The real deputy PM to get tourism brief too?

Looked better on Freddy Mercury (just)...

Well, not yet…

But the British Chamber of Commerce and Travelodge seem to think Mandy should take it on…

They have proposed that the responsibility for tourism be removed from the control of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and reallocated under the authority of Lord Mandelson’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

In response, Kurt Janson, policy director at the Tourism Alliance, said:

“We’re at the stage at the moment where there is less government funding for VisitBritain than there was when Labour came to power in 1997. “We have an opportunity for the sector to provide and maintain jobs… and to provide growth to help us out of the current recession.”

Good old BoJo (London mayor Boris Johnson) has also pledged his support and encouragement to the capital’s tourism sector in the run up to 2012.  Which all makes for great talk.

But ultimately, it’s money that’s required. You’d be amazed how a little can go a long way…

Iain Morrison is a senior marketer in the British Tourism Industry. And loves that Mandy is back making his presence felt…