Minister of State for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries
(): and I am pleased to
publish today an Update Report on progress made against the
objectives set out in the government’s Tourism Recovery Plan.
Tourism is a significant economic, cultural and social asset to
the UK. The sector is a powerful engine for economic growth and
job creation in every part of the UK. Pre-pandemic it directly
employed 1.7 million people, supported 230,000 SMEs and
contributed £74 billion in Gross Value Added – 4% of the UK’s
total. As an industry with long-term growth prospects (forecast
at 3% a year globally to 2030), international reach, and a
presence in every constituency, tourism has a major role to play
in the Government’s wider Union, levelling up, and Global Britain
agendas.
The Tourism Recovery Plan was published in 2021 in recognition of
the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK’s
visitor economy. The Plan set out a framework for joint
Government and sector development. In the short to medium term,
it set out the ambition to recover pre-pandemic levels of
domestic and international visitor volume and spending. In the
medium to long term, the remaining objectives focused on
supporting the growth of a productive, innovative, resilient,
sustainable, and accessible visitor economy that benefits every
nation and region of the UK.
We are now three years on from the beginning of the COVID-19
pandemic, the first national lockdown and the start of Government
support for businesses affected by closures and social distancing
measures.
This Update Report sets out the progress made against the Plan’s
six objectives, highlights ongoing work, and sets out the future
actions the Government will take to continue supporting the
sector as it not only recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic but
also faces the economic challenges that have arisen since the
publication of the Plan in 2021.
The Report sets out the mixed picture of recovery in the sector.
In total, over £37 billion in support through grants, tax relief
and loans was provided to the hospitality, leisure and tourism
sectors to help them survive through the long periods of
uncertainty and adversity. The sector is, however, still facing
economic challenges. Domestic tourism is recovering well, but
international tourism is lagging behind the targets set in the
Plan. Behind this mixed picture of recovery, there is huge
long-term potential for economic growth, which is why the
Government re-commits in this Report to support the sector
through the framework of the Tourism Recovery Plan – to help it
grow, thrive and, in turn, boost the UK economy. More broadly,
the Prime Minister has promised to halve inflation this year and
grow the economy, both of which will support the sector.
Overall, the Report indicates that good progress has been made
against the objectives of the Tourism Recovery Plan. It
acknowledges that there is further to go to support the full
recovery of the visitor economy in the short term and to work
with industry to deliver on the medium- to long-term ambition to
build a more resilient, innovative, sustainable and inclusive
sector that benefits every corner of the UK.
