New package deal for tourism sector

Communities that depend on tourism will receive financial help from a £10 million Kick-starting Tourism Package to boost tourism in England

• Funding will help small businesses in tourist destinations to access support of up to £5,000
• Government will also accelerate delivery of over £50 million for shovel-ready infrastructure projects over the coming months to help boost tourism
• Announcement follows £5 billion “New Deal” support previously announced by the Prime Minister

The new funding will be distributed to communities immediately to help summer tourism.

Businesses can use the funding to pay for specialist professional advice such as human resources, legal or financial expertise, to adopt new technology and online systems or to purchase new equipment.

All of the money is coming from government, with no obligation for businesses to contribute financially.

The funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) builds on the government’s £32 million ERDF investments in tourism-boosting projects across the country that are helping various localities.

Live projects include £1 million to support coastal improvements in Cornwall and £4.2 million to help the Lake District meet its low carbon ambitions.

Over £50 million ERDF funding for shovel-ready infrastructure projects is being accelerated and will be distributed later in the summer and autumn. The funding is for projects already in development which will boost local economies and visitor numbers, create jobs and promote investment.

The Kick-Starting Tourism Package is supported by the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 to 2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. For more information, see https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.

Funding will be allocated to each Local Growth Hubs based on how much of their employment base is linked to tourism and hospitality businesses. This means that coastal and rural areas – with a bigger proportion of their economy focused on tourism, hospitality and allied sectors, will get a larger share of the funds.

Growth hubs work across the country with local and national, public and private sector partners – such as Chambers of Commerce, FSB, universities, Enterprise Zones and banks, co-ordinating local business support and connecting businesses to the right help for their needs. They are locally driven, locally owned and at the heart of the government’s plan to ensure business support is simpler, more joined up and easier to access.

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