VisitBritain Confirms Two Key International Appointments

As Australia sets an all-time record for its inbound visitor value to the UK, Britain’s national tourism agency, VisitBritain has bolstered its executive presence with the announcement of two international appointments.

Gavin Landry has been appointed Executive Vice President, International leading the strategic direction of VisitBritain’s global teams across Europe, the Americas, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC), and Asia Pacific. Landry is based in New York City.

Gavin Landry, VisitBritain’s Executive Vice President, International said:

"It is a privilege to lead the overseas network and work alongside these talented teams of dedicated tourism professionals. Our priority continues to be rebuilding international visitor value and strengthening our relationships across trade, commercial partnerships and media to ensure Britain remains the destination of choice."

Paul Gauger now steps into the role of Executive Vice President, The Americas, Australia and New Zealand. Based in New York City, he will lead travel trade, marketing, partnerships and communications teams in Sydney, São Paolo, Toronto, New York City, Los Angeles and San Diego with responsibility for driving increased value to the British visitor economy from these key markets.

Paul Gauger, VisitBritain’s Executive Vice President, The Americas, Australia & New Zealand said:

"I look forward to the continued success of The Americas region, which now includes the addition of Australia and New Zealand and as an Australian, I’m thrilled to once again be supporting this market. The US is our number one market for inbound visits and value. We are also seeing strong recovery from Australia, Brazil and Canada. Together with our dedicated travel trade partners, we will continue to convert inspiration into bookings and welcome visitors to discover what’s new in Britain in 2023."

Maria Sykes, VisitBritain’s Country Manager for Australia & New Zealand said:

"We are thrilled to be joining The Americas region and working more closely with our colleagues in the U.S, Canada and Brazil. With the pace of Australia and New Zealand’s recovery at record-breaking levels, we’re delighted to have Paul Gauger at the helm alongside Gavin Landry’s dedicated leadership at this pivotal time."

2022 was a significant year of growth for inbound travel to the UK from Australia, with the country breaking records to claim its place to become the UK’s third most valuable international source market. The latest figures from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) show that inbound visits and spend from Australia to the UK grew significantly throughout the year, with record breaking spend in the third quarter and exceeded pre-COVID / 2019 levels by +13%*.

Flight bookings from Australia to the UK continue to show strong growth, with recent inbound flight bookings in early January surpassing 2019 levels by 17%**. This demand is expected to continue in 2023 as the global spotlight turns to Britain for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III on 6 May, inspiring travellers across the world to discover Britain’s royal heritage. Later in the month, the 67th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in the UNESCO City of Music of Liverpool, with the city hosting on behalf of the Ukraine.

VisitBritain’s latest forecast for 2023 estimates 35.1 million inbound visits to the UK, 86% of 2019 levels and 18% higher than levels seen in 2022. Its forecast for overseas visitor spending in the UK this year is £29.5 billion, a projected record high for annual inbound visitor spend. VisitBritain recently hosted international buyers for the Britain and Ireland Marketplace and has significant activity to deliver in the next couple of months with the launch of the next phase of its GREAT marketing campaign.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• *Record breaking spend recorded across the third quarter from Australia, with spend increasing over 5 times vs Q1 2022 to £469 million in Q3 2022. Source: ONS International Passenger Survey July – September 2022 survey results.
• **Latest flight booking data from ForwardKeys shows that total December bookings from Oceania to the UK exceeded 2019 levels by 4%. During the w/c 2 January 2023, Oceania exceeded 2019 levels by 17%.
• Gavin Landry: Gavin previously spent five years as VisitBritain’s Executive Vice President for the Americas, and remains based in New York City. Before joining VisitBritain, Gavin was the Executive Director of Tourism for New York State, leading the iconic I LOVE NY program.
• Paul Gauger: Paul joined VisitBritain in 2003 and has held several senior leadership roles in London and New York. Prior to joining VisitBritain, Paul started his career working for the South Australian Tourism Commission followed by Tourism Australia in Sydney.
• Detailed information about VisitBritain’s inbound tourism forecast for 2023 is here: https://www.visitbritain.org/2023-tourism-forecast.
• Britain’s strong recovery for inbound travel in 2022 is expected to continue in 2023 with world-class events set to only increase demand, including the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III on 6 May.
• Visitors can immerse themselves in royal history and heritage, with tours and unique exhibitions at the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace, Buckingham Palace, and Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• Britain’s renowned heritage, royal legacy, pomp and pageantry are proven tourism draws. Visit Britain’s latest international consumer research, published in March 2022, shows the draw of Britain’s history and heritage in driving inbound tourism. The chance to explore Britain’s history and heritage was the top motivator for those international travellers keen to visit Britain in 2022, closely followed by visiting its iconic attractions.
• VisitBritain’s ‘See Things Differently’ campaign is part of the UK Government’s refreshed GREAT campaign. For more information about the UK Government’s GREAT campaign see: https://www.greatcampaign.com/
• For destination inspiration for Britain see: https://www.visitbritain.com/gb/en/media/story-ideas/how-see-things-differently-britain-2023 and for the 2023 VisitBritain annual events calendar please see: https://www.visitbritain.com/gb/en/annual-events-britain-2023