Tourism minister Sir Chris Bryant met industry leaders last week including representatives of the outbound sector and in an interview with Travel Weekly confirmed he sees his role as extending to outbound tourism.
Bryant, appointed in late July, downplayed concerns about the level of attention he can give to travel given his multiple responsibilities, insisting he would “of course” be a voice for the industry across government departments.
However, he has no plans to resurrect the cross-departmental meetings of ministers set up during the Covid pandemic when Nigel Huddleston was tourism minister.
More: Interview: ‘A whole set of issues have a clear effect on tourism’
Bryant has more responsibilities than his predecessors. As well as being minister for creative industries, arts and tourism at the Department for Culture (DCMS) he is also minister of state for data protection and telecoms at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
He said: “I’ve replaced two-and-a-half ministers, but I’m up for the challenge. I’m the government’s answer to the productivity problem.”
Asked how much time he can devote to travel and tourism, he said: “It’s not so much a question of time as energy. I’ve got a lot of energy. I’m determined. I have the best job in government. I know it’s very broad, because I’ve got telecoms as well as arts and tourism, but that is a creative mix.”
Bryant confirmed he held a meeting last week with leaders of the inbound, domestic and outbound sectors and said: “Tourism is the fourth-biggest industry in the world. I’m conscious my role is not just about inbound tourism. I’m also concerned about outbound. It’s a significant part of the industry.
“I want to make sure British holidaymakers have a good experience when they go overseas and get back safely. I wouldn’t mind having a conversation with Spain about queues at its passport control.”
He acknowledged many of the industry’s policy demands concern the Treasury or Home Office but insisted: “We’re one government.
“Our number-one mission is economic growth. So, I can go to all the other departments and say, ‘Listen, tourism is a potential area of growth’. You could argue it’s one of our biggest earners of international cash. So, what are we going to do to increase that, rather than limit it?
“When we have the growth mission board [meeting], we can have a tourism discussion with everybody around the table, or in the opportunity mission [meeting] we can talk about careers in tourism.”
A revised Tourism Industry Council regularly bringing industry leaders together with ministers and officials is planned. Bryant said: “We’re just working that out. I don’t need any more talking shops. I want it to be task-focused. I want things that drive change and enable growth.”
He insisted: “There is quite a lot we’re on the verge of doing. There are lots of things we would like to do. But a lot is waiting on the Budget and the [government] spending review.”
He added: “Where we can help – for example, we need to reform the apprenticeship levy – we’re going to work on that.”
More: Interview: ‘A whole set of issues have a clear effect on tourism’
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