“Travel is a great British success story,” tourism minister Helen Grant told the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT) conference in Malta on Tuesday.
Appearing at an outbound industry event for the first time since her appointment last October, Grant insisted: “Outbound travel makes a considerable contribution to the UK economy and has a big contribution to make to a long-term recovery.”
She told the ITT: “I spend an awful lot of time as tourism minister getting people to visit Britain and to holiday at home. But I want you to know we put huge value on the whole of the tourism sector, not just domestic and inbound.”
Grant said: “Travel represents a great British success story. Your industry is driven by pioneers [and] even when you build a successful firm you are at the mercy of events beyond your control.”
However Grant, who is also minister for equalities, noted: “Business remains dominated by men. Tourism is a big employer of women and young people – 57% of the travel workforce is female. Yet there is still a shortage of women at the top.”
She said: “If you are a woman wanting to climb the corporate or political ladder there are many additional hurdles. Ensuring women are able to reach the top is essential.”
The minister cited easyJet and the Advantage Travel Partnership as examples of travel firms taking women more seriously and said: “I believe your sector is a model for other businesses. Everyone in Britain can be proud of the travel and tourism industry.”
Leaders in the sector would prefer to see a dedicated tourism minister. Grant’s responsibilities include sport, the Olympic legacy, gambling and licensing, the National Lottery, same sex marriage, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, equality legislation and violence against women as well as tourism.