Wera Champions Bath, Offers to “Work Together” with Ministers to Re-Build Tourism Sector

17 September 2020

Last week local Wera spoke in the House of Commons, championing Bath’s credentials as an international tourism destination and outlining the challenges the city has faced since the onset of Covid-19.

Wera highlighted specific businesses in the city of Bath that are especially vulnerable with the collapse of the international tourism market such as English Language Teaching Schools – which, as a sector, “bring £1.4 billion to the UK economy annually”. She also showcased organisations that were working hard to diversify Bath’s reliance on tourism such as Visit Bath, Bath Preservation Trust, Bath BID and Bath Festivals. She finished her speech by promising to “work with the Minister to provide further support to this vital industry”.

Wera Hobhouse said:
 
“It is always a great honour to speak about Bath in Parliament and represent this wonderful city. Like many cities, across the UK, we now need extra support from Government. Our local authority has been particularly exposed to the financial impact of the pandemic. Tourist attractions are a large source of income for our council and it means less money for vital services for our residents.

"Bath is one of the best places in the UK to visit and we benefit from the 6.5 million tourists each year who travel to see our city. Covid-19 poses a threat to much of our local economy and losing the summer season in Bath has been disastrous for many of our local businesses.

“I look forward to working more with the Minister to re-energize our tourism sector, in a way that does not risk the health of our community.”