The challenges facing Brighton and Hove's tourist economy have been spelt out in an eyecatching report which showed the amount spent by visitors had barely increased since 1979.

VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, has published a detailed review of inbound tourism which shows the sector moving from a surplus to a £17 billion deficit in the last 25 years.

The number of foreign visitors to Britain each year has doubled in the last quarter of a century, according to the report, but the amount spent per head has fallen from £740 to £470.

One reason is visitors are staying with family and friends rather than in hotels, another is they are staying for a shorter time - eight nights on average compared to 12.5 in 1979.

At the same time the reasons for people visiting Britain have changed dramatically since 1979.

Then almost 45 per cent were coming for a holiday.

Today that proportion has shrunk to 34 per cent.

The fastest growth in visitor numbers has been in people coming to see friends and relatives, which has risen by 249 per cent to almost eight million.

Business traveller numbers have also risen far more quickly than traditional tourists, up 212 per cent compared with 68 per cent.

These figures will add fuel to the debate surrounding the redevelopment of Brighton and Hove city centre and the Brighton Centre in particular.

There was some good news in the survey.

Britain is still recording faster growth in visitor numbers than many of our traditional competitors and tourism is far less seasonal than it was in 1979.

Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain, said: "These figures graphically demonstrate both the success of Britain's visitor economy and everyone working in it but also the challenge we face.

"VisitBritain's work has helped to double the number of visitors to Britain but the figures on the growth of tourism's balance of payments make sobering reading."

Adam Bates, head of tourism at Brighton and Hove City Council, said: "A UK tourism deficit is an inevitable consequence in a developed country and we share this fact with most of our European neighbours.

"The figures make light of the relative growth in business tourism over the similar period, which has grown by 212 per cent.

"Conferences and meetings have been one of the ways Brighton and Hove has proved more resilient as a destination.

"This reinforces the reasons why the Brighton Centre redevelopment remains the number one priority for the future of the economy."

Tuesday, January 10, 2006