2012 - Year of the Domestic Holiday?

Britannia Hotel, Manchester

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has revealed plans for hotel operators across the UK to offer discounts to British holidaymakers next year as part of efforts to boost domestic tourism. Addressing the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Hunt said he is in talks regarding the possibility of offering a 20.12 per cent discount at hotels and B&Bs. The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and associated events, including the Torch Relay, were highlighted by Hunt as having the potential to “transform” the UK’s tourism sector. Working in partnership with tourism minister John Penrose, Hunt said the government will be looking to turn “strong interest into good business”. Last month, Hunt announced that £3m from the Olympic budget had been allocated to help boost domestic tourism based around the Torch Relay and the Cultural Olympiad. Hunt said: “We want to use next year to transform our domestic tourism industry. We want next year to be the year to have a holiday at home.” (IMSPA Digital magazine, Oct 11)