The deal aims to be as ambitious for tourism as we have ever been
new markets, and keeping our existing established markets too. This industry can be a friend
of government. We seek no trade deals post-Brexit, we continue to deliver a strong image of Britain right around the world, and all the while we continue to deliver billions to the economy every single month.
and higher tax revenues. Consider that growth on an industry this scale, and it dwarfs many competitor sectors.
Industry hurdles
However, there are hurdles for this industry, and while what we are presenting in our bid for a sector deal is based on success, we also know that we need to fix elements in order to provide for even higher growth and more jobs, right across the country. These issues include solving
long-term productivity issues, getting the UK much more connected both in terms of routes and online, and ensuring we’re skilled for the future. We also need to look at increasing the traditional seasons, breaking into
Destination of choice
Some of the earliest and most successful technology developed is in this sector
We know those who have travelled to Britain are 19% more likely to invest here in the future than those who haven’t, and we know too that this industry continues to build a head of steam globally. In 1950, 25 million people travelled globally – by 2017 that figure stands at 1.9 billion. This is set to grow, and we need to ensure that the destination of choice is Britain. Some sectors are cleanly contained in just a few factories and offices, and so on the surface might seem easier to understand as a ‘sector’. Tourism isn’t; it’s widespread, made up of big and small businesses and operates in a different way. Yet, it’s the tool that projects a big image of Britain into the future,
4 For more columns by industry leaders go to
travelgbi.com travelgbi.com November 2017 | TravelGBI 13
and if this industry were just that bit better coordinated and targeted, it could be the world’s leader in not much time at all. That’s why on productivity, we have set an ambitious target of improving output by 1% over the next decade.
How to push productivity
That would mean an additional £12 billion to the economy, and we’re going to do it by extending the season and delivering a world-class business visits and events strategy. On skills, we’re going to have
a 10-year campaign getting hospitality and tourism jobs at the heart of the curriculum, and getting people to look at the sector again. We also want our product to
be stronger than ever and that’s why we want to create ‘Tourism Zones’, which will make the product resilient, whether it’s currently strong, or in need of further development. And of course, we want the UK to be as connected as ever, both digitally and in transport terms. The ambitions for this sector
are there. The tourism sector deal would mean 3.8 million jobs, a sector worth £268 billion and the UK as one of the most successful destinations in the world by 2025.
Big ambitions, and lots of work to do!
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