Tourism to grow ‘faster than other sectors’ – report
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Tourism is set to grow at a faster rate than the retail, construction and manufacturing sectors, according to a new Deloitte and VisitBritain study.
The tourism sector is expected to grow 3.8% from now until 2025 and is said to be responsible for one in three new UK jobs from 2010 to 2012.
Tourism is also thought to account for 8.8% of England’s economy.
ABTA’s head of public affairs Stephen D’Alfonso said of the report: “It’s encouraging to see such a positive outlook for tourism. The figures demonstrate what a vital contribution the industry makes to the UK economy and the potential for the industry as a whole to drive growth and create jobs. However, it’s vital that for tourism to fully meet this potential, we need the government to break down barriers to growth, and to support the UK’s vibrant mix of inbound, outbound and domestic tourism sectors. Airport capacity and air passenger duty are two key issues the Government must tackle if this growth potential is to be realised.”
The report found England will be the driving force of future tourism growth in the UK, boosted by not just London but regional areas too.
The new ‘Tourism: jobs and growth’ study found tourism in England is worth GBP106billion and supports 2.6million jobs.
While London is the main draw for international tourists, areas outside the capital are also doing well with tourism worth GBP70billion and providing 1.9million jobs.
“England is the powerhouse behind UK tourism, driving the increase in domestic and international visitors and generating job creation throughout the country. We cannot, however, continue to achieve this momentum without working ever more closely together,” said VisitEngland’s chief executive James Berresford. “Whilst maintaining strong links with our traditional stakeholders, we must continually think outside of the box by forging new partnerships with the private sector, reaching out to organisations which have a shared growth agenda and thinking laterally about new funding streams.”
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