Tourism and the economy

　　旅游與經濟

　　BRITONS have had some good economic news to celebrate over the past few months.Unemployment is falling, house prices in England hit a record high in July and economicoutput appears to be growing at its fastest pace since 2010.

　　過去幾個月英國人有很多利好的經濟資訊值得慶祝。失業率在下降，7月英格蘭的房價創下歷史新高，GDP呈現自2010年來的最快增速。

　　At first glance Britains tourism industry appears to be contributing to the economicbounce. Data released this month by the Office for National Statistics suggest that there hasbeen a big increase in foreign tourists visiting Britain since London hosted the Olympics lastyear. In the first seven months of 2023, foreign visitor numbers rose by 4%, compared withthe same period in 2023, and spending was up 12%. In July 2023 foreign visitors spent 30%more than in July 2023, setting a new record.

　　乍一看，英國的旅游業對經濟反彈有所貢獻。英國國家統計局本月公布的數據表明，自去年倫敦舉辦奧運會以來前往英國旅游的外國游客數量大增。2023年的前7個月相比2023年同期外國游客數量增加了4%，游客花費也增加了12%。2023年7月外國游客花費比去年同期增加了30%，創下了新紀錄。

　　Hotels and attractions nationwide say they are benefiting from the unexpected boost in thetourist trade. According to data produced by STRGlobal, a consultancy, hotel-occupancy ratesrose in nearly every English region in the first half of 2023. London, in particular, has seen asurge in foreign tourists since the Olympics ended: hotel-occupancy rates in the capitaljumped by seven percentage points to 89% in June compared with a year earlier.

　　全國范圍內的旅館和旅游景點表示他們從旅游貿易意想不到的增加中受益。據咨詢公司STRGlobal的數據顯示，2023年前半年英國所有區域的酒店入住率都有所上升。尤其是倫敦的外國游客數量激增，奧運會結束以來，六月份倫敦的酒店入住率從去年的7%增加到89%。

　　The government has been quick to attribute the tourism boom to the Olympics, in an effortto justify some of the ￡8.9 billion spent staging them. There may be sometruth in this. Visits from countries keen on the Olympics increased the most: up by 24% fromLatin America and 11% from China, compared with growth of 1% from Europe and a fall of4% in visitors from North America, according to VisitBritain, a tourism quango.

　　政府迅速將這歸因于奧運會的旅游熱潮，努力為奧運會高達89億英鎊的花費辯護。可能有一些道理。根據旅游半官方機構旅游英國的數據，來自熱衷于奧運會國家的游客數量增長最多，相比歐洲增長的1%和北美4%的下降，來自拉丁美洲的游客數量增長了24%，來自中國的游客數量增長了11%。

　　Will this post-Olympics surge in visitors attracted to Britain contribute much to its economicrecovery? The net impact of tourism on output depends not only on how much cash foreignvisitors spend, but also on what Britons spend abroad. And although record amounts arebeing spent in Britain by foreign tourists, Britons have upped their spending on foreignholidays by a similar amount. So far for 2023, the gap between what Britain earns and spendson tourism has remained around the same since the summer of 2011 . Theaverage monthly tourism deficit for January to July 2023 was ￡1.125 billion, only ￡7m lessthan the previous two years average. And in spite of the influx of tourist cash this year,the tourism deficit this summer is still higher than during the Olympics.

　　后奧運會英國游客激增會對英國經濟復蘇帶來很大的貢獻嗎?旅游增長的凈影響不僅取決于外國游客的消費，同時取決于英國游客出國的花費。盡管外國游客在英國的花費創了紀錄，英國人在國外度假的消費也創下了相似的紀錄。到2023年的目前為止，英國人在旅游上的花費和收入的差距一直跟2011年夏天沒什么變化。2023年1月至7月的平均月旅游赤字為11.25億英鎊，只比上兩年的平均水平少700萬英鎊。盡管今年大量現金從旅游業涌入，今年夏天的旅游赤字仍高于奧運會期間。

　　Trading what Britain has lots ofrain and heritagefor reliable sunshine, which it lacks, maybe no bad thing for most Britons. But tourism will have less to offer the economic recoveryunless more Britons can be persuaded to holiday at home rather than overseas. Alas, sellingrainy Britain abroad may prove easier than selling it to Britons themselves.

　　將英國的陰雨和遺產同其缺乏的陽光作交換對大多數英國人來說沒什么壞處。但是除非更多的英國人選擇在本土度假，不然旅游業對英國經濟復蘇的影響將會很小。可惜的是，將陰雨連綿的英國推銷給外國人比賣給自己人容易多了。

　　Tourism and the economy

　　旅游與經濟

　　BRITONS have had some good economic news to celebrate over the past few months.Unemployment is falling, house prices in England hit a record high in July and economicoutput appears to be growing at its fastest pace since 2010.

