Proceedings of the Castle Aching Parish Council, 1905

[Nearholmer]

Being a statisto-phile, I had to look-up the figres.

 

- Overseas residents made 40.9 million visits to the UK in 2019.

 

- There were 93.1 million visits overseas by UK residents in 2019.

 

I can't readily find directly equivalent figures for NZ, where the official numbers seem to be published in one month bites, and I can't find an annual sum, but multiplying the January 2019 figures by twelve:

 

- Overseas residents made 4.8 million visits to NZ in 2019.

 

- There were 3.9 million visits overseas by NZ residents in 2019.

 

The populations are respectively c66.8 Million and c 4.8 Miliion, so UK resident visits overseas were c1.39/person.year, while NZ resident visits overseas were c0.8/person.year, which is very significantly different.  Ratios of overseas visits per resident were respectively 0.6 for the UK, and 1 for NZ, also significantly different, and suggesting to me that NZ is actually more reliant on incoming visitors than the UK.

 

I'd do the same with value of goods and services, and compare with Aus too, but I'm supposed to be doing other things, and lunchtime is over now.

 

 

[Annie]

Thank you Kevin that is very informative.  Being hopeless at statistics and mathematics in general I would not have been able to figure all that out.

Personally I think being dependent on overseas visitors to bolster the economy is a poisoned chalice and one we should take care not to clutch at too thirstily once the virus finally burns itself out and the borders can be opened again.

[Regularity]

54 minutes ago, Annie said:

Personally I think being dependent on overseas visitors to bolster the economy is a poisoned chalice and one we should take care not to clutch at too thirstily once the virus finally burns itself out and the borders can be opened again.

It depends. If it means an imbalance of trade, then that’s like living on an overdraft. If it’s a two-way street, then the trade makes war much, much, less likely (both sides have too much to lose) - which is what the EU is all about, and has been successful at containing.

[Andy Hayter]

1 hour ago, Annie said:

Thank you Kevin that is very informative.  Being hopeless at statistics and mathematics in general I would not have been able to figure all that out.

Personally I think being dependent on overseas visitors to bolster the economy is a poisoned chalice and one we should take care not to clutch at too thirstily once the virus finally burns itself out and the borders can be opened again.

 

You may be right about the poisoned chalice Annie but the statistic that I found quite a few months ago is that 10% of the world GDP is tied up with tourism and international travel.

 

If you think about the people who are impacted by the industry, many are not in highly paid jobs - taxi drivers, chamber maids, waiters, receptionists etc.  So the impact on the number of people is likely to be significantly higher than 10%.   The pressure to get the industry back on its feet is enormous.

 

It is also worth considering that while Kevin's analysis shows a lot of UK citizens going off on jollies and inevitably quite a bit of their money will be spent abroad, they will also be spending a lot of cash within the UK - travel agents, airlines, airport parking and so on.  

 

I personally think it too soon but I do understand the pressures.

[Nearholmer]

It is a devilish thing, because not only does international tourism cause a lot of localised environmental and social damage, it also acts to spread money from rich to less-rich places, and keeps a heck of a lot of people employed, while fuelling energy wastage and climate alteration, and, in a small way, increases international understanding/tolerance ....... a really complex knot to cut.

 

I advocate that it continues, but only if all transport involved is human-powered, by the touring people, so endless cycling tours, and rowing galleys for the watery bits.

 

Maybe not an overly practical proposal.

 

 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Nearholmer

[Caley Jim]

What I find rather ironic is that Australia and New Zealand are both on our 'Green list' so we're allowed to go there, but when we get there, they won't let us in!   ( For the avoidance of doubt I understand fully, and agree with, why they won't.)

 

Also, I could never understand HMG saying that you would be required to quarantine if arriving after xxxxx?  Why not on the day it's announced?

 

Jim

[Andy Hayter]

For the avoidance of confusion - which some governments are good at - the traffic light system has nothing to do with which countries you can go and visit.

 

It is all about which countries you can return from.  

 

There is nothing to stop you (from next week) going to an orange list country and indeed some will be very happy to see you.  Your problems only start on return to the UK.

[Nearholmer]

I'm looking forward to booking a summer break to The Falkland Islands, where it will be deep mid-winter, and I suspect that frosty winds do moan.

 

But, I wont have to quarantine while I recover from hypothermia.

 

 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Nearholmer

[Compound2632]

Just now, Nearholmer said:

I'm looking forward to booking a summer break to The Falkland Islands, 

 

You'll be pedalling away there in your da-Vinci-esque one-person flying machine? Or braving the South Atlantic in your coracle?

[Nearholmer]

42 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

You'll be pedalling away there in your da-Vinci-esque one-person flying machine? Or braving the South Atlantic in your coracle?

Available at a local lake, which communicates with a tributary of The Great Ouse; make deep water at Kings Lynn; round the Norfolk Coast; across the Thames Estuary; after that it’s all down hill on the map.

 

 

[Compound2632]

6 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Available at a local lake, which communicates with a tributary of The Great Ouse; make deep water at Kings Lynn; round the Norfolk Coast; across the Thames Estuary; after that it’s all down hill on the map.

 

Just flamin' go!

[Northroader]

Nice to hear the Great British seafaring traditions are being upheld. Spirit of Drake and all that, eh? Oh, mustn’t mention him now.

