At the annual Prospects meeting organized by the Tourism Society on Thursday, January 8, a panel of industry experts and tourism professionals came together to discuss the prospects for tourism in 2009. Gloomy predictions included a downturn in global tourism arrivals and in UK outbound travel and spend, reduced budgets from the corporate market, a reduction in hotel occupancy and room rates, and threats from increased APD and VISA costs, which could deter inbound visitors to Britain. However, on a positive note, predictions included an increase in UK domestic tourism (both the Caravan Club and Hoseasons reported substantial increases in bookings to date compared to January 2008), a wake-up call for hoteliers to offer better value for money, new renewable energy technology, and the possibility of more visitors from the USA and China now that the Beijing Olympics and US presidential election are over.
Maikutlo a tsoang ho Panel
Geoffrey Lipman, assistant secretary general for the UNWTO and chairman of the event, stated that actual international arrivals could be even worse than the 0-2 percent global growth predicted for 2009 (based on 6 percent growth last year). In response to this, the UNWTO has created a ‘resilience committee’ to look at the statistics more carefully and hold networking meetings to try to ensure that tourism is included in stimulation programs.
Philip Morrison, setsebi sa leseli bakeng sa VisitBritain, o boletse hore ponto e fokolang khahlano le Euro e tla emisa baahi ba UK ho etela Eurozone empa ho fapana le ho theha monyetla oa bohahlauli ba lapeng, baeti ba kanna ba khetha ho etela libaka tse hlahelletseng tsa Morroco, Egypt le Turkey. Bahahlauli ba tla fokotsa ho ea mabenkeleng, ho ja lireschorenteng le boithabisong, ha likhefu tse khutšoane kantle ho naha li ne li bonoa e le 'maraka o `` kotsing' 'ka ho fetesisa, mme bahahlauli ha ba itlele feela. Indasteri e hloka ho arabela sena ka ho fana ka boleng bo eketsehileng leetong lena, Philip o lemositse, khahlano le ho fokotsa litheko kaha hangata sena se ka beha mohlala, o leng thata ho tsoa ho ona. Philip o tsoetse pele ho fana ka maikutlo a hore bohahlauli ba khoebo bo kanna ba ba le tlhoko e fokolang ka 2009, lifofane tse ngata li kanna tsa hloleha kaha litšenyehelo tsa tsona tsa ho matha li tla eketseha, mme lihotele tse kholo le nts'etsopele ea marina li tla fumana mathata ka lichelete. US e shebile ho eketsa palo ea baahi ba Amerika ba nang le lipasa, e ka bang monyetla oa baeti ba kenang UK. Tlhokahalo e ka khonehang ea VISA bakeng sa baeti ba kenang ka bongata ba tsoang Brazil, Malaysia le Afrika Boroa mme keketseho ea litšenyehelo tsa APD le VISA e tla etsa hore UK e se khahlehe joalo ka sebaka seo e ka eang ho sona.
Philip Green, molulasetulo oa UKInbound, o boletse hore tikoloho ea moruo e kanna ea lebisa ho fokotsa litšenyehelo, ho ka bolelang maemo a tlase a ts'ebeletso le khaello ea matsete a macha meahong ea lihotele, e ka bang taba ea nts'etsopele ea 2012. "Ho haella ha ketsahalo e kholo ea lipapali tsa machabeng ka 2009 ho ka hlahisa tlhokeho ea UK, empa 'maraka o kenang kahare ho 2009 o kanna oa ba" bonolo "mme ho lula hoteleng ho kanna ha oela," ho boletse Green, ha a ntse a hatisa hore papatso le ntlafatso ea machabeng. UK e le sebaka seo ho eteloang ho sona ho hlokahala, empa ka chelete e nyane bakeng sa ho etela Brithani mosebetsi ona o kotsing. "Ke ts'epa hore mmuso oa UK o tla tloha o elelloa hore litjeo tse phahameng tsa APD le VISA e tla ba tšitiso ho baeti ba kenang ka bongata."
Robert Barnard, sponsor of the event and partner with PKF consultancy, pointed out that in December 2000 and November 2008 hotel occupancy in London was at the same level – approximately 81 percent – which demonstrates the resilience of the market despite fluctuations between the years due to foot and mouth, 9/11, SARS, and the war in Iraq. London has a phenomenal hotel market and can recover quickly from a geopolitical situation; it is, therefore, reassuring to note that history shows recovery is possible. The regional hotel sector is not as volatile as London and the fluctuations are on par with the state of the economy. The mid-market sector is likely to suffer when competing with the budget hotels. “Now is the time to be looking seriously at your business and ensure you are in good shape to weather the storm.”
John Bevan, eo e neng e le motlatsi oa mopresidente oa UK le Ireland bakeng sa lastminute.com, o boletse hore bahoebi ba baholo ba ntse ba fokotsa bokhoni, ba siea libaka tsa ho fihlella kamora nako li se na chelete e ngata ea ho li rekisa. Litefiso tse fokolitsoeng tsa tsoala li etsa hore batho ba neng ba tlohetse mosebetsi ba lulang mose ho maoatle ba khutlele hae, mohlomong ba susumetsa tlhoko ea matsatsi a phomolo a lapeng. Baahi ba UK ba nang le mekoloto ea matlo ea tracker ba tla ba le chelete e ngata eo ba ka e sebelisang maetong. Thahasello e tsoang ka ntle ea likhaohano tse kenyellelitsoeng kaofela ea eketseha. Nako e feto-fetohang ke mokhoa o ikemiselitseng ho hola ka lisebelisoa tse fanang ka masiu a 5-6 le masiu a 9-10 ho fapana le a 7 kapa a 14. Ka kakaretso, 2009 e tla ba thata bakeng sa lefapha le tsoang le hlahisang monyetla oa hore mmaraka oa lapeng o atlehe.
