Market Intelligence Online Library
Keep up top date with the latest information on tourism facts and figures. The library offers research reports and summaries on a wide variety of topical tourism issues including economic impact and trend analysis of specific sectors.
List of Reports
Follow the links below to jump to the report you wish to see:
NEW 2009 Global Attractions Attendance Report
European Tourism 2010 - Trends & Prospects
The Economic Contribution of the Visitor Economy
A lasting Legacy: How Major Events can Drive Positive Change for Host Communities and Economies
Investing in Success: Heritage and the UK Tourism Economy
The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2009
The Impact of Lower VAT Rates on UK Visitor Attractions and Accommodation
UK Hotels Forecast: Not out of the Woods Yet
South East Protected Landscape Visitor Research Review
Competitiveness of the EU Tourism Industry
The Coach and Tour Operator Market in the South East
The Impact of H1N1 Swine Flu on the South East
Measuring the Impact of Changing Gift Aid Rules
Yatching Tourism in the South East
2009 Global Attractions Attendance Report
Despite challenges presented by reduced consumer spending and budgets in 2009, the theme park industry managed to weather the storm at a level equal to or ahead of many other industries. According to the 2009 Global Attractions Attendance Report, the South East’s top three theme parks (Legoland, Thorpe Park and Chessington) all posted impressive visitor numbers.
To read the full report please click on the link below:
Social Travel Report
According to the Social Travel Report published by TotalMedia, a UK-based media planning and buying agency, more and more British holidaymakers are now booking trips based on online travel reviews rather than glossy publications. According to the study, reviews written by strangers on independent websites such as TripAdvisor, contacts via social media sites, search results on Google and word of mouth advice from family and colleagues are more influential than brochures, advertising, media reviews and advice from travel agents when it comes to booking holidays.
To read the full report please click on the link below:
European Tourism 2010 - Trends & Prospects
This report reveals that overnight visits to European destinations declined 6% in 2009 while international travel around the world fell by just under 5% against the headwinds of the global recession. However, signs of a travel recovery emerged in the final months of the year as economies around the world strengthened.
To read the full report please click on the link below:
The Economic Contribution of the Visitor Economy
The Economic Contribution of the Visitor Economy, a study undertaken by Deloitte published in February 2009 describing the importance of tourism to the UK economy, is currently being updated and a new report will be released soon. Headline results from the latest study cover the contribution of the visitor economy in 2009, along with forecasts for 2010 and 2020.
To read the executive findings of the report click on the link below.
A lasting Legacy: How Major Events can Drive Positive Change for Host Communities and Economies
Hosting major international sports and entertainment events can help boost economic and social development. A Lasting Legacy: How major events can drive positive change for host communities and economies reveals that events such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games benefit a host nation's global stature by allowing destinations to put themselves front and centre on the global stage.
With the 2012 Olympics only a few years away, and the recent announcement that Milton Keynes has been named as a candidate host alongside 11 cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the South East is well placed to benefit from these major international sporting events.
To read the full report please click on the link below:
Investing in Success: Heritage and the UK Tourism Economy
Visits to Britain’s museums, castles, parks and historic houses can play a key role in boosting the flagging economy according to a recent report by The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The size of the heritage tourism sector is estimated to be worth in excess of £12.4bn a year and supports an estimated 195,000 full-time jobs – making the sector bigger than the advertising, car or film industries. Also, once economic ‘multiplier’ effects are included, the numbers increase to a GDP contribution of £20.6bn a year, supporting 466,000 jobs.
To read the full report please click on the link below:
The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2009
The theme of this third edition of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, “Managing in a time of turbulence,” reflects the myriad of challenges facing the industry at this time, including the economic downturn, the impact of higher oil prices, and the need for destinations to embrace sustainable tourism development. The report includes insightful contributions from a number of industry experts who examine what must be overcome to ensure strong sectoral growth going into the future.
The report contains detailed profiles for each of the 133 economies featured in the study, as well as an extensive section of data tables with global rankings covering over 70 indicators.
To read the full report please click on the link below:
The Impact of Lower VAT Rates on UK Visitor Attractions and Accommodation
The British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA) has launched a campaign to persuade the Government to reduce VAT for tourism businesses to 5% in the wake of Germany’s decision to cut the VAT rate on overnight stays in hotels from 19% to 7% from the start of next year.
It is currently estimated that the tourism sector generates £115bn per year for the UK economy, 5% of GDP, and pays £20bn per annum to the Treasury in taxes. The reduction in the tax burden will give the industry a much needed boost and according to the BALPPA will create up to 23,000 additional tourism related jobs.
To read the summary report please click the link below:
UK Hotels Forecast: Not Out of the Woods Yet
The UK hotels sector continues to be battered by the worst recession in 60 years. Trading and values have been hit hard with owners, investors and operators impacted severely. However, there are some signs that the global economy has come back from the brink and that for UK hotels the worst may be over.
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ latest UK hotels forecast shows that, despite the continuing fall-out from missing corporate travellers and the slump in the conference sector, hoteliers are more optimistic than they were earlier this year.
To read the full report please click the link below:
South East Protected Landscape Visitor Research Review
The South East Protected Landscape Group contracted Tourism South East to undertake a comprehensive review of all visitor research in the South East Protected Landscapes to provide descriptive, attitudinal and behavioural information about visitors to the region's protected landscapes.
Post code data profiling was also requested to enhance knowledge about visitors and identify future target markets.
To read the full report please click the link below:
Festivals Sector
The South East hosts some of the UK's most important festivals - Brighton Festival; Garsington Opera; Glyndebourne Festival Opera; Oxford Literary Festival; Reading Festival and the Isle of Wight Festival. Not only do festivals form a significant strand of the region’s cultural offer, many play a key role in supporting the visitor economy.
A recent study has found that visitor spend generated by festivals in the South East, show an indicative total economic contribution of £503 million to the visitor economy.
To read the full report please click the link below:
Competitiveness of the EU Tourism Industry
Over the last decade the job creation rate in the EU tourism industry has been above the EU average. In recognition of this, it has been identified as an industry which can play an important role in the attainment of the Growth and Jobs Strategy goals set in the Lisbon Strategy. In this report the competitive position of the European tourism industry is analysed in order to improve its role as a potential sustainable growth engine in the Eurpean economy.
Notwithstanding the pan-European focus of this report, it provides a series of recommended actions to enhance the competitiveness of the tourism industry which is just as applicable at national level as it is at EU level.
To view the report please click on the link below:
The Coach and Tour Operator Market in the South East
Often perceived as a low-value market typically involving old age pensioners, the coach tour market has suffered from bad press in recent years. However, a new study by Tourism South East has dipelled this myth, showing that the market bolsters the region's visitor economy by approx. £254 million a year.
Read the Executive Summary below to gain an insight into the coach and tour operator market. If you are interested in reading the full report, and are a member of TSE, please contact Elaine Pearce (Travel Trade Manager).
Impact of H1N1 Swine Flu on Tourism in the South East
To measure the impact of the H1N1 Swine Flu outbreak on the tourism industry in the South East, TSE conducted a survey of member businesses in the July 2009 edition of the e-newsletter.
To view the report please click on the link below:
National TIC Project
The National TIC Project presents the findings of how Tourist Information Centres (TICs) across the country play a role in influencing tourists behaviour, especially in relation to length of stay and expenditure.
To view the report please click on the link below:
Industry Connectivity Research Project
Over recent years the internet has become an increasingly important means for tourism businesses to reach prospective customers and it is likely to account for an even greater volume of customers in years to come. In December 2008 TSE conducted telephone interviews with various tourism businesses across the region about their usage of the internet. The aim of the project was to gain an understanding of the current use of information and communicative technology.
Click the link below to view the summary and the full report:
Day Visitor Research
Following on from the Short Breaks research in 2005, the Day Visitor Research has helped TSE to better understand purchase drivers and motivations when it comes to Day Visits. This has helped us understand which destinations service which types of leisure day trip (e.g. visits to family, day at the beach, a night out, a shopping trip etc.) and define which segments are attracted to each and to different types of attractions. The research, conducted between July 2007 and March 2008, gives both a national and regional picture.
To view the presentation please click on the link below:
Measuring the Impact of the Changing Gift Aid Rules on Charitable Attractions
An independent study by Tourism South East into the impact of Gift Aid on charitable visitor attractions accross England between 2000 and 2006.
To view the report please click on the link below:
Brighton Festival Report
Research was undertaken to assess the impacts made by Brighton Festival on the City's art and culture, economy and audiences. It also provides a benchmark which can be used to measure the growth of future festivals.
To view the report please click on the link below:
Creative & Cultural Study
This report assesses the scale and range of the Creative & Cultural Industries contribution to the South East regional economy and identifies areas for future research.
To view the report please click on the link below:
Yachting Tourism in the South East
This study draws together baseline data to assess the size and market profile of yachting tourism in the South East and establishs benchmarks to identify relative performance based on visitor ratings.
To view the report please click on the link below:
Motorsport Tourism
This study assesses linkages between motor sport venues and related attractions and tourism businesses in the region and seeks to provide a critique of the cluster model as a driver of motor sport tourism development.
To view the report please click on the link below: