As our political leaders search for ideas to find a way out of the current economic impasse, they would so well to reflect on David Cameron's recent speech on the importance of tourism to the UK.
It is interesting to hear him recognise tourism as being fundamental to the rebuilding and rebalancing of the UK ecomomy and as one of the best and fastest ways of generating jobs. The UK, he said, 'is just not doing enough to make the most of its tourism' and he noted that a sucessful tourism policy needed an active and engaged government. As tourism is the third highest export earner in the UK...(behind chemicals and financial services but ahead of manufacturing, IT and education), he committed to giving the sector the backing it needs.
Accordingly, his governement will devise a new tourism strategy to include four elements as follows:
- What government does nationally (bringing a whole new approach and a new attitide to the sector)
- The role of local government and support (rewarding local authorities which seize the chance to support the expanision of the local economy)
- Stimulating the private sector (creating the right conditions for entrepreneurship, reducing red tape and reducing excessive business taxes)
- Other key policy areas that affect tourism (looking across government at all those policies which impact on tourism in a big way - 100% visa applications online by 2014, faster broadband, a new network of high speed rail and increasing domestic tourism from 36% to 50%)
While David Cameron hasn't gone quite as far as his New Zealand counterpart in becoming the Tourism Minister himself, his speech heralds a new and innovative policy platform. I think we ought to replicate it here!
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