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ABTA accused of cheap shot
ABTA has been branded the "anti-British tourism alliance" by the head of a UK holiday park group.
Tony Clish, director of Park Holidays UK, has lashed out at ABTA after the trade body attacked a new government-funded campaign to promote UK tourism.
ABTA described the £4m advertising campaign by VisitEngland as "a misguided use of public funds". See earlier story.
Clish said the criticism by the association was "a cheap shot from a body which can’t understand why people now prefer Torquay to Turkey".
He said the comments were hardly surprising, coming from a body whose members’ interests were served by encouraging people to holiday abroad.
"We are at the start of a year when the international spotlight will be falling on Britain, and it’s perfectly proper for the tourist board to highlight the UK’s fantastic tourism product," he said.
"Our tourism industry generates over a hundred billion pounds of spending each year, supporting over two-and-a-half million people in tourism-related jobs.
"What’s wrong in spending a tiny fraction of that income in order to generate even more visitors during a year when we will celebrate both the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee?"
He claimed there has been a steady rise in UK tourism in recent years, along with a sharp fall in the number of people taking overseas holidays.
This, he said, might be fuelling ABTA’s outburst.
"Clearly ABTA is feeling the pressure, but people can’t be blamed for re-discovering Britain as a wonderful, stress-free holiday destination," he said.
"The government is making a very shrewd move in launching this advertising campaign, for the cost is just a fraction of what is likely to be recouped by keeping the leisure pound in this country.
"So let’s allow families to make their own decision about where to go – and if they choose Ramsgate over Rhodes, then I’d say they are supporting the right economy!"
by Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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