§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many incoming tourists to the UK there were annually since 1995; and what estimate he has made of the numbers for 1999. [95203]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 25 October 1999]: Since 1995 the number of incoming tourists to the UK has been as follows:
Thousand Year Visits to UK 1995 23,537 1996 25,163 1997 25,515 1998 25,745 There were 17.46 million visits to the UK in the first 8 months of 1999, an increase on 17.42 million visits in the equivalent period for 1998.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the effectiveness to date of the Government's tourism strategy. [95117]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 25 October 1999]: "Tomorrow's Tourism" is a challenging strategy for the next decade with many long-term goals. Together with the industry, we have already made good progress, for example:
the creation of the English Tourism Council (ETC) to provide strategic leadership for the industry in England;the launch of the new standardised accommodation rating system;the addition of on-line accommodation booking facilities to BTA's award-winning "Visit Britain" website; the launch of 16 of the British Tourist Authority's planned 36 new websites overseas; and the launch of the "Britain—Now is the Time" campaign to market the UK as a visitor destination for the Millennium;the successful hospitality careers festival held earlier this year;the inclusion of many seaside resorts on the new Assisted Areas map.A fuller progress report will be made at the first Tourism Summit early next year.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has made to Her Majesty's Treasury regarding the impact on the tourism industry of airport passenger duty. [95118]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 25 October 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have discussed many matters of concern to the tourism industry, including air passenger duty (APD), with a wide range of ministerial colleagues including my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In addition, my officials have made contact with their colleagues in HM Customs and Excise when representations about APD have been made by industry representatives or members of the public.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the future arrangements for England-wide marketing within the tourism sector. [95132]
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§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 25 October 1999]: The British Tourist Authority continues to market England abroad as part of its overall remit. It does so in partnership with the Regional Tourist Boards and the English Tourism Council with which it has an Overseas Marketing Agreement. Domestically, the English Tourism Council retains a strategic policy overview of marketing and has a major role in carrying out market research and providing advice on techniques and best practice.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the impact on the number of visitors to Britain of doubling airport passenger duty. [95124]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 25 October 1999]: The new rates of APD were introduced on 1 November 1997. In the first twelve months (November 1997 to October 1998) in which the new rates were in operation there were an estimated 25.8 million visits to the UK, an increase of 3 per cent. on the previous twelve months.