TOURISM ACTION PLAN
CULTURE secretary Chris Smith set out a 15-point action plan to meet future demands on UK tourism.
The plan includes giving an extra £5m a year to the British Tourist Authority to promote the UK overseas to 27 key markets; specifications for the English regional tourist boards to get more autonomy; and providing the London Tourist Board with £4.5m to improve its marketing.
The 15 key strategies are:
- a blueprint for sustainable tourism development.
- initiatives to bring tourism to the 40% of people who do not take long holidays.
- more money for aggressive overseas promotions.
- launch of 36 BTA Internet sites to provide better worldwide information and on-line bookings of attractions and transport.
- the development of an England tourism body to coordinated computerised booking and information systems.
- a major careers festival to promote working in the hospitality industry.
- a hospitality programme to sign up 500 employers to raise training quality.
- the English Tourist Board to be renamed to reflect its new role of developing national tourism strategies.
- a harmonised ETB, AA and RAC grading scheme for hotels and guesthouses to be unveiled in September.
- an annual Government Tourism Summit from next year to gauge progress in the industry.
- improved funding to English regions for marketing, from the revamped ETB’s annual £10m budget.
- regeneration of traditional resorts.
- development of niche tourism markets such as sport, film and arts.
- an integrated promotion of cultural, heritage and countryside attractions.
- an extra 10,000 hotel rooms to be made available in London between 2001 and 2006.