VisitBritain, the British tourist authority responsible for promoting tourism to the UK, is currently undertaking its annual trade event, VisitBritain India Mission 2013, in New Delhi and Mumbai, India.
The mission is intended to help UK-based travel companies and organisations that are involved in UK tour packages, attractions and the promotion of specific destinations to make new contacts with over 200 agents from all over India. India is a specific target for VisitBritain, due partly to the massive potential for inbound travel from Indian nationals that are keen to visit their friends and relatives in the UK. According to recent figures, 2012 was a record year for such visits, as well as a more general tourist in-flow from India.
355,000 Indian residents visited Britain in 2012 and spent a total of GBP318 million, doubling the number that visited in 2000, and that figure is expected to grow again this year. VisitBritain is targeting an additional 150,000 Indian visitors by 2020, representing a 40 percent increase and taking the annual total to over half a million.
VisitBritain’s overseas network director, Keith Beecham, commented, ‘The popularity of visits to loved ones and family members played a huge part in tailoring the content for our 2013 India mission. We will help foster relations with key trades who can help us achieve our ambitious targets for visitors from the region. We’re putting family friendly British businesses in front of decision makers, generating growth from a high spending region. Our research also suggests that potential visitors want to see more than just London and the Indian Trade mission will look to educate the industry, making sure they know all there is to know about Britain.’
