Stuart Andrew MP will be taking over the tourism portfolio as Minister for Sport, Tourism and Civil Society, and Minister for Equalities in DCMS. The Minister has been the Member of Parliament for Pudsey since 2010 and has held a range of roles in government including as a whip, in the MoD, Wales Office, MoJ, and as Minister for Housing. The WTA welcomes the Minister to his new portfolio and look forward to working closely with him.
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A major new study has revealed how camping in the great outdoors improves people’s well-being and mental health. The Outjoyment Report was commissioned by The Camping and Caravanning Club and undertaken by a team of academics at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Sheffield Hallam University.
The study included a survey of nearly 11,000 campers and non campers, assessing their attitudes towards the benefits of all types of camping such as pitching up in a tent, caravan or motorhome, or going glamping. The report has been published 11 years after the ground-breaking Real Richness Report, also commissioned by the Club and researched by LJMU, which provides a comparison to findings from more than a decade ago. Key findings from The Outjoyment Report discovered campers are: • Happy: 97% of campers say happiness is their top motivator for going camping while 48% of campers reported feeling happy almost every day, compared with 35% of non campers • More connected to nature: 93% go camping to enjoy being in nature – the second highest motivator after happiness, and they score highly on measures of nature connection • Enjoying better well-being: 93% of campers value camping for the benefits it gives to their health and well-being – an increase on the 85% of our Real Richness Report in 2011 • Flourishing: 44% are flourishing (have optimal mental health) compared with 31% of non campers. This increases for those who camp more often • Less stressed: 88% of campers are motivated to go camping to take time out of everyday life and have higher levels of psychological well-being than non campers • Active outdoors: 98% of campers take part in outdoor activities. 91% go walking, 39% cycle and 26% enjoy bird-watching. Sabina Voysey, The Camping and Caravanning Club’s Director General, said: “The findings of The Outjoyment Report have never been so relevant as they are today. Camping in all its different forms puts us on the doorstep of the great outdoors and provides a clear pathway to a healthier and happier lifestyle – one in which people appreciate nature more and are active outdoors. Given the many negative events that have been happening in recent times at home and abroad, anything that helps people to feel better about themselves and each other is vitally important.” Dr Kaye Richards, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “Camping connects people – to the outdoors, to nature, to each other, and most importantly to themselves. Positive emotions generated from outdoor enjoyment help to alleviate everyday stressors and promote feelings of life satisfaction. It is no surprise then, that the more people camp the more this can improve happiness and well-being.” Dr Adele Doran, Principal Lecturer in Tourism Management at Sheffield Hallam University, added: “Campers really enjoy an outdoor lifestyle. They pursue a range of outdoor activities while camping, which fuels their sense of adventure, keeps them physically active and connects them to nature. In fact, campers are more connected to nature than non campers.” For a copy of The Outjoyment Impact Report, the full report or photography, please visit www.theoutjoymentreport.co.uk. For media enquiries please contact Simon McGrath (07764 352038, simon.mcgrath@campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk) or Andy Robson (07796 314356, andrew.robson@campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk). About The Camping and Caravanning Club - The Camping and Caravanning Club is 121 years old and is the UK’s oldest and largest Club for all forms of camping. Join the Club from £45 a year. Club members get up to 30% off pitch fees with further discounts for over 60s. Members also get discounts in retail stores, on days out and attractions www.campingandcaravanning The Committee considered the petition and noted the concerns highlighted regarding some self-catering businesses struggling to meet the occupancy threshold. However, Members noted that the legislation is already in force and stated that the issue has been debated in the Senedd. The Minister made her views clear that it is now a matter for local authorities. The Committee agreed that there was little further they could do and agreed to close the petition and thank the petitioner. The actions following the Committee's meeting on 10 October have been posted on the Petitions webpage:
https://business.senedd.wales/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=744&MId=13155&Ver=4 This scheme will provide energy bill relief for non-domestic customers in Great Britain. Discounts will be applied to energy usage initially between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2023. The discount is automatic. If you get a message asking for your bank details, this could be a scam. You can report messages you think are suspicious.
The scheme will be available to everyone on a non-domestic contract including:
Further details can be found here: Energy Bill Relief Scheme: help for businesses and other non-domestic customers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The Wales Tourism Alliance wish Kurt Janson the very best wishes for his retirement from the (English) Tourism Alliance and for all his support over his years of service in taking forward non-devolved tourism issues in association with the WTA and the other UK Associations. Kurt will be very much missed and we look forward to working with Richard Toomer who will shortly be taking over the role on the 31st of October 2022.
