Howells: ETC is best for UK marketing role

Howells: ETC is best for UK marketing role

TOURISM minister Kim Howells has admitted it was a mistake for the Government to take away the English Tourism Council’s marketing role.

Speaking at a House of Commons debate last week, Howells said:”I will shock my colleagues by saying I agree with much of the criticism. It was a mistake to take the marketing role away from the ETC, and we must put that right, although it will take some doing.”

The English Tourist Board became the ETC in 1999 following a Government restructure, which meant it lost its marketing remit and was forced to delegate the responsibility to the regions.

“The picture across England is haphazard and when it comes to Government funding for tourism, England is the poor relation,” Howells said.

An ETC spokesman said the tourism forum, held on November 7, illustrated a feeling that there is a need for a national marketing role for England. “There is widespread support and it has been discussed quite a lot,” he said.

He added:”This is a step forward because it means the Government is focusing more on the marketing of English tourism as an issue.”

Howells went on to criticise the Government over the way the foot and mouth crisis was handled. He said it presented “an extraordinarily steep learning curve, and great mistakes were made. This had a serious effect on the industry”.