§ 2. Mr. SimmondsTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures her Department is taking to assist the English tourism industry. [122077]
§ Mr. CabornEngland offers visitors a wonderful range of attractions. The Department supports tourism directly through its sponsorship of VisitBritain, which has a remit to promote Britain overseas and England to the domestic market. It also provides funds to the Regional Development Agencies, who play a key role in strategic planning for tourism. Under reformed arrangements, we will work closely with the industry to drive up accommodation quality, foster skills to increase productivity, improve tourism statistics, and ensure that a coordinated marketing strategy yields maximum benefit for the sustainable growth of English tourism.