§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Paymaster General what is his Department's estimate of the relationship between the sterling exchange rate with the dollar and the number of United States visitors to the United Kingdom; and if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the percentage change in the number of United States visitors to the United Kingdom since 1970.
§ Mr. TrippierMovements in exchange rates are only one of a number of complex factors which affect the decisions of tourists, and no attempt to quantify the relationship has been made.
The number of visits by United States residents to the United Kingdom increased by 109 per cent. between 1970 and 1985 to 3,166,000 in 1985.
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§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Paymaster General what evidence he has as to the effectiveness of expenditure by the British Tourist Authority on promotion in the United States in increasing the number of visitors to the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. TrippierIt is not possible to quantify the effects of the British Tourist Authority's expenditure. A number of factors influence international tourism flows, but the level of growth in traffic from the United States to the United Kingdom over a number of years in comparison with other European destinations suggests that the British Tourist Authority's sustained efforts in promoting the United Kingdom have been to good effect. The BTA enjoys a high standing in the tourism industry and the substantial contribution which the industry makes to the cost of the BTA's activities abroad shows that its effectiveness is recognised.