UK tourism 'worth over £100bn'

A report published by the British Hospitality Association has revealed that the UK tourism industry is worth over £100 billion.

Britain's tourism, hospitality and leisure industry is worth £106 billion, over £10 billion more than official estimates state, according to the British Hospitality Association (BHA).

The group's annual report, published this month, revealed that over 140 new hotels opened in the 12 months ending August 2007, offering around 13,000 new rooms.

London saw 19 new hotels, with 2,700 rooms, while three 200-plus room establishments were built in Manchester, with more constructed in Liverpool, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

Some £3 billion was invested in the hotel industry over the 12-month period, according to the BHA, contributing to the total investment of £106 billion.

Bob Cotton, chief executive of the association, said: "According to our estimates, the industry has already reached its £100 billion target, set by the government for 2012."

He added: "There has never been a time when there has been more investment in the UK hospitality industry, but we must make ever greater efforts to promote the UK as a domestic holiday destination."

Mr Cotton went on to explain that trends showed a decline in UK domestic holidays in 2006 and a boom in overseas trips, a pattern that he said must be reversed.