Tourism Industry

Edward Leigh Excerpts

Thursday 20th March 2025 Westminster Hall

[Blake Stephenson]

He also might not. Let us see.

Better transport infrastructure across the whole country would help our tourism industry, which would include Luton airport expansion in Bedfordshire—perhaps the Minister has an update on that; or maybe he does not.

That will mean finding the right mixture of development in areas like mine to allow for some of the things that we need to take advantage of the opportunities of tourism. In particular, in Bedfordshire we need more accommodation to ensure that people stay awhile in our communities, rather than visiting for a day and going somewhere else for the bulk of their visit. We will also need to protect and enhance some of our beautiful countryside and landscapes, which distinguish our country and our counties from our international competitors.

The Greensand Ridge national character area in my constituency of Mid Bedfordshire is characterised by its ancient and modern woodlands, farms and parkland and the historic look and feel of its small settlements, often former estate villages. Many of those settlements are distinctive Bedfordshire “ends” villages—hamlets or small villages built in a line along the road—but development within the national character area is threatening the character of many of those small settlements. We must make sure that delivering new development does not come at the expense of maintaining our communities as places where people from far and wide will be able to feel a sense of unique local character and pride. If our countryside and our towns become identikit places that we could see anywhere, people who want to experience them can go anywhere. We must embrace what makes Britain, and in my case Bedfordshire, a great place to spend time.

I hope it has come across in this debate that I wish the Government the very best in their ambition to deliver their national visitor economy strategy later this year and to achieve 50 million visitors per year. In me they will find a constructively critical friend willing to work across the House to deliver on the promise of the tourism industry for my local economy in Mid Bedfordshire and the UK’s economy as a whole. I hope that as the Minister continues to shape his thoughts on his strategy, he will consider my remarks in that spirit. I hope that his strategy will set out how the Government will protect and enhance the attractiveness of the UK offer to visitors from overseas and domestic holidaymakers. That means protecting the things that make Britain great, from the high street, the local pub and the beautiful countryside to the many set-piece tourist attractions that we are known for the world over. I hope that his strategy will also set out a coherent plan to make the UK more price competitive with our major international competitors. The Government cannot simply talk growth into being. It takes real decisions—tough decisions—on competing priorities to make the UK more competitive and bring about growth.

I mentioned electronic travel authorisations, but the industry also raised with me things such as tax-free shopping, visa costs and air passenger duty in preparation for this debate. It is clear that more must be done to bring the cost of visiting the UK down to deliver growth in tourism. I hope that the Minister’s strategy will set out, alongside the work his colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are doing, how the Government’s plans for English devolution will empower local communities like mine to drive our local tourism agendas. In particular, I would like to see the completion of the roll-out of local visitor economy partnerships so that counties like Bedfordshire can take our place at the tourism table and shout more easily about all the fantastic things to come and do in our county.

I would also like to see the new mayors and local authorities backed with a framework and real funding from Government to deliver local tourism strategies. I believe that it is desirable to tie all these strands together for the Government to commit to tourism as a priority. Including tourism in the industrial strategy and having a dedicated tourism Minister working cross-departmentally —not, as he currently is, a tourism Minister stretched across multiple portfolios and Departments—would be a positive first step towards that.

Finally, the Minister knows that I cannot end my speech without a final expression of hope that we will one day be able to cut the ribbon on a new Universal Studios theme park at Kempston Hardwick in Mid Bedfordshire. I know the Government remain locked in negotiations with Universal, and both parties continue to have my full support to do whatever it takes to secure this fantastic investment in my community. I look forward to hearing ideas from colleagues about how we can best support our tourism industry across the United Kingdom.

[Sir Edward Leigh (in the Chair)]

I remind Members that if they wish to speak they need to bob.

[Sonia Kumar (Dudley) (Lab)]

It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I congratulate the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Blake Stephenson) on securing this important debate. If Members are thinking about where to visit in the Easter or summer holidays, I have a location in mind. It is somewhere visitors can pick up a fossil, take a boat trip, see the sets where “Peaky Blinders” was shot, or feed the giraffes. If Members need any more clues, it is the heart of the industrial revolution. If Members are still guessing, the answer is Dudley, with its zoo and castle, the Black Country Living Museum and, of course, the historic canals and caverns, where people can enjoy a leisurely boat trip or the beauty of the canals as they go for a picturesque walk.

Dudley borough had 9.6 million visitors in 2023 and has a visitor economy of £447 million. Dudley has something to offer everybody. Its tourism sector has supported a wide range of jobs, from retail and zoology to site managers and tour guides, and is an integral part of the society and fabric of Dudley. It is therefore time we push forward with a plan to revitalise the tourism industry with a fresh start. I must stress that plans to talk about tourism cannot just focus on hotspots like London or coastal towns; they must also focus on towns that are rich in culture and history.

