With 2014 visitor data hot off the press, tourism leaders at Ryedale District Council are celebrating a boost in overall visitor numbers and spend in the local economy. The figures are in contrast to the national and regional picture beyond Yorkshire, which shows a drop in the volume and value of domestic overnight trips compared with 2013.
Results from the Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS) show that 93 million domestic overnight trips were taken in England in 2014, a decrease of 9% compared with 2013. The value of domestic overnight trips fell by 3%, from £18.7 billion in 2013 to £18 billion in 2014.
Bucking this trend, there was a 2% increase in domestic overnight trips in Ryedale and an increase of 3% in trip spend. The number of trips made by visitors from overseas to the area was up by 6% and their trip spend was up by 15% compared to the previous year. In total, it is estimated that around £70 million was spent by all overnight visitors, up 4% from 2013.
Around 4.5 million tourism day trips were made to Ryedale in 2014. While this was actually a 4% reduction compared to the previous year, day trip expenditure per head increased by 4%, no doubt partly reflecting a strengthening economy, with more people willing to spend on leisure and holiday activities.
In total, approximately £213 million was spent on trips to the district in 2014 by overnight and day visitors, up 4% compared to 2013. 30% of this expenditure was made by domestic staying visitors, 3% by overseas staying visitors and 67% by day visitors.
Cllr Linda Cowling, Leader of Ryedale District Council said:
“We’re obviously delighted with these results and they reflect the positive feedback we’ve had with local tourism businesses in the last twelve months about trade being buoyant in all parts of the district. We won’t of course know this year’s figures until 2016, but we hope they will be just as good.
“We firmly believe that the whole tourism industry working together to improve the visitor offer is the key to success. The Ryedale ‘offer’ – strong calendar of events, quality attractions and lots of choice about where people can stay and dine, combined with how these elements are promoted – is getting better all the time. Add to that the area’s reputation for value for money and great customer service we’re well placed to ensure the district continues to be a destination of choice for visitors from all over the UK and beyond.”
Will Oxley, Chair of the Ryedale Tourism Advisory Board added:
“This is fantastic news and reflects the hard work that the private sector businesses and Ryedale District Council, working with partners such as Welcome to Yorkshire, Visit York and Visit Hull and East Yorkshire , have been doing to promote the area.”