EVESHAM MP Nigel Huddleston has accused the Government of damaging Britain’s tourism and hospitality industries through higher taxes and increased costs for businesses.
The Conservative MP for Droitwich and Evesham made the comments in a recently published article, in which he argued that Government policies were placing significant pressure on businesses including pubs, restaurants, hotels, holiday parks and visitor attractions.
Mr Huddleston, who previously served as Tourism Minister and is now Shadow Culture Secretary, said recent Government support measures for parts of the hospitality sector did not go far enough to offset rising costs faced by employers.
He claimed changes to National Insurance contributions, increases to the minimum wage and business rate pressures had disproportionately affected hospitality and tourism businesses, many of which are small or family-run enterprises operating on tight margins.
Mr Huddleston said:
“Tourism and hospitality are meant to be the fun sectors. They bring joy to millions of people every year. They are core to our culture and society at large, but they are not ‘nice to haves’ – they are vitally important to our economy.”
The MP also criticised proposals which could allow local mayors to introduce visitor levies, often referred to as tourism taxes or bed taxes, warning they could increase the cost of holidays for families and discourage domestic tourism.
In his article, Mr Huddleston claimed more than 100,000 jobs had been lost across the hospitality and tourism sectors since Labour’s first Budget and argued that businesses were finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain staff.
He said:
“It takes a lot of extra pints, sandwiches or room nights to cover the additional cost of hiring a full-time member of staff.”
Tourism remains an important part of the local economy across Worcestershire, with Evesham attracting thousands of visitors each year to its riverside, historic attractions, festivals, countryside and independent businesses.
Mr Huddleston said many businesses had told him they were struggling to make the numbers add up despite continued demand from customers.
He called for greater support for businesses through lower taxes, reduced regulation and expanded business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure firms.
The Government has previously defended its economic policies, saying measures including increases to the National Living Wage are designed to improve living standards for workers while supporting long-term economic growth.
The comments come as hospitality businesses across Worcestershire continue to face rising operating costs and ongoing recruitment challenges.
Mr Huddleston added:
“We have a world-class tourism and hospitality offering and compared to many other sectors it is relatively future-proof because it relies so heavily on human interaction and physical experiences.”
