What should the new tourism minister's priorities be?
He [Richard Caborn] needs to get to grass roots and get in touch with the real, operational industry through associations rather than through tourist boards. Foot-and-mouth, terrorism and the Gulf war have highlighted the fragility of the industry. He has to make staying in the UK more attractive. It's expensive operating businesses here, so the minister must limit some of the problems smaller businesses face, such as VAT thresholds and growing red tape.
Bill Smith, chief executive of the Lakes Hospitality Association in Windermere, Cumbria
Tourism is bigger than farming and should have its own dedicated minister. I thought after foot-and-mouth the mood was changing, but we're moving back to a Cinderella scenario. VisitEngland needs funding to promote England, which is the biggest destination in Britain but gets less money than Scotland and Wales. Also, there's not enough centralisation of tourism data - no one has a proper handle on the data and no one knows what the industry is really worth.
David Curtis-Bignell, director of leisure, partnership and loyalty marketing, Millennium & Copthorne, and vice-chairman of the Tourism Society
Tourism is a serious business and deserves its own minister rather than have one poor guy trying to juggle tourism and sports, which are completely unrelated. Prices, especially down South, are phenomenally expensive on this island, so no one wants to stay here for a holiday - tourism has to be made more affordable.
Tony Borthwick, chef-proprietor, the Plumed Horse, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway