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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote coastal tourism and to ensure that the tourism industry is equipped to cater for an increase in Britons holidaying in the United Kingdom.

Coastal tourism features in VisitEngland’s ‘Holidays at Home are GREAT’ campaign, as well as the recent ‘Coastal Escapes’ and ‘English Seaside’ campaigns through their ‘Growing Tourism Locally’ programme. The National Coastal Tourism Academy in Bournemouth, part funded by Government through the Coastal Communities Fund, was set up in 2013 to partner with tourism businesses to help them reach their commercial potential and provide the best possible experiences for their visitors. The recently established Tourism Industry Council will also aim to identify and address issues around skills gaps, enterprise and apprenticeships to improve visitors satisfaction and encourage and cater for any increase in visitor numbers.