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Visit Kent’s latest Economic Impact Model for 2021, published on 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.
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.
Councillor Reece Pugh, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Thanet District Council said: “Everyone involved in Thanet’s tourism industry should feel very proud. They have worked hard to rebuild our visitor economy, following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This research shows an encouraging picture of recovery. Domestic tourism has increased significantly and we are committed to supporting businesses to continue to build on this.
Visit Kent Chief Executive, Deirdre Wells, OBE, said: “After our sector was devastated by the Covid-19 crisis throughout 2020, it is encouraging to see the results for 2021 which show vast improvement across all areas of the visitor economy, demonstrating the resilience and hard work of Thanet’s brilliant tourism, leisure, and hospitality sector during what was still a chaotic and uncertain time.”
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.
For more information about the Isle of Thanet, please visit VisitThanet.co.uk