• In a major speech, the Tourism Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, commits to increasing visitor numbers and improving overall visitor experience
• A new Visitor Economy Advisory Council to boost collaboration between government and industry
• Tourism industry worth £74 billion to the economy and 4% of GVA with a huge potential for further growth to support government’s central mission

A new ambition for the United Kingdom to welcome 50 million international visitors per year by 2030 has been announced by the government, as part of its plans for the country to remain one of the most visited worldwide, driving economic growth.

In a keynote speech at the Tourism Alliance conference in London today (26 November), Tourism Minister Sir Chris Bryant set out the government’s plans for the tourism sector to be an integral part of its growth mission.

A new Visitor Economy Advisory Council, co-chaired by the Minister, will be established that will see industry and government work together to kickstart this next stage of growth for the sector. The council will work towards the creation of a National Visitor Economy Strategy, which will be launched next autumn and map out plans to support the growth of the tourism industry. 

Growth in the tourism industry beyond London will be at the heart of this strategy. While the capital is a huge draw that brings in tens of millions of visitors each year, there is vast potential for increasing visits to other cities and regions, which can be achieved through improved marketing, reforming tourist boards, filling skills gaps in the visitor economy and better celebrating our culture.

The UK attracted 38 million visitors last year. Before the pandemic in 2019 that figure was 41 million.

Speaking at the Tourism Alliance Conference, Tourism Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:

I am passionate about making the UK a top visitor destination that truly rivals our European counterparts. 

But we can only do that if we work together. We need a true partnership between the government and the sector to deliver such growth. 

We all know that London is great – one of the best cities in the world. But too many visitors only go to London – in fact when asked by VisitBritain, 57 per cent of visitors could not imagine what there was in the UK outside of London. 

We need to complement London and Edinburgh with stronger regional destinations – where people visit in their own right and stay and spend money because they know about the full range of attractions at those destinations – the heritage, the arts, the music, the pubs and restaurants. 

Too many of my predecessors have seen tourism as a nice thing to have and not a priority. I don’t. I see it as an essential part of our economy, worth £74 billion and 4 per cent of GVA with a huge potential for growth. 

We are good at this and can be even better if we work together. I want us to have a ‘holistic’ approach to tourism where we will be looking at every element from a visitor’s arrival at the airport to buying a ticket for a music gig or finding a restaurant or catching a train.

In addition to focusing on inbound and domestic tourism, the Visitor Economy Advisory Council will also look at outbound travel, including the rollout of the EU Entry Exit scheme and eGate access for Brits at European airports, to ensure all visitors have the best possible experience when travelling.

Improving the overall visitor experience will be central to the government’s plans for the tourism industry. Every element of someone’s visit – from their arrival at the airport, to buying a ticket for a gig and booking a hotel – will be considered. Making each individual element of the visitor experience as accessible and enjoyable as possible will encourage more tourists to visit the UK, foster national pride and provide long-term economic benefits for communities across the whole country.

Minister Bryant also updated on ongoing tourism programmes, including the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) programme, which is transforming tourist boards across the country so they can work better together to market their areas to tourists, and attract more investment and major events to the UK. Thirty five LVEPs have been accredited so far.

The Minister also confirmed that the government will introduce a short-term lets registration scheme as soon as possible, to help provide the best tourist accommodation possible while protecting people’s right to affordable housing, with initial phases of testing already underway.

This follows the government securing a permanent business rates relief at 40% for many companies in the tourism sector.

ENDS