Great Britain and the Euro
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THIS HUB STARTS WITH SOME TOURISM INFORMATION, WHICH IT THEN USES FOR THE FOLLOWING OPINIONS.
More information is available from the British Government website.
Travel and tourism Trends for the UK 2010
In 2010, 29,803 people travelled to the UK. Various reasons are given, and a breakdown of them will follow.
Holiday 11,668 (39.2%)
Business 6,793 (22.8%)
Friends/relatives 8,408 (28.2%)
Miscellaneous 2,935 (9.8%)
The sources for these travellers are,
North America 3,397 (11.4%)
Europe 22,046 (74%)
Other 4,360 (14.6%)
On average each visitor spent 7.6 nights in the UK, totalling 227.8 thousand nights.
£16,899 million was spent in this time, with the average individual figure totalling £563 each.
Methods of travel.
Air 21,430 (71.9%)
Sea 4,531 (15.2%)
Tunnel 3,842 (12.9%)
The corresponding figure for UK residents visiting abroad, 55,562.
Holiday 36,422 (65.6%)
Business 6,639 (11.9%)
Friends/relatives 10,850 (19.5%)
Miscellaneous 1,652(3%)
The destinations travelled to,
North America 3,653 (6.6%)
Europe 42,565 (76.6%)
Other 9,344 (16.8%)
The number of nights stayed whilst abroad is 607,000.
Average length of stay is 10.9 nights per person.
£31,820 million is spent by UK residents, with £572 being spent on average per person.
Modes of transport used,
Air 43,239 (77.8%)
Sea 8,056 (14.5%)
Tunnel 4,267 (7.7%)
When comparing these figures, it becomes obvious that on average UK residents spend more time and more money abroad, than tourists who travel to the UK. Is this an indication of a pricing difference between the UK and other countries? Does the UK cost less to visit? The figures also indicate more people travel to the UK on business, than travel out of the UK.
Further analysis must be considered before making any assumptions with regards to these figures, but we are constantly being told of our recession, of austerity measures and to pull our belts in.
These figures start in the 1960’s, and they increase steadily up to this point, both for tourists travelling into the UK, and also UK residents travelling out.
If our recession was as bad as is described, why do more non UK residents travel here for business purposes, than British people leave?
We see in the news daily, cutbacks, job losses and overall financial misery. Are we actually in a recession, or are we just feeling the effects of a poorly managed Euro?
The UK is apparently short of money, and it has been reported that we have borrowed heavily, If we hadn’t paid billions into the European bail out funds, would we still be short?
The tax payers are paying the bills of reckless banks, poor investment, and financial aid packages to a currency we neither want or need.
I am no expert in financial matters, but i don’t understand why we are paying into a fund with no benefit to ourselves. What do we get out of it?, more ridiculous rulings from the European Courts.
Great Britain, i repeat, Great Britain was financially secure before some of these European countries came into existence, we need to stay independent of their financial issues and concentrate on our own. We should negotiate trade agreements and finally throw out this common market, it does not work, it never has, and chances are it never will. '
This is not about race or colour, this is about standing for our own ideals, for what is best for us.
Great Britain must shake off the collar called Europe, before we are dragged down with this debacle called a Euro.
Figures derived from http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ott/travel-trends/2010/index.html
CommentsLoading...
dadibobs: We are all biased from input we get from our surroundings. But once in while you have to sort out real stuff from media hype.
Good example is Italy. Why should Italy be bankrupt right now. More than 10 years ago, Italy had a public debt of 100% GDP. Today it is 120%. That is not nice, but expecially with respect to the Lehman crisis in 2008/9 i would call this stability. Debt growth is less than 2% per year, less than inflation rate. Debt growth of the UK was close to 10% during the past year. Who is doing its homework?
Greece is no bottomless pit. Actually the pit is 150 Billion Euro deep, can be handled. Of course there is the obscure situation that the interest rate benefits that Germany takes out the crisis are almost twice as high as the direct involvement of Germany in rescuing Greece.
And i have to correct the numbers of my last comment. It was in 2011 EURO:4,0%, USD: -1,4%, GBP: -0,1%, JPY: 2,6%. For the last 6 years from 2006 to 2011 is was accumulated: EURO: 9,2%, USD: -17,6%, GBP: -14,4%, JPY: 3%. The reason why i put emphasis on these figure are, they represent the future ability to be competitive. The figures for the US and the UK are simply disastrous. If you care to read more (sorry, only in German): http://www.kaemmererverband.de/attachments/135_Hel
I do a lot of travelling in my job. My firm holds companies in the US, France, Russia and China plus offices in the UK and Japan. I get to see quite a lot and with talking to people or applying the old cold war intelligence methods like counting trucks/lorries as indicators for economic activity, my picture is a little less biased by media, but more by personal experience.
I agree, however a 3% positive investment rate does not seem to be keeping the Eurozone out of trouble, The Eurozone may indeed be doing it's homework, but if one of my children was doing his homework, and part of their studies was indeed failing, i would encourage them to study harder or change the subject. Estimated figures, investment rates, you are undoubtedly more knowledgeable in these areas than i, however i am only passing my own opinions on what i see. The facts of this discussion are,
Europe, as a community is struggling.
