During this year’s English Tourism Week, BGC Chair Brigid Simmonds published a statement welcoming the UK Government’s decision to ease travel restrictions.

She called the move a “huge boost” for casinos in London who, she said, “will now be able to play their part in the recovery from Covid.” Alongside her role as BGC Chair, Simmonds serves as a director for the Tourism Alliance, an organisation representing the UK’s tourism industry.  

In this capacity, she claimed to be well aware of the pandemic’s impact on the people and businesses who rely on this sector to make a living, and went on to add that Britain’s land-based gambling operators hadn’t escaped the wider tourism industry’s general downturn.

“In my current role as the Chair of the Betting and Gaming Council I have seen the impact the travel restrictions and lockdowns have had on many of our members whether at a local level in areas which attract domestic and business tourists, or for those who rely heavily on overseas travellers.

“Casinos, betting shops and bingo clubs have all been affected,” she said, but added: “We warmly welcome the decision by ministers to ease restrictions on travel to help kickstart the tourism industry.”

Simmonds’ statement echoes the support previously pledged by the BGC for the UK Government’s pandemic recovery plans.

On 21 March, BGC Chief Executive Michael Dugher said the organisation’s members will back the Treasury’s efforts to recover public finances.

Simmonds concluded: “I hope by English Tourism Week 2023 we are in a much better position and welcoming many overseas visitors to the British Isles.”