Whittingdale hailed the positive impact the sector has on the UK economy, highlighting how it sustains nearly two million jobs and supports hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs).
Whittingdale, who is currently completing his third stint with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is providing maternity cover for tourism minister Julia Lopez.
“One of the challenges for the tourism sector is that it’s quite fragmented – it’s very widely spread,” he said. “[As a result] it is sometimes not given the recognition that it is entitled to.
But he insisted: “The importance of tourism is something that is recognised right across government. We reckon it contributes 1.7 million jobs and 230,000 SMEs. Therefore, it represents a significant chunk of the economy.”
Whittingdale confirmed inbound visitor numbers were up against last year’s total of 32.1 million, but stopped short of revealing the latest annual figures before the end of 2023. However, he noted: “It will be a significant increase this year. Hopefully, we’ll keep on growing.”
An independent review of the British Tourist Authority (BTA) – the operator of VisitEngland and VisitBritain – has been completed, Whittingdale said. The review started in May 2023 and is aimed at trying to see if the BTA is effectively supporting the UK tourism sector.
“I’ve not seen the full set of recommendations,” Whittingdale added. “I expect to see them soon, but I would not like to say when. I know that the report is written and discussions are going on with stakeholders.”
