Travel and Tourism Market

Travel and Tourism Market

The UK travel and tourism industry serves three separate markets: domestic tourism by UK residents within the UK; outbound tourism by UK residents travelling abroad; and inbound tourism by overseas residents travelling to the UK. In 2007, total expenditure on UK travel and tourism, combining these three markets, increased by 1.8%, to £72.67bn. A total of 226 million trips were made and 1.35 billion overnight stays were recorded during the year. The outbound market is the largest by expenditure and number of bed nights, while the domestic market is the largest by number of trips made.

Consolidation reshaped the outbound travel and tourism sector in 2007. MyTravel Group PLC and Thomas Cook AG combined to form Thomas Cook Group PLC, while First Choice PLC and the Tourism division of TUI AG merged to form TUI Travel PLC. Following these mergers, both companies began to restructure their operations. Thomas Cook, for example, has closed some of its high-street travel agencies, and TUI Travel PLC is eliminating loss-making flying capacity from its UK operations.

One of the problems currently facing the travel and tourism industry is the record price of oil. This is having a particularly serious impact on the airline sector. Air fares, especially on long-haul services, are rising continually in order to cover the ever-increasing cost of fuel, and passenger numbers are now being affected. A number of airlines have ceased operations in 2008 and further company closures and mergers are expected.

BAA's ownership of seven UK airports `may not be serving well the interests of either airlines or passengers', according to a report by the Competition Commission. BAA dominates the airport market in south-east England and lowland Scotland with its ownership of Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Southampton and Aberdeen airports, and the Competition Commission is concerned that this high level of ownership may be adversely affecting the industry. Accordingly, BAA may be required to sell two of its London airports and either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport. The Commission's final report is expected to be published in early 2009.

The UK travel and tourism market is currently facing a number of major economic challenges, including rising inflation, slowing economic growth, higher transport costs and a lower exchange rate for sterling against the euro. Despite these difficulties, the indications are that the UK travel and tourism market should demonstrate some growth in 2008, aided by a fairly resilient outbound market. It would appear that, despite falling consumer confidence and a rising cost of living, the annual summer holiday is one pleasure that many consumers are unwilling to sacrifice.  
 

Executive Summary

1. Industry Overview

REPORT COVERAGE

Definitions

REPORT BACKGROUND

ECONOMIC TRENDS

Population

Table 1.1: UK Resident Population Estimates by Sex (000), Mid-Years 2003-2007

Gross Domestic Product

Table 1.2: UK Gross Domestic Product at Current and Annual Chain-Linked Prices (£m), 2003-2007

Inflation

Table 1.3: UK Rate of Inflation (%), 2003-2007

Unemployment

Table 1.4: Actual Number of Unemployed Persons in the UK (million), 2003-2007

Household Disposable Income

Table 1.5: UK Household Disposable Income per Capita (£), 2003-2007

MARKET SIZE

By Value

Table 1.6: The UK Travel and Tourism Market by Sector by Value (£m), 2003-2007

By Volume

Number of Trips

Table 1.7: The UK Travel and Tourism Market by Sector by Number of Trips (000), 2003-2007

Number of Bed Nights

Table 1.8: The UK Travel and Tourism Market by Sector by Number of Bed Nights (million), 2003-2007

MARKET SEGMENTATION

Table 1.9: The UK Travel and Tourism Market by Sector by Value and Volume (£m, 000, million and %), 2007

Table 1:10: The UK Travel and Tourism Market by Sector by Average Expenditure per Trip and per Bed Night, and Average Number of Bed Nights per Trip (£ and number), 2007

UK Tourism

Table 1.11: The UK Tourism Market by Sector by Value and Volume (£m, 000, million and %), 2003-2007

Internal Tourism

Table 1.12: The UK Internal Tourism Market by Sector by Value and Volume (£m, 000, million and %), 2003-2007

International Tourism

Table 1.13: The UK International Tourism Market by Sector by Value and Volume (£m, 000, million and %), 2003-2007

INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

Concentration

Table 1.14: Estimated Market Shares of the Three Leading Companies in Selected Sectors of the UK Travel and Tourism Market (%), 2008

