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Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a new five-point plan aimed at boosting tourism across the UK.
As part of the plan a new inter-ministerial group, headed by culture secretary John Whittingdale, will be formed in an effort to help spread tourism beyond London and create jobs.
The group, which includes ministers from the Department for Communities and Local Government, Department for Business, Innovation and Skill (BIS), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (DEFRA), Home Office, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, will focus on five key areas:
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Cameron’s five key areas:
- A better co-ordinated sector: the sector is too fragmented – Cameron wants to see local attractions and tourism organisations collaborating to grow the sector for everyone not competing
- Skills and jobs: driving and retaining talent in the sector to encourage growth
- Common sense regulation: reforming regulation sensibly to drive competition and improve the tourism offer for visitors
- Transport: forging innovative links between the transport and tourism sectors to help visitors travel outside of the capital
- An improved welcome: delivering a world class welcome at the border
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Cameron has also announced a £1m ‘Rail for Tourism innovation’ competition, which will call for ideas to transform the travel experience for visitors to the UK and aims to make exploring the UK by rail more attractive to tourists.
The competition will be run by the RSSB’s Future Railways Programme, and winners will receive funding to develop their ideas and carry out trials.
Cameron said: “Millions of overseas tourists visit the UK every year and most take in the sights of London. But Britain has so much more to offer, from the Cornish Riviera to the Scottish Highlands and everything in between.
“For many areas tourism is a key industry bringing jobs, growth and security for working people. Tourism supports almost one in 10 jobs in the UK and we want to rebalance the economy to make sure this boost is felt right across the country.”
Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association (BHA) said the plan is a “watershed” moment for the hospitality and tourism industry.
