A cross party group of influential peers has called at the British government develop a brand new method to support music-based tourism and help grow the united kingdom economy.
The call was made during a home of Lords debate at the impact of music on tourism.
The debate’s sponsor, Liberal Democrat Lord Storey said music festivals were attracting unprecedented numbers of overseas visitors and feature been pouring money into local economies.
He argued that the world’s “evident love” of the UK’s musical heritage should now be harnessed and used to support music tourism.
A 2011 report estimated music tourists spend £1.4 billion and sustain over 20,000 jobs.
“I have seen first-hand the positive impact music could make on local tourist economies.
“But, we also needs to consider the impact music may have at the country as a full,” Lord Storey said.
“Great Britain simply has an excessive amount of potential for musical tourism for the govt. to face idly by.
“I strongly urge the govt. to contemplate how best to implement a well defined music strategy.”
Storey suggested that to draw more overseas music tourists, government should emphasise and interact with existing tourist bodies and authorities across Britain and help them market themselves as music tourist destinations.
Storey’s stance was supported by Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke, who’s also a non-executive director of the national tourism agency VisitBritain.
“We should not doing in addition to lets for music tourism,” she explained.
“We should have more resource behind promoting our music tourism,” she argued, adding that it was important to cultivate the overseas music visitor because although they just make up a minority of music tourists, they account for almost 20 per cent of music tourism spend.
“We have the talent, the determination and the global focus. Allow us to make this a key pillar of our tourism strategy into the long run.”
Recommended