Why The UK Is Struggling With Tourism

The UK has seen a decline in international tourists, and the government has taken steps to figure out why. The United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics says that “overall there was a small decrease in the number of international visitors coming to the UK in the year ending June 2018.”

This is interesting because it comes just after 2017, which was named by the World Travel and Tourism Council to be the third consecutive year that increased international tourist spending. The United Kingdom saw a 4% increase in international tourism, which is pretty big for a country, significantly when it’s rising from one of the world’s highest per capita spenders on tourism. Here are some reasons why the UK Is struggling with tourism:

EXTRA PAY

Tourists sometimes have to pay extra for healthcare in the UK; other countries have special agreements with the UK, which might help attract travelers there. The government has failed to maintain its number of international students, which also contributes to their declining tourism numbers.

TERRORIST ATTACKS

A lot of terrorist attacks in the UK have made people feel unsafe. This has scared off tourists who do not want to be caught in the middle of an attack.

BREXIT

Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) has created several financial questions, which means that it is unlikely that they will increase their tourism numbers anytime soon. It also makes it difficult for students and workers to further themselves abroad or within the UK because of the uncertainty around visas and labor laws.

HIGH COSTS OF LIVING

Due to inflation, prices are slowly increasing, making a living in London expensive and traveling within the country. Because there is little access to free movement across borders, people tend to stay where they live unless they have a higher income to afford traveling.

COST OF TRAVEL

The cost of travel for international tourists is now more expensive. For example, the UK has started charging a 20-pound fee to drive through the Dartford Crossing. The only way to avoid this is if you have an E-Pass, but not everyone can afford it; this makes traveling outside of London difficult, discouraging people from leaving the city even for short periods.

BAD WEATHER

The weather in Britain changes weekly, which makes visiting the country based on good weather rare. This also contributes to why fewer students choose Britain as their destination to study abroad. If the climate isn’t suitable, people are less likely to visit over all other options available elsewhere.

In summary, the UK has been struggling since 2017 because of a decline in international students, terrorist attacks, and its exit from the EU. The country has also seen a decline in tourism numbers due to a high cost of living and travel restrictions, which discourages people from staying in Britain for more extended periods.