VisitEngland’s annual report of the nation’s top ten most visited towns published today shows that whilst overall overnight trips in England fell by 5% in 2008, England’s top cities bucked the trend with, in some cases, significant increases in the number of overnight trips taken by UK residents.
The report, derived from the United Kingdom Visitors Survey (UKTS), lists London (+12%), Manchester (+7) and Birmingham (+4%) as England’s top three towns for overnight trips – no change from 2007.
Bristol moved into fourth place despite a decrease of-5% taking the place of the seaside town of Blackpool, which fell to sixth place from its fourth position in 2007 after a 26% decrease in overnight visits.
Leeds took the fifth place in the top ten list with an increase of 4%, whilst York moved up one position into seventh place overtaking another seaside town, Scarborough, which fell from sixth place to eight with a decrease of -10%.
Newcastle Upon Tyne cements its place in the top ten moving up one place to ninth with an impressive +22% increase in overnight visits.
The best performance however goes to tenth place holder Liverpool, which entered the top ten for the first time since 2006 with an overall +28% increase in visits; and a 47% increase in holiday visits.
Jenny McGee, Head of Strategy and Engagement, VisitEngland said that external factors can help to explain some of the findings.
‘We’re delighted to see that our urban centres continue to attract visitors with their increasing and diverse range of attractions and cultural events.
“The disappointing summer has most likely had an impact on the position of some of our seaside towns - but weather predictions for this summer give us hopes of reversing that trend in next year’s results.
“Credit show also go to clever marketing for stellar performances by the top performing cities – especially the likes of Newcastle and Liverpool, the latter having the advantage of being named the 2008 Capital of Culture,” said Jenny.
Top 20 Most Visited English Cities & Towns in 2008 by UK Residents |
| | | | |
| Top 20 - Total Trips +1 Nights (000s) | |
| | 2008 | 2007 | % Change |
1 | London | 11,315 | 10,144 | 12 |
2 | Manchester | 2,501 | 2,330 | 7 |
3 | Birmingham | 2,374 | 2,293 | 4 |
4 | Bristol | 1,469 | 1,553 | -5 |
5 | Leeds | 1,464 | 1,403 | 4 |
6 | Blackpool | 1,382 | 1,873 | -26 |
7 | York | 1,344 | 1,191 | 13 |
8 | Scarborough | 1,341 | 1,488 | -10 |
9 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 1,336 | 1,094 | 22 |
10 | Liverpool | 1,088 | 851 | 28 |
Source: United Kingdom Tourism Survey
ENDS
About the results
• The United Kingdom Tourism Survey is designed as a national and regional survey and is therefore only robust at this level. All data in this table should be used with caution as sample sizes can be low. By way of context, the volume of all overnight trips to England by UK residents fell -5% in 2008 compared with 2007. Those taken for a holiday also fell -4% whilst those for business remained stable.
About VisitEngland
• In response to a clear call from industry arising from the 2008 British Tourism Framework Review, VisitEngland has been created as the strategic leadership body representing the public and private sector stakeholders of English Tourism. It works in partnership with VisitBritain, the RDAs and local authorities, and the private sector, creating a national tourism strategy, optimising marketing investment, and developing the visitor experience across England.
• VisitEngland continues to use its Enjoy England consumer brand in the domestic market and will market England under the VisitEngland brand in international markets.
• More information can be found on
www.visitengland.com and
www.enjoyengland.com
