MP keeps up pressure on tourism cash

AN MP has pledged to keep pressure on the Government to provide funding to help promote Yorkshire after a series of politicians urged Ministers to back the region.

By The Newsroom

Published 14th Sep 2011, 08:10 BST

Tourism Minister John Penrose backed efforts to boost Yorkshire’s tourism industry after six of the region’s MPs used a Westminster debate to stress its importance.

But he refused to be drawn on calls by MPs for the Government to give the tourism agency, Welcome to Yorkshire, a boost by agreeing to match money spent by businesses in the region on promoting it to visitors.

Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams, who led yesterday’s debate, said of the match-funding idea: “My suggestion is now in the Minister’s mind and it will be something I’ll be following through on.”

Mr Penrose praised Welcome to Yorkshire which gets some funding from businesses but is facing losing its public funding from April, while tens of millions of pounds of public money will be spent promoting Scotland.