Should UK Gardens Focus on International Tourism in 2024?
Contributed by: Dylan Fuller
In 2011, Visit Britain found out that a third of all international visitors to the UK wanted to visit a garden or a park. This desire to see a garden was only exceeded by a desire to go shopping or visit a pub! So as we have moved well past the restriction imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on both domestic & global tourism, is it worth asking whether gardens – the UK’s top attraction – should focus on international visitors in 2024?
It is known that for major travel decisions, tourists generally think about booking their holiday over 3 months out. In addition, during winter time, especially after the holiday season in January, many long term and bigger holiday bookings are made. With this in mind, when and how should gardens think about ways to focus on generating interest with both domestic and foreign holiday travellers?
When Americans start thinking of travelling, tourism research shows they focus on picking the destination first followed by evaluating the transportation choices, the total holiday (what they call vacations) cost and it is only once they have assessed the latter two factors that they start to decide what to see and what activities to pursue.
As we all know the Covid pandemic was hard on all sectors, but it made 2020 probably the worst year in tourism history. Many tourism businesses including airlines and tour operators did not survive. But in 2023 even with the war in Ukraine and the continued cost of living challenges, people are traveling again both domestically and internationally. According to The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Statista, international tourist arrivals could reach 80-95% of pre-pandemic levels this year (2023) globally.
Interactional Travel has Bounced Back. Source: Statista/UNWTO via WEF
Visit Britain’s latest inbound forecast is for “2023 is 37.5 million visits, 92% of the 2019 level” and they have also invested in a multi-million pound international campaign for 2023 to drive tourism to Britain. From what we’ve seen much of this campaign spend has been focused on the US tourist market.
“In 2023 the UK is projected to get 37.5 million inbound visits, 92% of the 2019 level”
So what does this mean for garden operators, specifically in the UK?
Our first piece of advice is to keep your domestic offerings irresistible.
Further double-check you’ve got your basics right and use common sense. For example:
Consider offering multilingual guides or information materials, ensuring that non-English speaking tourists can fully appreciate the history and significance of the gardens they visit.
Make sure your online presence is up-to-date with accurate information on opening times and other key information about your garden; both your website and soocial media.
Ensure you Google Places profile is also accurate (this your gardens Google Map page - helpful info on this HERE - on how to access / manage Google Places).
Publish detailed information on how to travel to your destination by public transport.
Highlighting unique garden experiences, such as themed tours or exclusive events, can attract international tourists seeking personalised and culturally enriching activities. This approach can make UK gardens more appealing to a broader international audience.
If you have online booking (for day tickets, tours or events) make sure this is prominent and easy to navigate. For online payments make it easy for international visitors to book as well. For example: review how your payments page is set-up and if needed configure it so it can take foreign credit cards & international billing addresses (even just having shared fields such as zip/postcode, county/state can be simple and quick wins). Make it easy for potential visitors to contact you if they have trouble pre-booking. If visitors can easily just pitch up and pay on the gate; then communicate this clearly on your website and social media presence. Make sure that you leverage social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, particularly those popular in target international markets, to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of UK gardens through visually engaging content.
Tickets and ticketing tech can still be a challenge in 2024. Be mobile ready.
If you’re not already partnering with your local or regional Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO), this is also worth considering. Another useful source is VisitBritain's market research webinars offer comprehensive insights into various international regions, focusing on consumer and trade perspectives, key trends, and upcoming opportunities. Some of the key webinars available for 2023 cover diverse markets, including France, Spain, the Nordics, Germany, the broader European region, India, Australia and New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, China and Hong Kong, Brazil and South America, Italy, the Netherlands, and the USA.
And take note that VisitBritain says “£1 in every £4 of inbound [UK] visitor spend is by visitors from North America” so we suggest starting with the North America Market Update 2023 here on YouTube. The US and Canada are important markets for the UK and can be a growth area for British gardens.
“£1 in every £4 of inbound [UK] visitor spend is by visitors from North America”
Finally, if your garden is interested in growing your international visitor numbers The Garden Tourism Group is available to advise and help you navigate the complexity of technology adoption and implementation. Our expertise extends to help you find the right solutions to enhance visitors’ experience and streamline operations. For personalised consultation and support tailored to your garden's unique needs, please contact us HERE to find out more.
The answer to our original question at the start of the post: Should UK Gardens Focus on International Tourism in 2024? Is ‘YES!’ gardens that want to grow visitor numbers and are well placed for international tourists, should focus on this area.
“‘YES!’ gardens that want to grow visitor numbers and are well placed for international tourists, should focus on this area.”
