Tourism bodies welcome third runway at Heathrow

National tourism agency VisitBritain and leading trade associations have welcomed the government’s controversial decision to approve a third runway at London Heathrow.

VisitBritain's executive chairman, Christopher Rodrigues, who was criticised last week for his comments on UK tourism, said the decision was a “very positive decision for Britain’s tourism industry”.

Rodrigues said: "St Pancras and Terminal 5 have shown how valuable it is to get the right infrastructure for domestic and international travel. These proposals will make Britain's 5th biggest industry – tourism – even more competitive and offer all tourists better access to the whole of Britain."

Mary Rance, chief executive of UKinbound agreed, and said: “As a major international hub and a gateway into the UK an d Europe, Heathrow’s development is vital to safeguarding the many jobs and other economic benefits that it brings.”

VisitBritain is currently inviting feedback from the industry on how the Government can better support tourism and hospitality within the UK.

Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of Business In Sport and Leisure said: “From a tourism perspective the argument about whether we need greater airport capacity in London is a no-brainer. The provision of a third runway at Heathrow will contribute towards that capacity.

“Foreign tourism contributes significantly to the UK economy each year and we believe that this development will increase the benefits of inbound tourism. In particular, the sport and leisure industry will benefit from more visitors being able to come more easily to the UK.”

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By Gemma Sharkey

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