Making a show of theatre

Tourists holidaying in Britain spent an estimated £2.8bn on trips “involving theatre” last year, according to a report from Visit Britain. However, this headline-grabbing figure actually includes the cost of “hotels, restaurants and other activities related to theatre” alongside ticket sales. The report also curiously suggests that theatre is the tourism industry’s “hidden opportunity”. An estimated 10% of the 30 million international holidaymakers are said to make a trip to the theatre while staying in the UK; unsurprisingly, London attracts the lion’s share with a reported £1.9bn spent by tourists on trips involving theatre in the capital. It is unclear what percentage of this figure relates directly to ticket sales. VisitBritain also highlights the success of regional theatres, praising the East of England for attracting “133,000 foreign theatre goers” last year.