Let's Unify To Win

So, it’s a resounding victory for the meetings and hospitality industry as the Government announces that they do not intend to introduce a bed tax.

Just hours after the Lyons Inquiry recommended ‘a consultation on the proposal’ local Government Minister Phil Woolas made his welcome announcement ‘The Government does not intend to introduce a tourism tax’.

Quite apart from being great news this has been an excellent demonstration of what those of us within the meetings and hospitality industry can achieve by working together. We’ve all made our voices heard, the MIA have lobbied with the Business Tourism Partnership, four thousand hoteliers signed the Caterer’s bed tax petition and you just have to search the internet to find organisations from Butlins to the Bed & Breakfast Association ‘saying no to bed tax’. It’s a demonstration of unity that has attracted support from outside the industry and this quite obviously has had a great deal of bearing on the Government’s decision.

What’s next, how about stopping the Government’s UK road charging plan in its tracks? Without doubt this could affect the meetings industry as organisations choose to save money on less effective meetings in their own offices, rather than taking to the road. Or perhaps you have a better idea, what other benefits can we achieve by uniting as an industry?

Over to you…………….. click on comments link below

Jane Evans
Chief Executive