HC Deb 16 June 1959 vol 607 cc231-2
31. Mr. M. Noble

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to encourage visitors to come to the United Kingdom, particularly from the dollar area.

Mr. J. Rodgers

The Board of Trade has increased the maximum of the annual grant to the British Travel and Holidays Association this year by £250,000. A large part of the additional funds will be devoted to expanding the Association's publicity campaign in North America. There has been a substantial increase in the number of inquiries from potential visitors at the Association's new premises in Fifth Avenue, New York, and the Association is shortly to open an office in Vancouver.

Mr. Noble

While thanking my hon. Friend for that information, which I think is most satisfactory, may I ask whether he studied the article in the Express this morning about visitors from the United States? Does he agree with the estimate given in that article of the increase in the number of United States visitors to this country, and can he help in particular the hotels in the country districts to deal with this great influx of visitors if and when they come?

Mr. Rodgers

I have not seen the article to which my hon. Friend referred, but the number of visitors to these shores has increased already. Up to April there was a 7 per cent. increase compared with the same period last year, and United States visitors during the same period have shown a 15 per cent. increase. This is valuable to Scotland, since it is reckoned that about one-third of the people who come to this country visit Scotland.

Mr. Woodburn

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that in Scotland it is considered that many more visitors could be attracted if some encouragement were given to the use of the work of the Films for Scotland Committee, which is suffering badly from the fact that it must rely on its own commercial sales and receives no financial assistance in producing films for this purpose?

Mr. Rodgers

I will look into the point raised by the right hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Lipton

Is it intended to encourage or discourage visitors from the dollar area, in view of what Dr. Billy Graham claims to have seen in Hyde Park?

Mr. Rodgers

I think the Americans can assess the value of Dr. Billy Graham as well as we can.