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<p>The tourism industry is vital to our economy, creating jobs and growth across the
country. The Government has consistently prioritised support for the sector. As a
result, the UK enjoyed a record year for tourism in 2013 with overseas visitors spending
£21 billion, 13% more than 2012.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has provided significant
investment to support the growth of the industry. We launched the GREAT campaign to
capitalise on the opportunity of London 2012, and this has secured investment of over
£165m since 2011 to market UK holiday destinations at home and abroad. The Regional
Growth Fund has invested over £19m in three years in local tourism, and creating over
9,100 jobs.</p><p> </p><p>We are also reducing the cost of visiting Britain. From
April 2015, we will scrap the two highest bands of Air Passenger Duty, making the
UK even more attractive to visitors from long haul markets. We have announced a visa
fee refund scheme for 25,000 Chinese visitors next year</p>
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