Exclusive: October Bank Holiday rejected by ministers due to £1 billion cost to UK economy
Britons' hopes of an additional October half-term Bank Holiday look to have been dashed after ministers ruled that the £1 billion-plus economic cost would be too great for the coronavirus-hit UK.
In a submission to MPs, VisitBritain, which represents the UK tourism industry, urged ministers to consider an additional Bank Holiday in the October half-term "to stimulate demand when it is possible to travel".
The UK's national tourism agency wrote: "Whilst the industry would welcome flexibility around taking children out of school in September/October, they recognise that a Bank Holiday during half-term to allow parents to take time to travel with their children would be more likely.
"This could also be a good time for a national celebration of our resilience to the pandemic, perhaps to pay tribute to the NHS."
The idea received the backing of Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, this week. He said a Bank Holiday in October was an "excellent proposal" and he would look at it with his colleagues.
He told MPs this week: "'That is an excellent proposal.
'One of the challenges we will have is getting the sector up and running as strongly as possible in the summer and extending it for as long as we can.
'This is a matter that I am discussing with my colleague, the Business Secretary [Alok Sharma]."
However Paul Scully, a colleague of Mr Sharma in the Business Department, poured cold water on the idea due to the "considerable" cost to the British economy, estimated to be well in excess of £1.2 billion at a time when the UK is expected to be in recession.
Mr Scully said: "Currently there are no plans to change the Bank Holiday dates. The Government regularly receives requests for additional bank and public holidays to commemorate a variety of occasions.
"The current pattern of public and Bank Holidays is well established and acknowledged within the country.
"Whilst an additional Bank Holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy of an additional Bank Holiday is considerable.
"The estimated cost to the economy of the one-off Bank Holiday for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 was £1.2 billion."
VisitBritain Director Patricia Yates insisted on Friday that an extra October Bank Holiday would deliver an "economic boost".
She told The Telegraph: "We are working across the industry and with the UK Government to ensure that tourism can recover as quickly as possible once restrictions are lifted, save as much of the valuable summer season as we can and also to stretch the tourism season by having an additional Bank Holiday during this year's October half-term.
"We know Bank Holidays generate an economic boost. Last year's August Bank Holiday weekend was estimated to have brought a £2.1 billion boost to the economy, with 8.6 million Britons having planned an overnight holiday trip in the UK and the money generated going into local businesses and local economies."
