Philip Green, the Chairman of UKinbound, questioned Government support for tourism, referred to by the Prime Minister at the recent Tourism Summit in Liverpool, and called for a delay in the new system for Air Passenger Duty coming into force later this year. Speaking this morning at the annual UKinbound Convention in Manchester, and referring to the pledge for support from Gordon Brown, Philip Green said: “They are “supporting” us by complicating & increasing APD and by extending the reach of VISA costs requirements. Is that the kind of support we need?”

Green blamed Government for hindering tourism and cancelling the effect of the weak pound by charging high taxes for overseas visitors. Green said: “Air Passenger Duty adds so much to the cost of a long haul arrival that any reduction in the currency value will be wiped out.” Mr Green added “And when the currency is not in our favour the APD is a huge hindrance. It’s some £560.00 in economy class for a family of 4 coming from a long haul destination.”

Mr Green also talked about a lack of joined-up thinking in Government, with many policies which affect tourism, being controlled, not by the sponsoring Government department, DCMS, but elsewhere in Whitehall such as immigration and transport. Green gave the example of a recent decision to introduce compulsory visas for visitors to the UK from South Africa, Bolivia and Venezuela. Philip Green said: “So now we have more requirement and barriers to entry for genuine tourists at a time when we have been asking Government to support the industry with proportionate measures.”

Mr Green did however praise the Government in its acknowledgment of the importance of tourism, by referring to it as “a huge step forward” and one that UKinbound wants to see “extended in terms of true partnership working”.

In order to achieve this partnership and real joined-up thinking in Government, Philip Green added that UKinbound was pleased that the Minister for Tourism Barbara Follett will chair a committee of relevant Whitehall Ministers being set up to “create a unified and considered approach to help grow the tourism industry in this country and to reduce the obstacles to our international competitiveness.”