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Dept for Culture Media and Sport

Answer

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to restore a marketing function to the English Tourism Council. [159346] Janet Anderson: The English Tourism Council (ETC) was set up following the publication of the Government's tourism strategy, "Tomorrow's Tourism", in 1999. The ETC was given the role as a strategic body for tourism in England--undertaking research, ensuring quality, promoting best practice and innovation, overseeing systems for data collection and promoting sustainable tourism in England and wise growth. The ETC has neither been asked nor funded to carry out routine promotion campaigns--Ministers have taken the view that the marketing of English Tourism is best undertaken by the British Tourist Authority for marketing the country as a whole to overseas visitors and by the Regional Tourist Boards (RTBs) for their particular parts of England. These arrangements are reflected in the funding agreement between DCMS and the ETC. However the agreement has recently been amended to enable the ETC to carry out marketing for the recovery plan specifically prepared for the foot and mouth outbreak. The ETC have received an additional allocation of £3.8 million to help restore public confidence in visiting the countryside. To date, they have set up an English Visitor Hotline, launched a national advertising and promotional campaign and, working with the RTBs, they are providing public information leaflets.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

159346; 367 c486-7W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Government assistance Marketing Tourism Rural areas English Tourism Council

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk