Andy Burnham slammed for Manchester tourist tax plans Andy Burnham has been slammed by the chief executive of UKHospitality after backing plans for a new tourist tax to be introduced in Manchester. The mayor of Greater Manchester said earlier this week that tourists visiting the city region should pay a “proper” mandatory “tourist levy”. He added that he wanted to see Manchester city [...]
Jet2 warns of £45m hit from tax hikes and green levies Transport and infrastructure Jet2 has reported a boost in profit before tax but warned margins may come under pressure in the near future due to a raft of cost pressures. The group operates Jet2.com, the UK’s third largest airline by number of passengers flown and Jet2holidays, the UK’s leading provider of ATOL protected package holidays. Jet2 expects to [...]
Holiday Inn owner IHG boosts dividend and buyback amid continued growth Business Holiday Inn owner IHG has announced the purchase of its 20th brand and a boost to shareholder returns as it benefits from the revived travel market. IHG has soared as travel has returned after the pandemic, with early estimates for 2024 suggesting the hotel industry has finally surpassed 2019’s revenue. The Windsor-headquartered company told markets [...]
Manchester unveils £15bn plan to become go-to tourist destination outside London January 29, 2025 Greater Manchester has unveiled plans to grow its visitor economy to be worth £15bn by the end of the decade in a bid to be the go-to tourism destination in the UK outside of London. The new strategy, which covers a five-year period through to 2030, aims to increase the region’s visitor economy from around [...]
Can Liverpool replace London as UK’s tourism capital? January 17, 2025 The Liverpool City Region is making a bold play to replace London as the tourism capital of the UK. Local leaders have unveiled a five-year plan which it hopes will boost the region’s economy, create jobs and become the go-to destination in the country. Liverpool has been emboldened in its ambitions after hosting major cultural [...]
UK hotel sector warns on inflation despite pre-Christmas boost January 8, 2025 Occupancy rates at UK hotels rose last November in a pre-Christmas boost, but higher prices have again raised fears about inflation. The average occupancy rate of UK hotels rose from 76.6 per cent to 79.1 per cent in November year-on-year, while London also saw an increase from 79.6 per cent to 82.8 per cent in [...]
Eden Project losses nearly double despite visitors spike January 3, 2025 A spike in visitor numbers failed to stop Cornwall tourist attraction Eden Project falling deeper into the red during its latest financial year. The site welcomed more than 604,000 visitors in the year to 31 March, 2024, up from the over 551,000 who went there in the prior 12 months. As a result, Eden Project’s [...]
Why ‘Sunshine Saturday’ has travel operators crossing their fingers December 30, 2024 Black Friday’s travel-focused cousin, Sunshine Saturday, is set to fall on 4 January in 2025. Occuring on the first Saturday of every new year, Sunshine Saturday is the day most people book their holiday getaways for the year ahead. With Heathrow Airport set to cap off its busiest-ever year with two record months and Virgin Atlantic [...]
Titanic Belfast targets international tourism as profit surges December 16, 2024 Titanic Belfast has targeted international tourists to continue its recent remarkable growth after its turnover and profit both surged during its latest financial year. The Northern Ireland museum is to focus on attracting visitors from Europe and long-haul destinations after noticing a shift in consumer patterns following the Covid-19 pandemic. The change comes after Titanic [...]
London Heathrow Airport set for busiest year ever after record October November 11, 2024 London Heathrow airport is set to surpass its pre-pandemic passenger record after its busiest October ever saw seven million travellers use the airport. More than 7.2m passengers flew through Heathrow in October as the half term peak helped the airport to its sixth consecutive month of more than seven million passengers. “This year has been [...]