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A warm welcome
Tourism initiative for NE England
£4.8m campaign set to boost visits to region over the next three years
to Britain?
By Tom Walker
The UK has been slammed for
The Northwest European Regional
its tax policy – and rightly so
Development Fund Programme has
earmarked £2.4m of funding to support
marketing activities to boost the region's
visitor economy over the next three years.
kurt janson is
The campaign aims to increase visitor
policy director
spend across the Northwest through three
for tourism
focused promotions, with each promotion
alliance
aiming to make the region attractive to
different target visitors.
The three themes are "Industrial Power-
house" (to attract industrial heritage-based The Lake District is among the regions
W
hile it's nothing unusual for a tourism), "Adventure Capital" (promoting hoping to benefit from the scheme
government policy to be outdoor activities) and "Gardens of
criticised by industry groups, Distinction" (horticultural heritage). by one of the region's tourist boards;
it's well known that countries are very The total value of the programme is Marketing Manchester will steer the
reluctant to publicly state their £4.8m, with match funding being provided Industrial Powerhouse theme, Cumbria
opposition to the policies of fellow through the region's tourist boards, Tourism will lead on Adventure Capital and
nations. So when the UK is publicly museums and attractions. Each theme will Visit Chester and Cheshire will coordinate
criticised by 100 other countries, as focus on a particular sub-region and be led the Gardens of Distinction theme.
happened at World Travel Market, it is
obvious that there must be a significant
problem with UK policy and that it's
Weak pound boosts London's tourism appeal
impacting on other countries around
the world. That problem is the UK By Pete Hayman
government's decision to increase Air
Passenger Duty by up to 112 per cent. London has become a more appealing
The Tourism Alliance estimates that tourist destination to foreign visitors as a
by the second wave of increases, in "direct result" of the current economic
November 2010, APD will have reduced climate, according to Lonely Planet.
the revenue that the UK receives by 5.4 The Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2010
per cent (£880m). At an average of .com guide claims that the capital is now "much
£50,000 for each new tourism-related more affordable" and "much more
job, this equates to around 17,600 ainonview accessible" for overseas tourists.
direct jobs in the UK tourism industry.
.
brit
Iceland, Thailand and Mexico are among
The 100 foreign ministers, however,
:
www
locations named as some of the best-value
criticised the move from a different image destinations, while Las Vegas, US, has been
perspective. Led by the UNWTO London is now more affordable for tourists added due to the impact of the downturn.
secretary-general, Taleb Rifai, they
criticized the tax on the basis that it is
seen internationally as both an
Welsh coastal park to open new tourism centre
anti-trade and anti-development
measure. They feel that, in the middle The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park touch screens, film and audio activities
of a global recession, the UK Authority (PCNPA) will launch its newest and an interactive talking history project.
government is adopting a "beggar thy visitor centre this winter. PCNPA spokesperson James Parkin
neighbour" attitude to tourism, which The National Park Visitor Centre in said: "We hope local people as well as
is thwarting global attempts to support Newport, Pembrokeshire, will open in visitors will make the most of what's on
the sector by trying to prevent UK November and will remain open offer here; from finding out what there is
citizens taking holidays overseas. throughout the winter months until April. to do and see in north Pembrokeshire
Furthermore, it also sends out a The centre has been recently refur- through to stocking up on Christmas
pretty poor "welcome" message in the bished and extended, complete with presents or hiring the meeting room."
lead-up to the 2012 Olympics.
16 Read Leisure Opportunities online www.leisureopportunities.com/digital © Cybertrek 2009
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