Image: Concerns exist over border control plans

Tourism Alliance chair Brigid Simmonds has expressed concern that strike action and the axing of border control jobs will undermine the government's tourism plans.

More than £77m is currently being invested in promoting the UK as a tourism destination to overseas markets as part of efforts to attract an additional 5 million visitors.

However, there are plans to reduce the number of frontline immigration officers by 1,500 by 2014-15, which Tourism Alliance said will lead to delays for tourists entering the country.

Simmonds said: "The government is currently spending more than £77m on marketing the UK as a tourism destination overseas with the goal of gaining 5 million additional overseas visitors who will provide an additional £3bn and 20,000 jobs for the UK economy.

"It is hard to understand how reducing staffing levels at border control and subjecting visitors to delays of up to 3 hours will help achieve this goal."

During this summer's Olympic period, the government is looking to transfer border control staff from other ports-of-entry or employ temporary staff in order to reduce such delays.

The Tourism Alliance said the plan was "simply papering over the cracks" and has called for Home Office policies to complement "long-term objectives to boost tourism".

Details: www.tourismalliance.com

Image: Oleg V. Ivanov/shutterstock.com