MP Helen Grant Praises Hospitality and Tourism Industry for Its ‘Sharp Focus’ On Job Generation

Published on : Tuesday, November 26, 2013

MP-Helen-GrantHelen Grant, the newly-appointed Minister for Sport, Tourism and Equality has praised the hospitality and tourism sector for its financial contribution to the UK and its ‘sharp focus’ on job generation.

Speaking at the launch of an independent Deloitte study commissioned by VisitBritain in London on Thursday 21stNovember, the Minister admitted to being ‘blown away’ by the industry’s potential to create 300,000 jobs by 2020 and praised the British Hospitality Association for galvanising the industry. The report, commissioned by the UK government-funded group Visit Britain, says that the tourism sector will grow by 3.8 per cent a year from now until 2025. Tourism is responsible for one in three new UK jobs created from 2010 to 2012, say the findings.

Helen Grant, MP says: “The commitment of the hospitality and tourism industry to creating jobs and supporting young people has been brought into sharp focus by the British Hospitality Association’s Big Conversation. It has shown the potential of creating 300,000 new jobs by 2020 and 1,000 employers have already pledged to create 5,000 jobs and 15,000 apprenticeships. This is truly impressive, and it’s initiatives like this which help to realise the potential outlined in today’s report.”

Ufi Ibrahim, CEO of the British Hospitality Association says: “The Hospitality industry is UK plc’s brightest star. We account for one third of all new jobs created in Britain between 2010 and 2012, taking us to 3 million employees across all regions of the UK – from coastal to rural, towns and cities. This growth will move Hospitality up into the top three biggest employers in Britain.

As other industries increasingly automate and outsource jobs, Hospitality stands out for the scale of jobs it represents, especially for young entrants, and for the pace and extent of career development offered across our industry. There are few industries that can match Hospitality’s power to propel individuals from entry level to boardrooms across Britain.”

Opportunities for a Tech-Savvy Generation
As well as setting out industry successes, the study also made recommendations for improvement, suggesting that the hospitality and tourism sector had yet to embrace the potential offered by cutting-edge technologies. In response, Ufi Ibrahim, CEO of the British Hospitality Industry said this: “44% of people employed in the hospitality sector are under 30. This is a technology-savvy generation of young people who, as they grow through the ranks in hospitality, will no doubt embrace the technological opportunities and help the industry to reach its full digital-potential.”

Source:- BHA

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