Government looks ahead to re-opening UK leisure and travel sectors
The government has stepped up its plans to get the leisure, travel and technology sectors up and running, with the announcement of a new taskforce.
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden announced today that the taskforce will be made up of experts in the fields of sport, technology and the arts in a bid to get these sectors to partially re-open by July.
Dowden said former women’s footballer Alex Scott, former BBC and ITV executive Lord Michael Gray and businesswoman Martha Lane Fox will be members of the new group.
Dowden spoke about the importance of getting these sectors back for the sake of the economy.
“This week, I’m setting up a renewal taskforce to help them bounce back,” he said.
“It’ll be made up of the brightest and the best from creative, technological and sporting world.
“They will be experts in their field and they will be advising me on how to find new and different ways to get industries back up and running.”
Dowden also spoke about the prospect of the tourism industry re-opening in order for Britons to take domestic holidays.
The government will from next month implement a 14-day quarantine for anyone returning to the UK from overseas.
Dowden said the aim was to allow people to take vacations within the UK by July.
“I’d love to get the tourism sector up as quickly as we possibly can,” he said.
“We’ve set this very ambitious plan to try and get it up and running by the beginning of July.”
Meanwhile, some professional sport could return from next month with no crowds.
The government’s coronavirus lockdown exit strategy said the aim was to get leagues such as the Premier League back in action by 1 June at the earliest.
However, the Premier League is yet to set a return date.