The hospitality trade is counting on new tourism minister Richard Caborn to keep the trade near the top of the agenda among other departments at Whitehall.
Caborn, who has been sports minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) since June 2001, has taken additional responsibility for tourism and licensing following the departure of under-secretary of state Kim Howells.
Bob Cotton, chief executive at the British Hospitality and Restaurant Association, welcomed the fact that Caborn came from within the DCMS, thus minimising disruptive changes.
He applauded the connection made between tourism and sports in the light of London's upcoming bid for the Olympic Games. "If successful, the bid would be extremely good for tourism and would force the Government to do something about the infrastructure," he predicted.
Cotton believed that Caborn's biggest challenge would be to keep tourism high on the national agenda, not just within the DCMS, but across other departments that impacted on the trade, such as transport, infrastructure, training and skills.
Lord Thurso, Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland & East Ross, and former managing director of health resort Champneys, said: "Tourism needs a minister wearing big boots who is prepared to go to other departments and kick a few shins and bums on behalf of the industry. Kim had the boots but spent most of his time kicking the industry."
Thurso believed the critical issue for Caborn was to ensure that the controversial, newly created VisitBritain actually worked and delivered the goods. "It should be out there in the major markets spending money wisely and making sure we get the benefit of any upturn that comes," he said.
CABORN FACTS
Richard Caborn, born in 1943, worked in the steel industry before entering Parliament. He has been MP for Sheffield Central since 1983 and cites his main political interests as trade, industry, South Africa and sports.
A keen amateur sportsman, Caborn brought the World Student Games to Sheffield in 1991 and was involved in the successful bid to make Sheffield the key site in the UK Sports Institute Network.
Before being appointed sports minister, Caborn served as minister of trade at the Department of Trade & Industry between 1999 and 2001, and as minister of state for the regions, regeneration and planning at the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions from 1997-99.
"I am delighted to have been given this opportunity and look forward to working with this important industry - worth £74b a year to our economy," Caborn said of his new appointment.
He said he was keen to build on VisitBritain's efforts to market England to the domestic audience and to encourage more visitors to Britain, as well as strengthening his relationship with the Regional Development Agencies.
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 26 June 2003