An urgent call is being made on the new government to ‘Acknowledge, Build and Commit’ to tourism.
The ‘Tourism ABC’ demand comes from UKinbound ahead of the May 7 general election.
The inbound tourism body wants whichever party that comes to power to acknowledge that the travel trade is at the foundation for tourism success, ensuring the UK is export ready and offers routes to market across the globe.
The new government should build a strong infrastructure, enhancing wider UK experiences for international visitors and making them more accessible.
Building a transport network, a strong national and local tourism structure and a world-class airport infrastructure would allow the industry to deliver to its full and growing potential, increasing visitor capacity and tourism’s GDP contribution, as well as, generating more jobs, according to UKinbound
It wants to see a commitment to increasing sustained funding for international destination marketing including the GREAT campaign; reviewing tourism taxation, and improving the competitiveness of the UK’s visa system to make the country more accessible.
UKinbound chief executive Deirdre Wells said: “With the incoming new government soon upon us, it is crucial that we raise awareness and highlight the vital role UK inbound tourism plays within the economy so that the right direction is taken for this sector across the next five years.
“Concrete evidence highlights the UK’s tourism industry as one of the country’s most successful sectors and it is capable of growing even further, driving employment and export income, but only with the necessary government support.
“Our ‘Tourism ABC’ has identified key contributors to continuous success and we are asking the government to simply Acknowledge, Commit and Build them.”