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Tourism

Volume 470: debated on Tuesday 8 January 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of (a) overseas and (b) UK tourists visiting (i) Cumbria and (ii) Copeland in the last five years. (175611)

The following tables show (i) the number of overseas visits to Cumbria and (ii) the number of domestic overnight trips to the North West region for the latest years for which data are available.

Information on visits at constituency level by foreign and domestic tourists is not available.

Overseas Visits: Cumbria

Thousand

2002

180

2003

199

2004

203

2005

210

2006

226

Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS).

Domestic Overnight Trips by UK Residents1Million200214.5200316.0200412.9200515.3200613.5 1 The methodology for the UKTS changed in 2005 meaning that comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. This change occurred as a result of concerns with the quality of 2004 data, which is thought to be an under-representation of the true position. Source: UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards).

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average length of stay by (a) domestic tourists and (b) foreign tourists visiting Copeland over the last five years. (175933)

The tables show the average length of stay by (i) domestic overnight tourists in the North West region and (ii) overseas visitors in Cumbria for the last five years for which data are available.

Information at constituency level is not available.

Average number of nights spent by domestic tourists1 (2002-06)

North West

Average

2002

2.7

2003

2.8

2004

3.0

2005

2.9

2006

2.8

1 The methodology for the UKTS changed in 2005 meaning that comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. This change occurred as a result of concerns with the quality of 2004 data, which is thought to be an under-representation of the true position.

Source:

UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards)

Average number of nights spent by overseas residents (2002-06)

Cumbria

Average

2002

5

2003

6

2004

6

2005

7

2006

7

Source:

International Passenger Survey (ONS)

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the proportion of the gross value added of Copeland that has been generated by domestic visitors over the last five years. (175934)

Information on the proportion of the gross value added of Copeland generated by domestic visitors is not available.

However, the English regions “First Steps Tourism Satellite Account” report (August 2005) estimated that the contribution of tourism to the North West was £2.7 billion (2.75 per cent. of gross value added) in 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of visitor beds that were available in Copeland constituency in each of the last five years. (176727)

Information on the latest estimates of bed spaces available in Copeland is shown in the table. Consistent figures for previous years are unavailable due to improvements to the method of recording accommodation stock that were implemented by Cumbria Tourism following a review in 2006.

Number of bed spaces in Copeland (April 2007)

Accommodation type

Number of bed spaces

Serviced accommodation

2,090

Non-serviced accommodation

4,872

Source:

Cumbria Tourism DMS files, April 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in Copeland constituency who were employed in the tourism sector in each of the last five years. (176728)

Information on employment in the tourism sector in Copeland is shown in the table.

Employment in the tourism-related sector1 (2002-06)

Copeland

Number

2002

1,700

2003

1,800

2004

1,900

2005

2,100

2006

2,100

1 Tourism-related jobs include employment in hotels, camping sites, restaurants, bars, activities of travel agencies, libraries, archives, museums, sporting activities and other recreational activities.

Source:

Annual Business Inquiry employee analysis, ONS

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who were involved in work-based training in the tourism sector in Copeland constituency in each of the last five years. (176729)

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North West has provided data for each of the last three years on the number of people in work-based learning in Travel and Tourism and in Hospitality and Catering in Copeland, Cumbria and the North West. The LSC has also provided data on the number undertaking learning through Train to Gain since it was rolled out nationally in 2006. The LSC also holds data on the number of people in these areas undertaking learning in further education.

In 2004-05, 25 people were involved in work-based learning in Travel and Tourism and in Hospitality and Catering in Copeland, 259 people in Cumbria and 3,042 in the North West; in 2005-06, 17 people were involved in Copeland, 230 in Cumbria and 2,544 in the North West; and in 2006-07, 24 people were involved in Copeland, 238 in Cumbria and 2,254 in the North West. In 2006-07, seven people also started learning through Train to Gain in Copeland, 97 in Cumbria and 2,271 in the North West.

My Department expects data for 2002-03 and 2003-04 to become available shortly and I will write to the hon. Member separately with this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department has made an estimate of the average spend per head of domestic tourists visiting Copeland in the last five years. (176758)

The table shows average expenditure per head of domestic overnight tourists visiting the North West.

Information at constituency level is not available.

Average expenditure1 of domestic overnight tourists2 (2002-06)

North West

2002

160

2003

163

2004

181

2005

167

2006

170

1 Expenditure includes items such as package holidays, accommodation, travel to and from the destination and during the trip, services and advice, buying clothes, eating and drinking out, shopping, entertainment and other items relating to the trip.

2 The methodology for the UKTS changed in 2005 meaning that comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. This change occurred as a result of concerns with the quality of 2004 data, which is thought to be an under-representation of the true position.

Source:

UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards)

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average expenditure per head by overseas tourists visiting (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland in the last five years. (175612)

The table shows the average expenditure per head by overseas visitors to Cumbria in the last five years for which data are available.

Information at constituency level is not available.

Average expenditure1 per head by overseas residents (2002-06)

Cumbria

£

2002

227

2003

251

2004

251

2005

276

2006

261

1 Expenditure excludes fares for travel to and from the UK.

Source:

International Passenger Survey (ONS).