Meeting of minds is no substitute for action

Coming soon to a nearby conference centre: a one-off performance of the Government's much-heralded tourism summit. The script is not new; it came out nearly a year ago (Caterer, 4 March 1999, page 27). But this is the first opportunity to witness the action-packed result when, on 1 March, ministers from a multitude of departments take part in "joined-up government", discussing the way forward for the UK's much-discussed and often-berated tourism industry.

It may not be high-profile enough for some - many participants will be supporting players: junior rather than senior ministers. Even so, there will doubtless be a fair amount of hype, lots of back-slapping and congratulatory noises on what has been achieved since the summit was conceived. Fair enough. It's good to recognise progress. The British Tourist Authority, for example, now targets its efforts at marketing the UK in selected core markets, rather than all over the world. And this October there will be a second Careers Festival as part of the Government's pledge to raise career opportunities in tourism.

But all this is just the tip of a titanic iceberg. More important is what still needs to be done, and the cast at the tourism summit should not lose sight of this. The skills shortage, for example, shows no signs of abating. There are still 100,000 declared hospitality vacancies - and in reality up to three times this number - in an industry which the Government claims is of great importance, but for which it still fails to provide sufficient funding at further-education level.

There is also a long way to go in the marketing of regions. Regional development agencies claim to recognise the importance of tourism, particularly in ailing agricultural communities, but recognition is only the start of the process, as the Scots have realised with last week's launch of their tourism strategy. Infrastructure, such as the transport system, which needs improvements to sustain increased tourism levels, must also come under the microscope as part of the overall picture.

Of course, it would be easy to put all the onus for change on Government, and this would not be fair. The industry itself needs to help alleviate problems such as the skills shortage by offering fair pay and conditions to attract good staff. It must also clean up its act as far as consumers are concerned. Extortionate prices for boxrooms, single supplements and outrageous telephone charges have a limited shelf life with consumers increasingly demanding value for money. As last year's millennium and eclipse sagas proved, short-term greed does not bring long-term business benefits.

The tourism summit is a good debut for all concerned but it must provoke a frank and open discussion with a plot that the industry can share in to help shape the future. Otherwise there can be no encore and no curtain calls.

Jenny Webster

Deputy Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper