Government unveils Tourism Action Plan
UKinbound has welcomed moves by the government to boost tourism in the wake of Brexit.
Under its Tourism Action Plan, the government has agreed to invest £40 million and cut red tape to boost tourism across the UK.
Among the initiatives are changes to regulations which will allow B&Bs to serve some alcohol and allow owners to give guests lifts from train station.
It also gives hospitality business a more flexible apprentice scheme for seasonal workers, allowing businesses to train staff over 18 months rather than 12.
It has also unveiled new single-booking rail itineraries to encourage visitors to travel further than just the capital.
UKinbound chief executive officer, Deirdre Wells OBE, said: “We are delighted that the Prime Minister has recognised the importance of our industry and the role it can play in bringing valuable economic growth to the UK. The funding will be vitally important to enhancing our tourism offer in a post-Brexit environment.
"A key concern for our sector has been to ensure that our visitors not only enjoy our world class capital city, but also the wealth of the countryside and heritage across the UK. We look forward to working with the Government and our rail partners on the new GREAT tourism rail offer to make it as easy as possible for our inbound visitors to explore more of the UK.”
In light of Brexit, UKinbound is calling on the government to ensure a strong narrative promoting the UK as a welcoming destination, continued access to the Single Market and the Open Skies Agreement, and assurances regarding residency for its members’ staff.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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