LONDON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Britain's tourism income will double if visiting delegates extend their stay for leisure purposes, said a report published Tuesday by Britain's official tourism agency.
Such extensions will see each delegate contributing up to 2,700 U.S. dollars to Britain's tourism revenue, VisitBritain said in its report "Business Events Research -- Delegate Spend and Trip Extensions".
The report said what concerns delegates most when they consider adding extra leisure time to their trips is not the destination but practical issues such as flight timings, ease of travel and accommodation.
The research dived into the spendings of delegates at business events as well as the behavior of those who extend their stay for leisure. It found that international delegates spend 3.7 nights on average, while the number for domestic groups is one night.
As far as consumption is concerned, delegates from outside the European Union (EU) spend an average of 2,467 dollars per trip while those from EU countries spend 1,400 dollars on average, and domestic visitors 465 dollars each.
Kerrin MacPhie, VisitBritain's head of business events, said the findings provide "real insight" into delegates' booking behavior and can help organizers promote their events during early stages.
