British Tourism Authority chairman Steve Ridgway has urged the industry to demonstrate its value to government as Brexit talks begin, saying: “It’s a challenge to get tourism in the minds of ministers, [but] we all have a duty to get this industry higher up the agenda.
“If there are borders, they need to be superslick. We can’t put up barriers.”
Tourism is a measurable £127 billion industry, which represents 10% of GDP and more than three million jobs. Ridgway has met with tourism minister John Glen to stress the case for tourism to be high on the new minister’s agenda.