One of my key concerns is Government policy towards the Hospitality and Tourism Industry which with the right policies and government support could, it is estimated, deliver 300,000 jobs in the UK by 2020. I recently took part in a British Hospitality Association Summit Panel when I advocated a much closer relationship between the industry and Government through the setting up of a Hospitality and Tourism Council comprised of BIS and DCMS Ministers, Visit Britain and senior representatives of the private sector so that a national strategy tackling many issues such as visas, APD, VAT, planning etc can be developed.
The BHA say:
“The immediate and direct follow up to the Summit has been very strong. We’ve held meetings with the UK Minister of Immigration and the President of CITS to advance the easing of visas for Chinese visitors. We’ve revitalised the BHA Adopt your MP campaign with even more members signing up to lobby their local MPs to influence change locally as well as in Westminster. We’ve fueled the industry’s Cut Tourism VAT campaign and achieved continued press coverage to amplify our industry’s calls to action. “
