The British Hospitality Association is bringing together industry leaders for the first-ever Tourism and Hospitality Summit at the InterContinenmtal London Park Lane on June 1.
The Summit will explore the breadth and vitality of the industry and draw on investors and high-level speakers to help shape its future. Leaders of the sector, which supports over 2.5 million jobs and contributes over £34bn to the UK Exchequer, will discuss strategies to realise the full potential of hospitality and tourism as a source of growth and job creation.
The Hospitality & Tourism summit, taking place on the Friday of the Queen’s diamond Jubilee weekend and just weeks before the 2012 Olympics and paralympic games begin, represents a seminal moment to showcase the breadth and depth of the UK’s hospitality and tourism industry.
The summit’s Objectives
1. Ensure that hospitality and tourism is recognised as a leading industry of the UK
Tourism is the UK’s third largest employer accounting for nine per cent of total employment. Hospitality alone accounts for 2.4m jobs (one in every 13 jobs). The tourism industry has an estimated turnover of ?115.4bn and directly contributes ?68bn to the UK in gross Value added. The core hospitality industry alone is estimated to contribute directly ?34bn in gross tax revenues to the Treasury, equivalent to six per cent of annual exchequer receipts.
2. To demonstrate the dynamism of our industry, as well as its reach
2012 is an exceptional year for UK tourism. during the London 2012 Olympic and paralympic games, the UK will play host to visitors from all over the world including over 30,000 journalists and reaching out to over 4bn viewers worldwide. This is an unprecedented opportunity to celebrate the strength and dynamism of UK hospitality and tourism. The UK government too has recognised this and embarked on the greaT campaign, signalling its intent in the tourism strategy. The summit will demonstrate that the industry is also seizing the opportunity.
3. To showcase the UK hospitality and tourism industry
Hospitality and tourism touch the lives of almost everyone and every industry in the UK – bringing together friends, family, visitors – on business or leisure travel – or participating at events ranging from the Farnborough air show, to Wimbledon, the proms, British Fashion Week, the diamond Jubilee, and the Olympic and paralympic games. Hospitality & tourism is the ambassador of British culture, heritage and spirit across the world.
4. To facilitate a platform for dialogue among businesses, government and the media
Maximising the economic and social contribution of hospitality and tourism requires the active engagement of government on a broad front, from infrastructure and planning to education, fiscal and health policy. effectively coupled with the enterprise and experience of industry, a proactive public and private partnership will support a competitive and successful hospitality and tourism economy.
The summit brings together leaders of the industry to explore improved links and partnership, not only between the public and private sectors, but also between sport and leisure, media and the arts, hospitality and tourism.
“ Tourism is another industry we should get behind. The rewards for growth here are immense. If you just consider this: for every half a percent increase in our share of the world tourism market we can add 2.7 billion to our economy and an extra 50,000 jobs. We have the Royal Wedding, the Olympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee. I think now is the time to really go for it and increase our share. Just yesterday I met with businesses who are helping to create a ?100 million marketing campaign to roll out the welcome mat and say to the world, ‘Come on over to Britain’. ”
The Rt. Hon David Cameron MP, Prime Minister – taken from the speech on Economic Growth, January 6th 2011
“The tourism industry has the potential to become one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy. But creating – and sustaining – these higher rates of wealth and job creation won’t just happen automatically: it will need plenty of hard work and entrepreneurialism from the sector itself.”
John Penrose MP, Minister for Tourism and Heritage, DCMS
The summit Theme
Ready, Set, Go…
What is growth? All too often we focus merely on expansion and, more specifically, on increasing volume within existing structures. What if we focused on new partnerships, reaching across conventional boundaries between hospitality, tourism, sport, media, arts and culture? What would we stand to gain?
Beyond economic growth, improved links for success offer the potential to embrace learning and advancement, new thinking and innovation, win-win strategies, improving as well as maximising output, being smarter and doing things better. This Summit, under the theme ‘Ready, Set, Go…’, will focus on all aspects of growth and explores the potential for improved links in one of the world’s most diverse industries – hospitality and tourism.
Attendance at the Summit, and the Gala Dinner in the evening, is limited. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Philippa Brady at BHA – [email protected]
Miles Quest
Wordsmith and Company
01753 645636
[email protected]