Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Conclusion 16
Second Report - Promoting Britain abroad
Published 24 Oct 2022
Paragraph 67
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Promoting Britain abroad All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The fragmented nature of marketing budgets across the UK, with different sectors and different parts of the country supported by different funds, makes it difficult to quantify the exact amount of Government funding for inbound tourism marketing. However, the minister himself acknowledged that it is low by international standards. Whilst we acknowledge the challenge of the current economic climate on public spending, the Government cannot afford to be complacent: tourists need winning back to Britain and we cannot do it on reputation alone. If Britain wants to compete internationally, VisitBritain’s marketing budgets must keep pace with those of our nearest competitors. The cost of this investment will be vastly exceeded by the returns it will generate.
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Second Report - Promoting Britain abroad (HC 156), paragraph 67, 24 October 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 2 February 2023 (deadline 11 January 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government accepts the importance of tourism and the Committee's concerns in places, but does not accept several of the main recommendations, including a creative industries export office, a group ID card for under 18s, a recovery visa and a larger VisitBritain marketing budget.
- On a creative industries export office, the government "does not see a case" for one, citing existing export support. It will set out its ambition for the creative sector to 2030 in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, to be published "in early 2023".
- On VisitBritain's Business Events Growth Programme, the government "does not presently intend to expand" it, but "will continue to evaluate the case for expanding this as part of future DCMS budgetary planning". It does not intend to increase VisitBritain's marketing budget "at present".
- On entry rules, there are "no plans to change" the approach to under 18s in organised groups, though the government "will review mitigations through the Inter-Ministerial Group". It does not intend to publish a visa review outcome within 12 months, and does not intend to introduce a "recovery visa".
- On the de Bois recommendations, a Destination Development Partnership pilot in the North East will receive "£2.25 million across three years". If it is "successful", this will inform future spending review bids, with the "aim" to then roll out the model across England.