Hotel grading scheme review will be central to Government plans

Tourism minister Richard Caborn has unveiled a four-point plan for the future of the UK tourism industry, and has confirmed the Government's commitment to reviewing hospitality accommodation grading schemes.

Addressing the first annual dinner of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tourism in London last week, Caborn said that grading schemes in England, Scotland and Wales needed to be "rationalised" if standards in tourism were to be improved.

He said that there were too many quality-assurance schemes in the UK, and too much inconsistency in the application of standards. "It is very confusing for the visitor to be confronted by all these different schemes," he said.

Caborn said that tourism was worth £75b a year to the UK economy. He wants to see that figure increased to £100b by 2010.

"There are four areas of effective action that the industry needs to address if it is to meet this goal," he said. The first is better marketing, particularly among smaller businesses; followed by more comprehensive data collection to allow for more informed planning; an upgrade of skills at all levels and, finally, the rationalisation of the grading schemes.

Alan Britten, former chairman of the English Tourism Council, has been heading up a review of quality-assurance schemes since May.

According to a spokesman at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the review committee is examining the differences that exist between the schemes for hotels and guest accommodation in England, Scotland and Wales. The first target is to reach a view on whether common schemes are feasible and could be more readily understood by consumers.

"There is good will and determination by all concerned to look at this from the consumer's point of view," Britten said. "We want to present a common standard [in all three countries] so that consumers can understand what they are getting."

He said the committee was hoping to make its initial recommendations early next year. A consultation process would follow but it was unlikely that implementation of any new scheme would take place until 2005.

Caborn said that progress had been made in other areas. He commented that the foot-and-mouth crisis had been a "watershed" for tourism, with the result that the Government now took the industry seriously. The establishment of the Tourism Alliance also meant that the industry was beginning to "talk with one voice".

Richard Tobias has been appointed director general of the Tourism Alliance. He was previously deputy chairman. Digby Jones, director general of the CBI has been appointed president of the alliance. He was previously chairman. BHA chief executive Bob Cotton has been appointed chairman of the management board.

Latest figures

• In the three months to September 2003, the number of overseas visitors to the UK increased by 6% to 6.1 million, compared with the previous three months. The number of UK residents travelling abroad decreased by 2% to 15.1 million.
• In the 12 months to September 2003, the number of overseas visitors to the UK increased by 6%, compared with a year earlier. The number of Western European visitors increased by 9%, while North American visitor numbers declined by 2%.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 13 - 19 November 2003