Airline hails spike in premium bookings to the UK August 4, 2025 Airline Emirates has recorded a surge in bookings from affluent visitors to the UK, which it claimed is “driving forward economic growth” in the country.
Could a tourist tax ever work in London? July 24, 2025 Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner, but I reckon there are few better tourist destinations. Our city is bursting with history and culture, boasts dozens of plush green spaces and has more Michelin Stars than New York. Should people pay to get in? Ours is one of the top cities on earth to visit, but [...]
Historic Blackpool pier sale spells more trouble for seaside town July 22, 2025 One of the oldest piers in the UK has been put up for sale in a latest blow to Blackpool’s tourism industry. The Blackpool Pier Company has said it’s made the decision to offload the North Pier in the seaside town “with a heavy heart”. The North Pier is the sixth-oldest of its type still [...]
Angela Rayner pushes for new tourist tax to fix black hole July 22, 2025 Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is pushing Chancellor Rachel Reeves to give more power to councils to tax tourists amid worries that local governments are struggling to keep finances in check. Rayner has suggested that councils should be able to tax tourist hotel stays and take advantage of a rise in visitors, rather than taxing [...]
Labour warned that hospitality ‘is being taxed out of existence’ July 2, 2025 The government faced serious warnings from MPs about the state of the hospitality sector during an afternoon debate in the Commons on July 1. Representatives from across the UK warned the government that high taxes were suffocating the sector – particularly for small businesses – putting ‘insurmountable burdens’ on businesses. “Hospitality is being taxed out [...]
Exclusive: Hotels struggle with double whammy of staff costs and pressure on room rates June 2, 2025 Hotels struggled with falling profit in April after margins were squeezed by higher staff hosts and price pressure on rooms. UK hotel payroll costs increased from 31.6 per cent of revenue to 33.3 per cent in April year-on-year, and from 29.5 per cent to 31.4 per cent in London, according to RSM. A slight reduction [...]
On The Beach: Demand for city breaks boosts travel group May 13, 2025 On The Beach has reported a double-digit profit increase in another market-outperforming trading update. The online package holiday specialists told markets this morning that adjusted revenue grew 12 per cent year on year in the first half of 2025. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 19 per cent year on year. [...]
London Stansted – The gateway to more possibilities April 15, 2025 Many of us may currently be enjoying an Easter family holiday on a sunny beach, catching up with family or friends overseas, hitting the ski slopes one last time or sightseeing on a city break. Travel unlocks so many possibilities, whether that’s connecting with family and friends or seeing more of the world. And one [...]
Revealed: How much fans spend on overseas sports tourism April 8, 2025 Sports fans spend more than £1,200 per person on average when travelling overseas to watch matches and other events, new research has found. The figure includes £235 on tickets, £330 on flights, £375 on accommodation and £290 on dining and shopping, according to a study by Expedia Group. Football is the most common sport to [...]
Boutique Leicester Square hotel handed £42m price tag April 1, 2025 A recently-converted boutique hotel in London’s Leicester Square has been put on the market for £42m. The former office building on 2-5 Charing Cross Road has undergone a significant conversion project and is set to be fully operational by June. The announcement comes as former Natwest bank on London’s Piccadilly is also set to become [...]