The Stage

European visitor record indicates tourism healthy in the West End

Published Wednesday 21 July 2004 at 10:55 by Ruth Gillespie

Holiday operators have reported a record number of visitors from the European continent to Britain in the first half of 2004, dispelling concern that London tourists, who account for the largest percentage of West End theatregoers, are avoiding the UK due to fears of terrorist attacks.

According to figures released by UK tourist authority Visit Britain, 6.5 million international visitors came to Britain between March and May of this year, a rise of 28% on the same period in 2003, with western Europe accounting for more than two-thirds of this total.

Despite issuing a profits warning last month because of poor bookings to its overseas destinations, tour operator Holiday Break has reported that sales for hotels in London have risen 50% to £54.8 million in the six months to March.

In addition, latest figures from British Airways show that the long-haul market to London is continuing to improve, in particular the Asian market - including China and Japan - with passenger numbers up 30% in June.

Jonathan Mountford, head of the tourism division at West End advertising agency Dewynters, said: “Domestic and international tourism is of vital importance to the West End theatres. A record number of western European visitors this summer has helped Britain’s tourism industry to achieve its highest ever recorded numbers of visitors for this period. Things dipped after [the bombings in] Madrid but now London’s tourist business is helping to prop up the rest of the country.”

Mountford dismissed recent reports in the national press suggesting that theatreland has hit an all time low following the early closure of six West End plays this year. Prohibitive ticket prices, the expense of parking and dining in London, competition from fringe venues and the impact of September 11 and the Iraq war were blamed for the failing audiences figures.

According to the Society of London Theatre, audiences in May were down by 3% on the same month last year. However, chief executive Richard Pulford said he believes this reflects the productions themselves rather than a downward trend in West End audience attendance.

He added: “In the West End musicals are doing well and plays are having a hard time. Europeans are more likely to go to musicals than plays because of the language problem but I think Europeans are less relevant to what is happening with audience figures than long-haul visitors from North America and Asia. While overall numbers were down for May you have to distinguish between the success of musicals and plays and, of course, the individual plays themselves.”