The recent Budget could help British motorboat builders
The British Marine Federation welcomed the support for manufacturers given in George Osbourne’s statement in March.
The Chancellor detailed a raft of measures designed to back British businesses and sustain the economic recovery, fostering a “Britain that makes things again”.
Howard Pridding, chief executive of the BMF, said: “The UK leisure marine industry is a national success story and many of the initiatives in this Budget should help to support the sector’s global reputation for innovation, good design and quality. However, as the government focuses on exporting the “Made in Britain” stamp across the world, we hope it does not lose sight of the issues closer to home. UK tourism is one of our country’s most valuable industries, with boating tourism alone contributing £3.7 billion to the economy last year, yet the sector received little attention in the Budget.
“Many of our members based on the coast and inland waterways were badly affected by the recent flooding and, while new funding for flood defences will help maintain the resilience of the sector, we hope that the government will recognise the need to promote boating-related tourism, which is an important contributor to employment and local economies all around the UK.”
