[Source/Observer Network Deng Jun Editing/Zhao Qiankun]

According to multiple media reports by international tourism industry media such as Travel Daily News and The Guardian in the UK, the World Travel & Tourism Council (hereinafter referred to as WTTC) stated that in 2024, international tourists spent 5.3% less in the UK compared to 2019, causing a loss of £2.2 billion (approximately RMB 21.36 billion) to the UK economy. WTTC urged the UK to pay attention to the value of tourism to economic and employment growth, warning that if there are no targeted actions and investments in the future, the UK inbound tourism industry will face the risk of long-term decline.

Previously, VisitBritain, the UK's tourism board, predicted that the number of visitors to the UK in 2024 would reach 39.5 million, an increase of 5% over 37.8 million in 2023, but still 3% lower than the level in 2019. Among them, China's market is expected to recover to a market value of £1.7 billion (approximately RMB 2.26 billion) in 2024, becoming the UK's fourth largest inbound tourist market by value.

Travel Daily News reported that the 2025 Economic Impact Research (EIR) released by WTTC showed that although the UK tourism industry grew by 3.9% in 2024 and contributed £286 billion (approximately RMB 2.8 trillion) to the UK economy, international tourist spending was £40.3 billion (approximately RMB 390.84 billion), down 5.3% from 2019. WTTC believes that the UK government's deliberate policies, including cutting the tourism board's budget, canceling duty-free shopping, increasing air passenger tax, and implementing an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, are setting "travel barriers."

Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster Visual China

The Guardian reported that Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC, believed that "although tourism contributes 10% to the UK's GDP and creates job opportunities, the UK has not listed it as a priority development matter. This is self-destruction."

Retailers, including luxury brand Burberry, expressed that "the cancellation of VAT exemption policies for tourists has made the UK lose its competitive edge in the eyes of global shoppers."

Simpson also criticized the UK government's decision to cut the tourism board's budget by 44% in 2025—on April 1st, the promotion project budget of the tourism board was reduced from £18.85 million (approximately RMB 183 million) last year to £10.57 million (approximately RMB 103 million).

A government spokesperson said, "The promotion activities of the tourism board remain an effective means of driving economic growth. The UK is one of the countries with the highest volume of tourists visiting in the world, and international tourism brings huge income to our economy. We support the continuous development of this industry and will introduce a national visitor economy strategy later this autumn to help achieve our goal—i.e., attracting 50 million international tourists to visit the UK annually by 2030."

Travel Daily News reported that WTTC believes that the reduction in the UK tourism board's budget may lead to a decrease in investment in areas outside London, thus exacerbating the imbalance in regional tourism development. This change may not only limit local economic growth but also prevent the potential of local cultural and tourism resources from being properly explored and promoted.

A report from Euromonitor International, a market research company, confirmed WTTC's concerns—the number of international tourists visiting London in 2024 was 21.7 million (falling short of VisitBritain's previous expectations and accounting for only 54.93% of VisitBritain's predicted total number of visitors to the UK), growing by 7% year-on-year.

In addition, citizens of non-EU visa-exempt countries must hold an electronic travel authorization when traveling to the UK, with an application fee of £10 (approximately RMB 97). On April 2nd, apart from Ireland, nationals of EU and European Economic Area countries also need an electronic travel authorization, covering countries such as Andorra, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, etc.

Heathrow Airport warned that the electronic travel authorization could cause the airport to lose 4 million passengers annually.

The latest information from the UK Home Office shows that the cost of the electronic travel authorization will rise from £10 to £16 (approximately RMB 155). However, the specific effective date has not been announced.

Travel Daily News reported that the UK has become one of the most expensive destinations for tourism in Europe. Simpson believes that policies such as the electronic travel authorization system, the cancellation of duty-free shopping, rising business taxes, and increased air passenger tax will put pressure on the UK's inbound tourism industry in 2025.

Despite the construction of the first Universal Studios theme park in Europe in the UK and plans to expand Heathrow, Gatwick, and Luton airports, WTTC believes that only by eliminating related travel barriers can these projects potentially contribute to the development of the UK tourism industry in the coming years.

According to reports by The Guardian and other British media, Edinburgh, a popular tourist city in the UK, may become the first city in the UK to impose a tourist tax. According to a proposed new regulation, starting from July 2026, visitors to Edinburgh will be required to pay a 5% surcharge on their accommodation costs per day, with a maximum charge of seven consecutive nights, covering hotels, bed-and-breakfast accommodations, self-catering apartments and rooms rented through platforms like Airbnb, as well as student dormitories rented to tourists.

Travel Daily News reported that WTTC called on the UK government to increase the tourism board's budget, restore the duty-free shopping policy for international tourists, reconsider whether to impose a tourist tax, and increase investment in tourism to maintain the UK's competitiveness in the global tourism market.

WTTC also warned that if the UK government does not adjust policies in time, as global tourism grows, the gap between the UK's tourism industry and other countries may widen further.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7497528598061171211/

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