Member Article

Tourists set to spend £347 million in the North East by 2017

Tourists will spend £347 million a year in the North East economy by 2017, a piece of research from Barclays has revealed.

The relaxation of visa rules, particularly for visitors from emerging markets such as UAE and China, will play a great role in the uplift. It is also projected that Chinese spending in the region could even increase 76% from 2013.

It showed Australian visitors were the highest spenders, contributing over £25 million to the local economy last year, followed by Irish visitors, spending £20 million.

Brian Thorpe, Barclays head of Corporate Bank, North East, commented: “The lifting of visa restrictions presents a huge opportunity and so the importance of how North East operators market themselves to their different audiences cannot be overstated.

“Whether it’s engaging with in-flight publications, working with local tourist offices, promoting their business overseas or collaborating with other retailers and leisure operators in their local environment, the benefits of targeted profile-raising can make the difference.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .