Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote staycations to support the tourism sector.

The government is committed to supporting the recovery of the UK’s tourism industry and promoting domestic tourism. The Tourism Recovery Plan, published in June 2021, sets out a comprehensive framework for rebuilding the sector.

The plan set out ambitious and stretching targets, which were at least a year faster than independent forecast predictions, in which to recover domestic tourism to pre pandemic levels. A target of 99 million overnight trips and spend of £19 billion by the end of 2022 was set, as well as aiming to return inbound visitor volume to return to 41 million and £28 billion spend by the end of 2023.

The TRP also announced plans for a new rail pass, which we hope to launch this year, to help make it easier and more sustainable for domestic tourists to get around Scotland, England, and Wales.

The National Lottery Days Out Campaign offers people the chance to redeem a lottery ticket for a £25 voucher for attractions around the whole of the UK. The campaign is designed to support domestic tourism by stimulating off-season demand from domestic day trips. As of 21 March, 187,117 vouchers have been redeemed. This campaign ends on 31 March.

2022 also promises a host of unmissable events, including Her Majesty’s Jubilee, with a programme of events over the extended Jubilee Bank holiday; Unboxed, which aims to engage millions of people through in person and digital events; as well as the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will drive visitors to the region.