Kurt your in-depth knowledge and wisdom will be very much missed. All the best! UK CMS Select Committee publishes the findings of their inquiry into Promoting Britain Abroad25/10/2022 The CMS Select Committee has published the findings of their inquiry into Promoting Britain Abroad. Select Committee Report
Below are many of the main issues that we raised with the select committee including:
Nick de Bois CBE has been appointed by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as Chair of the BTA (VisitBritain/VisitEngland) for a period of three years. He will take up his new post on 1 November 2022 until 31 October 2025. Nick has been VisitEngland Advisory Board (VEAB) Chair since his appointment on 1 June 2020 until his new appointment begins. During this time, and acting in an independent capacity, Nick has led the UK government's review into the funding and structures of England’s Destination Management Organisations. There have been calls in Wales for a similar review.
Lord Syed Kamal has been announced as Parliamentary Under Secretary and takes responsibility for civic society, heritage and growth alongside tourism at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) replacing Nigel Huddleston, MP.
The former technology, innovation and life sciences minister was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Technology, Innovation and Life Sciences at the Department of Health and Social Care between 17 September 2021 and 20 September 2022. He is also Professor of Politics and International Relations at St Mary’s University, Twickenham and was previously Academic and Research Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs. You can read more about Lord Syed Kamall on the Gov.uk website A smart fridge or smart coffeepot on your premises could act as the perfect site for the initia attack, because unlike an Amazon Echo for example, the companies manufacturing such appliances often do not possess years of experience developing complex code with layers of privacy protection technology. These systems operate as appliances first, providing digital technology and security second. Such devices generally possess "minimal" security functionality and can be considered as potentially rogue technology. Today, there exists little legislation to enforce strong security on IoT products on the market …. But it’s coming!
In the UK, the ‘Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Bill’ will mandate that device manufacturers guarantee that their products meet minimum security standards. The bill introduces duties on businesses to investigate and take action in circumstances of non-compliance. Similar legislation is imminent across Europe and indeed around the world. It is proceeding through the House of Lords currently and is expected to be brought into law in early 2023. The requirements are a subset of the ETSI EN 303645 standard. By attaining the IASME IoT Cyber certification, the manufacturer/reseller is certifying that it is compliant with the legislation. If you are a user of IoT devices in your business, then be conscious of the security (or lack thereof) of the “things” on your business network. One way of gauging this is looking for a valid reputable certification of the product, aligned with legislation and with a worldwide standard in IoT product security. PRESS RELEASE
20th September 2022 This consultation is the chance for those who work in the Welsh tourism industry, supporting jobs and the self-employed in local communities, to make it plain how misguided and damaging this bed tax would be. Visitor numbers have not recovered since the pandemic. Our hospitality businesses are still struggling with staff shortages, trying to meet local demand as well as visitor custom. Long-standing, locally owned family accommodation businesses have been hit with tax changes imposed by a Welsh Government which admits it had not even assessed the impact of those changes. Like all businesses across the UK - and our customers - we have been winded by the cost-of-living crisis. The effects of that, as we recall from the last recession, will last for some considerable time. Now, after twenty years of Welsh Government campaigns to raise the number of overnight visits to Wales, it is targeting the very businesses who have invested in that strategy. It has not gone for higher parking charges for day visitors or entry fees to vulnerable landscapes: it has gone for the staying guest who spends more and drives less. Wales is not like destinations which already charge a tourism tax. They enjoy other targeted tax cuts for tourism and hospitality which mitigate the effect on their businesses. Also, unlike many other countries, the current plans will see any tax take disappear into local authority coffers without any guarantee of additional local spend, as Welsh Government intends, on improving facilities used by visitors. Such facilities are also used by local people, of course. This is not the time for tourism businesses to stay silent. They need to tell Welsh Government about the practical implications on their work, on them as self-employed risk-takers, about their existing contribution to the local and national economy and the cumulative effect of this and other policies affecting tourism in Wales. And, if the Labour and Plaid Cymru Co-Operation Agreement means that Welsh Government proceeds regardless of the damage, Welsh tourism businesses must have influence on how any tax is spent. They have the lived experience, they have the expertise and the focus to rescue something from this, without the temptation to divert it into other services. The communities which benefit from tourism must also speak out. Every penny that goes in tourism tax is a penny less spent in the local community and less money supporting local jobs. Wales Tourism Alliance Chair: Suzy Davies Tel: 07540 964678 Email: suzy@wta.org.uk |