British Destinations

DCMS Select Committee Inquiry 1 May 20

Posted on April 24, 2020 Updated on April 24, 2020

It is a little over 10 days since I alerted you to the above inquiry and now 1 week to the deadline for submission.  I have had very few comments specifically on the inquiry but plenty of general ammunition since lock-down took effect 1 month ago.  I will attempt to send a draft or at least a synopsis out hopefully on Monday for member’s information and comment. The intent is to focus largely on what I believe to be the key issue: the natural and institutional seasonality of the bulk of the domestic tourism industry and therefore the additional severity of the lost trade to date, that includes Easter, and the narrow and narrowing opportunity to generate sufficient revenue especially in the c July  to September peak summer holiday period in order to sustain businesses (the industry as a whole) through the lean off peak months of c November to February.  I appreciate there are many other issues and detailed problems, some of which I will inevitably have to touch on. My instinct is that many of these issues are common to all industry and to DCMS sectors, what I want to do is highlight the more unique and potentially less publicly obvious problem our sector is experiencing. The call for evidence and critically the guidance note on the nature of the submissions can be accessed at:

https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/113/impact-of-covid19-on-dcms-sectors/

You will probably be aware that there is tourism All-Party Parliamentary Group on hospitality and tourism inquiry taking place and closing on the same day.  The official DCMS select committee should be our priority but there is not good reason why we or indeed you yourselves shouldn’t submit much the same or similar material to both:

https://www.hospitalityandcateringnews.com/2020/04/all-party-parliamentary-group-launch-inquiry-to-help-hospitality-back-into-work/