§ 11.17 a.m.
Lord Campbell of CroyMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many foreign visitors they estimate came to the United Kingdom during 1987; and how this figure compares with the immediately preceding years.
§ Lord Young of GraffhamMy Lords, the Department of Employment estimates that 14.9 million foreign visitors came to the United Kingdom in the first 11 months of 1987 compared with 13.02 million and 13.64 million in the same periods in 1986 and 1985 respectively. Figures covering the whole of 1987 will be published on 2nd March.
Lord Campbell of CroyMy Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that reply, which is very satisfactory and encouraging. As the tourist industry can make a substantial contribution to the economy, will the Government encourage in particular international conferences and exhibitions, self-catering arrangements and recreation facilities both on land and on water, since all these attract foreigners?
§ Lord Young of GraffhamMy Lords, the Government will do all in their power to encourage the growth of the tourist industry. Many of the activities to which my noble friend refers are in the hands of the local planning bodies; that is, local government rather than central government. What we must do in a world in which tourism is perhaps the fastest growing internationally competitive industry is ensure that we can get more than our fair share of it and at the same time do it so that it does not disturb too much the lives of those of us who live here. It is an important growth area and will long continue to be one.
§ Baroness Turner of CamdenMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for those comments, and in particular noting with satisfaction the increase in tourism, perhaps I may ask him whether it is not a fact that hotel costs in the country are quite unacceptably high, particularly in view of the low level of wages in the industry generally. Should we not try to do something to prevent visitors to our shores being ripped off in that way?
§ Lord Young of GraffhamMy Lords, I should certainly like to have evidence of how tourists are being ripped off in that way. As far as I know there is no international treaty which compels overseas tourists to come to this country. The mere fact that the figures are increasing so rapidly and have done so in a year in which the pound has not changed too much in value, certainly against European currencies, shows that the tourists themselves are voting with their feet and that they consider that they do get value for money both in British hotels and in the United Kingdom generally.
§ Lord Boyd-CarpenterMy Lords, did my noble friend see the table of hotel costs in different countries published recently in The Times? Did he observe that contrary to what has been suggested by the noble Baroness opposite quite a number of countries, notably Japan, have much higher hotel costs than we do?
§ Lord Young of GraffhamYes, my Lords. Those costs tend to vary of course from time to time with exchange rates. The important test is a very simple one: will people come here and stay in the hotels?