　　過去幾個月英國人有很多利好的經濟資訊值得慶祝。失業率在下降，7月英格蘭的房價創下歷史新高，GDP呈現自2010年來的最快增速。

　　At first glance Britains tourism industry appears to be contributing to the economicbounce. Data released this month by the Office for National Statistics suggest that there hasbeen a big increase in foreign tourists visiting Britain since London hosted the Olympics lastyear. In the first seven months of 2023, foreign visitor numbers rose by 4%, compared withthe same period in 2023, and spending was up 12%. In July 2023 foreign visitors spent 30%more than in July 2023, setting a new record.

　　乍一看，英國的旅游業對經濟反彈有所貢獻。英國國家統計局本月公布的數據表明，自去年倫敦舉辦奧運會以來前往英國旅游的外國游客數量大增。2023年的前7個月相比2023年同期外國游客數量增加了4%，游客花費也增加了12%。2023年7月外國游客花費比去年同期增加了30%，創下了新紀錄。

　　Hotels and attractions nationwide say they are benefiting from the unexpected boost in thetourist trade. According to data produced by STRGlobal, a consultancy, hotel-occupancy ratesrose in nearly every English region in the first half of 2023. London, in particular, has seen asurge in foreign tourists since the Olympics ended: hotel-occupancy rates in the capitaljumped by seven percentage points to 89% in June compared with a year earlier.

　　全國范圍內的旅館和旅游景點表示他們從旅游貿易意想不到的增加中受益。據咨詢公司STRGlobal的數據顯示，2023年前半年英國所有區域的酒店入住率都有所上升。尤其是倫敦的外國游客數量激增，奧運會結束以來，六月份倫敦的酒店入住率從去年的7%增加到89%。

　　The government has been quick to attribute the tourism boom to the Olympics, in an effortto justify some of the ￡8.9 billion spent staging them. There may be sometruth in this. Visits from countries keen on the Olympics increased the most: up by 24% fromLatin America and 11% from China, compared with growth of 1% from Europe and a fall of4% in visitors from North America, according to VisitBritain, a tourism quango.

　　政府迅速將這歸因于奧運會的旅游熱潮，努力為奧運會高達89億英鎊的花費辯護。可能有一些道理。根據旅游半官方機構旅游英國的數據，來自熱衷于奧運會國家的游客數量增長最多，相比歐洲增長的1%和北美4%的下降，來自拉丁美洲的游客數量增長了24%，來自中國的游客數量增長了11%。

　　Will this post-Olympics surge in visitors attracted to Britain contribute much to its economicrecovery? The net impact of tourism on output depends not only on how much cash foreignvisitors spend, but also on what Britons spend abroad. And although record amounts arebeing spent in Britain by foreign tourists, Britons have upped their spending on foreignholidays by a similar amount. So far for 2023, the gap between what Britain earns and spendson tourism has remained around the same since the summer of 2011 . Theaverage monthly tourism deficit for January to July 2023 was ￡1.125 billion, only ￡7m lessthan the previous two years average. And in spite of the influx of tourist cash this year,the tourism deficit this summer is still higher than during the Olympics.

　　后奧運會英國游客激增會對英國經濟復蘇帶來很大的貢獻嗎?旅游增長的凈影響不僅取決于外國游客的消費，同時取決于英國游客出國的花費。盡管外國游客在英國的花費創了紀錄，英國人在國外度假的消費也創下了相似的紀錄。到2023年的目前為止，英國人在旅游上的花費和收入的差距一直跟2011年夏天沒什么變化。2023年1月至7月的平均月旅游赤字為11.25億英鎊，只比上兩年的平均水平少700萬英鎊。盡管今年大量現金從旅游業涌入，今年夏天的旅游赤字仍高于奧運會期間。

　　Trading what Britain has lots ofrain and heritagefor reliable sunshine, which it lacks, maybe no bad thing for most Britons. But tourism will have less to offer the economic recoveryunless more Britons can be persuaded to holiday at home rather than overseas. Alas, sellingrainy Britain abroad may prove easier than selling it to Britons themselves.

　　將英國的陰雨和遺產同其缺乏的陽光作交換對大多數英國人來說沒什么壞處。但是除非更多的英國人選擇在本土度假，不然旅游業對英國經濟復蘇的影響將會很小。可惜的是，將陰雨連綿的英國推銷給外國人比賣給自己人容易多了。