Posted on 10/31/2002 1:36:00 AM PST by MadIvan
The number of foreign tourists visiting the UK saw its biggest fall in 20 years in 2001, official figures show.
The impact of September 11 and the foot-and-mouth outbreak contributed to the sharp decline, which saw a £1.5bn drop in the amount spent by visitors to the UK.
Visitor numbers fell 9% to 22.8m.
To make matters worse for the struggling UK tourist trade, the same period saw more Britons than ever choosing to holiday abroad.
This saw the tourism deficit - the difference between the amount spent by visitors to the UK compared to that spent by Britons abroad - rise to a record £14bn.
The figures, produced by the Office for National Statistics, show a particularly steep decline in the number of tourists from the US - traditionally the highest-spending visitors to the UK.
An ONS spokesman said the foot-and-mouth outbreak which affected much of rural Britain during the first half of last year had contributed to both the decline in overseas visitors and the increase in Britons holidaying abroad.
The spokesman said the figures up to August for 2002 had shown some improvement on 2001, but were still below 2000's level.
"We would hope that the travel balance of payments deficit will be lower this year, but it is too early to say."
Ken Kelling, spokesman for the English Tourism Council, which promotes domestic tourism in England, told BBC News Online the figures were disappointing, but that efforts were already underway to attract British and foreign tourists to holiday in the UK.
He said: "Foot-and-mouth and September 11 had a serious impact on tourism here, foot-and-mouth on our image overseas and September 11 on people's willingness to travel.
"Visitors from nearby European countries, Spain, Germany etc, have come back quite quickly, but it has not been so quick with the high-spending US and Japanese markets."
He said that as well as encouraging foreign tourists to return, it was important to encourage Britons to holiday in their own country.
"We had a stark reminder last year that four out of every five pounds spent on tourism in this country is spent by people who live here."
The figures are released as the British Tourist Authority unveils a long-term plan to increase the UK's income from tourism.
The BTA's "Leading the World to Britain" campaign aims to build on emerging markets in eastern Europe and the Far East, as well as putting more emphasis on the distinctiveness of Britain's three nations, and increasing UK tourism's internet presence.
That was sort of my original point. That regardless of the tourist attractions, the government and presumably the majority of the people there are socialists/statists/leftists. Socialism, high taxation, lack of the legal ability to defend yourself are all an indivisible part of what makes up Britain today, and I would not enjoy taking a vacation in a place like that.
BTW, I am an American. I live in Scotland. Great Britain is not a totalitarian state. You can come and go as you please. You can own property, start a business, accumulate wealth. We don't pay nearly as much tax as you would imagine. If you want to talk about oppressive states because of taxation- try Sweden.
Think about this- there are more socialists in America than in Great Britain. There are more people that want socialism in America than in Great Britain. If you gathered up all the Americans who want socialism and created a new country in Europe and put all those people there- it would be far and away the most populace country in Europe.
Every time you pay your taxes in the States, you are actively funding Egypt, Palestine and other such nations.
The NRA donates money to Socialist Candidates in the States- this is a fact.
You can pretend the USA is a totally free utopia, but it isn't and you know this. The last President actually tried to start social medicine. If you look cross eyed at the stewardess on an American Airliner, the air marshall will put a gun to your head or make the entire cabin hold the arms in the air for the remainder of the flight. I could list lots of examples that strike me as oppressive but all one needs to do is read Free Republic on a daily basis and listen to the complaints of every Freeper to realize that the gov't in the USA is an 800 pound gorrilla that leans on everyone the wrong way.
Nobody has stated that Great Britain isn't largely socialist. But if you boycott every entity that doesn't suit you, eventually you wouldn't be able to step out of your yard. Nodody is begging you to come over here. But you are absolutely 100% wrong when you call the UK a totalitarian state. If the UK is totalitarian- what pray tell would you call a real totalitarian state? This is what's known as hyperbole. Like the current trend of calling everybody and his brother a Nazi. The problem with hyperbole is it tends to destroy the original concept.
