POLITICAL LOBBYING
Tourism is the UK’s fifth largest industry and the third largest export-earning industry. Inbound tourism generates £16.4 billion a year from 31.9 million overseas visitors (based on provisional figures from 2008).
1.3 million full-time jobs equivalent are directly supported by the sector, which is 5.4% of the total workforce.
See also - Press Releases
Current Government Consultations
Charging for immigration and visa applications
On 9 September 2009 The UK Borders Agency (UKBA) launched a public consultation on the fees charged for Immigration and Visa Applications. UKinbound will be submitting a response on behalf of the industry but to take part in this consultation and submit your own response, please click here. The deadline for responses to the consultation is 1 December 2009.
Members of UKinbound are asked to submit your comments by email to Helen by Friday 20 November.
Simplifying Immigration Law - A New Framework for Immigration Rules
On 12 November 2009 The UK Borders Agency (UKBA) published a draft Immigration Bill intended to replace current immigration acts and make it easier for them to make immigration decisions and enforce the law. For more information please click here. The deadline for responses to the consultation is 3 February 2010.
The Economic Case for the Visitor Economy
In the 2008 study by Deloitte entitled “The economic case for the visitor economy” it was revealed that the total economic contribution (including both direct and indirect impacts) of the Visitor Economy to Britain is £114 billion, or 8.2 per cent of total GDP.
However, Deloitte found that while the sector has the potential to continue to grow strongly, it also faces a series of short-term and longer-term challenges, including policy barriers; transport infrastructure; entry costs and border policy; limits on movement; climate change legislation, and; national and regional policies. To download the full report please click here
The Tourism Alliance
The Tourism Alliance seeks to establish and maintain a favourable operating environment for all business involved in the delivery of tourism. UKinbound Chief Executive Mary Rance is currently Vice Chair of the Tourism Alliance.
Key attributes of the tourism industry make it ideally suited to generating employment and sustainable economic growth. The Tourism Alliance has identified five policy principles which will enable the industry to achieve its full potential of job creating and economic growth:
1. Improve International Competitiveness
UK tourism businesses can successfully compete in the global tourism market – provided that they are competing on a level playing field. However, because of Air Passenger Duty and visa costs, they are not.
The tourism industry fully recognises and supports both the need for effective border controls, and for aviation to pay its environmental cost. But increased visa costs and Air Passenger Duty mean that, by the end of next year, a family of four from growth markets such as India and China will have to pay a minimum of £568 in government charges to come to the UK. For each family that is deterred from visiting as a result of these charges, the UK economy forgoes around £5,000 in revenue.
It is therefore crucial to exploiting the potential of tourism that, while maintaining the proper entry and environmental controls, charging is based on the net benefit that can be derived by encouraging visitors to come to the UK.
2. Increase the Effectiveness of Public Funding
The industry believes that much can be achieved through the more effective utilisation of existing Government expenditure on tourism.
As a result of devolution, less than 20% of public funding for tourism originates from DCMS. Of the remainder, around 60% is allocation by Local Authorities or Regional Development Agencies, neither of which has a statutory obligation to fund tourism development.
It is therefore important to ensure that Local Authorities are incentivised to invest in tourism development, existing RDA tourism funding is ring-fenced and that tourism development and marketing activities at the local, regional and national level are co-ordinated in order to provide the maximum return on investment for the UK.
3. Maximise the Tourism Legacy from the Olympics
The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase Britain abroad. A 2006 PriceWaterhouseCoopers report for DCMS concluded that a properly funded public/private marketing partnership associated with the Games could provide the UK with an additional £2bn in tourism revenue.
A similar partnership was established in 2001 in the wake of the Foot and Mouth outbreak and 9/11 attacks, with £20m in Treasury funding being matched by the industry to create a global marketing campaign. An analysis of this campaign by the National Tourist Board, VisitBritain, found that it generated £500m in additional overseas visitor expenditure, protecting 10,000 jobs and generating around £80m in VAT payments.
4. Reduce the Regulatory Burden
While DCMS is responsible for tourism, the majority of legislation that impacts on tourism businesses is managed by other Departments. As such, particular care needs to be taken to ensure that any potential adverse impacts of legislation generated outside DCMS are adequately assessed and mitigated against.
Reducing the level of poor regulation will significantly enhance the ability of tourism businesses to concentrate their resources on maintaining jobs and generating growth.
Current proposals where there has been inadequate consideration of tourism impacts include the mandatory code for selling alcohol, anti-age discrimination legislation for the provision of tourism services and repealing the Furnished Holiday Letting Rules.
A cross-departmental simplification plan for tourism-related legislation is required to identify areas where the regulatory burden on the sector can be reduced.
5. Improve Quality and Skills
While the vast majority of the tourism products and services provided to visitors are of a high standard, the industry acknowledges that further improvements in staff skills and product quality are required in some areas. A National Skills Academy for Tourism, similar to the new Hospitality Academy, would provide a major step forward in the provision of a high quality tourism experience, while the implementation of a “Welcome to Britain” programme in the lead-up to 2012 would ensure that visitors receive the highest quality service by public and private sector organisations at every stage of their journey.
The Tourism Alliance’s Opportunities for Employment and Growth document shows how by creating an environment that encourages visitors to come to Britain, and by maximising existing resources, these opportunities can be maximised. To download the full document please click here
