London Mayor Ken Livingstone this morning launched the ‘London Hospitality Skills Strategy’ designed to “boost opportunities in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism in London and to give Londoners the skills they need to deliver a first class welcome to the world when the London Olympic and Paralympic Games open in 2012.”
Prepared by People1st and developed in conjunction with the London Development Agency the strategy sets out a 10 point plan of priorities to be addressed, including developing the right qualifications and improving both the calibre of staff and customer service levels across the sector.
Speaking at today’s launch the Mayor said:
“For the next few years leading up to the 2012 Games and beyond London will be the focus of the world. We are expecting a huge increase in the many millions of tourists who currently visit our capital from abroad and from around the UK and we must grasp the opportunity to ensure we offer a first class welcome to everyone – a welcome they will never forget.”
“But we must all continue working together to ensure that we give all Londoners the skills they need so they too can benefit from the 2012 Games and make a real contribution to the capital’s economic prosperity.”
People1st Chief Executive Brian Wisdom called on the capital’s leisure, travel and tourism sector to “work collaboratively to achieve a more skilled and motivated workforce, especially when London has such a poor reputation in customer experience in this sector and staff turnover is twice the industry average.”
However the launch of the initiative saw the Mayor attacked by One London Party leader Damian Hockney who said:
“The Mayor claims he wants to encourage tourist numbers in London, a course we would strongly support, and this morning he said that with the Olympics he is ‘expecting a huge increase in the many millions of tourists who currently visit our capital from abroad and from around the UK’. Yet at the same time, he proclaims his commitment to discouraging air flights, because of the damage they supposedly do to the environment. He campaigns to add taxes to flights to make them cost more, which will inevitable reduce the numbers of people flying if the tax were imposed.”
Mr Hockney said the Mayor “can’t have it both ways” adding “either you encourage flights through developing London’s image and ability to deal with more tourists with initiatives like today’s London Hospitality Skills Strategy, or you discourage them with things like Ken’s proposed £15 tax on air travel.”
For a copy of the London Hospitality Skills Strategy visit: www.people1st.co.uk/national-skills-strategy
