HC Deb 30 April 2001 vol 367 cc486-7W
25. Sir Sydney Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement about recent initiatives to encourage tourists to come to England. [158164]

Janet Anderson

The British Tourist Authority promotes England, along with the rest of Britain, as a tourist destination through its work in 27 markets overseas.

England accounts for some 85 per cent. of all overseas visitors to Britain (estimated at over 25 million in 2000) and around 90 per cent. of overseas visitors' spending (estimated at £12.75 billion in 2000).

Recent BTA initiatives aimed at attracting overseas visitors to England include promotions of film and TV locations, such as the locations used in the forthcoming 'Harry Potter' film, English gardens, and sporting venues and events.

Mr. Simon Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the work of the British Tourist Authority in promoting Wales abroad. [158148]

Janet Anderson

The British Tourist Authority (BTA) works with the Wales Tourist Board (WTB) as equal, strategic partners in promoting Wales abroad. The BTA has an Overseas Marketing Agreement with the WTB, which sets out their respective roles, responsibilities and working relationships in the overseas promotion of Britain and Wales. In addition, the Chairman of the WTB is a member of the BTA Board, representing Welsh interests and advising on strategic and policy matters whenever key decisions are taken.

Mr. Greenway

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangements he has made for his Department to monitor visitor numbers to major attractions and tourism destinations in rural areas. [159347]

Janet Anderson

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport, the English Tourism Council (ETC) and the Regional Tourist Boards are liaising regularly with a number of tourism-related bodies in order to monitor the impact of foot and mouth on tourism in both rural and urban areas. The ETC also conducts an annual survey of visits to visitor attractions, although this does not at present have a separate rural category.

Mr. Greenway

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to restore a marketing function to the English Tourism Council. [159346]

Janet Anderson

The English Tourism Council (ETC) was set up following the publication of the Government's tourism strategy, "Tomorrow's Tourism", in 1999. The ETC was given the role as a strategic body for tourism in England—undertaking research, ensuring quality, promoting best practice and innovation, overseeing systems for data collection and promoting sustainable tourism in England and wise growth.

The ETC has neither been asked nor funded to carry out routine promotion campaigns—Ministers have taken the view that the marketing of English Tourism is best undertaken by the British Tourist Authority for marketing the country as a whole to overseas visitors and by the Regional Tourist Boards (RTBs) for their particular parts of England. These arrangements are reflected in the funding agreement between DCMS and the ETC. However the agreement has recently been amended to enable the ETC to carry out marketing for the recovery plan specifically prepared for the foot and mouth outbreak. The ETC has received an additional allocation of £3.8 million to help restore public confidence in visiting the countryside. To date, it has set up an English Visitor Hotline, launched a national advertising and promotional campaign and, working with the RTBs, it is providing public information leaflets.