Nick Varney, Chairman of The British Hospitality Association and CEO Merlin Entertainments went straight to the point in his address to the conference when he said:
“The general election campaign trail photos taken with the construction, high tech and manufacturing sectors gave us a clear picture of what the Prime Minster and Chancellor consider to be proper jobs in the UK. A view reinforced at the Conservative budget briefing in March where a junior minister commented that we ‘don’t want more Costa Coffee jobs.’
Proper jobs and job creation
“Jobs in the hospitality and tourism sector are proper jobs and represent one third of the two million jobs created by the last Government. Without them youth unemployment would be catastrophic and the welfare bill even higher. Without them there would be no entry level to fulfilling careers for skilled and unskilled, qualified and unqualified workers alike. Now more than ever we must make the case to Government on the value and importance of our industry to the UK economy.”
Stepping stones in the hospitality capital of the world
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London followed up on this theme when he said:
“We should be proud of the jobs that the hospitality and tourism sector is creating. These are not dead jobs but stepping stones and rungs on the ladder for thousands of people. The culture of hospitality is changing the atmosphere and the culture of work here in London. We are the hospitality capital of the world. London is the most visited city in the world second year running and we expect 18.8 million visitors this year.”
34 million visits with almost £22 billion spent
Whilst Tourism Minister Tracey Crouch was also clear on the value of tourism and hospitality in saying:
“Thanks to the hard work of the hospitality and tourism industry, 2014 was a record-breaking year for inbound visitors and spend. There were over 34 million visits with almost £22 billion spent in local economies across the country. Tourism is a vital growth industry, directly contributing nearly £60 billion to the UK economy last year, up by £10.5 billion since 2010.
“But we aren’t complacent. More needs to be done to ensure it grows from strength to strength, which is why we are investing in tourism and continuing to work in partnership with the industry.”