Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael has welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron’s speech on domestic tourism.
Speaking in London recently, David Cameron sought to play up the importance of the domestic tourism sector, describing it as ‘fundamental’ to the rebuilding and rebalancing of the economy.
Kerry Michael welcomed the Prime Minister’s recognition that under previous administrations there was no incentive for local authorities to encourage visitors to their destinations.
He said: “David Cameron has highlighted the very important role local authorities must play to encourage visitors to their destinations, especially in coastal resorts like ours. I believe we have been badly let down by North Somerset Council and I call on them to re-think their current strategy about investment in tourism.
“”Tourism in the West Country is worth more than £1 billion per annum and Weston-super-Mare is the largest local destination for that spend. Leaders at North Somerset Council must see the wider picture – tourism and the Grand Pier in particular is the king pin in our local economy.
Three different members of the executive have told me personally that Tourism only benefits the seafront traders so it is up to those traders to promote it and not the job of the Local Authority - they couldn’t be more wrong.
They must understand that visitors spend money all over the area and not just the seafront, they spend in our shops, in guest houses, garages in fact everywhere.
Also, those same shops and seafront traders employ people from all over the district who, without tourism, wouldn’t have jobs. So, it is naïve to suggest that tourism only benefits the seafront traders.
“We hope the appointment of John Penrose MP as Minister for Tourism will have a positive effect on Weston-super-Mare and that he will encourage his local authority colleagues to look closely at their current tourism strategy”.
David Cameron identified that, at the moment, if a local council does more to attract tourists to the area, it picks up the cost but gets none of the additional business rate revenue.
His desire is to allow local authorities to reinvest revenue made from tourism back into the local communities to help not just tourism, but all the other business sectors.
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