Prime minister shows up at local tourism seminar
Prime minister David Cameron gave a boost to UK tourism by attending a seminar in Oxfordshire jointly hosted by UKinbound, VisitBritain and Oxfordshire Cotswold Tourism Services.
His presence at the first Senior Executive Seminar of the year was to discuss the value of inbound tourism to the UK and its impact on the national economy.
A number of local businesses and key UKinound members highlighted the importance of regional development in Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds, the PM’s constituency, with the aim of attracting more international visitors.
The discussion also centred on the current challenges faced by the industry, as well as opportunities for growth which draw on local events and world heritage sites.
In a joint statement, VisitBritain and UKinbound said Cameron ‘offered his support to regional tourism and emphasised the overall value of inbound tourism in the UK, confirming the industry’s position as the seventh biggest export earner’.
UKinbound chief executive officer Deirdre Wells said: ‘It has been an honour to welcome the Prime Minister here today and to thank him for the support he has shown to UK inbound tourism and its continued development.
"His presence is testament to the importance of this industry and he has given us the vote of confidence needed to continue our efforts."
VisitBritain chief executive Sally Balcombe added: "The natural beauty of a destination’s landscapes remains one of the most important drivers for international travel. Our recently launched Countryside is GREAT campaign will be our biggest effort yet to distribute these valuable international tourists, not only to the Cotswolds, but across the nations and regions of Britain.
"We will continue to focus on rebalancing this growing industry to benefit the whole country throughout 2015 and beyond.
"Inbound tourism is an export industry at which Britain is demonstrably successful – breaking records for visitors in 2014 with further growth predicted in 2015 and VisitBritain has played a key role in this success."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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