VISIT BRITAIN AND TOURISM

That this House fully shares the views expressed by Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge, Chairman of Visit Britain, in his letter to the Prime Minister of 1st June 2006, in which he expressed surprise at the omission of any reference to the importance of the visitor economy for the priorities of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in the Prime Minister's Appointment Letter to the Secretary of State; is puzzled that such an oversight comes just six months after the Prime Minister hosted a breakfast for representatives of the tourist sector at which he emphasised his support for their efforts; is concerned at the lack of support and encouragement from Government for significant capital investments in infrastructure needed to continue the recent growth trend in overseas visitors, to help reduce the substantial deficit on the tourism account, and to prepare for a successful Olympic Games in 2012 and the legacy thereafter; deplores the lack of support from central, regional and local Government to bring about a cohesive and more efficient approach to tourism funding; and demands that tourism and the visitor economy be recognised as a real priority on the part of the Government.