This week is English Tourism Week and the campaign, led by VisitEngland, is celebrating this diverse, exciting and vibrant sector and showcasing the quality, range and value of English tourism. Tourism is a vital part of the Coast to Capital economy and the lockdown has closed the many restaurants, arts and cultural locations that support our visitor economy.
English tourism generates £106 billion a year, supports 2.6 million jobs and is a major employer of school leavers and young people, as well as an incubator for entrepreneurs and innovation. Visit Britain has created a central forecast for the domestic outlook of the visitor economy based on a central scenario of 10-week lockdown period, social distancing from June to August with a bounce-back from September to December as a result of pent-up demand which leads to a decline of 24% in GVA in 2020 - roughly a loss of £240 million GVA across West Sussex alone.
Along with MPs across our area we are working together to support the recovery of tourism and develop a strong understanding of what is required to rebuild our strong and resilient destinations. A well-planned and well-communicated set of messages as lockdown restrictions lift is required to help kick start the sector in the most effective way. International visitors are not expected this year in great numbers, and whilst many regions will benefit from greater domestic travel, measures are needed to reassure and protect local visitors.
Patrick Foster, Head of Corporate Communications at Lexington Communications, comments:
"The ongoing uncertainty around international travel means that many families will look to holiday in the British sunshine this summer - as soon as they get the go-ahead to do so. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for our domestic tourism sector, presenting the opportunity for places to win repeat visitors for years to come.
"But there are risks too, and it's essential that regional tourist boards, local authorities and LEPs begin planning now for the communications activity they will need to undertake as a result of a sudden influx of holidaymakers to their areas.
"Getting the nuance of the message right - and forging that balance between welcoming visitors and keeping people safe - will be critical. This will include working out how to maximise opportunities for proactive engagement, both to bring in visitors and to brief political decision makers about the specific challenges faced by particular destinations. But it is also vital that organisations think about the reactive communications activity they may have to undertake if challenges arise - both in terms of reassuring local residents, and handling hostile media queries. Things could move very fast and people need to begin planning now."
A place based approach is key and we are collaborating with partners and organisations in the Coast to Capital area on these issues through our series of dynamic webinars 'Sussex Tourism Sector; Survive, Revive and Thrive'.
Experience West Sussex, Sussex Chamber of Commerce, South Downs National Park Authority and Coast to Capital Growth Hub will present 'Revive Part II' on Tuesday 2 June at 12pm - 13:30pm. This will focus on three key subjects: Consumer Confidence, Diversification and Innovation. Our ambition is to create a space for the industry to collaborate, innovate, repurpose and discuss what the future landscape of tourism might look like.
Indications are that Ministers are thinking about financial support for the sector, and on the need to learn from other countries. Aid packages announced in France and Italy may run to many billions of pounds for their tourism sectors and it time will tell if financial support is forthcoming for the recovery of English tourism.
Jonathan Sharrock,
Chief Executive at Coast to Capital
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