Celebrating tourism as a major driver of jobs from the top of The Trafalgar hotel with Hilton Worldwide apprentices at the start of English Tourism Week 2014.
New employment analysis released this week shows tourism to be the major driver of jobs in this country since the recession. The work, commissioned by VisitEngland the national tourist board and carried out by the Office for National Statistics shows that between September 2009 and September 2013 the number of people working in tourism industries in England rose by 6% equating to 153,000 jobs. Over the same period, the number of people working in other industries grew by just 3%.
Tourism in England is worth £106billion and employs 2.6million people – it is a key employer in this country and an engine for growth. According to People 1st, which promotes and supports skills and workforce development, tourism and the visitor economy is one of the largest employers of apprentices. Figures from 2012-13 show approximately 65,000 apprenticeships in this important employment sector.
Earlier on this month London Mayor, Boris Johnson, teamed up with the British Hospitality Association to announce 7,000 new apprenticeship positions in the catering industry for the city.
VisitEngland’s Chairman Lady Cobham said: “English Tourism Week is the ideal time to raise the profile of how important tourism is in stimulating new jobs in this country and providing exciting and challenging career opportunities for people of all ages. I’m delighted that VisitEngland has teamed up with a number of apprentices from Hilton Worldwide to celebrate English Tourism Week in central London, to help raise the profile of the breadth of opportunities available in the industry.”
Global hospitality company Hilton Worldwide’s National Apprenticeship Academy has already seen more than 200 participants to date train with the company through one of seven 12-month apprenticeships since 2012, including food & beverage, professional cookery, front desk and health & fitness. The Academy’s entry-level education to the exciting world of hospitality includes on-the-job training from professionally qualified experts, development workshops and master classes.
Ben Bengougam, VP, HR, EMEA at Hilton Worldwide said: “At Hilton Worldwide we are passionate about offering individuals career choices with different entry routes that both fit their own preferences and meet the needs of our business. We have a tremendous opportunity to prevent a lost generation of young people by helping them acquire the life-skills and job training they need to be successful in the workplace and beyond. In the process, we will address critical staffing needs in our industry. It’s really a win-win situation.”
Minister for Tourism Helen Grant said: “Working in the tourism sector can offer a rewarding, challenging and fulfilling career. The industry is playing a key part in the Government’s economic growth strategy and English Tourism Week is the perfect time to highlight the career paths available and what companies like Hilton Worldwide are doing to help the sector go from strength to strength.”
English Tourism Week runs from 29 March-6 April to celebrate tourism in England. The industry-wide initiative run by the national tourist board, VisitEngland, is designed to shine a light on the importance of tourism in England – an industry worth £106bn a year to England, supporting 2.6million jobs. The week will feature a combination of business and consumer focused events across the country with the aim of raising the profile of tourism, highlighting the important contribution it makes to England’s economy and its potential for future growth.
Photo caption (Centre from left to right): Chairman of English Tourism Week, David Curtis-Brignell; VisitEngland Chairman, Lady Cobham; Peter Beckwith, Area General Manager – London Central, Hilton Worldwide.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
