HOTELS


Government failing to support hospitality industry and tourism


UFI IBRAHIM is chief executive officer of British Hospitality Association


Summit. Delegates were united in calling on government to better support growth opportunities in our sector. As yet, our calls seem to have fallen on deaf ears. Tis week we learned that the Government is consid- ering yet another cut to the UK’s tourism budget. Tis is one cut too far. In 1997 the government made 50 per


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cent cuts to the Visit Britain budget, fol- lowed by a 34 per cent budget cut in 2010. Visit Britain is facing a further 8 per cent of cuts which means its budget has been cut by 56.5 per cent in real terms over the past decade – despite every £1 spent on tour- ism marketing producing an extra £18 in additional spend by visitors. Cutting the tourism budget yet again shows it is just an easy target rather than one which is fair or properly thought through. We are writ- ing to the Prime Minister to express the industry’s dismay at this development. As an established and successful indus-


try, hospitality and tourism can be a massive driver of quality jobs growth throughout the UK. Hospitality currently employs 2.68m people and is a key driver of national as well as local and micro UK economies – creat- ing over a quarter of all new jobs between 2010 and 2012. Te BHA has coordinated, with the char-


ity Springboard, the industry’s biggest job creation drive which aims to offer opportu- nities to unemployed young people in the UK. During the Summit announced that the industry will create more than 30,000 new job opportunities for young people by 2015 (for more, see top story on this page). Tese job opportunity pledges were made


at a series of Big Hospitality Conversation events which took place over the last 12 months across the UK from Scotland to the South West. Te more that colleagues across the industry can get involved in these types of initiatives, the clearer the message to government that we can deliver on our promises and contribute to driving real eco- nomic jobs and growth.


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ore than 500 senior leaders from across the industry attended the BHA’s annual Tourism and Hospitality


Sector to create 30,000 jobs


The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has announced that the UK’s hos- pitality and tourism industries are set to generate more than 30,000 job opportunities for young people by 2015. Pledges were made at a


series of nine Big Hospitality Conversation events which have taken place over the past year across the UK with in excess of 1,200 industry representatives present. More than 14,800 perma-


nent roles will be created, with 11,103 apprenticeships and 5,157 paid university work placements also on offer. Te hospitality industry currently employs


10 per cent of the national workforce with the BHA coordinating the job creation drive aiming to offer young unemployed people in the UK job opportunities.


BHA said that more than 14,800 permanent roles will be created Simon Vincent, EMEA president for Hilton


Worldwide said: “Increasing the competi- tiveness of the UK’s hospitality and tourism industry is key to sustained recovery. With relatively low barriers to entry, we are ideally placed to help tackle youth unemployment.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=L1d0N


Guoman Hotel Management UK rebrand


Guoman Hotel Management UK, a subsidiary of Singapore-based company GuocoLeisure Limited, has changed its name to GLH Hotels Management UK (GLH). The launch of the new brand GLH was spearheaded by CEO, Mike DeNoma, who said


it signalled his intent and long-term ambition to lead the transformation of the company. He said the new business model would provide an alternative to the current hotel industry business model by giving autonomy to its individual hotels. Details: http://lei.sr?a=z4V1X


£700m Chinese hotel for South Bank


Details have been released for a new 160-bed- room, £700m hotel development in London’s South Bank – the first luxury Chinese hotel ever to be launched overseas. Wanda Hotels & Resorts - the hospital-


ity sector of the Dalian Wanda Group - will develop the 160-bedroom hotel as part of the £700m development, which will also include 63,000sq m (678,126sq ſt) of apartments. Wanda chair, Wang Jianlin revealed that


Wanda will announce a luxury hotel project to be built in New York later this year. Te company plans will see them expand


with between eight and 10 new hotels built in major cities over the next decade. Te Chinese company, which currently operates 38 five-star hotels across China and has assets of £30bn (US$46.4bn, €35.1bn, ¥284.5bn), is looking to target Chinese citizens interested in overseas investments or travelling abroad. Outbound travelers from China have become a critical growth market for global


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital Te hotel will overlook Te Tames on the South Bank


tourism with China’s outbound spending last year coming in at US$102m, a 40 per cent increase from 2011. Te London development, which already


has full planning consent, overlooks the River Tames. Details: http://lei.sr?a=O4k3V


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2013


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