The Black Country Living Museum, for example, has carefully reconstructed shops, houses and industrial areas that represent the Black Country’s history. It was a pleasure to hear that the museum had a record-breaking year in 2023, with 380,000 visitors, including 53,000 students and pupils. I want to encourage more visitors to come to Dudley, not just for the day but overnight, to stay and expand the nighttime economy, so that our bars and restaurants can benefit from the fantastic offerings of the tourism industry.

The nature of supporting the tourism sector is that every £1 spent is multiplied by visitors spending money on attractions, restaurants, hotels, bars and taxis. There is a remarkable opportunity for the Black Country at the moment, offered by the Dudley Canal Trust: the proposed plan by Dudley Canal and Caverns to extend the unique area from the Dudley canal to the Wren’s Nest. It would be great to connect both areas. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, where people can take a fossil home; it is a secret gem in the Black Country. Its prehistoric geology and nature is a beauty to be seen. I believe that the area should be more connected. The project is estimated to attract half a million tourists in the first eight years of opening if completed.

It is integral to see Dudley from a different lens, as a place where new meets old. It is crucial that we recognise the value of the entire tourism ecosystem, from small businesses to hotels, restaurants and larger attractions, but we need Government support to ensure that we have the resources and infrastructure to succeed. Stagnation in the tourism industry will come if we do not invest. There are far too many empty shops in Dudley town centre. If the tourism industry could be supported, it would attract more businesses to open.

I have two simple requests: will the Minister meet me to discuss the fantastic project to connect Wren’s Nest to the Dudley canal to boost tourism in Dudley, and will he work closely with regional towns such as Dudley to ensure that they are at the centre of the Government’s plans for tourism?

[Sir Edward Leigh (in the Chair)]

I will not impose a formal time limit, but there are eight people trying to take part in the debate, so please be considerate when you give your speeches. I know somebody who will definitely be very considerate, so I call David Mundell.

--- Later in debate ---

[David Mundell]

I am inviting you, because it is a flagship new development in the constituency.

Ellisland farm near Dumfries, which I visited recently, has had a substantial investment of nearly £500,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. That iconic location, which is the former home of Robert Burns, plays a crucial role in Scotland’s history and identity. It will be an immersive visitor experience.

I could go on, Sir Edward, but I will not go on for too long. I will mention the Grey Mare’s Tail, the fact that Moffat is the dark sky town and the eagle town, Annan harbour and Annandale Distillery. Of course, I must mention the iconic Gretna Green, which has been for so long the United Kingdom’s leading wedding venue. If anyone is so minded, there are some very attractive packages on offer. I hope that, in my brief contribution, I have well and truly suggested that Ms Bennett, in her Times article, was completely and utterly wrong about Dumfries and Galloway, and that it is somewhere well worth visiting.

[Sir Edward Leigh (in the Chair)]

I assure my right hon. Friend, on behalf of the whole House, that we love south-west Scotland—almost as much as Dudley.

--- Later in debate ---

[Blake Stephenson]

I thank the Minister, hon. Members and hon. Friends, who have joined me to debate the Government’s strategy to support the tourism industry. I was delighted to secure this important debate in English Tourism Week. I was even more delighted that Members from across the United Kingdom came and we learned all sorts of things about the United Kingdom —we did not just confine ourselves to England.

This week we rightly celebrate the brilliant tourist attractions across our country. It is an opportune time for us as parliamentarians to reflect on the valuable contribution that tourism makes to our local economies. I very much enjoyed the tour we took through the UK this afternoon. I am not sure whether I would prefer to go dolphin spotting and whiskey drinking in Northern Ireland, and neither am I sure which order we are supposed to do those in, or go to the spa in Scotland—alone, perhaps, not with other Members.

All of us in this place will have in our constituencies businesses, venues and attractions that benefit from a vibrant tourism economy. That is why I support the Government’s ambitions to achieve 50 million tourism visitors by 2030. I will be eagerly scrutinising the tourism strategy the Government will bring forward later this year and, from what I have heard today, the Minister will reflect on the points made as he brings together the strategy. I hope that that will include a reflection on the role of English devolution, on how the Government can help to increase the UK’s price competitiveness and on how his Department will work across Government to support the industry and ensure that we have the right business support. That particularly applies in the context of the increase to employers’ national insurance contributions and the other overheads that hospitality and leisure businesses are facing.

I cannot conclude this debate without repeating my desire to work with Government to grow our tourism economy in Mid Bedfordshire and Bedfordshire as a whole. Universal’s proposed theme park in my constituency would absolutely turbocharge the local economy, and we must make sure the UK as a whole has the right strategy to take full advantage of it.

[Sir Edward Leigh (in the Chair)]

It is only a pity that nobody mentioned beautiful, bracing Skegness in this debate.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered Government support for the tourism industry.