EXMOOR entrepreneur, campaigner, and farmer James Wright has called for a U-turn on the Labour Government’s ‘short-sighted cuts to UK tourism promotion’.

Mr Wright said the Government spending cutback was a threat to jobs in rural areas such as West Somerset.

He said a 41 per cent cut was being imposed on the UK’s flagship international tourism campaign, despite tourism being the nation’s third-largest industry, generating more than £127 billion annually and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, particularly in rural communities.

The Financial Times reported the ‘GREAT’ campaign, which has helped showcase Britain’s countryside, food, culture, and attractions to global audiences, has seen its funding reduced from £60 million to just £35 million.

The cut came as other high-impact promotional efforts, such as campaigns supporting British food and drink exports, also faced steep reductions.

At the same time, Minehead Information Centre, a long-running hub in one of Somerset’s most popular tourist towns, has closed due to a lack of sustainable funding.

Mr Wright said the cuts undermined efforts to attract overseas visitors and threatened the survival of countless small businesses which relied on tourists, particularly in areas such as Exmoor and West Somerset, where tourism was a key economic driver.

He said: “This is short-sighted in the extreme.

“Tourism is not just a ‘nice-to-have’, it is one of Britain’s biggest economic assets, and it pays its own way many times over.

“The ‘GREAT’ campaign was one of the most successful promotional efforts we have ever run.

“Cutting it now, when rural and hospitality businesses are already under pressure, is a huge mistake.”

Mr Wright, who visited an Exmoor National Park Visitor Centre this week, praised the local teams promoting the area.

He urged MPs and Ministers to restore and strengthen funding for international tourism promotion and put Britain’s rural businesses at the heart of the country’s growth strategy.