Merlin Entertainments CEO Nick Varney has been announced as the successor to British Hospitality Association (BHA) chair Alan Parker when he steps down on 1 January, 2015.

Varney will join the BHA board of directors, working with CEO and Leisure Opportunities columnist Ufi Ibrahim, plus the executive team in the lead up to the general election – where hospitality, and particularly tourism, are expected to be significant issues.

Varney has been instrumental in leading the Cut Tourism VAT Campaign – striving for the UK to be more competitive in Europe with a lower tourism tax – and his immediate priority will be to make all political parties aware of the importance of the hospitality and tourism sector to the economy and jobs market.

Varney has said his key priorities are gaining ground on: the tourism VAT issue; visa policies for emerging markets like China and Russia; ‘enlightened’ employment legislation; identifying and rectifying skills shortages in the industry; and the development of a more efficient and encouraging planning process.

“The BHA is to be congratulated on the excellent work done to date and I take this opportunity to thank everyone, but particularly Alan and Ufi, for what has been achieved so far,” said Varney.

“Now with a general election imminent we have a very short window of time to build on this, and to make sure that the economic and social importance of the hospitality and tourism sector is understood by all political parties; and that our issues are on their agenda for the future.”

Alan Parker will retain his role as president of the BHA.

Varney and the Merlin team were the subject of an in-depth and exclusive profile in the Q1 edition of Attractions Managment entitled How to build a $6bn company. To read the piece, click here.