Scarborough's SEA LIFE centre calls on Government to support tourism industry with tax cut

The aquarium warned any rise will have a significant adverse impact on the tourism sector and millions of businesses and jobs that support the industry across the UK just as it is beginning to recover from the pandemic.

The Government originally cut the VAT rate to five per cent in July 2020 to help the tourism and hospitality industries but it rose to 12.5 per cent in September and is due to revert to the standard rate of 20 per cent in April.

Merlin Entertainment, which owns SEA LIFE, said if this happens it could threaten the survival of 10 per cent of hospitality businesses across the UK.

Andy Turner, General Manager of SEA LIFE Scarborough, said: "As we continue to recover from the pandemic, our focus remains on making up for the significant losses incurred over the past two years.

"Although UK visitor attractions benefitted from domestic tourism during 2021, there continues to be a dearth of overseas visitors which continues to have a significant adverse impact on overall numbers and revenue for the sector as a whole."

The attractions owner, Merlin Entertainment, said tourism and hospitality have been the hardest hit sectors through the pandemic - across the UK hospitality industry December saw sales fall by approximately 40 per cent on average, a reduction of £3bn.

It said it is estimated the original VAT cut saved 310,000 jobs across the sector - and by extending the 12.5 per cent rate beyond April an additional 125,000 jobs nationwide could be created.

Mr Turner added: "The recovery was significantly slowed over the winter period due to the rise of the Omicron variant and the Plan B restrictions.

"In light of this, we continue to support the collective view of our industry that a lower rate of VAT needs to remain in place for tourism."

The entertainments company, which runs Legoland, Thorpe Park and Alton Towers, said nationally the tourism sector employs 3.2m people directly and 1.5m in the supply chain, accounting for 11 per cent of UK employment and six per cent of GDP.

It is a vital part of the UK’s economy, with revenues bigger than that of the pharmaceuticals, automotive and aeronautics industries combined, they said.

In the UK alone, Merlin employs more than 10,000 people directly.

Scarborough SEA LIFE and Marine Sanctuary supports approximately 30 jobs and has strong links with local colleges and universities, providing on the job learning for academics and helping to facilitate valuable research studies.

It also rescues, rehabilitates and releases between 20 and 30 seals each year, working closely with the RSPCA and the Marine Divers Association.