Member Article

Park group's plea for government tourism champion

One of Britain’s largest holiday park groups, Park Holidays UK, is urging David Cameron to create a new full-time post of tourism minister in his coming cabinet reshuffle.

Tony Clish, company director, says that Britain’s tourism providers have played a major role in the country’s economic recovery, and the industry deserves a champion in government.

His or role, he declared, should be to ensure that UK tourism is properly promoted overseas, and to create the conditions in Britain which would ensure the sector continues to grow.

Britain’s tourism industry, said Tony, is the UK’s third largest employer, providing jobs for over three million people – and contributes over £127bn annually to our economy.

Holiday parks such as the 24 operated by Park Holidays UK, he added, are among the major players in the sector and provide almost a third of all holiday bednights annually:

“For the past few years, the role of tourism minister has been a part-time post in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and was a role which included other duties,” said Tony.

“I believe the time has now come for change, and that a ministerial post should be created in government for someone whose portfolio is focussed exclusively on tourism.

“Such a move would demonstrate the government’s wholehearted support of this industry’s successful efforts to help revitalise Britain’s rural economies.

“Visitors to Park Holidays UK alone spend millions of pounds each year in country and coastal regions, supporting many small businesses and the people they employ.

“A tourism minister could help ensure that Britain is properly publicised overseas as a holiday destination with a view to increasing our volume of foreign visitors.

“There are also a host of other issues which the minister could address, including the state of our road infrastructure upon which many people rely when they go on holiday.

“A minister might also wish to examine whether Britain’s tourism industry is competing on a level playing field with other countries in mainland Europe.

“In many EU states, a more favourable VAT arrangement exists for tourism providers which helps to keep their prices down,” said Tony.

Park Holidays UK, he said, was looking forward to another record year of holiday bookings and sales of caravan holiday homes.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jon Boston .