§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department has taken to establish a strategic national body for the English tourism industry. [91381]
§ Dr. HowellsSince the announcement in October last year of plans for reform of the Government's support for tourism, the chairs of the English Tourism Council and British Tourist Authority have led a restructuring of the strengths and skills of both organisations into a lead national tourism body to be launched in April 2003. A policy group comprising representatives of all sectors of the tourism industry is overseeing their progress. The 95W new body is designed to provide a more efficient service to promote inbound tourism to Britain and to market tourism in England to the domestic market.