Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 56
We recommend that the Government should review entry requirements for visitors with a view to...
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government should review entry requirements for visitors with a view to ensuring they match or surpass those of our competitors. It should publish the outcome of its review within 12 months.
Government Response Summary
The Government describes existing structures (IMG and Tourism Industry Council) for discussing and addressing issues related to the visitor economy, but doesn't specifically commit to reviewing entry requirements or publishing the outcome.
Paragraph Reference:
56
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government has a full time Minister responsible for tourism, within a broader portfolio. Tourism is a significant contributor to the UK economy, with inbound travel and tourism being the UK’s third largest services export in 2019. As such, ambitions to promote growth and improve the productivity of the sector are reliant on agreement from a number of Ministers, supported by government officials and representatives from industry. The Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) on the Visitor Economy, chaired and championed by DCMS’s Secretary of State, provides an established governance mechanism across government. Attended by 11 government departments, the IMG facilitates wider discussions to find solutions that help support the Visitor Economy, which in turn can help support the objectives of other departments and convene cross-government interests on foundational matters such as levelling up and growth. Furthermore, the IMG is supported by the joint public/ private sector Tourism Industry Council, which is supporting the Government in delivering the Tourism Recovery Plan. The Council and its four working groups collectively consider the challenges and opportunities presented by the Visitor Economy. Thematically, these groups hold discussions around Accessibility and Inclusion, International Competitiveness and Demand, the Events Industry, and Sustainability, as well as live issues facing the sector. These issues are then taken forward for discussion with Ministers at the IMG. In this way, strategic advice is considered by government officials and used to support decisions made by the Minister.