Tourism Boost with Progress of Daylight Saving Bill

The prospect of a tourism boost for the UK of up to £3.5bn per annum has increased with the passage of Rebecca Harris's Daylight Saving Bill through its second reading in Parliament.

The Bill calls for a thorough economic assessment of the benefits associated with moving clocks in the UK forward a further hour in summer and winter so that the best use will be made of the available sunlight throughout the year. If this analysis is favourable it will be followed by a three year trial of the scheme.

Tourism Alliance Vice Chairman, Brigid Simmonds OBE, stated, "this is very good news for the tourism, leisure and sports industries. Not only would this Bill help extend the tourism season, it would also support the Government's health agenda by encouraging more people to undertake outdoor activity"

A Tourism Alliance study of the benefits of such a move undertaken by the Policy Studies Institute in 2008 calculated that the tourism and leisure sector would benefit by up to £3.5bn per annum and would create up to 80,000 additional jobs.

In addition to the tourism benefits, moving the clocks forward an hour would reduce deaths and injuries on UK roads, reduce the UK's carbon emissions by 2.2% and reduce fuel poverty for the elderly.

"A Bill that has the support of Tourism groups, Sports Groups, Health and Safety Groups, Environmental Groups and Age Charities and has been shown to be supported by the majority of UK residents deserves to be given serious consideration by Government - and we are delighted that this is happening"

Date added: Monday 6th December 2010
Latest updated: Thursday 8th March 2012