Incumbent tourism minister Margaret Hodge insists she is perfectly placed to represent the industry, although she accepts her main job is to boost UK domestic tourism.
Rejecting Abta and Travel Weekly’s call for a more senior tourism ministerial post representing both inbound, domestic and outbound tourism, she argued her role – minister for culture and tourism – has the clout to represent the tourism industry at the highest levels in government.
However, she admitted she “had not spent much time on outbound tourism”, adding: “My prime interest is to get more people spending time in Britain – that’s what benefits the UK economy.
“About 80% of the UK tourism industry is Brits, so the most important component of the industry is homegrown. If we can just get that 80% up a little bit that would have a fantastic impact, much more than we could do growing inbound.”
Asked if this meant she would therefore like to see less outbound tourism, Hodge said: “I take my holidays all over the place. I would be the last person to say thou shalt not do this or that.”
‘I lost APD fight’
Hodge repeated similar claims made by her counterparts in the other main parties that when it came to some of the big issues she had rarely heard from the outbound industry despite her door “always being open”.
Citing APD as an example, Hodge said that despite widespread industry anger at recent changes to the tax, she had been lobbied by the World Travel & Tourism Council and inbound sector but had had no contact whatsoever from the outbound industry.
APD is due to rise again in November and has been criticised for being based on unfair geographical bands.
Hodge said she had raised concerns about APD, particularly that its banding system is ‘unfair’, with the government, but it refused to review this and she admitted it was an issue she “had not been able to deliver on”.
“This is one of those great dilemma issues,” she added.
“I talk to colleagues in international development because a lot of emerging economies depend on tourism. But given the state of Britain’s public finances we have to raise taxation and it’s better to raise it in a way that promotes a reduction in CO2 emissions.
“Banding is the issue I have put most pressure on with colleagues in the Treasury but at the end of the day I just did not win that argument.”
Olympic progress
More positively for travel agents, Hodge said she had succeeded in loosening the restrictions they face when trying to promote trips linked to the London 2012 Olympics.
Agents had been warned advertising trips using key words associated with the games could see them prosecuted and facing fines of up to £20,000.
But Hodge claimed she has, along with VisitBritain, made it easier for the UK tourism industry to profit from the games. “We have made fantastic progress in what you are allowed to say. If you are really careful you can say almost anything,” she said.
Just like the spokespeople from the two other main political parties, Hodge regards the Olympics as a huge opportunity and cites it as one of her successes along with her work to enhance the visitor experience at Stonehenge by 2012.
Cross-government
One hugely contentious issue Hodge believes the travel and tourism industry won was the argument about Heathrow, with Labour backing the expansion of the airport with approval for a third runway. (The decision has since been overturned by the High Court – Ed.)
“We stuck our necks out and supported a new runway at Heathrow, and I think we were right to do so,” she said.
“Britain is a hub for international air travel and we are in danger of losing that. I think we have to make every effort to retain our status as a hub for global travel.”
Airport expansion, like visas and training, is one of many tourism-related issues that Hodge said cut across government departments.
She said it was for this reason that having a tourism minister consulting across departments was a better structure than creating a cabinet or more senior ministerial post for the sector.
“I have got clout across government,” she added.
“I have regular meetings with ministers whose policies and work impact on tourism. I champion tourism across government.”