[monkeysarefun]

7 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

- Overseas residents made 4.8 million visits to NZ in 2019.

 

- There were 3.9 million visits overseas by NZ residents in 2019.

In comparison we had 8.6 million international visitors because we've got koalas.

 

11.3 million of us went on overseas visits, mainly to....New Zealand. So those 4.8 million you quote  are  mainly us plus that European lawn-pooing bunch.

 

[monkeysarefun]

4 hours ago, Caley Jim said:

What I find rather ironic is that Australia and New Zealand are both on our 'Green list' so we're allowed to go there, but when we get there, they won't let us in!   ( For the avoidance of doubt I understand fully, and agree with, why they won't.)

 

Also, I could never understand HMG saying that you would be required to quarantine if arriving after xxxxx?  Why not on the day it's announced?

 

Jim

Last night our federal budget was presented or read out or whatever that time when theres nothing on telly news except various interest groups whinging about how they missed out is called.

 

Anyway, according to that apparently overseas travel is not going to be a thing until at least mid next year here so you can run a pencil through our entry on that green list.

[Ian Simpson]

10 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

In comparison we had 8.6 million international visitors because we've got koalas ...

 But they've got hobbits!

[Nearholmer]

Sounds like an argument over which brand of chocolate-topped biscuit is most delicious.

[Compound2632]

8 minutes ago, Ian Simpson said:

 But they've got hobbits!

 

Only because they've done a Keighley & Worth Valley. Warwickshire (together, possibly, with parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and Oxfordshire) is your true hobbit holiday destination.

[Caley Jim]

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

In comparison we had 8.6 million international visitors because we've got koalas.

And 'roos and possums and echidnas and kookies and cockies and that yellow spotted death lizard I found in my shoe..........!

 

Jim

[monkeysarefun]

You forgot the Quokka.

 

 

 

 

It uses its natural cuteness to lure you close enough so it can sink in its fangs and kill you before you hit the floor.

 

Then it comes to the funeral and dances on your grave in front of your grieving relatives.

Edited May 12, 2021 by monkeysarefun

[Hroth]

9 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

You forgot the Quokka.

 

 

 

 

It uses its natural cuteness to lure you close enough so it can sink in its fangs and kill you before you hit the floor.

 

Then it comes to the funeral and dances on your grave in front of your grieving relatives.

 

It looks as if it has been consuming illegal substances!

 

Now what about the Drop Bears?

 

[Hroth]

And to follow up...

 

12 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

In comparison we had 8.6 million international visitors because we've got koalas.

 

Who are known to be toilet-roll fixated furballs.

 

12 hours ago, Ian Simpson said:

 But they've got hobbits!

 

Which are hobbit forming.

 

11 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Sounds like an argument over which brand of chocolate-topped biscuit is most delicious.

 

Depends on what sort of chocolate ends up on top.  The cheap types with what appears to be "cooking chocolate" deposited on top of an inferior biscuit are definitely out!  And there are some that are topped with a compound resembling Galaxy chocolate. Don't even mention the Marmite flavoured sort...

 

 

[Nearholmer]

A few years back, a pal of mine who was providing some consultancy services to a biscuit making company asked me to join him for a day on one of his visits to their factory, to give some thoughts on a couple of points.

 

Utterly fascinating at all sorts of levels, and one big "takeaway" (alongside a huge bag of chocolate biscuits!) was how they effectively "dialed in" a specification according to the product being made - I saw bickies being made for the Christmas selection boxes (in July) for a premium brand that punts its food as being "not just any ....." on one line, while another line was producing a very budget brand for sale in corner shops, both using exactly the same ingredients, from the same feed-hoppers, but the proportions were different, even within the chocolate, and the thickness of chocolate coatings markedly different.

 

The ingredients are all, individually, fairly wholesome, not much different from what you'd use at home, because biscuits are dry and keep-well without a ton of strange additives, and although neither version could fairly be called health food, the premium ones had significantly higher proportions of fat, salt, and sugar!

[Flying Fox 34F]

Kevin,

 

the same thing applies to Supermarket prepackaged Chicken.  I recall a summer job in a certain local factory.  I was in the stores and had to deliver the packaging and labels to the lines.  Every Supermarket was there and a certain famous Chicken Takeaway!

 

In the case of the later only the outer coating on the chicken was different and only one person per shift was authorised to check for quality, because they knew the ingredients of the mix.

 

Paul

[Caley Jim]

12 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

You forgot the Quokka.

We visited Rottnest Island thinking we'd be lucky to see one of these (they are endemic to the Island).  Sat down on a bench under a tree to have our lunch and there was one sleeping behind us.  Didn't realise they were vicious, so just as well I didn't poke it with a stick!  

 

Also forgot the Wallabies that we patted at the campsite in Halls Gap.

 

Jim

[Edwardian]

 

 

13 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

You forgot the Quokka.

 

 

 

 

It uses its natural cuteness to lure you close enough so it can sink in its fangs and kill you before you hit the floor.

 

Then it comes to the funeral and dances on your grave in front of your grieving relatives.

 

Wouldn't be the only creature that is far from as harmless as it looks.

 

Another such has, apparently, infested No.10 Downing Street, where it has viciously trashed all the John Lewis furniture.

 

(It's trashed our trade, our liberties and the union, too, but nobody seems to mind that here, so long as it doesn't affect football).