Dan Rogerson MP for North Cornwall

Calls for the Prime Minister to support local tourism during the economic downturn have received backing from North Cornwall’s MP Dan Rogerson as part of British Tourism Week.

Liberal Democrat MPs from across Britain came together this week to promote local tourism, delivering postcards featuring local attractions to Gordon Brown at Number 10 Downing Street.

Mr Rogerson later visited Crealy Adventure Park as part a scheme for National Tourism Week to highlight local attractions nationally. He saw the new additions to the Park, including a gift shop and entrance and the expansion of accommodation, as well as trying out the rides and visiting the animals.

Commenting afterwards, he said:

“It is predicted that the number of people staying in Britain this year is set to rise as people are looking for cheaper fun filled holidays that won’t hurt their wallets or the environment.

“Tourism is one of the most important aspects of our local economy, and we should take advantage of renewed interest in British holidays to help our local communities thrive. Promoting tourism in our local area is one of the best ways of protecting jobs and local businesses.

“We have such a wealth of great attractions in the area, from places like Crealy Adventure Park to beautiful historic villages such as Port Issac, Tintagel and Boscastle, to seaside escapes like Newquay. The Government should be doing more to actively promote these British gems nationally and internationally and give the tourist industry the boosts it needs.

“I want to thank the manager of Crealy Adventure Park for giving me such a brilliant tour round. I plan to be back some time soon to enjoy the rides and attractions with my family.”

Notes:

Tourism is the sixth largest industry in Britain. It generates £85bn p.a. for the UK economy (6.4% of GDP) and directly supports 2.2 million jobs (7.7% of the total workforce). In generating £15bn per annum in foreign exchange, it is also the UK’s third largest export earner.