Published on : Wednesday, January 30, 2019
As per the forward flight booking data from ForwardKeys, trips from China to the UK have increased 24% in the period from Wednesday 30th January to Tuesday 12th February, in comparison to the equivalent period when Chinese New Year fell last year.
The analyst’s longer-term data shows a powerful bookings scenario from China to the UK. Bookings from January to June this year are up by 31% compared to the same period in 2018.
The UK’s well-known tourism body, VisitBritain, is hoping 483,000 visits from China this year in general, up 43% on 2017. It forecasts Chinese visitors will spend over £1 billion (US$1.32 billion), up 50%, which will move China well into the 10 most important tourist markets in the UK.
As per VisitBritain, the UK is all set to arrange some of the largest celebrations outside Asia in the Year of the Pig. Events like three days of activities in Liverpool, parades in Manchester, festivals and performances in Birmingham and Leeds, a street parade from the Charing Cross to Chinatown in London, and the first ever Chinese New Year festival in Edinburgh.
Visitors from China are some of the highest spenders in the UK, splashing on average £2,059 (US$2,709) during their visit, more than three times the all-market visitor average.
Tags: chinese new year, UK flight