We are now in the middle of the summer season – the busiest
time of the year for those of us who work in the hospitality and tourist
industries supplying services for the many visitors who visit our beautiful part
of the world for their holidays.
With this in mind, last week I was pleased to welcome John Glen MP, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism to Newquay, one
of the top tourist destinations in the UK, to show him just how important the
tourist industry is to Mid-Cornwall.
In Mid-Cornwall we are proud to have many of the best tourist
attractions not just in our Duchy but in the whole country. Along with vibrant
visitor destinations such as Newquay and Fowey, we also have historic harbours
such as Mevagissey and Charlestown, attractions such as the Lost Gardens of
Heligan and the Eden Project and beautiful beaches such as those at Par and
Crantock.
In Cornwall, the hospitality and tourism industry accounts for 37,000
jobs and sustaining further jobs in other sectors dependent on hospitality and
tourism. Between 2010 and 2014 the industry created 3,523 jobs in Cornwall and
1 in 5 new jobs nationwide. It is the biggest industry and economical driver in
our county.
During the visit I took the Minister to meet with local
tourism business leaders to press the case about how vital tourism is for not
just Newquay, but Cornwall as a whole, and what the Government is doing to
support it. It was good to welcome representatives from
Visit Cornwall, the Headland Hotel, Cornwall Airport Newquay and the Eden Project,
all major organisations that do so much to promote and grow Brand Cornwall as
one of the top international destinations for people from across the world.
Of course, as we were in Newquay during the summer I also persuaded the
Minister to come body boarding with me at Watergate Bay. It’s not often that
you can get a Minister in a wetsuit to catch some waves, but he told me he
really enjoyed his experience!
As well as bringing Ministers down to Mid-Cornwall, to show them
first-hand how important tourism is to our area, I also work in Parliament to
promote and support the industry.
One of
the ways I can do this is in my capacity of Chair of the Visitor Economy All
Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). This group provides an opportunity for MPs
from all parties to work with the tourism industry to make sure their voice is
heard loud and clear, on matters locally and nationally that matter to
them. We aim to actively support and
promote the visitor economy by working with the Government to bring forward
measures and incentives to support domestic and international in-bound tourism.
As we look to the future, returning to Parliament after Summer Recess
and also to Brexit and beyond, I will be doing all I can, both in Cornwall and in Westminster to
promote and support the tourist industry.
