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Face the Facts

Factual: Consumer

Original investigations into social injustice, public policy, inefficiency and fraud

Face the Facts: Face the Facts Update

09/01/2013

Face the Facts Update

BBC Radio 4 - Face the Facts, Face the Facts Update

John Waite looks at new measures to help the UK tourist industry attract Chinese visitors.

Changes to the UK visa system to boost tourism income from Chinese visitors are announced, plus fire safety in tower blocks, and what has become of 'Mr Bollywood?'.

In July 2012, as the country prepared for the London Olympics, we reported the concern of the tourism industry that our visa system was making it too difficult for people to visit the UK. Senior figures in the industry said the UK was missing out on a huge rise in Chinese tourism because our visa application forms were too long and too intrusive. Potential visitors had to travel hundreds of miles to visit a centre for biometric testing. By comparison the so-called Schengen visa allows tourists to visit more than twenty European countries is much easier to obtain. As a result many Chinese travellers give up on visiting Britain and confine their trips to the Schengen countries. And, so say tourism leaders, the lost revenue can be counted in billions of pounds. However critics say an easier tourist visa system can make us more vulnerable to illegal immigration. 

In December, the Government announced improvements designed to make it easier for visitors from China to come here. We ask the UK's primary tourism body - Visit Britain - how helpful the reforms will be. 

We look forward to an inquest into a tower block fire which killed six people and may lead to safety improvements in such properties. 

And what has become of the man who is accused of ripping off dozens of investors who handed over money to buy properties in Dubai and yet never set foot in their apartments? The liquidators of his company have so far been unable to find "Mr Bollywood" or the money.

Presenter: John Waite
Producer: Nick Jackson and Richard Hooper.

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