Campaign Chairman addresses Hospitality Exchange

Dermot King, addressed Northern Ireland industry leaders at a Panel Debate alongside Ruth Andrews, Donal Durkan and Ciaran O’Neill on Wednesday 18th October at NIHF’s Hospitality Exchange in Belfast. Dermot called for tourism to have its own ‘separate ministry and portfolio to reflect the sector’s status as the fourth largest industry in the UK’. He…..Read more

Cut Tourism VAT discussions lead at Hospitality Day

Reducing Tourism VAT was widely discussed at the British Hospitality Association’s annual Hospitality & Tourism Day on Tuesday 10th October. ‘I need your help to Cut Tourism VAT’, Dermot King, Chairman of the Cut Tourism VAT Campaign, urged industry leaders before they went to Parliament to lobby their MPs. The Campaign and leading businesses then met…..Read more

Cut Tourism VAT launches Northern Ireland research

Following Westminster’s decision in June to conduct a consultation on Tourism VAT in Northern Ireland, the campaign attended ‘Tourism VAT NI: Next Steps Forward’ alongside Hospitality Ulster and the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation. The event showcased the national benefits of a cut in Tourism VAT for Northern Ireland. Vernon Hunte, Campaign Manager, said: ‘This economic model…..Read more

The view from the Chairman

Dermot King, the chairman of the Campaign to Cut Tourism VAT, wrote a comment piece in Travel Weekly, arguing for Tourism VAT to be cut to 5% to bring Britain in line with competitor destinations. The full text and a link to the article is below. Tourism is a strategic industry for the UK economy;…..Read more

Bob Seely MP asks for UK wide study on reduction in Tourism VAT

Last week, the new Member of Parliament for the Isle of Wight, Bob Seely MP asked the Government to investigate the benefits of a reduction in Tourism VAT in the United Kingdom as a whole. Andrea Leadsom MP, the Leader of the House of Commons, recommended that he applies to hold a debate about how coastal communities like the…..Read more

How would a cut in Tourism VAT help small businesses?

Harry Acland of Notgrove Holidays shares his story, which illustrates vividly how a cut in Tourism VAT would help small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) like his. Put simply, the current tax environment has made operating the small hospitality business managed by my wife and I in the Cotswolds almost unsustainable. Increasing business rates and high VAT on tourism…..Read more