Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Morgan of Cotes and John Penrose

Thursday 20th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Mosley (City of Chester) (Con)]

3. What recent progress his Department has made on the promotion of the UK as a tourist destination.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (John Penrose)]

With private sector partners, the Government are creating a major, new overseas marketing fund. We are looking to create a fund of £100 million over the next four years which aims to deliver 1 million additional international visitors to the UK and £2 billion in extra visitor spend.

[Nicky Morgan]

I thank the Minister for his reply. As he will know, the Government are rightly focused on an agenda of growth across our economy. Does he agree that tourism, especially to the regions, such as Leicestershire, and to regional attractions such as the Great Central railway, is a key part of that growth strategy?

[John Penrose]

I absolutely agree. One of the key points about tourism is that it is an efficient and rapid way of driving economic growth and regeneration and that it does that in all parts of the country outside the south-east. It is an excellent tool for rebalancing our economy.