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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with representatives from the tourism industry in England on establishing a Government backed online booking platform for small hotels and bed and breakfasts.

In June 2019, the British Tourist Authority launched the Tourism Exchange Great Britain (TXGB) platform. TXGB was a key commitment of the Tourism Sector Deal, and makes it easier for accommodation businesses, including small hotels and bed and breakfasts, to be featured by in-market distributors, alongside attractions and experiences. This helps to promote English destinations and businesses abroad. Almost a hundred businesses are now signed up as distributors on the platform.

Tourism businesses like small hotels and bed and breakfasts that sign up as suppliers can choose the distributors through which they sell their product. The platform ensures that domestic and international consumers have access to the best of the country's tourism offer when booking holidays.