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CHEAP FLIGHTS AND THE 2012 OLYMPICS COULD BE “BAD NEWS” FOR SOUTH WEST TOURISM

Publicity about floods, FMD, and blue tongue was the biggest factor in reducing overseas visitors to the South West in 2007

Most South West hoteliers believe that the growth in cheap flights - and the winning of the 2012 Olympics – are both potentially “bad news” for the region‘s tourism industry.

With more than a third of South West hoteliers reporting a decrease in overseas visitors during 2007, most believe that the decline resulted from publicity about flooding, foot & mouth disease, and blue tongue restrictions in the region.

These are the top-line findings of a new survey of South West hoteliers, conducted by the specialist tourism & leisure team at Bishop Fleming, the accountancy firm with the widest spread of offices throughout the region.

According to Will Hanbury, who heads the Bishop Fleming tourism & leisure team:  “At a time when our regional airports in Bristol, Exeter, and Newquay are reporting record growth, fuelled by cheap flights to European destinations, most of our hotelier respondents (54%) said that cheap flights from local airports are reducing the number of UK families booking holidays in the South West, and making very little difference to the number of overseas tourists coming to this region.

“More surprising, perhaps, was the fact that less than 8% of our hotelier respondents expect the 2012 Olympics to benefit tourism in the South West.  The majority (57%) believe that the Olympics will be bad news for the region‘s tourism industry, with the need to finance the games leading to further cuts in tourism funding”, said Mr Hanbury.

This finding fits with another question in the Bishop Fleming survey, revealing a massive condemnation of the Government‘s decision to cut funding for the Visit Britain agency that promotes tourism to Britain in overseas countries.

“An overwhelming 93% of our respondents saw this as a bad move and said that the South West needs to be promoted internationally”, said Will Hanbury.

“Bishop Fleming has also responded to this Government cut by writing to all South West MPs, urging them to sign the Early Day Motion, tabled by Don Foster MP, that calls for a Government re-think”, he added.

Despite bad weather, bad news coverage, and a weak dollar, the Bishop Fleming survey reveals a mixed picture on how South West hotels fared in 2007.  While about 20% recorded reduced takings, most hoteliers (57%) saw their takings increase last year.

“But more than a third of our respondents (38%) reported a decline in the number of overseas visitors”, said Mr Hanbury, who trained as an hotelier before becoming a chartered accountant.

Of those reporting a reduction in overseas visitors, the biggest number (50%) blamed bad news stories about such episodes as flooding and foot & mouth disease.  More than a quarter (29%) suggested the decline was mostly down to other UK regions being better promoted.  Only 21% believe that any drop in overseas visitors to the South West was caused by the strength of the pound.

More that a third of respondents (36%) to the Bishop Fleming survey also reported a reduction in the number of British visitors during 2007.  By far the biggest reason, according to 79% of hoteliers, was the region‘s poor summer weather last year.

“We work with more than 200 of this region‘s tourism and leisure businesses, who are all having to confront this competitive challenge.  South West hoteliers cannot improve the British weather, or eradicate news stories about floods and farming disasters.

“But increasing numbers of South West hotels, restaurants, and visitor attractions are now reviewing their business plans to shake off the out-dated ‘traditional holiday‘ formula.

“This is a crucial transformation – not just for those individual businesses, but for the region‘s hugely important tourism and leisure sector”, said Bishop Fleming‘s Will Hanbury.

The Bishop Fleming survey also asked hoteliers what one legislative change they would like to see introduced to help their sector – with responses ranging from calls for cheaper, subsidised rail links and streamlined planning procedures, to tax relief on capital expenditure for updating facilities and the abolition of the smoking ban. 

END                17th January 2008

For further information please contact Neil Fraser, Sturgess Van Damme, on 01275 349011, or email neil@sturgessvandamme.co.uk