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Travelodge, the budget hotel chain, aims to put tourism on the agenda today by hosting an event at the Conservative Party Conference.
The event, entitled ‘New Champion Unlocking the skills and growth potential of unexploited sectors in the UK economy’, will feature a panel of speakers discussing the need to raise the profile of UK tourism amongst policymakers, and the need for the government to “unleash” the growth potential of the industry.
It will also address skills shortages and youth unemployment, addressing how further policymaker support can enable companies to upskill Britons and provide more opportunities for school leavers and young people.
Tourism is the fifth largest business sector in the UK, contributing £127bn to the British economy, and the event will look at how tourism and other industries can play a bigger role in driving economic growth.
High profile speakers will be joining the debate including Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association (BHA), Nick Boles MP, minister of state for skills and equalities, Dr Gerard Lyons, chief economic advisor to the Mayor of London and Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, parliamentary under-secretary of state for business, innovation and skills and minister for intellectual property.
Travelodge chief executive Peter Gowers will argue that the government needs to update its thinking around tourism and hospitality; industries with real jobs and growth prospects; and that we need to move beyond ‘Downton Abbey Briton’ and “become a society where you can serve and yet not be a servant”.
Peter Gowers, chief executive of Travelodge, said: “We need a government that recognises the role that tourism and hospitality play in driving economic growth, so that the industry can unleash its full potential.
“The tourism and hospitality sectors have played a key role in the UK’s continued economic recovery, creating a third of all new jobs in the UK since 2010 and contributing 10% of UK GDP. We are putting tourism and hospitality on the agenda and this is a great opportunity to get in front of a key audience and demonstrate the impact that the industries make.”
