Millennium Dome (Hansard, 8 July 1998)

§ Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to help tourist boards in promoting London as a tourist destination for the Millennium Experience. [48791]

§ Mr. Tom Clarke
[holding answer 3 July 1998]: Our funding to the British Tourist Authority is enabling it to work with the New Millennium Experience Company to promote the Millennium Experience overseas. In addition, we are providing funds to the BTA to work with the London Tourism Board to market London abroad and as a gateway to Britain. The LTB is now developing plans in partnership with the BTA to promote London as the Millennium City.

§ Mr. Fabricant
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what budget has been allocated for 2000 by the English Tourist Board for the promotion of the Dome at Greenwich for the millennium celebrations. [48475]

§ Mr. Tom Clarke
The English Tourist Board does not undertake marketing activities and has, therefore, not allocated a budget for the promotion of the Millennium Dome or the millennium celebrations. The ETB does, however, plan to provide information on the Millennium Dome and other millennium attractions to Regional Tourist Boards, Tourist Information Centres and the travel trade.

§ Mr. Fabricant
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what budget has now been allocated for 2000 by the British Tourist Authority for the promotion overseas of the Dome at Greenwich for the millennium celebrations. [48476]

§ Mr. Tom Clarke
The British Tourist Authority has allocated £200,000 in 1998–99, as part of a three-year campaign, for specific new Millennium print and promotional work. This allocation is in addition to the more than £10 million the BTA will spend on other print and promotions directed at markets throughout the world, many of which will devote a proportion of their coverage to presenting the attractions of the Millennium Dome and other millennium celebrations.

§ Mr. Fabricant
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect on ticket receipts for the Dome at Greenwich in 2000 arising from marketing by the English Tourist Board. [48474]

§ Mr. Tom Clarke
The English Tourist Board does not currently undertake any marketing activities.