TOURISM


Which party for tourism?


KURT JANSON is policy director of the Tourism Alliance


Space tourism plans edge ahead


Britain’s ambitious space tourism plans are one step closer, after a three month consultation showed wide- spread support for a spaceport. The government has also


W


ith the election about to conclude, most people will be at the point of decid- ing which party to vote


for. While most decisions will be made on issues such as the handling of the economy, the future of the NHS and the UK’s relation- ship with Europe, it is worth sparing a thought for where each party stands on tourism. Te Conservatives primarily see tourism as


a way to provide growth for the UK economy and most of their tourism policies have an inbound tourism focus to reflect this – the investment in the very successful GREAT campaign that promotes the UK overseas, the work that has been undertaken to improve visa processing in China and the establishment of the Tourism Industry Council to focus on job creation are all examples of this approach. Labour also recognises the benefits that


tourism provides to the economy and have been the one party in the election to put forward a tourism strategy. Still based on providing growth and jobs, the strategy has a more regional focus than the Conservative’s approach. As well as facilitating overseas visitors, they want grow domestic tourism by “encouraging partnerships between urban and surrounding rural communities across the country, working with local authorities, combined authorities and LEPs”. Te Liberal Democrats are even further


down this continuum between inbound and domestic tourism, with all their focus being at the regional level. Te newly-created tourism funds for the north, south west and Loch Ness are all Lib Dem initiatives and their focus is on furthering this regional approach should they get back into a coalition government. Finally, in polling at around 13 per cent of


the vote, it is possible UKIP will be part of a coalition. Tey too are interested into growing the tourism economy but their focus is on the seaside constituencies where they have consid- erable support. One of their main aims is to regenerate seaside communities and they are looking at a range of measures that will made seaside destinations more appealing. So while tourism is not at the forefront of


the party manifestos, it is extremely encourag- ing that, whatever the outcome of the election, all the main parties are engaged on tourism.


14


given its support for the plans, which paves the way for com- mercial spaceflight operations and will make Britain a leader in what is expected to be a boom sector in the future. The Civ il Av i at ion


Authority’s shortlist has been whittled down to five sites: Campbeltown, Glasgow Prestwick and Stornoway in Scotland; Newquay in Cornwall and Llanbedr in Wales. RAF Leuchars in east Scotland has been confirmed as a potential temporary facility. “I want Britain to lead the way in commer-


Britain is keen to be at the forefront of space tourism plans


cial spaceflight,” said Aviation minister, Robert Goodwill. “Establishing a spaceport will ensure we are at the forefront of this exciting new technology. Today’s consultation response marks another step forward in our work to support this emerging industry, which will create jobs and drive economic growth.” Last year the government launched its space innovation and growth strategy 2014 to


2030, which set out the significant economic advantages of the UK becoming a European focal point for the pioneers of commercial spaceflights and scientific research. “Paving the way for a national spaceport


is one of the biggest science achievements in this parliament,” added business secretary, Vince Cable. “It greatly underscores the work or our space innovation and growth strategy to position the UK as a world-leader in this exciting arena that is expected to be worth up to £400bn a year to the global economy by 2030.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=Q6E8f


NI ramps up Game of Thrones tourism push


Northern Ireland is looking to ramp up its Game of Trones tourism push as international visitors flock to the country to see the show’s signature sites. Season five of the hit HBO


series aired this month world- wide, debuting on 12 April and offering Northern Ireland the chance to champion itself as the home of Game of Trones, which is filmed primarily at Titanic Studios Belfast and 11 sites across Northern Ireland. Among the sites fans of


Te majority of Game of Trones is shot in Northern Ireland


the series can visit, Northern Ireland includes The Iron Islands (Ballintoy Harbour), The Stormlands (Cushendun Caves), Te King’s Road (Dark Hedges), Winterfell (Castle Ward) and Robb Stark’s Camp (Audley’s Field). Northern Ireland’s tourist board offers a prom-


inent rundown on the filming locations and where to find them on its website and last year ran an 11-week online campaign in Britain, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Scandinavia, which generated


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital


one million clicks and is estimated to have reached about 100 million people worldwide. Discover Northern Ireland is teaming up


with HBO for its 2015 campaign, which aims to bring more than two million tourists to ‘Te Real Westeros’ by 2016 from a total of 1.8 million in 2013. It is estimated that in the past year alone, Game of Trones has generated £87m at the locations where scenes from the smash-hit television series have been filmed. Details: http://lei.sr?a=K6Y3h


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2015


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24