Travel Industry Calls for New UK Tourism Minister

Tourism industry leaders have called for the appointment of a government ministry with sole responsibility for tourism policy. At present, tourism is part of the functions of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and trade leaders say tourism does not get a high enough priority in government circles.

“We hear reassuring words about the importance of tourism from politicians when they take office but within months we end up far down their list of priorities,” said Angela Shanley, chairman of UK Inbound. “All our recent tourism ministers have had other demanding responsibilities and have been unable or unwilling to devote sufficient time to the issues that affect us,” she said at UK Inbound Annual Convention at Ashford International Hotel in Kent.

Stephen Dowd, chief executive of UK Inbound, said the tourism minister within the Department for Culture Media and Sport had too many responsibilities. “As a trade body we are not political. We invited the government minister but he declined. The government has a minister of tourism with at least six other responsibilities. He says all the right things but has been invisible, occupied recently with the controversial licensing bill and the issues about relaxing opening hours of pubs.”

UK Inbound is the official trade body representing the inbound tourism industry in the United Kingdom. The association has over 290 major companies and organizations as members. UK Inbound Annual Convention has become firmly established in the tourism trade´s calendar of events.