Partner Article

Visa reform urgent for rise in UK tourism

Does our government really recognise the importance of tourism to the national economy and has it encouraged the right mix of public policy to maximise the potential of Britain’s hospitality and tourism sector post Olympics?

With countries as diverse as China, the UAE, Germany, the USA, Turkey, Singapore and Mexico working hard to construct the right partnerships and public policy to develop their tourism economies, the UK is trailing behind in worldwide competitive terms. If we are to remove some of the barriers to tourism growth, one of the critical areas is visa reform, with a less expensive and more straightforward procedures put in place as a matter of urgency, such as a robust online visa application programme.

The need for an overhaul has become more acute with the campaign for visa reform now gaining the support of The Telegraph, the CBI, Institute of Directors and the British Chambers of Commerce. Whilst the changes that were made in December 2012 and the further measures introduced by the UK Border Agency this year are to be welcomed, the fact remains that the UK’s overall economic competitiveness is being seriously weakened by both international perceptions and the reality of visa policy driving business into the hands of our European and worldwide competitors.

In launching the USA’s National Travel and Tourism strategy, President Obama stated that, “The more folks who visit America, the more Americans will get back to work.” With the deliberate intention of creating an ambitious rather than a catch-up agenda, the US administration made a number of changes to its visa policies designed to increase the number of international arrivals (especially with China) - and it appears to be working.

By contrast, of an ever rising 82 million outbound Chinese tourists in 2012, only 185,000 actually came to the UK, a declining share and only 50% when compared to ten years ago.

Importantly, it is estimated that Britain misses out on a potential £1.2 billion in annual spend from Chinese visitors.

It is evident that the since the introduction of biometric testing in 2008, visitor numbers have significantly declined in favour of other European destinations, primarily due to the sheer difficulty of obtaining a visa and other areas of competitiveness such as VAT. Of course, this trend is enormously damaging for Britain.

Encouragingly, recent comments by the Home Office and the UKBA show that, increasingly, the balance of opinion within the Government is moving towards reform and towards a focus on improving the image and perception of the visa system. These need to be made as a matter of urgency. It is not just the hospitality and tourism sectors which will benefit from these changes, it is the British economy as a whole.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rockliffe Hall .