English UK signs business rates relief plea to Michael Gove

We are among ten inbound tourism organisations which have asked for reassurance that the new £1.5bn fund for businesses affected by Covid will be targeted at those which have suffered the most.

The letter to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

The letter to Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, points out that tourism and the visitor economy is one of the UK's largest industries but also the sector most impacted by the global pandemic.

It points out that the tourism sector has suffered a decline in revenue of over 70% and government modelling indicates that tourism revenue will not recover until the end of 2023 at earliest, due to ongoing restrictions on international travel.

The letter asks for reassurance that funding will be allocated to local authorities according to the business sectors 'that official data show have been most impacted by Covid-19 (and including online travel agencies, tour and coach operators, destination management companies, English language schools, and conference and event organisers)' and the numbers of those businesses that councils have in their area.

It also asks that the guidance to local authorities on how to spend the fund will include 'clear instructions requiring them to prioritise businesses in these sectors that can demonstrate significant loss of revenue' and allow eligible businesses to claim rates relief for any period from March 2020 to March 2023.

The letter, from ten inbound tourism associations including English UK, ABTA, UKinbound, The Tourism Alliance and BETA, says that when the Business Rates Relief fund was announced in 2021 the Chancellor and the Housing Secretary said it would be distributed according to which sectors had suffered the most economically.

'The decline in revenue over the past two years has particularly impacted the businesses that we represent, including online travel agencies, tour and coach operators, destination management companies, English language schools, and conference and event organisers. These businesses will also be significantly impacted by the new travel restrictions being imposed to prevent the spread of the new Omicron variant, which will further threaten their viability and delay their recovery.

These businesses are responsible for over 50% of travel to and from the UK and, in addition to the significant revenue and employment this generates for the UK economy, their survival is extremely important in terms increasing UK trade and investment as we go forward. However, they have received little in support grants during the pandemic as, although people have been prevented from travelling, these businesses were never required to close. They have also not been eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Rates Relief scheme, meaning that being prioritised for the Business Rate Relief Fund is particularly important for their viability.'

Letters to ministers and interventions in the House of Lords

English UK has also been separately campaigning through letters to ministers and interventions in the House of Lords for guidance that English language centres should benefit from the new fund, expected to be released to local authorities in the New Year.

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