The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has reiterated its call for a reduction in VAT, a continued focus on employment in the hospitality sector and a new look at visa regulations in 2015.
In a statement for the New Year chief executive Ufi Ibrahim said with an election approaching tourism must be high on the agenda and has outlined a number of areas it wants to see changes in to boost UK tourism.
“The tourism and hospitality industry has huge amounts of potential, already employing 1 in 10 of the UK workforce and it has been predicted that the sector will grow at an annual rate of almost 4% over the next 10 years, significantly faster than forecasts for the UK economy as a whole and much faster than sectors such as manufacturing, construction and retail,” Ibrahim said. ”The British Hospitality Association is very proud to be the voice of the hospitality & tourism industry in the UK.”
Ibrahim said the BHA wants to see the development of “a robust skills agenda” within the industry to attract the right employees to enable growth within the sector.
Furthermore, it calls for “enlightened employment legislation that does not jeopardise industry growth/ jobs”.
As part of the BHA’s continuing call for a VAT reduction in the hospitality sector to bring the UK in line with other countries it wants to see price competitiveness realised in 2015.
The BHA recommends the UK is missing out on revenue from visitors from countries such as Russia and China where visa policies are hampering the UK being a destination for business and holiday visitors from these new markets.
It emphasises the need for a more efficient planning process, which encourages rather than restricts further tourism and hospitality development at a local level;
The BHA calls for investment in the strategies and structures to promote cultural and heritage assets, particularly in rural and coastal regions in the UK;
Finally it wants to challenge the sharing economy to uphold the safety, quality and reputation standards of the existing tourism industry.
