Visitors to the UK from Qatar and the other Gulf countries are spending an average of £2,200 per visit, with luxury retail outlets and five-star hotels reaping the benefits.
In 2015, there were 76,000 visits from Qatar, a 28% increase on 2014, and spending was up 25% to £163mn.
The figures comes from statistics collected by VisitBritain, the UK’s national tourism agency.
Tourism is currently worth £126.9bn to Britain’s economy and as Britain’s seventh largest export industry, inbound tourism’s economic contribution is valued at £26.2bn.
It was a record-breaking first quarter (January to March 2016) for inbound tourism to the UK, with visits up 8% to 7.5mn, with visitors spending £3.7bn.
Visits from the UAE were up 15% to 77,000, the strongest first quarter on record, with spending also up 9% to £105mn.
These first quarter results come on the back of a very strong 2015 for inbound tourism to the UK with a record 36.1mn visits last year, 5% up on 2014.
Spending was up 1% to £22.1bn.
VisitBritain’s research shows that all visitors from the six GCC countries - Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain - are among the top 10 markets most likely to visit luxury stores.
There are 13.7mn high-net worth individuals worldwide and they are of growing interest to international tourism destinations as their appetite for luxury travel translates into increased visitor spend and, thereby, economic growth.
Across all markets, Britain’s main competitors in the luxury market are France, Italy, Switzerland and the US.
However, according to VisitBritain’s research into the luxury market, there is a view from the travel trade that Britain is being outplayed by other destinations and needs to be more aggressive in the luxury sector.
Britain needs to play up to its ability to curate a truly luxurious experience by bringing in an inclusive, intuitive service culture that gives a sense of relaxation and warmth to luxury consumers.
Many of the key drivers motivating luxury travellers to visit Britain centre around London, sightseeing and what is perceived to be traditional British luxury. A typical trip entails education, literature, heritage and culture.
The current year is a big one for the arts with a number of Britain’s musical and literary legends celebrating significant anniversaries and milestones, including the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and the 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s birth.
The year will also see the opening of new galleries, performances and productions: the National Museums of Scotland will open 10 new galleries; the new Tate Modern opened in June; and the highly-anticipated play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will make its debut in July.
The post-Brexit weakened pound is expected to give an added boost to visitor numbers from around the globe.
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