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<p>VisitBritain and VisitEngland are responsible for promoting the UK as a tourist
destination, which they do through a range of different initiatives and campaigns.
VisitBritain sit on the Coastal Tourism Leadership Forum (run by the National Coastal
Tourism Academy), helping to shape the Coastal Visitor Economy Vision and Action Plan.
DCMS are observers at the forum. VisitEngland administer the £40m Discover England
Fund which develops innovative products with customisable, bookable itineraries across
England. The England’s Coast project is a good example of this and includes the North
East coastline in its itineraries.</p><p> </p><p>My colleagues in the Ministry of
Housing, Communities and Local Government also provide support and funding to coastal
areas through the Coastal Communities Fund and the Coastal Revival Fund, much of which
has a tourism focus. They have also set up Coastal Community Teams around the country
to support the development of the coastal economy.</p><p> </p><p>The Tourism Sector
Deal was announced on 28th June with the aim of boosting the sector’s productivity
as we look forward to welcoming up to 9m more visitors a year in the future. As part
of the Sector Deal, initiatives such as Tourism Zones will provide focused support
for areas across the country. Coastal regions are among those who will be able to
take part in the bidding process.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of the impact of EU exit
on tourism, we will remain an open and welcoming destination, and we want international
visitors to experience all the wonderful coastlines, countryside, and culture that
the UK has to offer.For example, the UK and the EU have proposed reciprocal visa-free
travel arrangements to enable UK and EU citizens to continue to travel freely for
tourism in the future. This is also the case in a no deal scenario. The Government
has also confirmed that EU nationals can continue to travel on a national ID card
until December 2020 and use e-gates when travelling on a passport.</p>
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