UKnbound Urges Government To Join The Dots On Tourism

UKinbound has written to the new Prime Minister calling for a strategic reset in how Government approaches the visitor economy.

At a time when destinations around the world are competing aggressively for visitors, investment and market share, the letter urges Government to ensure policies across Whitehall support a shared ambition for growth rather than inadvertently working against it.

At the heart of the letter was a simple but often overlooked fact: every pound spent in the UK by an international visitor counts as an export.

The inbound visitor economy is the UK’s fifth-largest export industry, yet 18 months after committing to a Visitor Economy Strategy, Government has yet to set out how it intends to maximise the contribution of one of the country’s most valuable export sectors.

The letter calls for a more joined-up approach across Whitehall, recognising that policy decisions taken in isolation can collectively undermine Britain’s appeal as an international destination.

While decisions on visas and Electronic Travel Authorisation charges, connectivity, destination promotion, skills, taxation and proposed visitor levies sit across different departments, together they shape the cost, ease and attractiveness of visiting Britain.

As ministerial appointments are confirmed, UKinbound will engage with departments across Whitehall to ensure policies work together to support growth, strengthen the UK’s international competitiveness and maximise visitor spending, investment and export earnings.

Joss Croft OBE, CEO of UKinbound, said: “We congratulate the Prime Minister on his appointment and look forward to working with the new Government.

“International tourism is fiercely competitive, with destinations around the world competing for visitors, investment and market share.

“You can’t grow an export industry by making it harder and more expensive for customers to buy your product, so we urge the Government to take a more joined-up approach across Whitehall to ensure policies support, rather than undermine, Britain’s competitiveness.”