Budget airlines are "squeezing the life out of British tourism" and the government is exacerbating the problem by promoting expansion of the aviation industry, MPs were told yesterday.What? You mean too many British people are taking advantage of cheap fares to travel abroad and not stay at home and stay in your hotels, right? Well, that begs the obvious question: don't those planes go both ways? Why aren't people from other countries coming to Britain and staying in Travelodges up and down the country?
Budget hotel chain Travelodge accused Ryanair and easyJet of driving an £18bn "tourism deficit" by drawing British holidaymakers away from Britain with low fares underpinned by state tax breaks.
This is the first time I've ever heard of a tourism business complaining about the government making it too inexpensive for people to travel.
