London. Tourism Tourism is an essential source of overseas income. In the early 1990s some 19.3 million visitors toured Great Britain annually, spending about $ 13.7 billion. Under the Development of Tourism Act of 1969, a government organization, the British Tourist Authority, has been set up to attract visitors and improve tourist accommodations and travel conditions. Transportation The irregular coastline of the British Isles, with its numerous indentations and bays and navigable streams, the improvement of the country's harbors, and the provision of dock facilities have all helped Britain grow into a maritime power. The Navigation Laws of the 17th century were instituted to give English vessels maximum advantage in the carrying of English products, and naval victories over Spain and France, chief rivals of Britain in world trade, gave the nation control of the seas and preeminence in world merchant shipping. This leadership lasted until World War II (1939-1945), when the destruction of British shipping by enemy action and the increased production capacity of US shipyards enabled the American merchant marine to overtake and surpass the British merchant fleet. In 1993 the British registry listed about 8.8 million gross tons of commercial shipping, a 38 percent decline since 1985. Most British ports rely on intercoastal trade. The majority of the international ports have been nationalized. Among the country's leading seaports are the extensive Port of London, Liverpool, Manchester (an inland seaport), Grimsby, Southampton, Milford Haven (a petroleum port), and Glasgow. Other major ports include the Tees River ports and Felixstowe. In the 15th century the English government began improving natural waterways and constructing canals. By the early 1990s Great Britain had about 5600 km (about 3500 mi) of canals and navigable rivers. The most important canal is the Manchester Ship Canal. Railroads began to supplant canals in the 19th century, and the first important railroad line in the world was opened between Liverpool and Manchester in 1830. After almost a century of development and expansion the railroads of Great Britain were divided, in 1921, into four major systems: the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway; the London and North-Eastern Railway; the Great Western Railway; and the Southern Railway . In 1948 the four lines, together with their associated railroad and steamship lines, docks, hotels, and canals, were nationalized, or put under government operation. In 1994 the British government began transferring the railroads back to private ownership, a process called privatization. In early 1996 three private companies took over selected British Rail routes. Another four companies were formed in April 1996, and the government plans to have privatized 95 percent of British Rail by May 1997. In the early 1990s the British railroads operated about 16,914 km (about 10,510 mi) of track, including about 394 km (about 2...
