Tourism 'needs pre-Olympic boost'

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The government must do more to attract visitors to the UK ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, MPs have said.

The culture, media and sport committee called the decision to cut by £9m funding to Visit Britain - the body which promotes tourism - "baffling".

Unless more money was provided, the Olympics could prove a "huge missed opportunity", chairman Conservative MP John Whittingdale said.

The government said it would give "careful consideration" to the report.

'Afterthought'

The committee said the tourism industry had a "lack of confidence" in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Responsibility for the area had transferred so frequently between government departments that it appeared an "afterthought".

The MPs were also critical of the reduction in funding from £49.9m to £40.9m for Visit Britain, announced in last year's pre-Budget report.

it is up to everyone involved in the public and private sectors to make our investment work smarter Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The report said there had actually been a "strong case for increasing resources".

It was found that tourists often received a poor welcome, with "the current reputation and passenger experience of Heathrow [acting] as a significant disincentive to many people considering visiting the UK".

The committee added that the 2012 Games "present a chance to showcase London and the UK on the world stage, and in particular to emerging markets such as China, Russia and India".

It was "not too late to realise fully the tourism benefits of the Games, but a greater investment from the government is necessary", it says.

Mr Whittingdale, MP for Maldon and Chelmsford East, said: "Tourism is one of the UK's most important industries and yet it has been consistently sidelined by the government, if not ignored.

"Its most recent decision to cut the budget of Visit Britain by nearly 20% seems extraordinary.

"To do so in the run-up to the Olympic Games, which represent a huge opportunity for British tourism, is simply inexplicable. This is a huge missed opportunity which the government urgently needs to put right."

'Share falling'

Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Don Foster MP said: "This is a damning indictment of the government's approach to tourism since 1997.

"Lack of investment in the industry has led to Britain's share of the global tourism market falling."

But a DCMS spokesman said: "DCMS will give careful consideration to the committee's detailed report, and will respond fully in due course.

"The government is already delivering for the tourism industry. As well as doubling the dedicated national funding for tourism over the last 10 years, we're putting £500m a year into improving the industry's skills base, and we've just put in place a major regeneration scheme for our seaside towns.

"Public funding for tourism in the UK continues across the board with £350m invested in 2006/07, but it is up to everyone involved in the public and private sectors to make our investment work smarter by working in partnership together."