Travelodge’s CEO Grant Hearn has sent an open letter to Vince Cable urging tourism to be put at the heart of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS).
Outlining how tourism can benefit the economy, Hearn describes tourism as a “second class status” to government and outlines 10 points to show how tourism could boost the economy.
These include placing tourism into the DBIS; appointing a minister of tourism again; a regional tourism fund to help promote tourism nationwide and a reduced VAT rate for the hospitality industry to compete better with European competitors.
The letter comes after the hotel chain released a report last week showing a boost in employment and hotel stays in the last year.
“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,” explained Hearn. “We have a real opportunity within our grasp which can play a significant part in helping our economy to recover; our lack of immediate action is costing jobs, growth and investment.”
Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association (BHA) backed the call, saying a “more co-ordinated approach for tourism in government” is “essential”.