Interview: Liberal Democrat MP, Lord Thurso
Liberal democrat MP Lord Thurso (left) has urged the government to offer leadership to the tourism industry.
“The role for government is critical,” said Thurso, speaking at the British Incoming Tour Operators’ Association conference in Edinburgh.
“We are a very fragmented business and 80 to 90 percent of tourism businesses are very small.
“We are not united because if you talk to other industries you talk to just one body. But I flip that around and tell the government that we need leadership from them.”
Thurso was Liberal Democrat Front Bench spokesman for tourism in the House of Lords from 1997 to 1999, but chose not to stand for a hereditary place following the passage of the House of Lords Bill. In June 2001 he became MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
Thurso said a first step would be for the government to appoint a minister who had sole responsibility for tourism, rather than other areas in his portfolio.
He added that the British Tourist Authority needed proper funding and should not have to rely on public-private partnerships.
“The BTA in total has around 30 percent less than the £100 million funding which was recommended several years ago. We need proper funding to go forward.”
Referring to the recent initiative, when 31 companies joined forces with the BTA to promote Britain overseas following the events of September 11, Thurso said: “I have a problem with the public-private partnership. Many big companies will go for a one-off campaign. But will they come back year after year? My worry is that the big boys won’t want to and the others won’t be able to.”
Thurso told the government to give leadership on environmental factors and predicted the low-cost airline revolution would be over in 10 years because of the pressure on the environment.
“The EU is now considering levels of compensation for delays which would break the low-cost model,” he said.
Thurso said Britain faced an uncertain few months because of troubles in the Middle East but urged businesses to offer a sustainable and good quality product.
“Quality is not about the number of stars you have. You can have quality in a one-star property and rubbish in a five-star property and vice versa.”
Read our previous interviews:
20-Feb-2003 Interview: David Soskin and Hugo Burge, shareholders in cheapflights .com
11-Feb-2003 <A
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