NEWS IN DEPTH | COMMENT Big ambitions
British Tourist Authority chairman Steve Ridgway explains why a tourism sector deal would be a significant step-change in the UK’s strategy
Say the words industrial strategy, and images of
manufacturing and the 1970s spring to mind.
Bring it forward to the modern day, and driverless cars, FinTech, and life sciences might seem more apt, but tourism sadly hasn’t featured in this picture, and yet it should, of course, be at the top table. This is why I’m delighted
to see that tourism has come together over the past 10 months with a single voice and submitted a sector deal bid on October 6. Let’s not forget, this is an industry worth £127 billion annually, or 10% of GDP. It supports three million jobs and has a massive export component worth nearly £30 billion.
Strategy aims
Back in January, the UK government launched its modern industrial strategy with many aims, including finding the sectors which are
currently strong, but could be stronger, and improving overall productivity in UK, where, for too long, there have been structural problems. For tourism this meant a
big evaluation of our place within the industrial strategy. Were we able to tell our story in a powerful and compelling way? Could we formulate a plan for
the next decade which would change the sector for the better and make it world-beating and resilient? Having worked in this industry
for 30 years myself, I believe that the progress of the past six months has been a really significant step-change. I am delighted that more than
500 businesses and organisations from right across the country have come forward with the ideas and drive to ensure that tourism not only gets a sector deal, but starts to talk about itself differently too.
The story so far
A tourism sector bid has been submitted to the government for negotiation before an agreed deal can be struck over the coming months. The deal aims to be as ambitious for tourism as we have ever been. I have been struck that right
When it comes to high-end hotels, the world looks to Britain to see how it’s done
12 TravelGBI | November 2017
across the country, there is an appetite for real, effective change in this sector. Whether it be finding the right skills to match ambitions around quality and service, or doing more to develop product in a competitive and effective way, businesses of all sizes want a tourism sector deal. In the UK, we are good
at tourism – seriously good. And we’re getting better all the time.
When it comes to high-end hotels, the world looks to Britain to see how it’s done, ditto restaurants and hospitality. Few countries boast the range
of tourism product Britain offers, from surfing to country gardens, from world-class retail to the broadest range of accommodation anywhere in Europe. We’re also a sector that
innovates quickly. Some of the earliest and most successful technology developed is in this field, from online bookings to guides and ratings services – and all of this is exported widely and used around the world. This success is an indication
of growth in the region of 3.8% by 2025.
That means more jobs created,
travelgbi.com
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