Vince Cable urged to take charge of tourism
Travelodge chief Grant Hearn has written to Business Secretary Vince Cable to urge him to bring tourism under his remit.
The letter follows on the back of a report commissioned by Travelodge which found tourism was one of the few industries that continued to grow during the recession from 2007 to 2011.
It claimed tourism revenues grew by 12.6% to more than £40 billion – representing 10% of GDP.
In his letter, Mr Hearn called on the the Government to move tourism higher up its agenda, and for the sector to be moved from the Department of Culture Media & Sports to Vince Cable’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
He also called for a dedicated taskforce to be created, headed up by a tourism minister. This group should be tasked with delivering growth and creating a cross departmental cohesive strategy in cooperation with all tourism partners, said Hearn.
The letter also called for credible tax breaks and steps to reduce the bureaucracy behind the visa application process, which, said Hearn, keeps so many Chinese visitors away.
Travelodge claimed that for every one Chinese tourist who visits Britain, eight go to Paris and 10 visit America. On average the typical Chinese visitor spends £1,600 whilst in the UK.
China has a population of 1.3b but in 2011 just 149,000 citizens visited the UK, spending £240m, it said. In contrast the USA attracted 1.1m Chinese visitors in the same year.
Hearn said: "Our report confirms UK tourism has successfully weathered the recession to date and outperformed other key sectors, which is great news. However as one of Britain’s biggest business sectors it deserves the chance to unlock its true potential."
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
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 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026