Cameron sets out five-point UK tourism plan

A FIVE-POINT plan to boost tourism across the #UK has been unveiled by prime minister David Cameron.

An inter-ministerial group is being set up to co-ordinate activity across government and ensure that #tourism is factored into decision-making across departments in Whitehall.

The group will be headed by culture secretary John Whittingdale and will include ministers from the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Home Office, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

It will focus, says Mr Cameron, on five areas:

• A better co-ordinated sector: Tourism is too fragmented. The government       

  wants to see local attractions and tourism organizations collaborating to grow     the sector for everyone. 

• Skills and jobs: Driving and retaining talent in the sector to encourage growth.
• ‘Common sense’ regulation:  Reforming regulation to drive competition and   

   improve the tourism offer for visitors.
•  Transport: Forging links between the transport and tourism sectors to help 

   visitors travel outside London.
•   An improved welcome: Delivering a world-class welcome at the border.

Ministers from the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Ireland governments will be invited to join the group when relevant.

Cameron said: ‘Millions of overseas tourists visit the UK every year and most take in the sights of London. But Britain has so much more to offer, from the Cornish Riviera to the Scottish Highlands and everything in between. For many areas, tourism is a key industry bringing jobs, growth, and security for working people. Tourism supports almost one-in-10 jobs in the UK and we want to re-balance the economy to make sure this boost is felt right across the country.’

Backing for Cameron’s five-point plan has come from UKinbound.

Chief executive, Deirdre Wells, said: ‘It is great to hear the strong support from the prime minister for tourism – recognizing its role as the UK's third biggest service export and a major employer, particularly for young people. We welcome the commitment to improve the visa service for visitors and to deliver a world-class transport network, both air and rail. Improving the service which our visitors receive from the ‘border to their bed’ – including visa processing and transport connectivity – is something for which UKinbound has long campaigned.’

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Face-to-face airline seats concept unveiled

PASSENGERS could be forced to face one another in an aircraft seating plan designed to make better use of cabin space, reports The Times in London. 

The design for short-haul flights features alternating forward- and backward-facing seats placed side by side. 

Industry supplier Zodiac Seats France says the aim of the design is to ‘increase the space available at the shoulder and arm area’. It will also create room for more seats.

The lightweight seats would be built with televisions and foldable tray tables in the back, and the design would comply with industry standards for aisle space.

The company said that the industry had shown strong interest in the concept of its economy class cabin hexagon seating configuration.

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£6 million Red Jet ferry to be built on the Isle of Wight

RED FUNNEL’S latest passenger ferry will be built at Venture Quays on the Isle of Wight, marking the return of shipbuilding to the island.

Red Jet 6 will be built in East Cowes after Red Funnel received tenders from shipyards around the world. The company has placed an order for a high-speed catamaran with Shemara Refit for delivery next year. It will be the first vessel of its kind to be built in the UK for 15 years and is expected to create 40-50 jobs at Venture Quays.

Kevin George, Red Funnel’s chief executive, said: ‘Shemara Refit shared our vison to bring fast ferry construction back to the UK and particularly to Cowes, where the specialist aluminium fabrication skills and yard facilities still exist. The Red Jet 6 contract will bring significant inward investment to underpin the island’s marine manufacturing sector and help to further grow the Isle of Wight economy.’

The vessel will carry 275 passengers, and will have provision for 22 bicycles.

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Battery power in sight for Channel ferries?

THE prospect of plug-in electric ferries has been raised to improve fuel efficiency and cut emissions. European engineering company ABB suggests technology will become available for ferries doing trips of up to two hours – such as those on some of the English Channel routes – to run purely on an electric charge.

‘Ferry operators on routes between Sweden, Denmark, and Germany are certainly looking to replace the combustion engine in the next generation of ships,’ says Eero Lehtovaara, ABB’s hybrid expert. ‘For Dover-Calais ferries, absolutely we believe electric can do those trips.”

Oslo has ferries doing 20-minute trips on electric batteries.

Ferry operators have questions about the range and recharging time of batteries, but ABB has confidence in the technology.

‘It is a big leap for the operators, but we believe we are on the threshold of migrating to hybrid, and the battery industry is anticipating that threshold, too,’ Lehtovaara said.

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