Tourism chiefs welcome new culture secretary
The hospitality and tourism sector has welcomed new culture secretary Sajid Javid and urged him to help revive Britain’s regional hospitality hotspots following increasing competition from their European rivals.
Greater support is needed to drive visitors back to regional towns, as official
figures show a stark decline in domestic visitor numbers, said the British Hospitality Association.
After two years of rising domestic tourism, a strengthening pound and cheaper air travel could see the UK return to a tourism deficit – where more money goes out than comes in, it said.
Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS) figures reveal domestic trips fell by over three million in 2013, while spending fell to ï¿¡23.3billion, a ï¿¡682 million decline on 2012.
While London saw a 1.3% rise in domestic trips, six of the eight regions outside of London saw a decrease – with Yorkshire and Humberside, the worst hit area, seeing a decline of 11% on 2012.
BHA chief executive office Ufi Ibrahim said: "With a strong economic background Sajid Javid will be highly welcomed as the kind of big hitter the department needs given the challenges ahead.
"After two years of growth, this decline coincides with countries like Spain, France and Germany stealing a march on the UK. The strong increases by our competitors underline the need for government policy to support improved competitiveness – particularly across the regions.
"The GBTS report rings alarm bells and signals that the hospitality industry and
government need to work closely together to help reverse this trend and ensure that the sector can continue to play its part in supporting regional growth and driving youth employment."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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