led to the formation of the "Me Too" and "Time's Up" movements in North America, which exposed egregious forms of sexual harassment and abuse in entertainment and other industries, but also highlighted other gender- and professional development-related issues.

"Our women are often at the frontlines of our tourism and hospitality industries because of the natural welcoming natures of our Caribbean people and we want to give them a forum to highlight issues, voice concerns, advance solutions and to ultimately ensure a safe and fair working environment," she stated.

"We should be looking at how best we can accelerate gender parity to help our women advance and unleash their limitless potential, to the benefit of ourselves, our industry and our countries and territories," Troubetzkoy continued.

"In addition to being an important industry for women to earn a living, tourism is also by far the leading bread earner for the Caribbean region, so protecting our women and allowing them to shine will also positively impact our valuable investments themselves," she declared.

"Women have done a lot of thinking about these issues for years, so it's time to hear their voices and to disseminate their recommendations much more widely. It's time to #PressforProgress," she concluded, referring to this year's International Women's Day theme.

The distinguished  Fodor's Travel, a global leader in travel guides for more than 80 years, has listed Anse Chastanet Resort in St. Lucia as the winner of two Fodor's Best awards.
Fodor's Travel, whose website is used by some five million people every month to plan trips, awarded Anse Chastanet its coveted recognition for being one of the hotels with the best views and one of the best beachfront hotels in St. Lucia.
"Several of the individually-designed guest rooms on this verdant hillside have a fourth wall that's open to the stunning Pitons view. Down below, the beach is busy with snorkelers, sunbathers, divers, kayakers, and the occasional catamaran or fishing boat," the guide reported in its description of the resort.
On hearing of the twin awards, Anse Chastanet Executive Director Karolin Troubetzkoy said she was "humbled by the recognition from one of the world's oldest and most distinguished travel authorities. This recognition by Fodor's Travel really is a big deal and a huge boost for our fabulous staff, who work so hard to ensure our property honors those who choose us for their well-deserved vacations."
Nick Troubetzkoy, architect and owner of Anse Chastanet, believes passionately in nature and designed the resort to make the surrounding environment an integral part of the Anse Chastanet vacation experience. The estate encompasses 600 lush tropical acres bordering two soft-sand beaches. Not only do visitors get a UNESCO World Heritage Site anchored by the twin Piton mountains on land, but the resort's two crystal-clear bays are part of a designated marine reserve protecting miles of colorful coral reefs teeming with tropical fish.
With such a unique setting as his canvas, Nick Troubetzkoy was inspired to design a one-of-a-kind resort. He was committed to an environmentally conscious approach before "green" became fashionable, something for which the resort has become renowned. Anse Chastanet consistently receives recognition for its sustainable initiatives, most recently achieving Travelife Gold Certification together with its sister resort, Jade Mountain.

Passengers and visitors traveling to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) with electric cars can do so with complete peace of mind. The airport’s first parking spaces with electric vehicle (EV) charging stations were created back in 2010.

Now, a further 16 parking spaces with a 3.7 kW supply have been installed. They are located in parking row No. 1406, on level 14, in the P2 parking structure at Terminal 1. More stations are to follow soon – including at Terminal 2.

Directions to “e-parking” at FRA are signposted and the parking spaces themselves are highlighted. What’s more: the electricity supplied is included upfront in the regular parking fee. When the battery is fully charged, the system stops charging automatically. Another plus point for the EV parking spaces is that their width was extended to a comfortable 2.5 meters during the recent refit.

It is currently not yet possible to pre-book EV parking spaces, therefore their availability cannot be guaranteed. Passengers and visitors can find details about other parking facilities at Frankfurt Airport and information on the wide range of services offered at FRA on the airport website, at the Service Shop and via the airport’s social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The first Sky Dining evenings at British Airways i360 will take place on April 26 and May 24, 2018, offering a magical three-course meal in the sky with the sparkling lights of Brighton & Hove spread out like a carpet below.

The glass observation pod will be laid for fine dining and decked with romantic white lights. The elegant three-course meal will be served during three consecutive 25-minute pod flights – with starters during the first flight, main courses during the second flight and desserts and coffee during the final flight. There will be a break between each flight to use the facilities at ground level.

