news government tourism strategy
Outbound: out of sight, out of mind
TRAVEL’S BIGGEST names have rushed to criticise the government and its new tourism policy for ignoring the value and jobs supported by the outbound travel industry. Tourism minister John Penrose said outbound tourism was “not a huge priority” in the strategy,
which was launched last week, because it was “the part of the industry that is doing best” and did not need the government’s help. Thomas Cook chief executive Manny Fontenla-
Novoa said: “The government has let the travel industry down again. It seems to have completely
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The government has been slated for “letting down” the outbound industry in its new tourism strategy by focusing on getting Brits to holiday at home and growing the UK’s overseas visitors. Rob Gill reports
forgotten about the 38 million holidaymakers that take their tourism out of the UK.” Tui Travel’s chief executive Peter Long called
the strategy “short-sighted” for ignoring the “significant contribution” outbound tourism made to the British economy. “The tourism strategy should acknowledge this, and as the largest outbound tour operator in the UK we would urge the government not to be blinkered in its perspective,” he added. Abta had called for a strategy that embraced inbound, outbound and domestic tourism. A spokesman said: “The strategy has a clear focus on domestic and inbound tourism. We want to work with the government to understand why the strategy omits the same detailed consideration of the outbound tourism sector in its approach and recommendations.” Even inbound operators are unhappy that the
strategy does not tackle issues such as VAT and Air Passenger Duty. Tom Jenkins, executive director of the European
Tour Operators Association, said: “For a UK-based company it is overwhelmingly more sensible to invest in selling non-European holidays than to try and sell a British holiday to a visitor. “We desperately need to attract visitors, but doing so is subjected to a punitive level of tax.”
British “staycationers” will be pushed toward attractions such as Maggi Hambling’s “Scallop” on Aldeburgh beach in Suffolk What the tourism strategy means for the outbound industry
Tourism minister John Penrose infuriated the outbound industry with the focus of the new government tourism policy, but some of its proposals will affect the whole industry
British tourism: The government wants to generate an extra four million overseas visitors over the next four years to bring in £2 billion and create 50,000 new jobs countrywide. It also wants more Brits to holiday at home. “We want to drive the propensity to holiday at home,” said Penrose. “As a nation we are the most likely in Europe to holiday abroad. The quality of what’s on our own doorstep is often underplayed and underestimated.” Penrose insisted encouraging domestic hol-
idays would “not be at the expense” of over- seas breaks, saying it was “complementary to the outbound market”. “People will always want their fortnight in Spain or Portugal. Britain offers something different – great city breaks people may have forgotten about.”
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Transit times: Penrose said he wanted airports and other transport hubs to publish transit times to encourage them to reduce how long it takes for customers to go through check-in and security procedures. The strategy report said: “The time taken to
get through our entry ports is generally good but in some of our busiest airports, such as Heathrow or Gatwick, it can take too long.” The government also wants to look at reducing
the two-hour check-in time for long-haul flights which it says is currently too long. Tui Travel chief executive Peter Long backed this focus on transit times. He said: “We welcome any initiative which will ultimately improve our customers’ holiday experiences, such as the proposal to publish airport check-in and transit times.”
Bank holiday move: The government is to consult on moving the May Day bank holiday to create an earlier holiday around St George’s
Penrose: Britain is “underplayed”
Day in England in April, St David’s Day in Wales in March, or a Trafalgar Day bank holiday in the autumn half term. Penrose said a new bank holiday was not an option as it would cost Britain “billions”, but that moving the May Day holiday could help tourism by extending the summer season. This
could also create another period in which to sell outbound breaks.
APD silence: Penrose refused to comment on Air Passenger Duty, saying it was a matter for George Osborne’s Budget on March 23. He said changing VAT policy was difficult due to the “state of national finances” and VAT changes for tourism were “off the agenda” for three years.
■Does Britain’s domestic market get the press it deserves? p18; Your reaction: Letters, p26
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