26 March 2015 | travelweekly.co.uk business Essential news, comment and analysis TOP STORY


TOURISM IS NOT WELL


MANAGED IN THE UK


THE UK’S TRAVEL AND TOURISMSECTOR


MAY BE GROWING FASTER THAN THE


ECONOMY, BUT THE WTTC WARNS OF A


CRUNCH AHEAD. IAN TAYLOR REPORTS


The head of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) hit out at the UK government this week, saying: “The UK is not a good example of managing the sector.” WTTC president and chief


executive David Scowsill spoke out as the council forecast that the value of travel and tourism would grow by 4% this year in Britain, outpacing the 2.9% growth predicted in the UK economy. The WTTC’s annual economic


impact assessment, published on Monday, estimates travel and


96 • travelweekly.co.uk — 26 March 2015


tourism contributed £188 billion to UK GDP in 2014 and accounted for 4.2 million jobs when “indirect and induced impacts” are included. Travel and tourism should account for “almost 11% of GDP and 13% of employment” by the end of the year. Scowsill said: “UK travel and tourism is growing at about 1% above the global economy.” But he warned Britain could lose its position as the world’s fifth-largest travel and tourism economy without action from Westminster. He urged the next government


“to take three major steps”. “First, make visa applications easier, particularly for high- spending Chinese travellers,” said Scowsill. “Second, Air Passenger Duty must be reformed. Third, a decision must be taken quickly to address the chronic undersupply of airport capacity in the southeast.” The WTTC will hold its annual global summit in Madrid in April, bringing together industry chiefs and tourism ministers from around the world. But Scowsill said: “I


CONTINUED ON PAGE 94


David Scowsill says the next government must ‘make visa applications easier, reform APD and expand airport capacity in the southeast’


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