hotels


So what should local authorities do?


ufI IbRahIm is chief executive of the british hospitality association


Brits to get 2012 hotel discounts? I


n a report which the BHA publishes this month – Hospitality: Driving Local Economies - we identify each of the UK’s 406 local authorities, the num-


ber of hospitality employees in each and the value of the industry to each locality. Tese are figures never before available and highlight how important the industry is to almost every local economy. For example, hospitality’s share of total


direct employment is more than five per cent in over 380 of the 406 UK local author- ities. In some areas, Cornwall and Cumbria, for example, it is much higher. Te value of hospitality to some areas of the coun- try, such as the Isles of Scilly, Lake District, coastal towns and remote areas of Scotland and Wales, is critical. Without hospitality, these regions would offer very few alterna- tive employment opportunities. Te BHA believes that local authorities –


and LEPs which are taking over the work of the Regional Development Agencies – must appreciate the contribution that the indus- try makes to local economies and to local life and introduce policies to enable it to grow. Achieving our already stated objec- tive of creating 236,000 new hospitality jobs by 2015 rests as much on their poli- cies, their decisions and their support as on the national government’s policies. So what should local authorities do?


To begin with, they should recognise the economic and social importance of the hospitality industry and the contribution it makes to local life and prosperity Te gov- ernment’s tourism strategy puts a specific burden on local authorities, local businesses and partnerships to market their area in the most effective way. Tey should follow up the government’s national aims for UK tour- ism in their own area so that the strategy is supported throughout. Hospitality accounts for between 5.9 and


11.0 per cent of direct employment and between 3.0 and 7.8 per cent of total GVA of all the LEPs so far established, thus mak- ing it one of the most significant industries in any LEP remit. We call on all local authorities to work


with the industry, to establish a blueprint for the growth of hospitality jobs and wealth.


8


Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has revealed plans for hotel operators across the UK to offer discounts to British holidaymakers next year as part of efforts to boost domestic tourism. Addressing the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Hunt said he is in talks regard- ing the possibility of offering a 20.12 per cent discount at hotels and B&Bs. The 2012 Olympic and


Paralympic Games and asso- ciated events, including the Torch Relay, were highlighted by Hunt as having the potential to “transform” the UK’s tourism sector. Working in partnership with tourism min-


Hunt said he is in active talks with the industry over possible discounts


ister John Penrose, Hunt said the government will be looking to turn “strong interest into good business”. Last month, Hunt announced that £3m from the Olympic budget had been


allocated to help boost domestic tourism based around the Torch Relay and the Cultural Olympiad. Hunt said: “We want to use next year to


transform our domestic tourism industry. We want next year to be the year to have a holi- day at home.”


Councillors back historic Margate hotel plans A historic property located on the seafront


in Margate, Kent, is to be transformed back into a hotel aſter plans for the scheme were approved by Tanet District Council (TDC). Proposals to change the use of the Fort Road Hotel from bedsits into guest accommodation


was given the green light, while the council will also pursue its search for a developer. TDC secured the site in December 2010 with


the help of a Compulsory Purchase Order and is now working with Arts Council England and English Heritage to deliver the new hotel.


Mercer Street Hotel reopens in London


Te Mercer Street Hotel has reopened its doors to guests in Covent Garden, London, following the completion of a major £15m refurbishment. Te 137-bedroom property,


which was formerly known as Te Mountbatten, is now part of the Radisson Edwardian group and is sited at the heart of the Seven Dials Village. Each of the guest rooms


incorporate Apple television technology, free wi-fi and ser- vices such as free printing to attract business travellers. At the centre of the property


Te Mercer Street Hotel has completed a £15m redevelopment


is the Dial bar and restaurant concept, which offers pre-theatre dining and post-theatre drinking. Dial serves contempo- rary European cuisine using market-fresh UK produce, while the bar offers a meze menu.


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital Te newly-relaunched hotel offers in-room


spa treatments, along with a fitness room and six meeting rooms capable of catering for between six and 50 delegates.


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


image: corepics/shutterstock.com


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