Britten backs tourism devolution for England

CHAIRMAN of the English Tourism Council (ETC) Alan Britten has hit back at claims that the new devolutionary approach to tourism will lead to fragmentation of the industry.

"We have the potential, if we get it right, to achieve greater coherence than we had in the past," claimed Britten, who took up his post last week.

The ETC, which took over from the English Tourist Board (ETB) on 19 July, will spearhead the Government's new tourism strategy. This sees more power and money devolved to the regional tourist boards. Within three years, their share of the £10m-a-year central tourism budget will rise from £4m to £6m.

But Opposition MPs have attacked the plan as "a disintegration into different tribes promoting their own separate areas" (Caterer, 13 May, page 12).

Britten said last week: "There is always a danger in innovation, but it's the presence of the ETC which will give the vision and the central coherence to the operation of all 10 boards."

Britten also confirmed there were no immediate plans to introduce a statutory accommodation-grading scheme. The voluntary harmonised grading scheme agreed by the ETB, the AA and the RAC will be launched to the public on 13 September.

The ETC hopes this scheme will catch on with the public, forcing more accommodation providers to join. At present only 42% of bedroom stock is covered by one of the three schemes. The aim is to increase this by 5% a year.

l British Hospitality Association chairman Alan Parker has urged the ETC to lead the industry through an examination of the issues involved in a statutory hotel registration scheme, although the first priority is to try to make the voluntary scheme work.

Speaking at the ETC launch this week, he also warned the Government not to back down on its promise to allocate more funds to regional tourism bodies.

by David Shrimpton