Warm weather and Wallace & Gromit boost UK tourism

Warm weather and Wallace & Gromit have combined to provide a sizzlingly successful summer for English tourism.

The heatwave followed the launch of a Government-supported VisitEngland holiday-at-home campaign which featured the cartoon characters.

Today, VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford released results of a survey which showed that 55% of English accommodation and 66% of visitor attractions reported increased visitor numbers for the period from mid-July to the end of the school holidays.

Mr Berresford said ice cream sales in the Royal Parks had doubled this summer while Isle of Wight tourism receipts leapt by £21 million.

He went on: "The Wallace & Gromit campaign was highly visible and motivating, especially with the core audience of families.

"The unexpected heatwave of 2013 has certainly given English tourism a shot in the arm, with operators and destinations throughout the country reporting soaring figures."

VisitEngland said that, looking ahead, 56% of accommodation businesses described forward bookings as good, compared with a figure of 51% this time last year.

The England tourism figures were announced at the annual convention of UK travel association Abta in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

PA