Tories create tourism taskforce
The Conservative Party has established a Tourism Task Force to investigate ways of supporting green tourism, boosting coastal towns and promoting family holidays.
Former British Tourist Authority chairman John Lewis will chair the Task Force to tackle ways of renewing the UK’s sixth biggest industry which the Tories claim has been “largely neglected” by Labour.
The group will focus on five key areas: promoting green tourism, reinvigorating seaside towns, promoting family holidays in the UK and abroad, harnessing the 2012 Olympic Games and reforming the structures and mechanisms involved in marketing Britain.
Shadow culture secretary Hugo Swire, MP for East Devon, said: “This independent Task Force will be undertaking the radical thinking that is needed to come up with new ideas to support the British tourist industry.”
He added: “Promoting great British tourism will not only help our economy but also our environment. We want to ensure that green tourism is brought into the mainstream and promoted as a viable holiday option.
“We have seen the sad demise of too many of our historic seaside towns. We want to explore ways of reinvigorating our coastal towns and breathing fresh life into our seaside resorts.”
Lewis said the British tourism industry had been neglected by the Government as a whole and under valued by the Department for Culture Media and Sport.
“This wide-ranging review will be a chance to put matters right by considering how best to strengthen our tourist industry and ensure its status and profile within Government is raised.”
The announcement from the Tories coincided with the appointment of Christopher Rodrigues as the new chairman of VisitBritain.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Skyscanner reveals major travel trends 2026 at ITB Asia
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements