Tourism Action Plan

There to increase Britain’s appeal to international and domestic visitors, and improve connections between the country’s key attractions and destinations, Tourism Action Plan renewed the government’s commitment to the industry.

Background to the Tourism Action Plan

Announced in 2016, it built on the previous Five Point Plan (published in 2015) with similar goals. Britain had experienced a record-breaking year for inbound tourism in 2015, with 36 million overseas visitors spending £22.1 billion, and the Tourism Action Plan was intended to sustain this appeal while also serving domestic visitors.

Tourism Action Plan Initiatives

The Tourism Action Plan’s initiatives included:

• Making travel easier with a new GREAT tourism rail offer, including five new easy-to-book rail itineraries to help tourists travel around the UK.

• Addressing the industry’s seasonal nature through a flexible apprenticeship scheme, allowing training to be completed over 16-18 months rather than 12, with breaks included.

• Cutting red tape with sensible regulation – for example changing licensing to allow bed and breakfasts to offer welcome drinks, and modifying vehicle licensing to allow bed and breakfast owners to collect guests from train stations.

In October 2017, the UK Government published an updated version of the plan: Tourism Plan - One Year On, identifying the progress that had been made. It found that from January to July 2017, there were 23.1 million visits to the UK by overseas residents – an increase of 8% compared with January to July 2016. Spending over the same period increased by 9%, from £12.2 billion to £13.3 billion.