London Gatwick's growth plans pivotal in supporting government's ambitious tourism targets

London Gatwick is set to play a pivotal role in helping the Government achieve its bold target of welcoming 50 million international visitors per year to the UK. 

The airport is awaiting a decision from the Government on its proposal to bring its existing Northern Runway into routine use alongside its Main Runway. The project represents a £2.2 billion shovel-ready, privately financed investment which could be operational by the turn of the decade, and would enable London Gatwick to further support inbound tourism beyond 2030. 

London Gatwick’s plans align with the Government's vision for the tourism sector, announced by Tourism Minister Sir Chris Bryant at the Tourism Alliance Conference in November. Sir Chris further emphasised the importance of collaboration between the Government and the tourism industry to achieve the 50 million target.  

UKinbound is the UK’s only trade association dedicated to inbound tourism, and represent more than 400 businesses across the sector. 

Joss Croft OBE, CEO, UKinbound said: “Inbound tourism to the UK was worth £32bn to our economy in 2024. London Gatwick plays a vital role in this industry, delivering many of these visitors to the UK, and drives significant revenue into the whole of the country. 

“Growth of the airport will result in better ability for potential customers to visit and with expanded capacity comes the potential for new routes, including from high-value markets such as North America, Asia and the Middle East.” 

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, London Gatwick said: “If the Government is to reach its target it is vital we offer more choice to passengers to enter the UK. London Gatwick can play a crucial role in shaping the UK's tourism landscape, supporting the Government’s vision and fostering economic growth and job creation across the whole region.”  

London Gatwick’s future growth plans, including the Northern Runway, which could be operational by the turn of the decade, are forecast to boost the number of international visitors arriving via the airport.  

Research from Oxford Economics* shows the number of international visitors through Gatwick will incrementally grow from 5.6m out of 46.6m total passengers in 2019, to 9m by 2038, a 61% increase, contributing to the Government’s 2030 target. This includes an increase of 1.6m visitors compared to a scenario without the Northern Runway, underlining the critical importance of the project in supporting the Government's ambitious goals. 

The increase in international visitors is also anticipated to support the generation of £8.74bn of Gross Value Added (GVA) from London Gatwick to the UK alone through increased spending by 2038. This figure represents nearly £2bn more than what would be achieved without the development. 

NOTES 

The Planning Inspectorate has delivered its recommendation with the Government due to make a decision on London Gatwick’s Northern Runway plans by the end of February. If approved, the Northern Runway plan will create a further 14,000 jobs and generate £1 billion in economic benefits every year.    

London Gatwick commissioned two independent studies to assess the economic benefits of the Northern Runway proposals, including the impact on inbound tourism and GVA. 

*Analysis by Oxford Economics explores and forecasts the wider economic benefits created by tourism, connectivity and trade. 

Separately, the Local Impact Assessment prepared by Oxera shows that by bringing the Northern Runway into routine use, London Gatwick will enhance the crucial economic role it plays by injecting £1bn into the regional economy every year, supporting 14,000 new jobs. Both sets of analysis are outlined in the Development Consent Order documentation that can be found on the Planning Inspectorate website.