New tourism body set up to unify trade
A national tourism body has been set up in response to calls from Government officials for a more united front.
The news came after an emergency summit meeting with tourism chiefs and Government ministers on how to cope with the current crisis in the sector in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on America.
Called the Tourism Alliance, the new body will be chaired by Digby Jones, director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The pub trade will be represented by the British Pub & Beer Association (BPBA) and the British Hospitality Association (BHA).
But the Government is being cagey over whether it will inject more money to help the industry after a poor summer, foot-and-mouth and terrorism have taken their toll.
A spokeswoman for the department told thePublican.com: "The industry will have to put a very strong case forward before we decide whether to inject more money into the sector. The Tourism Alliance will give the trade a unified voice and should help the industry with this."
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and tourism minister Kim Howells attended the two-day conference to discuss the issues facing the long-term development of the industry such as quality assurance, training and skills development, information collation and marketing co-ordination. They also looked at short-term concerns following the events of 11 September.
Tessa Jowell said:"We have had a very constructive, tough-talking couple of days. We needed this occasion to talk and I am very pleased with the positive attitude that the industry has shown to sort out the problems it faces.
"The tourism industry knows it has to take a quantum leap in the way it organises itself and collaborates across the many varied sectors that make up tourism. I am delighted that the industry has seized the initiative and created the Tourism Alliance. It will enable tourism to speak with a united, cohesive voice that was proved lacking during the recent crisis impacting on the industry."
The BBPA's Mark Hastings said: "We will be playing an instrumental part in ensuring that the group reflects the interests of the many thousands of pubs that contribute to the tourism industry.
"The Government needs to provide the ways to recovery, while the companies can provide the means. It's not about asking the Government for money but asking ministers to improve the industry's environment by laying off over-regulation and not imposing a greater tax burden on some parts of the industry. We need to make sure the Government has a policy that reflects the needs of the tourism sector."
