New research shows promising domestic recovery for Thanet’s tourism industry

Visit Kent’s latest Economic Impact Model for 2021 published earlier this week (Tuesday 13 December 2022) shows promising signs of early recovery for Thanet’s tourism industry. Results from the report, commissioned by Visit Kent in partnership with Thanet District Council, show that the value of Thanet’s visitor economy increased to £212 million, up 70% from 2020. In total 3.9 million combined day and overnight trips were undertaken in the area in 2021.

The number of total tourism jobs across the district also increased by 16% between 2020 to 2021. They accounted for 5,831 jobs or 14% of total employment in Thanet last year, despite the Government furlough scheme finishing in September 2021.

These latest figures provide the first look at the rebuild and recovery of Thanet’s tourism and hospitality sector during 2021. Using the industry-respected Cambridge Economic Impact Model, the study measured the volume and value of tourism within Thanet in 2021, and the effect of visits and visitor expenditure on the local economy throughout this disrupted period. This took place against the backdrop of England entering its third national lockdown on 6 January 2021. Next came the 4 Step roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions, which only formally ended in July 2021. The Government then also announced the ‘Plan B’ measures in December 2021 following the rise of the Omicron variant.

While the tourism and hospitality picture remained challenging throughout the region in 2021, these latest findings do show that Thanet’s visitor economy performed above the national average in several areas. Overall, results show that Thanet benefitted from extremely high levels of domestic tourism spending. Against a national projection of 64% growth compared to 2020, Thanet’s domestic overnight tourism spend increased by 106%, generating almost £52 million in 2021. When looking specifically at reasons for visiting the district, Thanet benefited from a significant amount of domestic leisure tourism, with holidays accounting for 64% of domestic overnight visits.

Over a third (36%) of all overnight trips in Thanet for 2021 were visits to friends and relatives (VFR). This demonstrates the impact that ongoing support from Kent’s residents had on local businesses during a hugely difficult year.

You can view the full Thanet Tourism Economic Impact Study 2021 report here. A selection of district-specific reports can be accessed on the Visit Kent website.