Musicals score a hit for British tourism as overseas visitors flock to the theatre
https://jattravel.blogspot.com/2013/11/musicals-score-hit-for-british-tourism.html
Last year's Olympic Games provided a
massive boost to tourism in the UK but more overseas tourists visit the
theatre than live sporting events, according to figures released today.
Of the trips made to the UK by foreign visitors, 2.8 million (14 per cent) bought tickets for a musical or play compared to 1.3 million (4 per cent) who attended a sport event, according to VisitBritain.
Musicals are by far the
most-popular shows for foreign holidaymakers, making up 64 per cent of
all theatre visits, with plays accounting for 25 per cent.
And those tourists that are heading for Britain's theatres are among the ones that spent more than twice as much as sports fans.
Those visiting theatres splash out £2.7 billion a year while on their trips to the UK, over double the £1.1 billion spent at live sports events.
The average spend for tourists is around £600 but theatre-keen visitors spend £983, according to the 2011 survey.
This includes theatre souvenirs, programmes and refreshments, along with dinner and hotels.
A spokesperson for VisitBritain said: ‘With Sheffield Theatres leading the wins at the recent 2013 UK Theatre Awards and its production of The Full Monty heading to London following a hit tour of the UK, and the award-winning Wicked heading to Southampton, the popularity and diversity of regional theatre is clear.’
But the data revealed that the trend was still predominantly London-centric - 24 per cent of holiday visitors who stay in London will go to the theatre. Only 9 per cent of overseas holiday visitors staying in the West Midlands and the north west of England visited the theatre.
English-speaking countries dominate the top 20 markets for highest volume of visits incorporating a trip to the theatre, the opera or ballet.
The USA leads with 426,000 visits, followed by Australians with 209,000 visits.
Based on the number of theatre trips compared with the number of visitors coming to the UK, the Israelis are keenest to take in a show in the UK, followed by the Australians and Brazilians.
Nearly two in five of the overseas theatregoers are in the 25-44 age range, while 55 per cent are women.
Theatre ticket sales in general had a strong year this year. Encore Tickets, which sells West End musical tickets to customers from over 157 different countries, reported a 20 per cent growth in sales in 2013, which is strongly related to the increase of overseas visitors this year.
The Royal Shakespeare Company, which is based in Stratford-upon-Avon, also recently announced record results for 2012/2013, with total income increased by 30 per cent to £62.6 million, achieved through 75 per cent growth in box office receipts.
VisitBritain chief executive Sandie Dawe said: ‘The vitality of our theatre - whether the London West End, or our major regional centres - provides a great holiday experience for our international visitors.
‘In Britain you can see cutting-edge theatre by new writers, big blockbuster musicals and plenty of Shakespeare with actors that are known across the globe. If you like the theatre, Britain is a great place to enjoy it.’
Lyricist Sir Tim Rice said: "Theatre is not only one of Britain's strongest exports - it is also enjoyed in the UK by visitors from all over the world.
‘British theatre is one of the great reasons to come to Britain - we must make every effort to ensure that it remains so.’
Last month, VisitBritain revealed that 2013 has seen the strongest visitor numbers since 2008, attracting 22 million visitors in the first eight months of 2013 alone.
And the tourist board revealed that last year’s Olympics had given London and the UK a huge tourism boost.
Nearly two in three senior tourism industry chiefs said there has been an increase in demand for trips to London following the successful Games of 2012.
And 52 per cent of the 1,277 executives polled in the survey said they had increased their London capacity while 42 per cent have made more UK capacity available.
Of the trips made to the UK by foreign visitors, 2.8 million (14 per cent) bought tickets for a musical or play compared to 1.3 million (4 per cent) who attended a sport event, according to VisitBritain.
Hit tour: Sheffield Theatres' popular production of The Full Monty is heading to London
And those tourists that are heading for Britain's theatres are among the ones that spent more than twice as much as sports fans.
Those visiting theatres splash out £2.7 billion a year while on their trips to the UK, over double the £1.1 billion spent at live sports events.
The average spend for tourists is around £600 but theatre-keen visitors spend £983, according to the 2011 survey.
This includes theatre souvenirs, programmes and refreshments, along with dinner and hotels.
A spokesperson for VisitBritain said: ‘With Sheffield Theatres leading the wins at the recent 2013 UK Theatre Awards and its production of The Full Monty heading to London following a hit tour of the UK, and the award-winning Wicked heading to Southampton, the popularity and diversity of regional theatre is clear.’
Magic touch: Award-winning musical Wicked - based on Gregory Maguire's book - will show in Southampton
But the data revealed that the trend was still predominantly London-centric - 24 per cent of holiday visitors who stay in London will go to the theatre. Only 9 per cent of overseas holiday visitors staying in the West Midlands and the north west of England visited the theatre.
English-speaking countries dominate the top 20 markets for highest volume of visits incorporating a trip to the theatre, the opera or ballet.
The USA leads with 426,000 visits, followed by Australians with 209,000 visits.
Sir Tim Rice said British theatre was one of the 'great reasons to come to Britain'
Based on the number of theatre trips compared with the number of visitors coming to the UK, the Israelis are keenest to take in a show in the UK, followed by the Australians and Brazilians.
Nearly two in five of the overseas theatregoers are in the 25-44 age range, while 55 per cent are women.
Theatre ticket sales in general had a strong year this year. Encore Tickets, which sells West End musical tickets to customers from over 157 different countries, reported a 20 per cent growth in sales in 2013, which is strongly related to the increase of overseas visitors this year.
The Royal Shakespeare Company, which is based in Stratford-upon-Avon, also recently announced record results for 2012/2013, with total income increased by 30 per cent to £62.6 million, achieved through 75 per cent growth in box office receipts.
VisitBritain chief executive Sandie Dawe said: ‘The vitality of our theatre - whether the London West End, or our major regional centres - provides a great holiday experience for our international visitors.
‘In Britain you can see cutting-edge theatre by new writers, big blockbuster musicals and plenty of Shakespeare with actors that are known across the globe. If you like the theatre, Britain is a great place to enjoy it.’
Lyricist Sir Tim Rice said: "Theatre is not only one of Britain's strongest exports - it is also enjoyed in the UK by visitors from all over the world.
‘British theatre is one of the great reasons to come to Britain - we must make every effort to ensure that it remains so.’
Capital draw: The data revealed that the trend
was still predominantly London-centric with 24 per cent of holiday
visitors who stay in London visiting the theatre
Last month, VisitBritain revealed that 2013 has seen the strongest visitor numbers since 2008, attracting 22 million visitors in the first eight months of 2013 alone.
And the tourist board revealed that last year’s Olympics had given London and the UK a huge tourism boost.
Nearly two in three senior tourism industry chiefs said there has been an increase in demand for trips to London following the successful Games of 2012.
And 52 per cent of the 1,277 executives polled in the survey said they had increased their London capacity while 42 per cent have made more UK capacity available.
