The Coalition Government has today published a Tourism Strategy that will cut red tape, free up local businesses, and re-establish the tourism industry as a key priority for restoring the UK economy.
The strategy aims to exploit the opportunities of next year’s Olympics and Diamond Jubilee to help attract an extra four million overseas visitors over the next four years, bringing in an extra £2 billion of spending and creating thousands of jobs.
Proposals include simplifying the process of getting tourist visas, helping to improve staff skills in the tourism sector and consulting on whether to lengthen the tourism season by moving the May Day bank holiday.
The news will provide a welcome boost to tourist destinations across Britain. The latest available figures show that between 2008 and 2009 visitor numbers fell in 14 of the nation’s 20 most popular tourist hotspots.
Commenting on the publication of the strategy, Minister for Tourism John Penrose said:
"The Coalition’s Tourism Strategy will make a huge difference to the economy.
“After Labour neglected tourism and suffocated the industry with red-tape, this government is committed to getting it back on track.”