§ Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Minister for the Arts what contribution the arts makes to tourism in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. LuceThe arts play an important part in United Kingdom tourism. The Policy Studies Institute report, "The Economic Importance of the Arts", published in 1988, calculated that some 42 per cent. of arts attendances in London were by tourists while tourism with an arts ingredient was worth in 1986 £3.1 billion or 25 per cent. of total tourist earnings for that year.
The most recent figures published by the British tourist authority relating to the number of visits to tourist attractions in the United Kingdom in 1988 indicate the continuing importance of museums and galleries to United Kingdom tourism. Of the 10 most popular attractions visited, four are museums or galleries.