The UK as a Destination
Word Count: 1797 Author: Kimi Ural Created: 2014
Inbound tourism
Inbound tourism is when tourists travel from another country into the UK (from the UK`s point of view) Inbound tourism is really important for the UK. The UK makes profit with every inbound traveller because they earn their money in their home country and spend it in the UK on accommodations, transportation and activities. There are different reasons why people come to the UK which I would like to explain with the ark leisure model.
The majority of inbound tourists are high street tourists (with 22%), which means that they are mainstream early adopters and follow the high street fashion. They also buy packaged options and care about what others think. High street tourists may come to the UK to visit the famous world city London with the millions of shops or events like the “London Fashion Week”. Another reason could be because a celebrity recommended the UK as a travel destination. Cosmopolitan travellers come behind the high street travellers with 15%. Cosmopolitan travellers are confident, strong and active. They travel a lot and always look for new adventures with high expectations to the style and offered brand. These travellers may visit the UK to go skydiving in one of the 14 locations in the UK such as Cumbria and Devon. Discoverers with 13% are on the third place with their independency looking for new and educational experiences and spend their money on functional things were the value meets the price. They may come to the UK to see a few of the millions of castles or museums which are spread all over the UK. The least percentage with 9% are the Functional travellers who are price driven and value function over style. They are traditional but still want to have new experiences therefore they may visit the UK to see different cultural churches around the UK which means that they stay in their tradition through staying with their religion but also have a new experience through seeing other churches to the once in their country.
Domestic tourism
Domestic tourism is when someone from the UK travels to another place inside the UK. This could be to visit friends and family which would be VFR tourism (visiting friends and relatives), business meetings or work reasons which would count as business tourism or just for fun on holiday which would be leisure tourism. Domestic tourism is important through helping the economy because of people travelling inside the UK and staying in hotels, going to restaurants and attractions therefore more jobs are available for employers in the UK to serve the domestic tourists. The cultural aspect of domestic tourism also benefits the UK through people seeing different cultures and building their knowledge.
The UK meets inbound tourism needs through offering information such as brochures in shops and online website like www.VisitBritain.org. VisitBritain is a very useful information website to find out needed advice on what to do in the UK and where to travel to. VisitBritain also has other website links on their page for when the customer knows where he/she wants to travel to such as www.VisitChester.com.
The UK provides a large range of accommodation choices. For example hotels, youth hostels, apartments, B&B, student houses, villas and cabins. Through the variety of different accommodations there are also different price options were students could for example stay in a student house for less money or a family with good income could stay in an apartment to be more independent.
The UK is easy to access through the available transport. For example the 2 channel tunnels in the south-east of the UK, the famous red bussed in London, the underground and train connections all around the UK but also private coaches from and to France and Germany.
The accessibility also for disabled people for example in wheelchairs in the UK such as the mobility is good because of the range of transport methods inside the UK. For example busses specialised for wheelchair users, car hires which make it easier for families to travel around and be more independent or students who cannot drive can use one of the public transport methods like busses, trains and taxis.
The UK meets inbound tourism needs through the excellent customer service by giving inbound tourists the chance to contact the wanted organisation through the internet and a warm welcome at the arrival in the UK at the hotel reception for example were they would get offered free drinks and wifi from a well-dressed, polite and friendly member of staff with a good posture.
The value for money in the UK meets the expectations of the inbound tourists through the variety of holiday packets which can be purchased. Some more expensive than the other but mostly a good price for the value. For example 390 Euros for an all-inclusive holiday for a week in London including flights, hotel and other transport methods while staying in the city.
The UK offers a wide range of activities and motivations for inbound tourists and therefore meets the customers’ needs. The UK offers sightseeing in London which is for young and old, cultural and heritage experiences such as visiting castles in Lancaster for elderly people, shopping for example in the Trafford Centre for young adults, entertainment like the Chill Factor which is ideal for young children, nightlife in one of the several clubs which is perfect for over 18s and relaxation such as a spar visit or a calm and romantic meal for two which is great for couples.
The UK offers interesting things for young and old, like mentioned before: The Chill Factor is for the whole family especially for young children. The castles visits and tours in the UK such as the once In Lancaster are good for elderly people. The night club Fabric in London is the best club in the UK if not the world therefore perfect for students over 18. Adults may be interested in a road trip which will work well in the UK because there a many different places to see and visit.
The UK meets inbound customers’ needs in different cultural interests through offering a variety of different foods for example in a restaurant they will offer bacon for customers who eat pork but also a different option for customers who do not eat pork such as Muslims. The UK also has a lot of churches, temples and other religious places where the inbound tourists could go to.
Inbound visitor examples
A group of German students want to see the English culture on their educational trip. Therefore I recommend that they go to Cambridge because it is not as far into the country so therefore closer to Germany and cheaper. Cambridge has a range of accommodations to stay in for travellers, I would recommend for them to share an apartment if it’s a smaller group or stay in a student accommodation. They can make a round tour in Cambridge which includes a lot of things and only costs around £15 for each. The students can travel there with a coach, which is really cheap and even cheaper if they book it in advance. Everything is easily accessible which means that they can walk from their accommodation they stay in to the museum or tour because it is close together which means they do not have to spend any money on the transport inside Cambridge. They could also go to the Whipple Museum of the History of Science where the entry is free. They can get information about the museum and the day tours on the online website visitcambridge.org. I think it is a good value for the money they spend because they get to see and learn a lot of things but hardly pay anything.
A Turkish couple with a child want to improve their English. On the Turkish internet they can get information about educational holidays to learn the English language and book a holiday for £800 to London which is all inclusive and they will get an hour of English lessons every day, the rest of the day the will visit museums, attend shows, meet new people and also have some time for themselves. The flight costs are included in the price, so are the travel costs in their destination. They have special seats in the coach and busses for their child and also have some entertainment in case the museum visits are too boring for the young child. The hotel in London also offers child sitting which would not be included in the £800 and would have to be paid extra if needed. The price also includes some activities for the child, the parents and some for the whole family. It may be a lot of money but for the value the will get it is acceptable.
Domestic visitor examples
A young adult from Edinburgh who wants to go to the English coast. I recommend that the young adult should go to Blackpool because there are many hotels for a cheap or acceptable price which means that the customer can spend their money on more enjoyable things like going to the pleasure beach, Madame Tussauds, the dungeons or in the slot machines on the Blackpool piers. It is possible to get to Blackpool from Edinburgh by train, bus, coach and car. Information to the destination can be archived through online research. There are many activities in Blackpool but also free experiences, for example just sitting at the beach or taking a walk around the piers which is great. Blackpool is easy to access if the customer has a disability. For example if the customer is a wheelchair user he or she will not have a problem to drive around Blackpool because the majority of the surfaces in Blackpool are smooth and shops have ramps that they are easily accessible.
Two friends from Preston who want to attend a sports event in England. I recommend that they find out information about the Olympics and when they will be in London again and then attend that event. There is every possible kind of accommodation in London such as B&B, Hotels, Cabins, Students house and apartments. Therefore weather they have more or less money they will find the right accommodation for themselves. They can get to London by coach for even a few pounds if they book it in advance, train such as Virgin Trains or their own private car. London and the visit to the Olympics itself may be quite expensive but it is worth the money because of the great experience. There will also be a lot of other activities to do in London which do not always have to cost money. For example walking around the main streets in London and enjoying some street artists or even go into shops and just having a look around without buying anything.
