Deirdre Wells, CEO of Go To Places has responded to the Chancellor's latest spending plans:
“If there is any positive to come out of the pandemic – it is that there is now a much greater recognition by Government and the general public of the huge contribution that our tourism and hospitality industry delivers to the UK economy and to general well being.
"I am delighted by the initiatives that have been announced by the Chancellor – they will certainly help to restore consumer confidence and to get our regional visitor economies moving and growing again.
"However, we have a lot of ground to make up in the destinations that we manage. In Kent for example, the visitor economy is currently 98% down when compared with the same period last year but these new measures will certainly help businesses on the long road to recovery.
"We know that businesses have worked incredibly hard to make it as safe as possible for their customers, and this announcement is a further incentive to customers to come back and enjoy the fantastic hospitality that this country has to offer.”
Photo credit: Helena Lopes