Greece and Italy are bankrupt.
Britain is contributing just as much as France and Germany.
Britain is standing back and avoiding a financial breakdown, one which will change the face of Europe forever.
France and Germany can push and pull the other Eurozone countries as much as they can, as soon as the first country leaves, the Eurozone will fall.
Britain will survive and recover faster than any other country in Europe, purely down to our politicians putting our interests first.
You are a German citizen, reportedly the strongest country within the Eurozone. I fully understand your loyalty to the decisions made by your country, however, will your country be able to carry other failing European countries for long?
At what point will France or Germany accept the Euro for what it is?
The Euro is a nice idea, a common market is a nice idea, the European courts are a nice idea, but so is Atlantis.
The concept of a common area encapsulating many different nations is a great utopian idea, but sadly it does not work.
Britain will survive without the Euro, we have up to now.
Don´t know where my comment is, but apparently you read it all right.
Again, the economic data of the Eurozone is quite promising. If i got my figures right, there is a positive investment rate of some 3%, while the UK has -1%. Eurozone is doing its homework. So where is the future?
And i am not talking about Northern Europe only, it is including the club med.
Promote whatever you think is good for the UK. If the UK leaves the EU now, it will shiver soon in the cold, because much of its GDP is virtual, not real economy. And you don´t get comfortably warm with an invisible, virtual sweater, do you?
t€he question of the Euro collapsing is not will it collapse, more 'when' will it collapse. Germany is reputed to have the strongest economy in Europe, but will it be strong enough to hold up the collapse of Greece and Italy? Other European countries are already turning around policies with respect to the Eurozone, border fences are being rebuilt etc. I understand the German and French governments are woried about the Euro, both countries have more to lose than the UK,but whe countries are forced to use snubs and political weight, to try and acheive their own objectives, it's not a good sign.
This article is quite interesting,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2071967/
Now of course the British press will lean towards our own people and country, but that is the point, The British press are reflecting the sentiment of the people. The Euro looks doomed, France and Germany are trying every tactic, including political snubs to acheive their own goals, but it did not work. No group of countries has ever survived any period of time in history before, no country is leading the Euro, only the stronger ones dictating policy and required policy changes.
The euro is not good for the UK, in the long run i am convinced it will be seen to be a failure to the other countries involved.
France and Germany can only hold this mess together for so long.
It makes no difference wether we agree with your actions or not, we have remained on the outside for a reason, we will not fall when the other Eurozone countries will.
dadibobs: Who says the Euro will collapse?
Certainly one major flaw in setting up the Eurozone was the lack of a unified financial governance. That should be settled with the agreements of last December.
And if we talk crisis, then there is one good thing about it. Eurozone member countries now undertake fundamental reforms to converge economies. Every single economic indicator is in better shape for Euroland than for the UK or US. It is not just balancing budgets or unemployment rates. What should worry most is the negative ratio of capital investment to depreciation rate. In other words, assets are falling apart faster in the UK or US than they are being replaced by new equipment. That to be measured on the economy as a whole, not just administration. What is the future outlook of this?
While the US and its Dollar is still considered to be the safe haven, the last resort, this is not the case for the British Pound.
Again, we talk real economy, not derivates or other financial gambling from the City. For real economy, for the people in the streets, it is not a good idea to leave the EU.
The Eurozone struggling is making fundamental reforms. The UK suffering is doing nothing. Sorry to say so.
Good question Chris57, i could fill my reply full of waffle and made up suggestions, but that would seem silly.
I do not know what the best solution is, all i do know is that while the euro countries are struggling, the UK is feeling the effects.
We are tied to Europe, there is no doubt on that, but we need to transform the relationship into a beneficial partnership, not this mess called a Eurozone.
Our governments have done well to keep us on the outside of this Euro mess, by retaining the Pound we have retained some independance.
Unlike other countries in Europe, the UK is suffereing while the others are struggling.
The system is not working. It's not working for Greece and Italy any more than it's working for Germany or France. We feel the effects, while they face collapse.
Regardless of the commonwealth, the UK is in a stronger position than other countries in Europe.
When the Euro collapses, as i am convinced it will, we will survive, and because we are not fully committed too the Euro, our recovery will be much faster than other countries, who threw in everything to join such a flawed system.
Thank you for commenting.
What will the UK do after leaving the EU?
There are no colonies left. The Commonwealth is a club of English speaking sovereign nations, which have a franchise option on the Queen.
Please realize that this planet is getting smaller and smaller. International trade and economic relations are mandatory these days. How is Britian prepared for this?
Don´t come with the City. That virtual, that is financial. I would understand your approach, if Britain had the same performance as Switzerland. But it does not.
As much as the EU can do without Britain, i think Britain is not well off without the EU.
dadibobs Hub Author 4 months ago
Regardless of the facts and figures you display, Greece has endured riots for months, it is bankrupt. Confidence in Italy has gone, many investors are currently withdrawing funds as fast as possible, surely this will affect the long term financial figures To a simple common Englishman, if something walks like a duck, and it talks like a duck, then it's a duck.
We deal with what we see.
Confidence in the euro is non existent. One of the countries will break from the Euro, I have no doubts. It is costing too much to keep afloat. France and Germany will only be able to hold it together for so long.