Julian hosts York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce in Parliament
May 28, 2023
Julian was very pleased to welcome the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce to Parliament for a meeting with the Minister for Small Business and Hospitality, Kevin Hollinrake MP, Minister for Tourism, The Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale MP and North Yorkshire MPs, The Rt Hon Julian Smith, Andrew Jones MP and Rachael Maskell MP.
This was a fantastic opportunity for the Chamber of Commerce to raise the profile of their recently founded York Hospitality Forum and to raise concerns with the Ministers responsible for the health of the industry. The role of the forum is to be a leading voice for this vital sector regionally, nationally and internationally.
Hospitality and tourism are intrinsically intertwined, and we are very fortunate to have such a thriving and competitive sector in York which has enjoyed a more fruitful bounce back post-COVID than other parts of the UK. However we must recognise that the last few years have been an incredibly and arguably uniquely challenging period for the hospitality and tourism sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent public health restrictions, the war in Ukraine and a rise in inflation, energy bills and the cost of living.
Nationally, tourism is such a vital player in our economy with 3.4 million people employed in over 300,000 businesses across the UK which contributes over £150 billion a year to our economy.
The meeting allowed for representatives from the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce to explains the aims and it also allowed for a more broad discussion about the industry where those present discussed thematic issues such as employment, apprenticeships, York’s visitor economy, and how we can harness the opportunities provided by North Yorkshire’s devolution next year.
The meeting was very much the first conversation of many and with all MPs present and Ministers visibly engaged and impassioned there is clear evidence that there is much more to be done collaboratively. The Ministers were clearly acutely aware of the challenges facing this core industry and have expressed a willingness to raise the profile of hospitality, tourism, and the challenges they face across key Government departments such as the Treasury and Department for Transport.
Following the meeting Julian commented,
“This was a fantastic chance to get industry leaders, the Chamber, Ministers and fellow North Yorkshire MPs together to discuss the benefits of this leading hospitality forum and the unique challenges this industry faces.
There is so much to be done and I appreciate the open and frank insights from the Ministers present and welcome their commitment to raise the profile of the industry and its challenges across Government.
I am committed to keeping this conversation going and will continue to work hard to ensure that North Yorkshire’s hospitality and tourism sector is as vibrant and successful as it possibly can be”.
