The planets have seemingly aligned perfectly for British tourism in 2012. The Olympic year 2012 will come to London, and the eyes of the world will follow. And 2012 is also the year in which Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 60th year on the throne. So in the coming year, the average UK citizen will find the pavements and roads completely clogged with tourists. And the British economy, a slumbering beast in need of serious revivification, will rally to foreign spending. Or actually, is this true? It’d be hard to argue that the Olympics won’t draw people to London. And the royal wedding this year was all the proof a royalist needs that the Royal family still hold some currency. The government says it expects four million tourists to visit next year. But there is no guarantee that the tourists won’t be equally repelled by some ongoing circumstances.
Some have questioned whether the UK government isn’t planning to price gouge its tourism sector to death. The biggest issue for both inbound and outbound flights at the moment is Air Passenger Duty. Regardless of whether you’re flying home or climbing on board to go to Turkey villas, you’ll find yourself paying for the most expensive air taxes that the world has to offer. In late November, the government is expecting to pile even more on the tax: as much as 10%. On the most expensive of long haul flights, a family of four might pay as much as £680 in tax. Among the most expensive hikes, you will have seen a 425% tax increase. Even on your short distance Simpson Travel flights, there’s about £48 to £96 extra to pay thanks to APD.
In the eyes of international customers, the UK is now losing ground. Not that the Uk has ever been trying to win over those who would otherwise take Luxury holidays in Mallorca. But why would tourists choose the UK when advertising has been drastically cut and pricing is in the dire situation that it has been during the recession years?. In 2010, three million Chinese tourists were received in Europe. Only 125,000 of them visited the UK, a sixth of those that France and Germany saw.
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