‘Modest’ increased funding plea from UK tourism chief

The head of VisitBritain has repeated a call for extra funding to help the tourism agency showcase the UK’ attractions in and around the 2012 Olympic Games

Chairman Christopher Rodrigues was speaking as VisitBritain awaits news from the Department for Culture Media and Sport on its funding for the next three years. He made his original plea last week at the time of the pre-Budget spending review.

VisitBritain has requested a “modest” but unspecified increase in funding for the first time in 12 years “to combat increased competition for tourism spend from around the world, and specific funding to secure the tourism benefits of hosting the 2012 Games”.

Rodrigues, in a keynote address to be delivered to the Annual National Conference of Visitor Attractions in London, will make a public appeal today to the government to prioritise investment in Britain’s tourism industry, to protect jobs and promote a sector that generates more than £85 billion a year for the economy.

He will warn that the travel and tourism industry faces “unprecedented pressure” from global competition and that Britain risks losing more than £2 billion in additional tourism income if the government chooses not to provide extra funds to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase Britain as a 21st century tourist destination through the Olympics.

Rodrigues will say: “VisitBritain has had its government grant-in-aid budget frozen for the past 12 years, which has led to significant cuts in real terms.

“During this time our tourism deficit has grown every year until it now stands at more than £18 billion. Note that the funding increase that has been announced for the Arts Council is the same as the total funding allocated for VisitBritain.

“The visitor economy employs 2.1 million people throughout the country, involves 150,000 small and medium sized companies and earns more in foreign earnings than any industry apart from the City.

“It is a vital part of a modern Britain, but it is a fragmented industry made up of small businesses that cannot on their own bear the burden of promoting Britain overseas.

“Now the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has won additional funding from the Treasury in the recent Comprehensive Spending Review, it has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to promote this vital and valuable sector of the economy.

“After 12 years of flat budgets and rationalisation it is unrealistic to expect this once-in-a-lifetime marketing opportunity to come out of our already hard-pressed resources that are fully deployed elsewhere.”

And Rodrigues will warn: “Without proper marketing support, Britain will inevitably suffer as other nations, which do recognise the importance of their visitor economies go all out to welcome the world.

“Compare our situation with that of tourism in the Republic of Ireland where an 800 million euros (£557 million) package of funding for tourism development has been announced for 2007-2013.

“Attracting more visitors to Britain depends on sustained marketing programmes in our core markets as well as investment to open up the new growth markets of Asia and India. We must invest in the cake as well as the icing!

“The sums involved are small but they are vital to kick start the Olympic exploitation programme.  Working together, with a relatively modest spend, the industry can build Britain’s visitor economy but we need the funds to prime the pump by creating demand for travel to Britain. We can only hope that DCMS will see its way to investing in the (tourism) cake as well as the (arts and culture) icing

“I applaud the work that all of you have done to build and develop fantastic, world class visitor attractions. But unless we persuade tourists to make the journey to Britain in the first place much of your work is for nought.”

*See http://www.travelmole.tv/watch_vdo.php?sid=&id=161

by Phil Davies

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