…as Sell calls for teamwork

Lack of co-ordination is hindering the UK tourism industry's marketing efforts abroad, according to Anthony Sell, chief executive of the British Tourist Authority (BTA).

Mr Sell last week called on the country's tourism bodies and businesses to work together to ensure their efforts did not overlap.

He said the BTA faced a major challenge in co-ordinating the UK's four national tourist boards, 45 regional and area boards, 220,000 tourism businesses, 510 local authorities and more than 10 city convention bureaux.

"If the BTA appears at a business trade fair and finds that a British universities organisation and a British tour firm have taken separate spaces in the same hall the potential British impact is severely diluted and the customer is confused," said Mr Sell.

One example of effective co-ordination was a workshop organised by the BTA in Moscow to coincide with the Queen's recent visit to Russia. Fourteen UK companies took part, promoting accommodation, attractions and English language schools.

The next major opportunity for close collaboration will be the 1995 Festival of Arts and Culture. Mr Sell said the festival would be the first time a themed year had been promoted under a common banner at home and overseas with the united backing of the national and regional tourist boards, as well as arts organisations and attractions.

Mr Sell was speaking at the launch of the BTA's 1994 annual report, which showed a £3.1b tourism deficit. Tom Pendry, Labour's shadow minister for tourism, said the deficit was a result of government "neglect".