Efra Select Committee Rural Tourism Inquiry
Regrettably it was confirmed today that the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee’s Inquiry on Rural Tourism is another victim of the snap General Election along with several other ongoing EFRA and other Westminster Select Committee inquiries.
We had high hopes that this committee report might lay the foundations for some much need positive action on rural tourism in England and potentially by inference on rural tourism elsewhere in the UK. The extract below from today’s EFRA committee press release suggests that the chairman has at least lodge views with the outgoing Government, who may or may not form the next.
In the circumstance it is beholden on British Destinations as major contributors to the inquiry to seek other avenues to press the case for greater support for rural destination management interests. Brexit and a potential UK replacement for the current EU rural support programmes is one obvious ongoing avenue of approach. Another would be to try to get the new Government to revisit the original inquiry, or the new EFRA committee to re-examine the rural tourism from scratch?
The press release extract on the tourism inquiry stated:
The Chair has also written today to Minister Lord Gardiner of Kimble on the Committee’s rural tourism in England inquiry, which the Committee has not been able to conclude and report on owing to the early General Election. The Chair draws to the Minister’s attention the key issues heard in the course of the Committee’s inquiry, specifically on:
- support for tourist businesses;
- access to rural areas;
- broadband and mobile connectivity;
- funding and fiscal policy; and
- skills.
We will seek to obtain more detail on the letter’s content.
The British Destinations written and verbal submissions can be accessed at : https://britishdestinations.net/consultation-responses/open-consultations/select-committee-inquiry-on-rural-tourism-written-evidence-closed-6-September-2016/
British Destinations 