TOURISM AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT IN SUFFOLK

James KennellEconomic Development Resource CentreUniversity of Greenwich

ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SUFFOLK: PRIORITIESGreen Economic GrowthSkillsInvestment and EnterpriseGrowth areasInfrastructure improvementsTourism contributes to all of these areas

SUFFOLK31,915,998 trips% staying = 5.7% (26% of spend)% day trips = 94.3% (74% of spend)

Total value of tourism = £1.85bnTotal related employment = 38,369 (12.3%) (Destination Research 2014)

Bath and North East Somerset

Cornwall

Cumbria

Devon

Dorset

East Sussex

Norfolk

North Somerset

North Yorkshire

Northumberland

Powys

Somerset

Suffolk

Wiltshire

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

30.08

36.95

35.12

25.4

36.61

34.5

31.01

20.85

33.07

30.19

35.96

33.66

25.81

26.2

ONS Cluster 4/5 competitors – day visitor spend £30 per day

WILL STAYCATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Sounds better than ‘domestic tourism’

The staycation market is very competitive

Competition is for displacement (Dwyer et al 2010)

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 201586

88

90

92

94

96

98

100

102

104

106

Domestic trips in England 2005-2015 (GBTS)

DISPLACEMENT The effect of tourist marketing causing domestic tourists to spend money in a destination, that they would otherwise have spent elsewhere (DCMS 2012)

No net benefit to UK PLC!

STAYCATION DISPLACEMENT – SELF CATERING

London

Hampshire

Essex

Chesh

ire

Hertfor

dshire

West Yo

rkshire

Avon

Tyne a

nd Wear

Nottingh

amshi

re

West Midla

nds0

2000400060008000

1000012000140001600018000

Top ten guest counties

Cornw

allDevo

nNorf

olk

Cumbria

Suffo

lk

North Y

orkshi

reDors

etKe

nt

Northu

mberla

nd

Derbysh

ire0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

Top ten counties for bookings

CONCLUSIONSTourism is a key contributor to Suffolk’s 4 economic growth themes

Increasing spend is a huge priority

The staycation phenomenon means that Suffolk must compete head on with other destinations

Think Suffolk PLC, not UK PLC!