Tourism Action Plan to ‘cut red tape’ and boost visitor numbers

Visit England and Visit Great Britain have welcomed the Government’s Tourism Action Plan, which was published last week.

The plan, they said, outlines “the government’s commitment to improving our competitive tourism offer which includes making it easier for visitors to explore the UK using our extensive transport network”.

Other initiatives and measures outlined in the plan include:

• Addressing the industry’s seasonal nature through a flexible apprenticeship scheme that allows training to be completed over 16-18 months rather than 12, with breaks included.
• Cutting red tape with sensible regulation by changing licensing to allow B&Bs to offer a welcome drink, and modifying vehicle licensing will allow B&B owners to pick up visitors from train stations.

A spokesman for Visit Britain said they “welcome the Government’s plans to ensure the continued success of the tourism industry which last year generated £22.1 billion in spending from inbound tourism to the UK and £19.6 billion from domestic tourism spend in England, both record results.”

They added: “We continue to position the UK as a must-go now holiday destination through our domestic and global #OMGB ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ campaigns to promote the amazing experiences that can only be had here, converting aspirations to visit into bookings and ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism are spread across all our nations and regions.”