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UK Music and VisitBritain have for the first time identified the value of international and domestic music tourism to the UK economy in a new Oxford Economics report tracking visitor numbers and their spending patterns at Britain's many thousands of gigs and world famous festivals.

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the voice of the global business travel industry, announces the results of its latest GBTA BTI™ Outlook - Western Europe report, a semi-annual analysis of the five most critical business travel markets in Europe: Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain.

Michael Hirst OBE has been elected as the new Chairman of the Tourism Alliance, the tourism industry’s umbrella body, representing over fifty organisations. He succeeds Brigid Simmonds OBE, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association.

Michael Hirst is Chairman of the Business Visits & Events Partnership and a former Chairman and Chief Executive of Hilton international. His career spans the broad range of tourism activities, including holiday and leisure centres, restaurants, pubs, and attractions.

Optimism in the business meetings and events sector is high, with average event budgets on the rise, according to the Meetings Industry Association’s (MIA) latest MIA Insights.