DCMS Committee review BALI evidence at Chelsea

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee parliamentary inquiry was held last week at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show examining the contribution of gardens to the UK’s economy.

Along with key industry bodies, the British Association of Landscape Industries also helped submit vital evidence towards the inquiry. Please click here to view the full evidence submitted by BALI last week.

The Committee had been putting questions to representatives from the National Trust, Royal Horticultural Society, Royal Parks and Visit Britain about how gardens attract visitors, support the economy, and what more support the government could provide to the industry. They explored issues around the sustainability of the sector and the UK’s place in the garden design industry.

A 2018 study showed that the UK’s parks and gardens industry contributed £2.9 billion to the national GDP in 2017. ONS data showed that in 2016, 11.9 million inbound tourism trips to the UK involved at least one visit to a park or public garden – around one-third (32 percent) of all inbound visits in that year.

Along with key bodies in attendance, Rebecca Pow MP for Taunton Deane since 2015 was participating in the inquiry. Rebecca has been a Conservative Party politician serving as Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport since 2019.

Damian Collins MP, Chair of the Committee said:

“Gardens are an incredibly important part of our tourism and heritage – not only for promoting wellbeing and our sense of community but they also represent a significant part of our tourism economy, generating almost over £2.9 billion to the economy in 2017 alone. A third of people who visit the UK visit a park or a garden.

I’m pleased that the Committee is able to explore issues with leading experts in the field, to help us inform our recommendations to government on what more they could be doing to support the industry at this special session hosted by the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.”