Number of UK Businesses

Transport Providers

Table 1.15: Number of UK VAT-Based Enterprises Engaged in Other Scheduled Passenger Land Transport by Turnover Sizeband (£000 and number), 2003-2007

Table 1.16: Number of UK VAT-Based Enterprises Engaged in Scheduled and Non-Scheduled Passenger Air Transport by Turnover Sizeband (£000 and number), 2007

Table 1.17: Number of UK VAT-Based Enterprises Engaged in Rail Transport by Turnover Sizeband (£000 and number), 2007

Table 1.18: Number of UK VAT-Based Enterprises Engaged in Sea and Coastal Water Transport and in Inland Water Transport by Turnover Sizeband (£000 and number), 2007

Accommodation Providers

Table 1.19: Number of UK VAT-Based Enterprises Engaged as Hotels by Turnover Sizeband (£000 and number), 2003-2007

Table 1.20: Number of UK VAT-Based Enterprises Engaged in the Provision of Other Short-Stay Accommodation by Turnover Sizeband (£000 and number), 2007

Travel Agents and Tour Operators

Table 1.21: Number of UK VAT-Based Enterprises Engaged as Travel Agents and Tour Operators by Turnover Sizeband (£000 and number), 2003-2007

Employment

Table 1.22: Number of UK Employee Jobs in the Hotels and Restaurants, Travel Agents, Air Transport and Water Transport Sectors (000), 2003-2007

Distribution

Table 1.23: The UK Outbound Holiday Market by Type of Arrangement by Volume (%), 2003-2007

MARKET POSITION

Table 1.24: Expenditure on Personal Travel and Tourism by Country ($bn), 2008

KEY TRENDS

Market Trends

Corporate Activity

LEGISLATION

KEY TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

ABTA The Travel Association

Airports Council International

Air Transport Users Council

Air Travel Insolvency Protection Advisory Committee

Association of European Airlines

Association of Independent Tour Operators

British Air Transport Association

Civil Aviation Authority

European Low Fares Airline Association

Federation of Tour Operators

Guild of European Business Travel Agents

Guild of Travel Management Companies

International Air Transport Association

International Civil Aviation Organization

Passenger Shipping Association

UKinbound

World Tourism Organization

World Travel & Tourism Council

2. PEST Analysis

POLITICAL FACTORS

Government Regulation of Connected Travel Insurance

BAA's Airport Ownership Criticised

CAA Could Be Stripped of Powers

CAA Introduces ATOL Protection Contribution

CAA Restricts Use of the ATOL Logo

Tories Propose Review of UK Tourism Marketing

EU-US Open Skies Agreement

UK Biometric Visas

ECONOMIC FACTORS

VisitEngland Provides Leadership for English Tourism

`Outbound Tourism Alliance' Mooted

Air Transport Users Council Proposes Emergency Fund

Impact on Airlines of Rising Oil Prices

Higher Oil Prices Slow Down Vehicles

SOCIAL FACTORS

Holidaymakers Could Be Left Stranded

CAA Warns of `DIY Holiday' Dangers

WWF-UK Travelling Light Survey

12th Annual Barclaycard Business Travel Survey

Environmental Concerns Drive Switch to Public Transport

TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS

Business Travellers Want More Online Tools

ABTA Text Alert Service Goes Live

Innovations in Website Design

Buses Run on Cooking Oil

3. Consumer Research

INTRODUCTION

NUMBER OF HOLIDAYS TAKEN

Table 3.1: Penetration of Holidays Taken in the Last 12 Months (% of adults), March 2003-2007

Table 3.2: Number of Holidays Taken in the Last 12 Months (% of adults), March 2006 and 2007

Table 3.3: Number of Holidays Taken in the British Isles and Abroad in the Last 12 Months (% of adults), March 2006 and 2007

By Socio-Demographic Group

Table 3.4: Penetration of Holidays in the British Isles or Abroad in the Last 12 Months by Number of Holidays and Socio-Demographic Group (% of adults), March 2007

Table 3.5: Profile of Those Who Had Taken One or More Holidays in the British Isles or Abroad in the Last 12 Months by Number of Holidays and Socio-Demographic Group (% of adults), March 2007

PLANNING A HOLIDAY

Table 3.6: Sources Used to Obtain Information for the Most Recent Holiday Taken in the Last 12 Months (% of adults), March 2006 and 2007

BOOKING A HOLIDAY

Table 3.7: Method of Booking the Most Recent Holiday Taken in the Last 12 Months (% of adults), March 2006 and 2007

Table 3.8: How Far in Advance the Booking was Made for the Most Recent Holiday Taken in the Last 12 Months (% of adults), March 2006 and 2007

METHOD OF TRAVEL

Table 3.9: Main Mode of Travel Used for the Most Recent Holiday Taken in the Last 12 Months (% of adults), March 2006 and 2007

TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION

Table 3.10: Type of Accommodation Used for the Most Recent Holiday Taken in the Last 12 Months (% of adults), March 2006 and 2007

TYPE OF HOLIDAY

Table 3.11: Most Recent Holiday Taken in the Last 12 Months — Type of Holiday (% of adults), March 2006 and 2007

LENGTH OF STAY

Table 3.12: Most Recent Holiday Taken in the Last 12 Months — Length of Stay (% of adults), March 2006 and 2007

COST OF HOLIDAY

Table 3.13: Total Cost of Most Recent Holiday Taken in the Last 12 Months (% of adults), March 2006 and 2007

4. Competitive Structure

THE MARKETPLACE

Table 4.1: Leaders in the UK Travel and Tourism Industry by Market and Industry Sector, 2008

MARKET LEADERS

British Airways PLC

Financial Results

FirstGroup PLC

Financial Results

National Express Group PLC

Financial Results

P&O Ferries Ltd

Financial Results

Thomsonfly Ltd

Financial Results

TUI Travel PLC

Financial Results

Other Companies

OUTSIDE SUPPLIERS

MARKETING ACTIVITY

Table 4.2: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by the Main Sectors of the UK Travel and Tourism Industry (£000), Years Ending March 2004-2008

5. The Domestic Market

DEFINITION

KEY TRENDS

MARKET SIZE

Table 5.1: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market by Value and Volume (£m, 000 and million), 2003-2007

By Purpose of Trip

Table 5.2: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market by Purpose of Trip by Value (£m and %), 2003-2007

Table 5.3: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market by Purpose of Trip by Volume (million and %), 2003-2007

By Season

Table 5.4: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market — Expenditure, Number of Trips and Number of Bed Nights by Season of Stay (£m, million and %), 2007

By Destination

Table 5.5: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market — Expenditure, Number of Trips and Number of Bed Nights by Government Office Region (£m, million and %), 2007

By Mode of Transport

Table 5.6: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market by Mode of Transport (% of trips), 2003-2007

By Type of Accommodation

Table 5.7: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market — Serviced Accommodation Occupancy by Country (%), 2003-2007

Table 5.8: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market — Serviced Accommodation Occupancy by Type of Establishment (%), 2003-2007

Table 5.9: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market by Type of Accommodation (% of trips), 2003-2007

Table 5.10: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market by Type of Accommodation (% of expenditure), 2003-2007

SUPPLY STRUCTURE

Transport Operators

Bus and Coach Operators

Table 5.11: The UK's Leading Bus Operators by Size of Fleet (number of buses and %), June 2008

Train Operators

Train-Operating Companies

Table 5.12: Passenger Train Operating Companies in Great Britain, August 2008

Airlines

Table 5.13: Number of Aircraft in Service with UK Airlines, 2003-2007

Table 5.14: UK Airlines by Available Seat Capacity and Seat Capacity Used (000 seat kilometres and %), 2007

Table 5.15: Domestic Air Passengers Uplifted on Scheduled and Non-Scheduled Services in the UK (000), 2003-2007

