VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, has welcome the government’s announcement to build a third runway at Heathrow airport, as well other travel infrastructure improvements.

As previously reported in Leisure Opportunities, transport secretary Geoff Hoon confirmed the government's support for the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport in London, despite opposition from MPs and local residents.

In addition to this, Hoon proposed the development of high-speed rail services and £6bn of investment to increase road capacity.

Christopher Rodrigues, VisitBritain’s chair, said: “Tourism means jobs and this is a very positive for Britain’s tourism industry. St Pancras and Terminal 5 have shown how valuable it is to get the right infrastructure for domestic and international travel. These proposals will make Britain’s fifth biggest industry – tourism – even more competitive and offer all tourists better access to the whole of Britain.”

However, Rodrigues pointed out the importance of making any expansions environmentally friendly. “New infrastructure must be built, but it must be built responsibly. The tourism industry is committed to continuing its investments to reduce its carbon footprint.

“In a resource constrained world, 21st century tourism has to be responsible. We fully support the government’s commitment that a third runway must meet strict environmental standards.”