The Integrated Review – the biggest review of our foreign, defence, security and development policy since the end of the Cold War – will help define the UK’s place in the world for the next decade. It’s an opportunity to prioritise the assets that give Britain a competitive advantage – its global connectivity, its world-class cultural attractions, and its position as the world’s meeting place for science and innovation. Being connected to the world and being open and welcoming to international visitors is vital to strengthening the UK’s place in the world and driving the post-Covid recovery.
When it comes to culture, the UK punches well above its weight. Last year we welcomed more than 40 million international visitors, who spent a record £28 billion. Tourism is now the UK’s third largest service export – bigger than even the automotive and pharmaceutical sectors. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival alone sells more than three million tickets – the equivalent of a FIFA World Cup taking place in one city every year – and the British Museum, National Gallery and Natural History Museum are among the 10 most visited museums in the world. Harry Potter fans from all over the world flock to filming locations across the country, from Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Highlands to Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland. Our Parliament, the model for so many democracies across the world, welcomes more than one million visitors every year.
All of this is underpinned by excellent global connectivity: more than 100 countries have direct air connections to the UK, making the our aviation network the largest in Europe and the third largest in the world. This connectivity not only facilitates visitor spending and investment, but enhances British influence as well. Of course, maintaining this crucial network must also be sustainable, and technology will play a key role in addressing the environmental impact of flying. That’s why the Department for Transport has charged the Jet Zero Council, formed of environmental groups and aviation sector, with making net zero emissions possible for future flight.
Tourism is not just an economic boon to this country, but also an important source of soft power. The organisation I work for, VisitBritain, has a key role to play here as the national tourism agency promoting the UK overseas. Despite this, inbound tourism is too often overlooked as an instrument of grand strategy. The Price of Freedom, a 2018 report from the British Foreign Policy Group, noted that: “Bodies such as VisitBritain, hitherto little recognised as foreign policy actors, play an enormously important role in developing the relationships and understanding of the UK that are prerequisite for the success of traditional diplomacy.”
Whether someone has visited the UK can also be an important influence on trade and investment decisions. Visitors act as ambassadors to the UK – and research shows that people who have visited are 16% more likely to invest in British business. It is no coincidence that the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound tourism market is the US, with whom we share particularly close cultural relations. Indeed, according to the Department for International Trade tourism is the UK’s third most valuable service export to the US.
The UK’s visitor economy can also support its ambition to be a science superpower. A globally connected Britain can be the world’s meeting place where scientists, businesses and academics hold their events. The UK is a world leader in hosting international business
events, and is currently fifth in the world ranking for international association meetings in 2019. For example, the 2016 EuroScience Forum in Manchester attracted more than 3,500 delegates and media to the city. Helping our cities and towns bid for international conferences, events and trade fairs is a great way to position Britain as a global knowledge hub and a world leader in innovation and academic excellence.
The UK’s tourism sector, however, is facing an unprecedented challenge. This year VisitBritain is forecasting a 59% decline in visits to 16.8m and a 63% in spend to £10.6bn. Even before Covid-19 hit, the UK was falling behind: global tourism growth was put at 7% annually but Britain saw about half of that growth. During the past 10 years VisitBritain has gone from having 35 overseas offices to just 19 today – at many of our competitors are expanding their presence into new markets. Globally, tourism arrivals are forecast to rise to 1.8 billion by 2030, with international tourist arrivals in emerging economy destinations projected to grow at double the rate of that in advanced tourism economies. The UK is operating in a highly competitive environment and will need to work hard to seize these opportunities.
Uncertainty around travel after Brexit is also a challenge for perceptions of Britain. According to VisitBritain’s sentiment monitoring, prior to Covid-19, a third of European travellers stated that uncertainty surrounding post-Brexit travel arrangements would dissuade them from visiting Britain in 2021. Addressing these kind of negative perceptions of the UK will be important if we are to continue to attract international visitors and investment. Promoting the UK as a welcome place for Europeans to visit can also help define Britain as a European power in a post-Brexit world and demonstrate the shared culture and values that bind people and countries together.
Maintaining the UK’s position as a top destination for international travel matters to Britain’s prosperity and influence because, driven in part by the democratisation of communications and travel through technology, power has been diffused from elites to individuals and civil society. The ability to create, manage and mobilise these global networks of actors is how influence is achieved in the 21st century. As the nation brand expert Simon Anholt put it, ‘there is only one global superpower: public opinion’. Travel offers the depth and breadth of cultural engagement that can strengthen the UK’s position in the world and make for a truly Global Britain.
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