Articles - November 2002

Bicester Village: A Partnership Approach
By Nan Kent-Eliot, Tourism Marketing Consultant, Value Retail plc In the early '90s, Value Retail, an international retail property developer and operator, brought a variation on an American retailing concept to Europe: outlet villages offering luxury goods at high discounts. While, in the UK there were several factory... more
The Changing Face of Airline Distribution
By Peter O'Connor, Associate Professor, IMHI, ESSEC Management School The distribution of airline seats, traditionally dominated by travel agents, is rapidly changing. Both traditional and online agencies are increasingly threatened by the growth in direct-to-consumer airline websites, reduced or capped commission levels,... more
Economic Forecast for 2003: Balancing the Risks
By Margaret Holligan, Senior Economist, Royal Bank of Scotland Group "The world feels a scarier place" commented a senior economist at a recent presentation to the RBS on the UK and the global economy. It reflects the views of many people at a time when superpowers have been rocked by the threat of global terrorism,... more
The Japanese Market
By Jill Trew and Nancy Cockerell Analysts remain divided as to the future growth potential of the Japanese outbound market. One thing is certain: Japan is no longer seen as one of the world's most dynamic travel sources – as it used to be. Over the next few years, it is likely to... more
Leisure Extensions to Business Trips
By Rob Davidson If an additional 10% of the annual 6.8 million business visitors to the UK from overseas were to extend their visit by just one day for leisure purposes, then an estimated £50 million more would be earned on accommodation, food and drink, entertainment... more
Reducing the Burden of Waste
By Dr Rebecca Hawkins and Matt Todd Waste management is a key issue for the tourism industry and one on which little action has been taken to date. Waste disposal is one of the three environmental issues on which tourism operators can save a significant amount of money. Yet, unlike the... more
Saying 'No' to the Euro
By Janet Bush, Director of the 'no' campaign and former Economics Editor of The Times Britain, outside the euro and free to make its own decisions on interest rates and the levels of taxation, borrowing and public spending, is doing very well, indeed, in comparison with the Eurozone. UK unemployment has hovered at around 5% for some... more
Shopping Tourism – A Gift for a Destination
By Charlotte and Chris Martins A bikini-clad model launches the new personal shopper service on the Gatwick Express. A newspaper feature trumpets shopping as the 'new religion'… stores the new 'cathedrals of consumption'; the Bluewater Centre announces a Christmas 'meet and greet'... more
Trends in the Attraction Market in 2001
The information in this report comes from Sightseeing in the UK 2001, which presents the collective findings of the Surveys of Visits to Visitor Attractions undertaken by each National Tourist Board (NTB) in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.... more