BHA calls for political change in 2015
The chief executive of the British Hospitality Association (BHA), Ufi Ibrahim, has called on the hospitality industry to continue to push for policy change next year.
Ibrahim said it was vital that 'the economic and social importance of the hospitality and tourism sector is understood by all political parties' in the run up to the 2015 national election.
She outlined a number of changes that BHA members would like to see coming in 2015, including:
- The development of a ‘robust skills agenda’ to resolve the hospitality skills crisis
- The introduction of ‘enlightened employment legislation’ that does not jeopardise industry growth and jobs
- Changes to the 20 per cent VAT rate, which is threatening price competitiveness
- Improvements to visa policies to improve the UK’s share of business from key new markets like China and Russia
- Improvements to the planning process to encourage tourism and hospitality development at a local level
- Better strategies and structures to promote the UK’s cultural and heritage assets, particularly in rural and coastal regions
- Tackling the sharing economy to ‘uphold the safety, quality and reputation standards’ of the hospitality industry
- Continued support to BHA members in implementing new food and safety regulations
“The tourism and hospitality industry has huge amounts of potential, already employing 1 in 10 of the UK workforce and it has been predicted that the sector will grow at an annual rate of almost 4 per cent over the next 10 years, significantly faster than forecasts for the UK economy as a whole and much faster than sectors such as manufacturing, construction and retail,” she said.
