Great growth, Great Britain
With over 375,000 Indians visiting the country last year and a continued 2 per cent growth till the first half of 2014, Great Britain maintains its popularity among Indian travellers and credits the travel trade as their key partners for achieving these n
Britain conducted a survey where visitors from India were asked why they visited the UK. The results of this survey showed that the third most popular reason for their visit is imbibing the culture, appreciating the heritage buildings and historic monuments.
Giving these details with a smile, Sajid Javid, MP & Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport United Kingdom, tells , “We have the second largest Indian community in the world and many Indians have friends and family living in the UK, thus making tourists feel more at home.” Other reasons like no language barrier, great food and the beautiful countryside make Britain an ideal holiday destination.
“The Indian tourism market is one of the fastest growing in the world which reflects how fast the Indian economy is growing and Britain like any other country will compete to attract tourists. We have to make sure that we are making the best case to show what all is available in the country,” adds Javid.
Last year, the UK welcomed more tourists than ever before, and they spent more money than ever before while they were there. Discussing the visa strategy at WTM this year, Javid says, “We’re also making life easier for tourists from emerging markets by improving our visa service. We started accepting Irish visas from Chinese nationals; a service that will shortly be extended to Indian nationals too. I’m proud of the service we offer, and it compares well with many of our international rivals.”
Under the British- Irish visa scheme, some Irish short stay visas will allow onward travel to the UK and some UK visitor visas will allow onward travel to Ireland. So the Indian nationals can visit the UK and Ireland using a single visa when travelling on certain short stay and visitor visas. For example, under the scheme, an Indian visitor in Dublin will be able to make a short trip to London or Belfast without needing a separate visa. Alternatively an Indian visitor in London could travel to Dublin or Cork.
Visit Britain has a dedicated team based in India and is working with the trade to promote the destination and make more Indians visit the country. “They are already doing a good job and last year we had the highest number of Indian tourists at 375,000, up by 11 per cent,” says Javid.
The UK is a very special place. For centuries, it has offered tourists incredible sights and sounds that they could not experience anywhere else. Along with this, it continues to offer new destinations, new experiences, new sights, sounds and smell. “Whether you’re passionate about sport, culture, food or anything else, the UK has something unique for visitors to enjoy.”