The Hindu Business Line : Britain steps up efforts to woo Indian tourists

Boost to tourism
With increasing trade relationship between the two countries and the recent trend of increasing number of Indian companies investing in Britain, Visit Britain hopes to attract more tourists from India.

Bangalore , March 8

Britain is fast becoming a favourite tourist destination for visitors from India.

Though considered the number one destination in the world, Britain is still lower in the pecking order occupying the eighth spot for visitors from India.

However, with the recent trend indicating a faster growth in tourist flow from this country, Visit Britain, the national tourist agency, has stepped up its efforts to woo more tourists.

Britain is expecting seven lakh tourists from India this year, up from last year's five lakh. Mr Keith Beecham, General Manager - Asia Pacific, said that with increasing affluence of the middle class and the robust film industry, Visit Britain expects leisure travel to increase further from the current 23 per cent.

Its focus would also be on the education segment, which could have a multiplier effect with parents of students studying in the UK adding to the tourists flow. Indian tourists with an average stay of four days spend £1,000 on sightseeing and shopping, Mr Beecham said.

Bangalore office

To tap the potential from the southern market, which has become the focus of every country to market their destinations, Visit Britain would be opening an office in Bangalore, which will be the first major city outside Delhi to have a Visit Britain office.

Visit of Family and Friends is a strong segment accounting for 35 per cent of the overall tourists flow from India.

Business tourism, along with leisure tourism from the country, is also witnessing a rapid growth.

With increasing trade relationship between the two countries and the recent trend of increasing number of Indian companies investing in Britain, Visit Britain hopes to attract more tourists from India.

Allaying fears of Britain being an expensive destination, Mr Beecham said tourists could choose to stay in the British countryside where affordable accommodation in University hostels or apartments could reduce the expense.

London is only less than tan an hour away by the `London Metro' from the smaller but culturally and historically rich towns in the countryside, he said.