The delicious dishes include mackerel parfait with pea shoots and garlic crostini, seared chicken with fondant potato, spinach, glazed carrots and jus; and classic crème brulee or rich chocolate mousse pot.

As the evening unfolds, relax at your table over a glass of wine as the pod glides slowly from ground level to 450ft and back again, watching as the sky darkens, the sun sinks into the sea and the stars appear overhead.

Sky Dining is the ideal night out for romantics or those celebrating a landmark occasion. Customers will be contacted in advance and given the opportunity to book extras such as a bottle of Nyetimber English sparkling wine for their table, a bouquet of flowers or a birthday cake.

South African Tourism brought down a 60-member delegation for a 5-city roadshow to India, which successfully completed its Delhi-leg with back-to-back business meetings and networking with the travel trade in the city.

The 15th edition of the roadshow has been held in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Delhi and will be travelling to Ahmedabad after that.

Hanneli Slabber, Regional General Manager, Asia/Australasia/Middle East, South African Tourism, said, “The Indian market has not just grown considerably since our entry in 2005, demands of Indian travelers are in a constant and rapid state of evolution even today. This makes cross sharing of insights, trends and observations between our Indian and South African partners extremely crucial. We have had South African products being tailored to suit these specific needs as a testament of the value proposition we see in the market.”

Alpa Jani, Acting Hub-Head, Middle Easst/India/South East Asia, South African Tourism, said, “We have always recorded an outstanding response from the Indian travel trade and are eagerly looking forward to seeing the positive impact this Roadshow will have towards driving Indian traveler traffic to South Africa in 2018.”

Asia's largest airline, China Southern Airlines has launched a new route from the UK to China, with flights between London and Wuhan taking off in May 2018.

The new route will be the only non-stop flight operating from London to the Central Chinese city and will fly three times per week, from 30 May 2018 with fares from £377 return, including all taxes.

The historical city, which once consisted of three smaller cities – Hanyang, Hankou, and Wuchang – is the capital of the Hubei province and is the most settled city in Central China.

Divided by the Yangtze and Han rivers, the city was once a busy inland port, and today is spread across three main peninsulas, connected by bridges. Famous landmarks can be found in the city, including the Yellow Crane Tower (believed to have originally been built in 223AD, during the Three Kingdoms Period) and East Lake, a freshwater lake covering an area of 87sq km, of which 33sq km are water.

“Adding Wuhan to our portfolio marks another important step in making parts of China beyond just Beijing and Shanghai more accessible and attractive for UK travellers” says Nick Newman, Commercial Manager for China Southern Airlines, UK & Ireland. “The city is rich in history and therefore not only appeals to those with wanderlust but also serves as a strong commercial centre for business travellers”.

Based in Guangzhou, China Southern Airlines boasts the largest fleet, most developed route network, best safety record and largest passenger capacity of any airline in China, operating both the A380 and B787 (Dreamliner) aircraft. The new route, which will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, will use the Airbus 330-200.

She is 120 centimeters tall, with sparkling, round eyes and a pleasant voice: Starting today, “Josie Pepper” the robot will be answering questions for passengers in Terminal 2. Whether they need directions to their gate or want to stop at a certain restaurant or shop – Josie Pepper will look them in the eyes and give them a prompt answer.

With the rollout of Josie Pepper, Munich Airport and Lufthansa are breaking new ground: It is the first-ever test of a humanoid robot equipped with artificial intelligence at a German airport. For the next few weeks, Josie Pepper will welcome travelers to the non-public area of Terminal 2, which is jointly operated by Munich Airport and Lufthansa. In her initial deployment, Josie Pepper, who speaks English, will await passengers at the top of the ramp leading to the shuttle connecting the main terminal to the satellite building. This test phase will be used to show whether Josie Pepper is accepted by passengers.

Josie Pepper’s “brain” contains a high-performance processor with a WLAN internet access. This creates a connection to a cloud service where speech is processed, interpreted and linked to the airport data. What sets the system apart: When this robot type speaks, it does not just deliver pre-defined texts. With its ability to learn, it answers each question individually. Just like a “real” brain, the system gets steadily better at combining questions with the relevant information to provide more precise replies.

IBM Watson Internet of Things (IoT) cloud-based, artificial intelligence technologies are behind Josie Pepper’s capabilities. Pepper was developed by the French company SoftBank Robotics. The lady robot was given the name “Josie” by the staff of Munich Airport and Lufthansa when she arrived at the airport.

The latest figures from the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) indicate that a total of 76,173 visitors from the UK travelled to Costa Rica in 2017 – representing an increase of 6.7% on the previous year. This positive figure strengthens the position of the United Kingdom as Costa Rica's largest source market in Europe.

Germany (70,960), France (69,803) and Spain (69,782) follow the UK in 2017 visitor numbers to Costa Rica. The UK was also the biggest source market of visitors to Costa Rica in 2016 (71,392), one year after British Airways launched direct flights between London Gatwick and San José.

Rob Wilson, UK Representative of ICT, comments on the figures: “We are extremely pleased to see the continued growth of visitors from the UK to Costa Rica, helped greatly by the BA route. The green Central American country is truly making a space for those interested in unique wildlife and stunning landscapes. With these natural assets, we expect this growth to continue in the future.”

The Irish market also saw a good increase last year. A total of 4,321 Irish travellers visited Costa Rica in 2017, +8.6% compared to 2016. In total, Costa Rica welcomed 2,959,869 worldwide visitors in 2017, a 1.2% upsurge compared to 2016.

Bordered by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Costa Rica offers adventure, relaxation, exploration and wellness. From mountain ranges and rain forests to cloud forests and breath-taking beaches, Costa Rica's diversity of landscapes, climates and natural wonders provides visitors with unlimited experiences – including a great number of wellness activities in these pleasant settings.

THE 2018 International Toilet Tourism Awards are now open to submissions from tourism destinations that want to wipe the floor with the competition.

After many years analysing tourism trends, the awards’ creators and owners, MyTravelresearch.com, aim to show tourism destinations that clean, creative, quirky public toilets go a long way to boosting a destination’s image and generating tourism dollars. People stop to spend a penny and end up spending more.

The 2018 awards will go to public toilets in the following categories: Best Economic Contributor, Best Location, Best Design, Quirkiest Toilet Experience, Best Accessible Toilet, Sanitation Progress (aimed at developing economy destinations that have made big steps in public toilet provision), and Overall Winner.

The 2018 awards were announced open 14 February at the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre in Mittagong, New South Wales -- the destination that won Best Economic Contributor in the inaugural awards last year.

Officially opening the 2018 awards, Carolyn Childs, co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com and the awards, told attendees: “More smart destinations around the world are waking up to the power of the loo as a promotional statement. There are brilliant examples around the world. We want to recognise the best of them for a job well done.”

Good Loos a Tourist Attraction in Their Own Right At the launch event, Manager Tourism & Events, Destination Southern Highlands, Steve Rosa, said: “It’s fair to say our loos have become a draw card in their own right since our win last year.”

Childs said the public loos at Destination Southern Highlands were indicative of the transformation destinations can make when they take pride in their public conveniences.

For example, the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre toilets were refurbished in late 2015 as part of a major overhaul of the centre. Today the toilets include a bright colour scheme, posters, audio reel, quirky fact stickers and free Wi-Fi. In recent weeks the centre added a bright mosaic entry wall to the loos.

Rosa told the audience that since the revamp of the centre’s “toilet experience” product sales at the welcome centre’s shop have increased by 20%. “The appeal of our toilets has allowed us to divert visitors into our information centre where we have been able to educate, motivate and sell them products. They also make hotel, restaurant and activity bookings there. It has given us an opportunity to disperse more visitors around the Southern Highlands and keep them longer.”

No Entry Cost for Toilet Tourism Awards The 2018 International Toilet Tourism Awards are free to enter. Destinations or toilet owners simply fill out an online form here and submit it before the closing date of 1 May 2018. Winners will be announced 4 June 2018.

A judging panel drawn from the tourism and toilet provision sectors will be announced shortly.

The overall winner will receive a AU$2000 donation contributed to the World Toilet Organization for allocation to a sanitation project in a developing economy. The donation will be made in the name of the overall winner, who will also receive a copy of every MyTravelResearch.com research publication in 2018 (worth AU$8000), and access to tourism research events. Other category winners will receive the same, minus the donation to the World Toilet Organization.

“The 2018 International Toilet Tourism Awards are up for grabs,” said Bronwyn White, co-founder of the awards. “Let’s see who will ascend the toilet tourism throne and wear the crown for a year.”

