TOURISM ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2004
CONTENTS
Introduction – Page 2
Tourism Alliance Infrastructure – Page 2
Legal Structure – Page 3
Tourism Alliance Members – Page 3
2003 Work Output – Page 3
Public/Government/Media Facing Activities – Page 4
2004 Objectives – Page 4
Summary – Page 5
INTRODUCTION
1
The Tourism Alliance was formed in 2001 at the suggestion of the Culture Secretary of State to better co-ordinate messaging and communication between the tourism industry and central government. Its formation followed as a consequence of the outbreak of foot & mouth disease when the tourism industry had made little practical impact on government policies and, as a result, had lost ground to the interests of the farming community. In short, the battle for the ‘hearts and minds’ of Government had been very firmly won by Britain’s farmers. Official figures indicate that Britain’s tourism industry lost £2 billion as a result of foot & mouth.
The Culture Secretary proposed that tourism industry organisations and trade associations – in the public, private and voluntary sectors - work more closely together to present a unified and professional communications portal between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and other government departments, and the tourism industry.
Following the Culture Secretary’s proposal the CBI offered infrastructure support (office space, telecommunications etc) and seconded a member of CBI staff to act as the Tourism Alliance Secretariat. Digby Jones, CBI Director-General, accepted an invitation to become the TA’s founding chairman.
In April 2002 the Tourism Alliance produced ‘Tourism Spending Priorities - recommendations of the Tourism Alliance’ The document proposed a number of initiatives that would benefit Britain’s tourism industry and boost output. It was well received by both the industry and by government.
In 2003 a follow up document was produced, identifying which objectives had been achieved and which had not. It was, in effect, a first year 'end of term report’ on how government and industry had performed against Key Performance Indicators in the previous twelve months as set out in the first document. The third annual report is due early summer 2004.
TOURISM ALLIANCE INFRASTRUCTURE
1
In March 2003 the Tourism Alliance appointed Richard Tobias to the part-time post of deputy chairman reporting to the then chairman Digby Jones and the Tourism Alliance Executive Group (since renamed the Executive Committee). In January 2004 Digby Jones was appointed President and Richard Tobias, Director General.
Until January 2004 the CBI, along with eight private sector trade associations, wholly funded the Tourism Alliance. Since January 2004 the Tourism Alliance has received financial support from all private sector
members through subscriptions. The CBI continues to provide infrastructure support covering approximately 30% of the Tourism Alliance’s costs and provides the Alliance’s operational base.
As a principle the Tourism Alliance - as an industry led body, tasked to speak on behalf of the industry – does not seek or accept direct financial support from government or public sector bodies.
1
LEGAL STRUCTURE
The Tourism Alliance is constituted as a company limited by guarantee. The founding officers of the company are Bob Cotton (BHA) as chairman of the Executive Committee, Tony Millns (ARELS) as General Secretary and Ian Reynolds (ABTA) as Treasurer. All posts are honorary and unpaid. Richard Tobias is Director General and, together with the Tourism Alliance Administrator, is the only remunerated staff member. A revised Constitution will reflect the changing status of the Tourism Alliance and enable election to the Executive Council through normal procedures.
Tourism Alliance Members
There are, currently, approximately sixty members of the Tourism Alliance representing all the major travel, tourism and hospitality trade associations and bodies in the private, public and voluntary sectors.
The Tourism Alliance Secretariat communicates regularly with Tourism Alliance members advising and informing on areas of common interest or concern. Additionally, the Tourism Alliance holds and hosts meetings between members and Ministers and other parliamentarians.
1
2003 WORK OUTPUT
Much of 2003 was spent establishing the Tourism Alliance’s credentials with members, potential members and other stakeholders. The primary function was to establish the key priorities for the Tourism Alliance within the available financial and human resources.
The Tourism Alliance has solid working relationships with DCMS (both with Ministers and Officials), with other government agencies and with a wide stakeholder constituency including the Scottish Tourism Forum, the Wales Tourism Alliance and the Northern Ireland Tourism Industry Confederation.
Almost everything the government does or proposes has a direct or indirect impact on the effectiveness of the tourism and hospitality industry or allied services. During the past twelve months the Alliance has made recommendations or lobbied or has been consulted on a whole raft of issues. These include Air Passenger Duty, the Asylum Bill, the Working Time Directive, the Olympic Bid, the Tour Operators Margin Scheme, the Sector Skills Council for tourism and hospitality, proposals for a Bed Tax, Britain’s forthcoming Presidency of the EU, Insurance Liability costs, Gaming Reforms and many others.
During the year the Tourism Alliance hosted and sponsored the first ever tourism session at the CBI national conference, addressed by the Secretary of State, the chairman of VisitBritain and the Tourism Alliance Director-General.
At the end of 2003 The Tourism Alliance established four working parties covering the key priorities as the principal areas of interest identified by members. They are:
· Skills and training issues
· Taxation and other fiscal instruments affecting the tourism industry
· Transport and infrastructure (including planning issues)
· Promoting tourism as a ‘top line’ industry enabling employment and wealth creating opportunities
PUBLIC / GOVERNMENT / MEDIA FACING ACTIVITIES
1
The Tourism Alliance is primarily an overarching communications and lobbying body between the travel, tourism and hospitality industries and government and other public agencies. It is not normally a public facing body. The Tourism Alliance is, additionally, a media communications body promoting the collective view of the tourism industry.
The President and Director-General meet regularly with Ministers, Officials and with journalists to present and promote the objectives of the Tourism Alliance and its members.
Additionally, the President and Director-General make a number of presentations to groups, conferences and conventions with the objective of raising the profile and endorsing the Tourism Alliance credentials as the ‘voice of tourism’.
1
2004 Objectives
1
Having established the Tourism Alliance as the principal communication / lobby body between the tourism industry and government, the objectives for 2004 will in the main build on the achievements of 2003 and take forward the work of the macro issues identified by Tourism Alliance members as the principal objectives.
In late Spring DCMS will publish a Tourism Prospectus. The document will set out objectives and key performance indicators for the tourism industry and will establish responsibilities of the signatories and co-sponsors. The co-sponsors are DCMS, VisitBritain, the Regional Development Agencies, the Local Government Association and the Tourism Alliance.
Later this year the Tourism Alliance will publish a suite of position papers based on the recommendations of the four working parties covering the key issues the Executive Committee has identified as priorities.
The Tourism Alliance also plans additional meetings during 2004 with members and ministers and other parliamentarians. The objective is to ensure that all members are able to present and promote sectorial interests to ministers and others in a more effective format than has been the case in the past.
The Tourism Alliance has also proposed an annual tourism industry conference, an idea that has been welcomed by government. The Alliance Secretariat will also increase the number of regular communications with members.
1
Summary
1
The tourism and hospitality industries have suffered a number of major setbacks during the past three years. The outbreak of foot and mouth disease, the dreadful events now known universally as 9/11, the war in Iraq and SARS have all taken their toll on one of the world’s most important economic sectors. Perhaps the only good thing to have come from all of this is that government now takes the industry much more seriously than in the past.
The Culture Secretary gave her active support and encouragement for the formation of the Tourism Alliance and it is up to the industry to ensure we take full advantage of the opportunity presented to us. The success of the Alliance rests fairly and squarely in the hands of members. Please help us to help you by sharing with us any research or position papers in respect of your sector that will assist us in making our case with Whitehall. We can make a difference – but only with your support!
ends
Director-General – Richard Tobias, Email:
Secretariat – Rebecca Sutton-Ward, Email:
Tourism Alliance Centre Point, 103 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1DU
Telephone: 020 7395 8246 Fax: 020 7395 8178
1