Title: Culture and heritage. Topic profile.

Author(s): Visit Britain

Organisation(s): Visit Britain

Categories: Arts, culture and the economy, Cultural tourism

Objectives: To analyse the influence of culture and heritage on the promotion and maintenance of tourism in the UK; to estimate the economic impact of the culture and heritage sector to the UK economy.

Key Findings: The UK’s Culture and Heritage sector attracted an estimated GBP 4.5 billion of spending in the UK from visitors from overseas, supporting around 104,000 jobs in 2006. This figure includes the amount directly spent on ‘Culture and Heritage’ as well as the broader amount spent on additional activities (such as food and accommodation). In total, GBP 16 billion was spent in the UK by overseas visitors in 2006, with ‘Culture and Heritage’ motivating 28% of this amount. ‘Culture and heritage’ is the single most important motivation for city trips. 57% of respondents from 20 countries agreed that history and culture are strong influences on their choice of holiday destination. According to the Nation Brands Index, in terms of Culture, the UK is perceived to be the fourth best nation out of fifty.

Methods: Key visitor data was derived from the Office for National Statistics’ International Passenger Survey.