The wedding of Prince Harry and the American actress Megan Markl could bring 500 million pounds to the British economy when foreign and domestic tourists sway in the country to spend their wedding celebration, estimates the State Statistics Office.
Megan Markl and Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, and fifth in the series of heirs to the British throne, will marry Markle on May 19th in the Castle of Windsor, a royal palace that has been home to the British monarchs for almost 1,000 years.
According to the State Statistical Office, Harry's older brother Prince William and his wife Kate in April 2011 brought 350,000 tourists to the United Kingdom more than the same month of the previous year, and the Brand Finance Consulting Company estimates similar growth in May this year, reports Reuters.
It is estimated that the wedding will generate around 500 million pounds ($ 680 million).
"We believe that around 200 million pounds will bring tourism, travel, hotels," said David Hai, Chief Executive Officer of Reuters.
It is estimated that around 150 million pounds of people will spend on party and celebration that day, as well as 50 million for the purchase of t-shirts, caps and other souvenirs, and the added value of the wedding will represent about 100 million pounds from the free promotion of Britain in the world, he added he.
The companies in Windsor are already preparing to take advantage of the world-wide interest for newlyweds - Prince Harry (33), one of the most popular members of the British royal family, and Megan Markl (36), who is publicly known for acting in the television drama Parnica, what will happen to give a certain Hollywood glitter.
"It will be a great incentive for the economy, it will be great to see so many people here for the wedding and actually be the host of the wedding itself," said Andrze Li, the hotel manager at Harte & Garter, located across the Vindzor castle.
British tourist bosses are already predicting a 2018 berth for this industry, supported by a fall in the value of a pound from voting for the country's EU entry in 2016. The weaker pound attracted more foreign visitors to the country and caused many Britons to give up on vacation abroad.
The tourist agency "VisitBritain" estimates that in 2018 there will be 41.7 million visits from overseas in the United Kingdom, which will generate revenues of 26.9 billion pounds.