Mike Freer visited the Holiday Inn Express Golders Green on Friday.
The visit was an opportunity to discuss the importance of tourism and the hospitality industry to Golders Green, London and the UK, as well as the hotel’s work in supporting the local community.
On a guided tour, Mr Freer saw first-hand how a busy hotel and its staff operate behind the scenes, and the importance of the hotel to the local community, which employs 19 staff members from the area.
Speaking during his visit to the hotel, Mr Freer MP said: “I’ve visited the Holiday Inn Express Golders Green today to experience first-hand the tourism industry in this important year, as the Olympic and Paralympic Games come to the UK. Hotels, including this one in my constituency, will play a crucial role in representing the UK and hosting visitors during London 2012. It’s been fantastic to receive a warm welcome from the staff today and to meet many of my constituents working in this growing industry.”
David Cohen, Director of Summit hotels which owns Holiday Inn Express Golders Green said: “The hospitality sector is frequently overlooked but is a large employer in the local area and important to the wider economy. Our staff were very pleased to have met their local MP and appreciated the interest he has shown in their work.”
Tourism is the UK’s fifth biggest industry and our third-largest export earner . According to a report published last year by the British Hospitality Association (BHA) , the hospitality industry accounted for the direct employment of 11,207 people in the London Borough of Barnet in 2010, or 8.3% of total employment in 2010. The same report also estimates that the hospitality industry will account for the direct employment of 13,461 people across Barnet by 2020. These figures reflect the fact that tourism and hospitality play an important role in the local economy and that it is a key source of employment.
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is a global company with well-known brands such as Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza. Holiday Inn is the official hotel provider to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.