29 January 2015 | travelweekly.co.uk business Essential news, comment and analysis TOP STORY


Tourism minister Helen Grant


visiting Lancaster Castle recently


GRANT: WE GET TOURISM


IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TRAVEL WEEKLY,


TOURISM MINISTER


HELEN GRANT LOOKS BACK ON HER 16


MONTHS IN THE ROLE


Q: Your role combines tourism with sport. Are there benefits in combining these? A: There are great benefits and quite a lot of crossover. Sport is one of our big draws, internationally and domestically. No one does major sporting events like we do and I am delighted with how we have grasped the opportunity to showcase everything that makes Britain great.


On top of our world-class


calendar of annual sporting competitions such as Wimbledon and the Premier League, the London 2012 Olympic


104 • travelweekly.co.uk — 29 January 2015


and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Ryder Cup and the Grand Départ of the Tour de France were all fantastic successes that boosted the nation’s profile with international visitors and showcased destinations for domestic holidaymakers to discover. The eyes of the sporting world will be on us again this autumn as rugby fans cheer on their teams across England and in Cardiff at the Rugby World Cup. We will look to do all we can to use the tournament to champion the best of Britain.


Q: Was a responsibility for tourism one you sought? A: I always say I have the best job in government, as minister for tourism and sport. Growing up just north of the Lake District, my first jobs were in tourism and hospitality, so I know how important it is for many parts of the UK.


The success of our tourism


strategy in bringing record visitor numbers to Britain is a real source of pride. But we cannot be complacent. We must keep up the momentum.


CONTINUED ON PAGE 102


PICTURE:MARKETING LANCASHIRE


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