Bob Seely MP has put the Island forward as the location of any future study in England to gauge the benefits of lower VAT for the tourism industry.
The Island’s MP recently raised the issue in Parliament and called for a statement or debate on the benefits of lower VAT on coastal communities, as well as suggesting the Island is ideally placed to be at the forefront of any research.
Bob called for a study on the effects of a lower VAT rate for tourism and asked Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom, if he could recommend the Isle of Wight. Bob said that much of the Island’s GDP comes from tourism, and in addition “it is a self-contained area that would greatly benefit from such a study into lower VAT on tourism.” He also said that it had some of the highest rates of sunshine in the UK.
The Minister replied she understood Bob’s desire for more effort to be made for coastal communities.
Speaking afterwards, Bob said he would continue to press the Government to take action on measures to support tourism and economic development on the Isle of Wight:
“This is an important issue on the Island and I will do all I can to ensure the Government seriously looks at supporting coastal communities, with the Isle of Wight hopefully at the forefront of any study.”
