Memorandum submitted by the Pilgrims'
Association
INTRODUCTION
1. The Pilgrims' Association was formed
25 years ago at a time when the pressure of tourists was beginning
to upset the balance between the demands of the visitor and the
worshipper. Its founder members were Canterbury Cathedral, St
Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and York Minster, all important
tourist destinations in their own right. Membership now includes
Church of England Cathedrals and also 3 Roman Catholic Metropolitan
Cathedrals, the Methodist Central Hall and Wesley's Chapel and
several major churches and Abbeys making it a truly ecumenical
organisation. Collectively these buildings receive over 15 million
visitors a year and VisitBritain estimates they bring at least
£380 million a year into the tourism economy and support
over 10,000 jobs. They are unique in the Heritage Sector in that
they are still in use for the purpose for which they were built,
namely that of worship. The Association operates mainly by exchanging
examples of good practice and by championing our members' interests
in the tourism and educational fields and it is the most significant
body coordinating these two functions on a national basis. For
the purposes of this submission the generic term of "Cathedrals"
is used although the points made apply equally to all our members.
THE CHALLENGES
AND OPPORTUNITIES
FOR DOMESTIC
AND INBOUND
TOURISM
2. In many of our towns and cities Cathedrals
provide the main attraction for visitors. Not only are they important
architecturally and historically but also they provide opportunities
for other activities ranging from family history research to the
unique English choral tradition. They organise a vast range of
imaginative events against the background of community music making
and are amongst the foremost patrons of the arts. Also in most
cases they are in full partnership with Local Authorities and
take part in tourism and strategic planning initiatives in their
particular districts. Their presence encourages the establishment
of a diversity of businesses to the benefit of the local economy
as a whole.
THE EFFECTIVENESS
OF VISITBRITAIN
AND OTHER
SPONSORED BODIES
3. The value to the tourism economy of Cathedrals,
as well as places of worship in general, now appears to be well
recognised by VisitBritain, particularly since its support with
the "Sacred Britain" initiative. It has also encouraged
the marketing of "film tourism" with the use of our
members' buildings being in great demand by film directors.
4. The work of the Churches Conservation
Trust, which is directly sponsored by DCMS and is also one of
our member organisations, provides a model of how the Department
can assist in the preservation of our sacred heritage. Initiatives
such as "Engaging Places", sponsored by the Architectural
Division, even though their primary aim is educational, provides
opportunities for "spin-off" visits by parents encouraged
by the experiences of their children.
THE STRUCTURE
AND FUNDING
OF SPONSORED
BODIES
5. The abolition of entry charges to many
museums has created an unlevel playing field as far as attracting
visitors is concerned. A number of Cathedrals have found it necessary
to introduce charging simply to balance their books and others
have aggressive "voluntary" donation schemes. This inevitably
raises the question of the morality of paying for entry into a
place of worship as well as giving museums an unfair advantage
in this respect.
THE EFFECT
OF THE
CURRENT TAX
REGIME
6. The greatest expense for any Cathedral
is maintaining its fabric. At the same time the need to provide
proper visitor facilities is becoming more and more important
both for reasons of marketing and also for the demands now being
placed upon them by recent legislation. This applies to employment
law and the requirements of Health and Safety standards. There
is some VAT relief on repairs but the widening of zero rating
on more activities would enable more tourism-related projects
to be undertaken.
TOURISM DATA
7. Visitor numbers and the economic value
generated by Cathedrals would enable Government to understand
more clearly the role they play in the overall tourism sector.
It would help to form policy by introducing an element that is
different from the more conventional view of tourism and visitor
attractions. They contain nothing that is artificial and provide
something that can appeal to all sections of the visiting public.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
FORMS OF
TOURISM
8. Cathedrals are working in partnership
with cities to encourage visitors to use sustainable transport
means other than private cars, but are, by their location at the
heart of cities, very accessible. As organisations they are addressing
the efficient use of resources, procurement including energy,
and waste management. Good stewerdship of resources is at the
heart of their ministry.
THE LONDON
2012 GAMES
9. We anticipate taking a full and active
part in the cultural Olympics. In addition to their intrinsic
appeal Cathedrals, which are already venues for concerts and other
cultural events, will be planning special events. They could be
magnets to attract the many visitors who may be coming, particularly
from North America and the Commonwealth, to trace their roots
and who can focus on Cathedrals, many of which hold the records
they are seeking.
EDUCATION
10. Although not directly affecting tourism
in the general accepted sense of the word, education is playing
an increasingly important role in the work of a Cathedral. The
DCMS/DfES "Engaging Places" initiative has already been
mentioned but there are literally hundreds of thousands of children
annually paying visits to Cathedrals. These not only provide a
source of income, albeit quite small in relation to the resources
that are used, but also they and their friends and families could
be the tourist of the future.
CONCLUSION
11. Cathedrals were amongst the first visitor
attractions when they were solely places of pilgrimage. This is
still true today but secular tourism now forms a large part of
the visitor population. Cathedral authorities have come to terms
with this change and now accept that they are part of the national
and local tourist economy. By their very nature Cathedrals often
hold the key to visits to other faith groups by being places where
both ecumenical and inter faith dialogue is practised. They can
be honeypots for other related businesses and the more that Government
can do to help them develop their potential the more effective
their contribution will be.
March 2007
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