The UK is expecting a boost in visits from China as Chinese New Year approaches on February 5.
Forward flight-booking data from flight analysis company ForwardKeys showed bookings from China to the UK were up 24% from January 30 to February 12 compared to the period when Chinese New Year fell last year. Longer-term forward-booking data shows bookings from China to the UK were up 31% from January to June for 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.
VisitBritain is expecting 483,000 visits from China in 2019, up 43% from 2017, with Chinese visitors expected to spend more than £1 billion this year, up 50%, moving it well into the UK’s top 10 markets.
Data indicate Chinese perceptions of Britain as a visitor destination are strong. China ranked the UK second out of 50 nations for its overall brand in the 2018 Anholt Nation Brands Index, up two places from 2017, also ranking the UK highly for its vibrant cities and urban attractions.
Visitors from China are some of the UK’s highest spenders, spending on average £2,059 during their visit, more than three times the all-market visitor average.
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