Press

The BHA’s partnership with the government is delivering results, Ufi Ibrahim (left), chief executive, told 500 members and guests at the association’s annual luncheon at Grosvenor House, London on Wednesday, where Ana Patricia Botín, chief executive of Santander UK, was the guest of honour.

“Our work with the Secretary of State for Health, and the Responsibility Deal includes Board level representation for the industry as well as on the high level steering group, where we are represented by BHA Council Member, Phil Hooper of Sodexo.

“The Regulation Task Force, to look at red tape which is holding back the industry, will be chaired by the BHA’s incoming president, Alan Parker.

“The 2012 Summit for the hospitality industry, to be held in next July, which we are working on with government, will be a joint public and private sector partnership event.

“And on VAT, I’d like to thank John Penrose, minister for tourism, for working with the BHA on this issue and for championing the industry’s aim for competitiveness in the international and EU market.”

Ms Ibrahim thanked Bourne Leisure and Merlin Entertainments for sponsoring the research that, she said, had been critical in framing discussions with the Minister for Tourism and with Treasury.

“We will continue to press for this, to make UK tourism competitive with the rest of Europe.

“After all – our industry is about jobs. While other sectors are actively automating production and service delivery, the hospitality industry is investing in the training and development of jobs across Britain.

“We are absolutely committed to ensuring that government provides the framework we need to continue to grow employment across the UK so that hospitality can create 236,000 new jobs by 2015.”

John Penrose MP, minister for tourism (above right), said the government was committed to tourism as a key economic driver and urged members to support the BHA in its red tape challenge.  The government was determined to reduce the amount of red tape businesses had to deal with.

Picture below: Sir David Michels (right) hands over to Alan Parker as president of the BHA