Well, I've yet to live in Wales, but I've lived in England and Northern Ireland. Scotland is the place that suits me best over here. It's like the perfect compromise between England and Ireland- plus it's very beautiful and the people are very nice. The best thing about living here is that it is so similar to American culture. I can be a foreigner and fit right in. Very little culture shock.
I want to live in Australia for a while as well. I think this should give me a pretty well rounded viewpoint of the English speaking world. The conclusion I've come to so far is- I like it.
I'll go in let Jan or Feb when the weather is beastly, there are no anorak tourists and plane fares are cheap.
I like to hear the Scots talk about 'hoof and mouth' disease because they pronounce it 'hyoof 'n' moof'
This is nothing but weasel wording on your part. You cannot legally own a handgun in Britain. You cannot legally defend yourself against agression in Britain. You can own a shotgun, but I understand that it is a very difficult process to get legal approval to do so, and the ownership certification has to be renewed annually.
Think about this- there are more socialists in America than in Great Britain. There are more people that want socialism in America than in Great Britain. If
More weasel wording on your part. Of course it's true because there are one heck of a lot more people in the USA than in Britain. However, Britain has a far more socialist government than the US, and a greater fraction of the people in Britain prefer the common misery that socialism brings than do in the US
The NRA donates money to Socialist Candidates in the States- this is a fact.
I agree, but who mentioned the NRA. I certaintly didn't.
You can pretend the USA is a totally free utopia
Once again you either didn't read what I wrote or chose to ignore it I specifically said, "We aren't especially free in the USA. (Try building on your property if the EPA has declared it a "wetland") But you sure are a hell of a lot less free there than we are here. What you said about lack of freedom in the USA is true. However, there is a continuous gradation from totally free to total tyranny. Some organization (and I forget which) measures freedom in various countries around the world and gives a composite score. I believe that they weight economic freedom (as in low taxes and few regulations and protection on private property) most heavily and then a bunch of other things. As I remember the USA was not at the top of the list (I believe Switzerland, Hong Kong and a couple of others beat the USA, but as I remember the USA was way ahead of Britain.
But if you boycott every entity that doesn't suit you, eventually you wouldn't be able to step out of your yard.
Again it is a matter of comparative priorities. If I would equally enjoy a vacation in Yellowstone or London, then due to the fact that London is in a socialist country where I would not feel personally safe, the decision to go to Yellowstone would win.
But you are absolutely 100% wrong when you call the UK a totalitarian state.
No I'm not. Again there is a continuum from freedom to totalitarianism. Britain is much more of a totalitarian state than is the USA. Russia is more of a totalitarian state than Britain (or it used to be), and Cuba is even worse. Britain is not 100% totalitarian, but it is much close to that unfortunate condition than is the USA.
In Oregan they are going to vote soon on whether to adopt social medicine.
Do you think this is big news to those of us involved in the Airline industry.
All right, here's the thing: there aren't degrees of totalitarianism. Totalitarianism- literally means "total". If there is any degree at all of personal freedom- it cannot be a totalitarian system.
Look, your gripes about Britain are duly noted and appreciated. I have the same gripes as you- I really do. I have never said the US wasn't more free than the UK. What I was trying to point out to you is- the UK is NOT a totalitarian state. I live here dude, I know this. The income taxes are not that high especially when compared to the rest of Europe (except Andorra which has no income tax).
This was hyperbole on your part. Britain is by and large a socialist nanny state. But it is a falsehood that people don't have many of the same freedoms you enjoy in the USA. They are lacking some, this is true. But by the same token, some of their laws are less draconian than some laws in the US and you must admit this as well. In the US it is illegal for people under the age of 21 to buy alcohol. As I pointed out in another post, in Georgia, it is illegal to have sex and people still do get prosecuted for it.
I'm not trying to argue with you. Most of your points are well taken- it's mainly the bit about totalitarianism- which just isn't true.
OK,OK If I agree then can we quit arguing about it?
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