Highlights from the recent Tourism Sector Deal Conference
19th September 2019
In June 2019, the Tourism Sector Deal was announced by then Prime Minister, Theresa May, which promised a ground breaking look at the UK’s tourism and how it can be a leading industry for the future.
The deal is a testament to what can be achieved by working in partnership and it is thanks to a huge number of people who worked with central Government to get the deal off the ground.
A conference regarding the new Tourism Sector Deal was held recently to allow people to get together to discuss the main steps of the deal and next steps. BTA has agreed to continue to project manage the deal and will be hosting a conference to kick off an industry engagement programme some time in September this year.
The deal has a number of different steps to help raise the profile of UK-based tourism. These include:
Ideas; those working in the tourism industry will liaise with BTA to create a new independent Tourism Data Hub which will help the sector better understand visitor preferences in real time.
People; Industry will create an additional 10,000 apprenticeship starts a year by 2025, with a £1 million recruitment and retention programme and increasing in work training and mentorships.
Infrastructure; investment will be made in accommodation across the UK to develop an additional 130, 000 bedrooms by 2025 and as well as investment in attractions and innovative products. Government will also work to make travel around the UK easier for tourists with the development of its Maritime and Aviation strategies as well as a number of policy developments. There will be a joint strategy to ensure support for the Government’s ambition to make the UK the most accessible tourism destination in Europe by 2025 and increase the number of international disabled visitors by a third.
Places; piloting up to five new Tourism Zones supported by central government and funding processes will be in place to drive visitor numbers across the country and tackle other barriers to tourism growth.
Business environments; a Business Events Action Plan will be launched to make the UK the leading destination for business events in Europe.