Accommodation Providers

Table 5.16: Selected Hotel Chains by Number of UK Outlets, 2008

MAJOR PLAYERS

Bus and Coach Operators

Arriva PLC

The Go-Ahead Group PLC

Stagecoach Group PLC

Hotels

Accor UK

Best Western Great Britain

Choice Hotels International

De Vere Hotels & Leisure Ltd

Hilton International Hotels (UK) Ltd

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

Jarvis Hotels Ltd

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels PLC

Premier Inn Hotels Ltd

Thistle Hotels

Travelodge Hotels Ltd

Other Accommodation Providers

Bourne Leisure Group Ltd

Holidaybreak PLC

Holiday Cottages Group Ltd

MARKETING ACTIVITY

Bus and Coach Operators

Table 5.17: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by Bus and Coach Operators (£000), Years Ending March 2004-2008

Train Operators

Table 5.18: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by Train Operators (£000), Years Ending March 2004-2008

Hotels

Table 5.19: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by Hotels (£000), Years Ending March 2004-2008

Holiday Resorts

Table 5.20: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by Holiday Resorts (£000), Years Ending March 2004-2008

BUYING BEHAVIOUR

Table 5.21: The UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market — Share of Expenditure, Trips and Bed Nights by Age Group and Social Grade (%), 2007

Penetration of Domestic Holidays

Table 5.22: Penetration of One, Two and Three or More Holidays in the British Isles in the Last 12 Months by Sex, Age, Social Grade and Region of Residence (% of adults), March 2007

Penetration of Domestic Hotel Stays

Table 5.23: Penetration of Hotel Stays† in Great Britain in the Last 12 Months by Sex, Age, Social Grade and Region of Residence (% of adults), March 2007

Penetration of Domestic Air Travel

Table 5.24: Number of Separate Air Trips Made in the UK in the Last 12 Months by Sex, Age, Social Grade and Region of Residence (% of adults), March 2007

FORECASTS 2008 TO 2012

Table 5.25: The Forecast UK Domestic Travel and Tourism Market by Value and Volume (£m, 000 and million), 2008-2012

6. The Outbound Market

DEFINITION

Purpose of Trip

Country of Destination

Mode of Transport

Type of Arrangement

KEY TRENDS

MARKET SIZE

Table 6.1: The UK Outbound Travel and Tourism Market by Value and Volume (£m, 000 and million), 2003-2007

By Purpose of Trip

Table 6.2: The UK Outbound Travel and Tourism Market by Purpose of Trip by Volume (000 and %), 2003-2007

Table 6.3: The UK Outbound Travel and Tourism Market by Purpose of Trip by Region of Destination by Volume (000 trips and %), 2007

By Destination

Table 6.4: The UK Outbound Travel and Tourism Market by Country of Destination by Volume (000 trips), 2003-2007

By Mode of Transport

Table 6.5: The UK Outbound Travel and Tourism Market by Mode of Transport by Volume (000 trips), 2003-2007

By Type of Arrangement

Table 6.6: The UK Outbound Holiday Market by Type of Arrangement and Mode of Transport by Volume (000 trips and %), 2003-2007

The Cruise Market

Table 6.7: The UK Open-Sea Cruise Market by Type of Cruise and Destination by Volume (000 passengers), 2003-2007

Table 6.8: The UK Open-Sea Cruise Market by Main Destination by Volume (000 passengers), 2003-2007

SUPPLY STRUCTURE

Tour Operators

Table 6.9: Number of ABTA-Registered Tour Operators in the UK and Average Number of Package Holidays Sold (number and 000), 2003-2007

Travel Agents

Table 6.10: The UK's Leading Travel Agents by Estimated Number of Branches (number and %), Years Ending March 2004-2008

MAJOR PLAYERS

Tour Operators

Thomas Cook Group PLC

TUI Travel PLC

XL Leisure Group PLC

Charter Airlines

First Choice Airways Ltd

Monarch Airlines Ltd

Thomas Cook Airlines UK Ltd

Thomsonfly Ltd

MARKETING ACTIVITY

Tour Operators

Table 6.11: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by Overseas Tour Operators (£000), Years Ending March 2004-2008

Travel Agents

Table 6.12: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by Travel Agents (£000), Years Ending March 2004-2008

Online Travel Agents

Table 6.13: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by Online Travel Agents (£000), Years Ending March 2004-2008

