Recently, the Norwegian Hospitality Association report that it is set for a record summer for tourism for the third consecutive year. A number of players have registered 8 percent more customers than last year. This is explained by the travel companies have been quick to develop new experiences.
– In addition, Norway has of course been invaluable boost from the favorable exchange rate, says communications director of the Norwegian Hospitality Association, Merete Habberstad, told Aftenposten.
– now is to prevent this from just being a flash, says Labor’s Torstein Tvedt Solberg, with room in the Parliamentary Finance Committee.
– To do that we must strengthen the tourism and not weaken it by unstable working conditions, so the government has done, he said.
Comments: Yes to own tourism minister
Cut with consequences
There he also aiming for is grants from Industry and Fisheries Ministry to Innovation Norway’s tourism strategy.
In 2013, was allocated 260 million for the purpose. After the government Solberg took power in autumn 2013 has not been appropriations nearby. This year they are at 231.5 million crowns.
This reduction has received several consequences for Innovation Norway’s tourism initiative, says Audun Pettersen, director of sustainable tourism and food, Dagsavisen.
Poland has been laid down as market countries. This means that Innovation Norway no longer has any dedicated people working in tourism there.
It’s been cut in consumer campaigns made with Norwegian tourism operators in key markets. These markets include Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Britain, the Netherlands and the United States.
Before there were Norwegian-brochure in ten languages. Now there is only one version again, it is in English.
It should be no longer any marketing in Norway, in addition to those carried out in collaboration with Agriculture and Food for småskalaktører in agriculture.
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Higher Tax
Also in other ways the government has weakened tourism industry, says Torstein Tvedt Solberg.
From 1 January this year increased the VAT rate on tourism services from 8 to 10 percent.
– VAT increase on key tourism services can be enough to overturn tourism businesses with low profitability, stated Ingjerd Sælid Gilhus in Norwegian Hospitality on that occasion.
Dagsavisen are told that the assessment remains unchanged.
– The biggest problem with the tax increase was the time for it, says Kari Anne Rustad at Rustad Hotel & amp; Mountain Lodge at Sjusjøen.
– Both we and many others had already put winter and summer prices, which we could not do anything about. The loss had to take itself, she said.
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Cuts in broadband
The government has also reduced their funding for broadband development, memories Solberg on.
– This is highly regrettable. Tourism is a degree dependent on being available online, said regional manager Ole Åsåren in North Gudbrandsdal Regionråd to NRK, when the government’s proposed cuts for 2015 was announced.
For both 2015 and 2016, the government proposed to allocate about 50 million for broadband expansion. It put parliamentary majority to suppress. Thus, allocations instead of respectively 110 and NOK 126.5 million. This was still much less than in 2014, when the allocation was 160 million.
Solberg also mentions aircraft seat fee from June 1, as an example of an unfortunate change for the travel industry.
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– Tourist message?
At the same time calls for both him and others a tourism message from the government. KrF proposed such a white paper on January 7 last year.
– The Government is very behind who have not managed to come up with a new policy in this area, after almost three years in power, says Solberg.
In Aps time in government was tourism lifted one of the five main areas of industrial policy. Now think Solberg that tourism in must be a priority with both more international marketing and more broadband development.
– It can also lead to more good year-round jobs, think Labor politician.
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The government rejects the allegations they do not do enough for the travel industry.
– Subsidies for Innovation Norway’s tourism activities were somewhat reduced in 2014 and 2015, but continued in 2016. Innovation Norway believes this has had little impact on the number of foreign tourists in Norway, State Secretary Lars Jacob Hiim (H) in the Ministry of Industry, in an email to Dagsavisen.
– It is confirmed by the figures for 2015 and provisional data for 2016. Last year was a record summer, and tourism operators are reporting even better figures for 2016 continues Hiim.
He further points out that the money that goes to Innovation Norway’s work for tourism, inter alia, contribute to increased profitability in the industry and to strengthen market opportunities for Norwegian tourism operators.
– There are Innovation Norway itself to assess how money wherever possible can help to achieve these goals, writes Hiim.
Travel Report, which Aps Torstein Tvedt Solberg, calling, coming this fall, getting Dagsavisen informed the Ministry of Industry.
– The tourism industry’s competitiveness and value creation in the industry will be important topics in tourism message. Whether there will be more money for Innovation Norway’s tourism work, considered in the regular budget process, writes Hiim.
Broadband development is something that is under the Ministry of Transport. Undersecretary Reynir Johannesson (FRP) assures that the government “is keen to ensure broadband for all”. When the government nevertheless has proposed relatively small allocations for this purpose, it has context that “the commercial participants investment level has increased each year since 2013 and last year was invested over eight billion.”
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