§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she has assessed the effect of the proposed six-term school year on the domestic tourism industry. [38206]
§ Dr. HowellsThe traditional calendar for the school year is increasingly seen as a barrier to the development of more sustainable tourism and to the spreading of the benefits of domestic tourism more evenly throughout the year.
Research has shown that while the total amount of UK trips made by the family tourism market is unlikely to change significantly as a result of a six-term year, an extended and more constant tourism season would be one result. This would lighten the load on tourism hotspots that struggle to cope with the huge numbers at 1630W peak times and mean that more attractions and tourism businesses, which currently close at the end of the summer, would be encouraged to stay open for longer.
§ Pete WishartTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourist visitors there were to each(a) region and (b) country of the UK for each year since 1995. [38863]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 28 February 2002]: Numbers of tourist visits involving an overnight stay by both overseas and UK residents to each region/country of the UK for 2000 are shown in table 1.
Numbers of tourist visits by overseas residents for 1995–2000 are shown in table 2.
Information on domestic visits for 1995–99 was published by the National Tourist Boards in The Uk Tourist and may be obtained from the Library of the House. However these figures for 1995–99 are not comparable with data for 2000 in table 1.
Figures for 2001 are not yet available at sub-UK level.
Table 1—Tourism visits in the UK in 2000 Millions of staying visits Tourist board region/Country Overseas residents' visits Visits by UK residents Total London 13.1 18.5 31.6 Northumbria 0.4 5.6 6.0 Cumbria 0.2 5.0 5.2 North West 1.3 14.8 16.1 Yorkshire 0.9 13.1 14.0 Heart of England 2.3 23.4 25.7 East of England 1.8 13.2 15.0 West Country 1.6 18.6 20.2 Southern 2.1 14.7 16.8 South East England 2.1 12.1 14.2 All England1 21.5 140.4 161.9 Wales 1.0 10.9 11.9 Scotland 1.7 19.7 21.4 Northern Ireland 0.3 n/a2 n/a2 UK 23.2 175.4 198.6 Sources:
International Passenger Survey and UK Tourism Survey.
1 Figures do not sum due to trips that included visits to more than one region/country.
2 Comparable data not available.
1631W
Table 2—Visits to the Uk by Overseas' residents Millions of staying visits Tourist board region/Country 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 London 11.9 12.3 12.3 12.3 13.3 13.1 Northumbria 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 Cumbria 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 North West 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3 Yorkshire 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 East Midlands3 0.7 0.7 — — — — Heart of England (old boundary) 1.4 1.4 — — — — Heart of England — — 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.3 East Anglia3 1.4 1.4 — — — — East of England — — 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 West Country 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 Southern 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.1
Table 2—Visits to the Uk by Overseas' residents Millions of staying visits Tourist board region/Country 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 South East England 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.1 All England1 18.7 19.5 19.6 19.9 21.4 21.5 Wales 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.8 1.0 Scotland 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.7 Northern Ireland n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 0.3 UK1 19.7 20.9 21.0 21.4 23.3 23.2 Source:
International Passenger Survey, Office for National Statistics.
1 Figures do not sum due to trips that included visits to more than one region/country.
2 Comparable data not available.
3 These regional tourist board areas ceased to exist following the reorganisation in 1996.
Tourism spending in the UK in 2000 £ million Tourist board region/Country Overseas visitors Domestic trips with overnight Domestic tourism leisure day trips3 Fares to UK air carriers3 Total London 6,900 3,070 n/a n/a 9,970 Northumbria 170 740 n/a n/a 910 Cumbria 50 770 n/a n/a 820 North West 450 1,980 n/a n/a 2,420 Yorkshire 260 1,690 n/a n/a 1,950 Heart of England 770 2,790 n/a n/a 3,560 East of England 680 1,540 n/a n/a 2,220 West Country 550 3,120 n/a n/a 3,680 Southern 780 2,050 n/a n/a 2,830 South East England 700 1,490 n/a n/a 2,200 All England1 11,360 19,890 n/a n/a 31,250 Wales 270 1,140 n/a n/a 1,400 Scotland 790 3,700 n/a n/a 4,490 Northern Ireland 110 n/a2 n/a n/a n/a2 UK1 12,670 26,130 32,700 3,300 74,800 Sources:
International Passenger Survey and UK Tourism Survey.
1 Figures may not sum due to spending not attributable to regions/countries.
2 Comparable data not available.
3 Estimated figures.
(b) Data at county level for categories 1 and 2 can be found on the Tourism Boards' statistics website http:// www.staruk.org.uk.