The UK tourism industry is struggling; more businesses in this sector are closing down each week due to the high level of VAT, which is making holidaying in the UK less attractive. A new campaign has been launched to convince the government to reduce the VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent.

Cut Tourism VAT Campaign (www.cuttourismvat.co.uk) are appealing to the UK government to move in line with Europe and reduce the VAT for the tourism industry from the existing 20 per cent to five cent. Campaigners have claimed the reduction would not only make holidaying in the UK more attractive to people from abroad, but it would also make it more affordable and more attractive to UK families looking for a holiday on home soil.

The travel industry has come together to warn the UK Government that ignoring the calls for a VAT reduction can and will cost jobs. The UK tourism industry is responsible for employing 10 per cent of the working population and continuing to ignore calls to fall in line with the rest of Europe will raise unemployment in the UK.

A spokesman for the campaign said: “If the government reduced the VAT then it could create an extra 80,000 jobs. The industry already contributes more than £115bn to the UK economy each year; the HM Treasury would not lose out by reducing VAT because more revenue would be generated creating a Win-Win situation.”

The Cut Tourism VAT Campaign which is a Nationwide campaign backed by the whole of the travel industry including the Travel and Leisure Group, want everyone in the UK to back the campaign and send a clear message to the government, ‘Save Our Tourism Industry and Save Jobs”

While the rest of Europe moves forward to increase holidaymakers to their country by having a fair VAT rate, the UK government are killing the industry by ignoring calls to bring the VAT rate inline with the rest of Europe.

Travel and Leisure Group along with two industry governing bodies (RDO (Resort Development Organisation) and TATOC (Timeshare Consumers Association), are backing the campaign and hope the government see sense and reduce VAT before it is too late.

At the present moment, the UK tourism industry is losing customers to European countries. As a result of high VAT tourism businesses are employing less staff and ironically the government is losing out with a reduction the industry, will be contributing.

Maria Mills Farinas, TLG’s Managing Director said, “The Tourism industry in the UK is struggling as it is. By reducing the VAT to 5% in line with other EU destinations will allow us to stop losing business to our International and European rivals and allow us to rebuild the industry to where it should be. A VAT reduction will benefit the UK as a whole by delivering much needed money to the country and creating jobs. Please join us in supporting this worthwhile campaign”

You can declare your support for the campaign that is being led by heavy weight businesses with the Tourism sector including Merlin Entertainment Group and Bourne Leisure Group at www.cuttourismvat.co.uk