Digby Jones: Government never saw tourism as being important

From a speech by the director general of the CBI at a conference on tourism in Cumbria

Central government never saw tourism as being as important as it is. Out of the awful foot-and-mouth has come a silver lining – tourism has come to the attention of government. The cash now being ploughed by the Government into regional development agencies must be spent wisely and properly so that more can be asked for next year.

I will be lobbying the Government for money for England to promote its tourism within the UK. Wales has taxpayers' money to promote itself, as does Scotland. But England doesn't get a penny. Cumbria, the worst-hit county in terms of foot-and-mouth, was ideally situated to attract people from Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

The industry, which has traditionally relied on younger workers to fill many of its entry-level jobs, continues to be handicapped by skill shortages. These are being made worse by a fall in the number of 16- 24-year-olds in the population.

Cumbria has fought hard to re-establish its place in the hearts and minds of the domestic tourist market. It experienced horrendous tribulations last year but has faced these squarely and taken positive steps to put both its tourism product and its workforce back on track. The industry's future lies in a quality workforce delivering a quality product. Cumbria has recognised that good training opportunities provide the way out of current skill shortages. In particular, I applaud the Modern Apprenticeship course for chefs launched by Cumbria at the beginning of this week.

We all need to play a part in raising skill levels, and those businesses that invest in training shouldn't find competitors poaching their staff. Tourism businesses need to pull together, not pull each other apart. The overall target has to be the growth, and sustainability of this key provider of jobs and wealth-creation in Cumbria.