Government urged to 'take more notice' of £60bn tourist industry

Did you know that tourism directly contributed nearly £60bn to the UK economy in 2014, nearly 4% of the entire economy? Almost 1 in 10 jobs in the UK are in tourism-related industries; and jobs in the sector are growing at almost double the rate of other industries. These surely are statistics to shout about. At UKinbound, we’ve been doing just that.

Through our own wave of #mytourismjob activity, we’ve been sharing ‘success stories’ from across the tourism industry in the form of case studies, depicting the value of tourism as an employer, both in terms of economic contribution and as a provider of rewarding, long-lasting and successful careers.

The rapid career progression and outstanding achievement of our case studies, drawn from UKinbound members and beneficiaries of our partner charity, Springboard, have been shared, acknowledged and celebrated via our social media campaign.  Whilst varied, each story highlights the same theme – that the tourism industry is an exciting and vibrant place to work, and offers unrivalled and unparalleled opportunities for career progression and success.

Nonetheless, they also demonstrate the need for further Government support if individuals are going to be drawn to a career in this sector, and enabled to flourish. Deirdre Wells, Chief Executive of UKinbound, comments, “UKinbound welcomes the Government's recent commitment to promoting careers in the tourism industry. Tourism currently employs one in ten people in the UK and the sector is capable of further growth but this can only be achieved by encouraging candidates into the industry."

In collaboration with Springboard, which offers a wide range of training programmes to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into work, we will be at the forefront of the delivery of #mytourismjob. In addition to raising awareness of the opportunities that are already available in this industry, we will be introducing young people to UKinbound members who can pledge work experience, apprenticeships and shadowing opportunities in spring 2016, as part of a Big Tourism Conversation event.

It’s the experiences of those who have progressed within the industry which are the most compelling to those who are considering careers in tourism. First-hand experience and advice are perhaps more influential than any tourism or job-related statistic. The case studies which have been shared by leading tourism employees and recruiters, as well as young people just beginning their careers in tourism, leisure and hospitality should make compelling reading for all those in Government who are commitment to boosting employment.

UKinbound can provide access to over 100,000 employees through our membership. If the Government is going to improve perceptions of the tourism industry as a positive employer, collaboration with UKinbound and our membership is vital to gain a wider understanding for the changes which could be made to improve the journey into tourism employment.

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To review these case studies and for more information on our support to #mytourismjob, please see here.