2017 saw a huge growth in the number of arrivals of Chinese tourists to Britain. The travel specialists, Jing Travel reported that the numbers from VisitBritain presented a great improvement over 2016.
The Overall tourism arrivals grew by 4%, presenting a total of 39.2 million inbound visits. Tourist spending also grew substantially. Up by 9%, the total spending reached $32 billion.
While all of this is very impressive, it pales in comparison to the growth of Chinese tourists and their spending. Chinese arrivals have been up by 29% since 2016, leading to a total of 337,000 arrivals in 2017. Their spending also reached record heights, rising by 35% to $900 million.
From a Scottish point of view, it might be of interest to know that Edinburgh comes second to the number one destination in the UK, London, for Chinese tourists.
Chinese Tourists In Britain Spent More Than The Average Tourist
Breaking down the data further revealed that Chinese tourists pulled more than their fair share of weight when it came to spending. They accounted for 0.86% of total arrivals to Britain, but spent 2.8% of the total tourist spending.
An average tourist in the UK spent $816, which is less than a third of what the average Chinese tourist in Britain spent during their trip. The Chinese travel services provider Ctrip also reported that the growth in travel to Britain was up by 100% in 2017. This towered above the overall growth in Chinese tourism worldwide.
Brexit And The Pound
No matter how hard a Chinese Marketing Agency worked, one of the key factors in the increase of Chinese tourism to Britain is Brexit’s effect on the economy. Before Brexit, the Pound was worth 9.66 Yuan, however it fell to just 8.22 Yuan right after.
The Pound is now stable at 8.96 Yuan but it’s still much lower than its historic high before the Brexit vote. This has an overall positive effect on the tourism industry in Britain because it attracts tourists that see their money going further.
Right now, however, the Chinese tourism industry is thriving in Britain largely due to the exemplary work of tourist boards, private / public initiatives and independent businesses all putting the effort into attracting this lucrative market to the UK.