Post BREXIT paper on Tourism

The Tourism Alliance the (English) trade association for tourism trade associations (which works closely with its other Home Nation equivalents) is putting together a high level strategy paper for the UK Government on tourism impacts and changes needed associated with BREXIT.  British Destinations and therefore UKBMF is represented on the Tourism Alliance Board and is in a strong position to influence some of the tourism related issues and suggestions put to the UK Government over the next few months, albeit that for the time-being at least these will be the headline issues not the detail below that.

The Tourism Alliance’s current position is that EU environmental standards, including those contained within such thing as the Water Frame Work and Bathing Waters directives need to be retained and the UK equivalents then developed.  The current draft document articulates that as:

Preservation of the UK Environment

The UK tourism industry depends on the quality of the UK’s natural environment. The UK’s natural environment has benefitted considerably from European environmental regulation, most obviously through the Bathing Waters and Water Framework Directive which requires rivers, lakes, ground and coastal waters to be of a high standard. Similarly, the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive, through the Natura 2000 programme, provide protection for the UK’s biodiversity and natural habitats.

The environmental management of the UK’s countryside and seaside destinations is one of the main factors in attracting visitors to rural and coastal areas.  This means that it will be important to maintain existing environmental standards and for these to evolve over time in line with international standards and especially with the standards of our near European inbound and outbound competitor destination.

This draft  may well change again as other organisations chip in.  However, I need to know whether UKBMF members are broadly supportive of the general principal of retaining equivalent standards, if so if any tweaks are needed to the headline description above  or if you are not supportive, what headline changes would you wish to see; I.e. higher or low standards and preferably why you want these and what benefits to UK tourism would arise.