A group of UK tourism organisations has slammed the government for ignoring pleas for financial aid while other sectors have won support.
They say the latest business support package for January lockdown, which includes a closed businesses lockdown payment, “adds insult to injury” by providing further support of up to £13,500 for sexual entertainment venues, while again excluding tourism businesses from applying.
Four valuable export-earning tourism and transport sectors, which have been effectively closed for almost a year, continue to be excluded.
They generate £17.5 billion and 275,000 jobs for the UK economy, but are not listed as businesses that should be eligible for support, even though inbound tourism figures are down 95% due to Covid-19.
The associations, including UKinbound, Tourism Alliance, the Confederation of Passenger Transport and Coach Tourism Association, have contacted ministers, MPs and government officials more than 100 times to outline why they should be supported.
But these requests continue to be ignored.
UKinbound chief executive Joss Croft said: “By refusing to support these businesses the government is undermining an integral economic recovery channel.
“International inbound tourism is the UK’s third largest service export, earning the UK economy £28 billion in 2019, and tour operator/DMCs alone bring in over half of all international visitors.
“With our travel corridors closed these businesses are now on the brink of survival after being left in the cold by existing government support schemes.
“Without support and a clear government roadmap for reopening we risk the near total collapse of the UK’s inbound tourism industry.
“When we can travel again international visitors will choose to visit other European destinations rather than the UK, causing irrevocable damage to the communities and regions who rely on tourism, leaving the government’s Global Britain and levelling up ambitions in tatters.”
Tourism Alliance director Kurt Janson added: “Supporting these businesses is key to the success of the government’s aviation and tourism recovery plans.
“Ramping up marketing activity in overseas source markets through VisitBritain and the GREAT campaign later this year will be of limited success if there are no events for people to come to, no tour operators to convert the interest and sell the product, if the language schools have closed, and if there are no coach companies to transport tour groups around the UK.”