BUYING BEHAVIOUR

Table 6.14: Penetration of One, Two and Three or More Holidays Abroad in the Last 12 Months by Sex, Age, Social Grade and Region of Residence (% of adults), March 2007

FORECASTS 2008 TO 2012

Table 6.15: The Forecast UK Outbound Travel and Tourism Market by Value and Volume (£m, 000 and million), 2008-2012

7. The Inbound Market

DEFINITION

Purpose of Trip

Country of Origin

Mode of Transport

Type of Arrangement

KEY TRENDS

MARKET SIZE

Table 7.1: The UK Inbound Travel and Tourism Market by Value and Volume (£m, 000 and million), 2003-2007

By Purpose of Trip

Table 7.2: The UK Inbound Travel and Tourism Market by Purpose of Trip by Volume (000 and %), 2003-2007

Table 7.3: The UK Inbound Travel and Tourism Market by Purpose of Trip by Region of Origin by Volume (000 trips and %), 2007

Table 7.4: The UK Inbound Travel and Tourism Market by Type of Trip by Volume (000 trips and %), 2003-2007

By Country of Origin

Table 7.5: The UK Inbound Travel and Tourism Market by Country of Origin by Volume (000 trips), 2003-2007

By Mode of Transport

Table 7.6: The UK Inbound Travel and Tourism Market by Mode of Transport by Volume (000 trips), 2003-2007

By Type of Arrangement

Table 7.7: The UK Inbound Holiday Market by Type of Arrangement and Mode of Transport by Volume (000 trips and %), 2003-2007

Table 7.8: The UK Inbound Holiday Market by Type of Arrangement and Region of Origin by Volume (000 trips and %), 2007

SUPPLY STRUCTURE

MARKETING ACTIVITY

Table 7.9: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by UK Tourist Offices (£000), Years Ending March 2004-2008

BUYING BEHAVIOUR

Table 7.10: Average Expenditure per Trip, Average Length of Stay and Average Expenditure per Bed Night by Overseas Visitors to the UK (£ and number of bed nights), 2003-2007

Table 7.11: Average Expenditure per Trip, Average Length of Stay and Average Expenditure per Bed Night by Overseas Visitors to the UK by Region of Origin (£ and number of bed nights), 2005-2007

FORECASTS 2008 TO 2012

Table 7.12: The Forecast UK Inbound Travel and Tourism Market by Value and Volume (£m, 000 and million), 2008-2012

8. A Global Perspective

MARKET VALUE AND VOLUME

Table 8.1: International Tourist Arrivals (million), 2003-2007

By Region

Table 8.2: International Tourist Arrivals and Receipts by Region (million, $bn and %), 2007

AIRPORT PASSENGER NUMBERS

Table 8.3: Worldwide Airport Passengers† (million), 2003-2007

By Region

Table 8.4: Worldwide Airport Passengers† by Region (000), 2007

By Airport

Table 8.5: Worldwide Airport Passengers† by Airport (000), 2007

THE CRUISE MARKET

Table 8.6: Number of Cruise Passengers from Selected European Countries (000), 2006

GLOBAL TOURISM FORECASTS

Market Trends

Longer-Term Forecasts

Table 8.7: Forecast Expenditure on Personal Travel and Tourism by Country ($bn and %), 2008 and 2018

9. The Future

ECONOMIC BACKGROUND

Population

Table 9.1: Forecast UK Resident Population by Sex (000), Mid-Years 2008-2012

Gross Domestic Product

Table 9.2: Forecast Growth in UK Gross Domestic Product in Real Terms (%), 2008-2012

Inflation

Table 9.3: Forecast UK Rate of Inflation (%), 2008-2012

Unemployment

Table 9.4: Forecast Actual Number of Unemployed Persons in the UK (million), 2008-2012

FORECASTS 2008 TO 2012

Table 9.5: The Forecast UK Travel and Tourism Market by Sector by Value and Volume (£m, 000 and million), 2008-2012

FUTURE TRENDS

Airlines Under Pressure

Cultural Olympiad

Fewer US Visitors

Discounting is Reduced

10. Further Sources

Associations

General Sources

Government Sources

Other Sources

Bisnode Sources