CALLS FOR A MINISTER FOR TOURISM IN

By Humphrey Carter THE captains of Britain's tourism industry returned to the UK yesterday refreshed and, for the most part, in a positive frame of mind about the immediate future after attending the ABTA convention. One of the targets the industry has set itself is to be represented in the cabinet. The travel sector wants a Minister for Tourism and is going to try and pull together in order to lobby Number 10. Director of the CBI, Digby Jones, said that the tourist industry generates over seven billion pounds every year for the British economy and employs hundreds of thousands of people, but is not properly represented in government while the agricultural industry, so highly dependent on government subsidies, employing much less people and generating far less money for the British economy, has one of the “loudest” voices in government. Digby said that the travel industry itself is partly is to blame. Made up of so many small businesses, many have their own agenda, but he said that providing the industry can come together and start “making a noise, piling the pressure on the government” there are no reasons why there should not be a Minister for Tourism, as opposed to a Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism. Digby Jones certainly rallied the spirits of the travel industry, drawing delegates' attention to the healthy British economy and stable commercial environment. He said that, per capita, Britain is the biggest trading nation in the world “it's our nature to travel and trade and we must carry on doing so.” “Sometimes we're called arrogant, well we've got good right to be, we've got to keep pushing ahead, but keep it simple, make sure the customer is happy, in fact so happy he or she will come back for more,” he said, for which he received the longest round of applause of any speaker during the convention.