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has been certified as a 4-Star airline by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organisation. PAL, joining 40 other well-renowned airlines in this prestigious category, is the first and only airline in the country to have a 4-Star Rating.

PAL achieved this coveted rating after Skytrax conducted a rigorous audit of the airline's inflight and on ground service for both international and domestic flights and noted major enhancements on its end-to-end passenger experience and distinct whole-hearted service called Buong Pusong Alaga.

“This is a big win for the Philippines,” said PAL Chairman & CEO Dr. Lucio C. Tan. “We are elated by this recognition which is a victory for the more than seven thousand members of the Philippine Airlines family. Our achievement is the country's achievement and we share this with all Filipinos around the globe.”

This 4-Star Airline rating is a mark of quality distinction that recognizes excellent standards of Product and Staff service across different assessment categories for both the Onboard and Airport environment.

Commenting on the 4-Star Airline Rating awarded to Philippine Airlines, Edward Plaisted, Skytrax CEO said: "This recognizes the great improvements that the airline has introduced over the last 2 years, both in terms of product change and development and enhancement of the front-line staff service. New and retrofitted aircraft have played an important part in the quality improvement process, and this looks set to develop further when Philippine Airlines introduces the A350 into their fleet. We look for consistency of quality in the 4-Star rating, and we look to Philippine Airlines to ensure this is duly delivered to customers."

The rating upgrade is a key result of a multi-year top-to-bottom end-to-end enhancement of the Philippine flag carrier. “Our Get That Star journey began in 2016. Our efforts over the last two years have borne fruit,” said PAL President and COO Jaime J. Bautista. “Since 2016, we have embarked on a journey of rolling out in-flight and on-ground innovations, opened new routes, increased connectivity across PAL's route network, added new aircraft to our fleet and importantly, invested in the Buong Pusong Alaga (whole-hearted) training of all our cabin crew, ground crew and service providers domestically and internationally in order to enhance the passenger travel experience and earn a higher Skytrax rating,” added Bautista.

“We want to place PAL at par with the world's best airlines. With this 4-star rating, we are inspired to work even harder. We will continue to delight our customers by giving them their desired experience, the best service in flight and on ground, across all phases of travel,” stressed PAL Chief Customer Experience Officer Jessica Abaya.

National tourism agency VisitBritain is this week launching a new global campaign for 2018 to boost inbound tourism to Britain.

The campaign ‘I Travel For…’ uses short films and story-telling to shine the spotlight on unexpected experiences and less-explored destinations in Britain, alongside its globally renowned and iconic landmarks and attractions. The campaign aligns the passions that motivate people to travel with experiences that can only be had in Britain, inspiring overseas visitors to book a trip right now.

The digital campaign kicks off internationally with a launch film on Facebook and Instagram, followed by a series of films and images promoting destinations across Britain. The digital campaign is launching across social media channels from February to April in Britain’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets including Australia, France, Germany and the US and its high-spending markets including China, the GCC and India.

VisitBritain Chief Executive Sally Balcombe said:

“Tourism is one of the UK’s most valuable export industries, driving economic growth and creating jobs right across Britain. It is also a fiercely competitive global industry and we are seizing the opportunity to build on the strong growth we have seen, showcasing that Britain is bursting with fun activities, adventure and wonderfully unexpected experiences to come and discover all year round.

“By shining a spotlight and telling the stories of Britain’s exciting and contemporary culture, innovations in food and drink, the beauty of our countryside and vibrancy of our cities, we want to inspire even more international visitors to book a trip right now.”

The campaign has been developed based on VisitBritain’s global research into people’s motivations, passions and inspiration for travel including adventure, fun, relaxation, discovery, culture, food and drink and the unexpected. The campaign uses these motivators to create tailored content for target audiences, which is then shared on Facebook and Instagram globally.

As part of the global campaign, VisitBritain is also working with commercial partners, including BA and Expedia, across its key inbound visitor markets to convert the inspiration to visit Britain into bookings.

Overseas visits to the UK are forecast to break through the 40 million mark for the first time in 2018, reaching 41.7 million, up 4.4% on 2017. Spending by overseas visitors to the UK is forecast to reach £26.9 billion in 2018, up 6.8% on 2017.