Business Tourism Breakfast Briefing

The speakers

Nigel Cooper, Chairman, Eventia and MD P&MM Travel
Joss Croft, Head of Business Visits and Events, VisitBritain
Trevor Foley, Group Chief Executive Events Industry Alliance
Michael Hirst, Chairman Business Tourism Partnership
Tom Hulton, Director of International Relations, IMEX.
Robert Wright, MD Davies Tanner
Moderator: Kurt Janson, Policy Director of the Tourism Alliance

What they said …

About the market place

“The Business Tourism Partnership estimates the value of conferences and exhibitions, incentive travel and corporate hospitality to be worth £22 billion in direct economic benefit to the UK economy.” Michael Hirst

The business tourism sector has been a major growth area over the last 10 years. Had it not been for business tourism the UK’s visitor numbers would be in decline.
Joss Croft

“British companies are spending £4 million a year on events, of which £3 million is spend on events held in the UK and £1 million on events held overseas. But what will be the mix in the future?” Nigel Cooper

“China, India and Eastern Europe are the emerging markets, representing great opportunities for the business tourism sector.” Michael Hirst

About Britain and the British

“We are regarded as world leaders in innovation, but we need to compete on price in the global economy.” Trevor Foley

“The British are considered by the rest of the world to be cold, old-fashioned and unwelcoming. In Korea they learn English by reading Dickens!” Joss Croft

“High levels of taxation, including fuel taxes and VAT, make the UK an expensive destination for business events and incentive travel. However, ease of access, the quality and the variety of venues, high standards of service and event planning, continue to make events held in the UK better attended and more profitable than those held elsewhere.” Michael Hirst

About the competition

“An event that cost £1 million to hold in the UK was moved to Barcelona, resulting in a 20 per cent saving on the budget.” Nigel Cooper

“Vienna is currently building its fourth convention centre. As yet, London has no purpose-build convention centre.” Tom Hulton

“The Caribbean island of Aruba is spending more money marketing itself as a destination to the US, than Britain is spending on its US marketing.” Joss Croft

“Low cost airlines encourage more Brits to take their events overseas” Joss Croft

About the value of business tourism

“Globalisation will boost the events industry: every merger and acquisition will drive the need for people to have integration meetings.” Nigel Cooper

“Meetings and events have a positive effect on our national heritage and local communities: stately homes and country house hotels rely on income through business tourism; museums and galleries also derive income from the conference market.” Robert Wright

“Online marketing can replace television, radio and press advertising but the need for people to meet face to face is more important than ever. Events are the only marketing medium that reaches all five senses.” Trevor Foley

“We are the sleeping giant of tourism.” Kurt Janson

About threats to the business tourism sector

“The UK VAT rate on accommodation is twice the European average and yet the Government is currently considering increasing it to 22 per cent.” Kurt Janson

“A person visiting the UK from India will have to pay £143 in Government charges, including air passenger duty and visa costs. This is clearly a disincentive to potential visitors.” Kurt Janson

“Europe is getting cheaper and more flexible – even factoring-in flights and accommodation.” Nigel Cooper

About the role of UK Government

“Quite a lot of what the Government does is to hinder or interfere with what we are trying to achieve”. Michael Hirst

“We need ministers to attend and open major events; we want government support for bids and we need engagement to avoid policy conflict.” Trevor Foley

“There also needs to be more joined-up thinking when it comes to policies which adversely affect business travel – such as recent visa fee and airport passenger tax increases, and the potential of road charging.” Michael Hirst

“We need the vision and realisation by government and politicians of the economic and social benefits that meetings can generate.” Tom Hulton

About the 2012 Olympics

“The Olympics will offer a great opportunity for four billion people to view Britain on their televisions”.

“They will help to attract new visitor markets and give us more welcoming brand attributes”.

“They will prompt massive infrastructure developments”.

“50-70 per cent of the net economic benefit will accrue to tourism, of which business tourism will derive 50 per cent of the benefit.”

“67 per cent of the benefit will be delivered during the five years following the event.” All comments attributable to Joss Croft

“We are regarded as world leaders in innovation, but we need to compete on price in the global economy.” Trevor Foley

“The British are considered by the rest of the world to be cold, old fashioned and unwelcoming. In Korea they learn English by reading Dickens”. Joss Croft