Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to support the recovery of the tourism sector in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England from the impact of the covid-19 pandemic.

My Department is taking a number of steps to encourage tourism across the country once restrictions are eased, including in Coventry and the West Midlands.

We are currently working with VisitBritain, VisitEngland and local partners to champion the UK’s diverse tourism offer through the Escape the Everyday campaign.

We are also working with regional partners to maximise the tourism benefits of hosting the UK City of Culture in Coventry and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The March Budget included £700m of extra funding to support our world-leading arts, culture and sporting institutions - protecting the venues which make the UK an attractive destination to visit.

In total, over £25bn has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks. The Tourism Recovery plan will shortly set out how we will continue to support the sector’s reopening and recovery from the pandemic.