something which represents us as an industry.”
A cause worth pursuing
Hospitality currently fights for airtime in two crowded government departments; pubs and restaurants are in the departments of business, energy and industrial strategy while hotels and tourism sit in digital, culture, media and sport.
Robin said: “We’ve all seen ample evidence this year of poorly thought out and disjointed thinking. Many of the restriction challenges we’ve faced may have been avoided if our representation in government had a deeper understanding of the sector.”
Hospitality is the third largest employer with 3.2 million directly and 1.8 million indirectly – contributing £39billion to the economy in direct gross tax receipts plus £24billion in tourist visitor spend.
Harry Murray MBE added: “The question we have to ask is does government really appreciate the value of hospitality and tourism? And is the industry shown the respect it deserves?"
Why do we need a Hospitality Minister?
A Hospitality Minister would be the champion and guardian of hospitality in parliament, promoting the importance of the economic, social and employment contribution.
Robin said: “This year, more than ever before hospitality has been recognised so I think it’s a really good moment in time to be pushing for this. We want someone to be fully invested and have that deep understanding of this complex industry.
“It’s also an opportunity to really advance the status of hospitality and tourism in this country.”
