Last week, we welcomed dozens of international tour operators to Wells as part of the Somerset Tourism Expo organised by The Swan Hotel and Visit Somerset. It capped an interesting week of debates and discussions in Westminster relating to our visitor economy and the potential impact that Brexit might have.
The good news is that the devaluing of the pound since the referendum has meant a bumper summer for the tourism industry. Inbound visitors have risen and the number of Brits choosing to holiday overseas has dropped. Certainly the tour operators I met on Friday evening were very positive about what Brexit had meant so far.
However, their joy is not unqualified. Firstly, the increasing cost of imports will be inflationary and if wages don't rise in parallel, British families are likely to start making some savings in the amount we spend on our leisure activities. That's not great news if you own or run a leisure attraction.
Secondly, our local tourism industry draws heavily on a seasonal migrant workforce and there simply aren't enough unemployed workers or summer holidaying students living in Somerset to plug the gap. The Government will need to ensure that as we leave the EU, we have a mechanism for allowing sufficient work permits to meet the needs of the tourism industry.
Thirdly, we must be careful not to make the UK too difficult to visit. Restoring our border was an important driver for those who voted to leave. Government will need to deliver that control so the needs of the tourism sector must instead be met through improvements to the process through which visitor visas are applied for and through an extension of the visa waiver scheme which allows visitors from some countries to travel without a pre-arranged visa.
None of the challenges posed by Brexit are insurmountable but it is important that as we face that uncertainty, we do our absolute best to make Somerset the best possible visitor experience. Choosing where to go on holiday is a beguiling experience so the way we market ourselves matters. Internationally, I’d like to see Visit Britain better resourced to promote the UK through the ‘Great’ campaign providing reassurance against the uncertainty caused by Brexit. And I’d like to see the money found to properly fund organisations like Visit Somerset. On their current shoestring budget the growth in visitors to the county has been impressive but there is the potential for so much more. We have a world class offer here – amazing countryside, coastline, food, drink, culture, heritage, wildlife and more. Brexit means Brexit but it really needn’t get in the way of making our visitor economy the powerhouse it could and should be.