THE official tourism and trade organisation for Dartmoor, the Dartmoor Partnership, has welcomed prime minister David Cameron's plans for the tourism industry.

Mr Cameron gave a speech recently, talking about the need for support of the tourism industry, which is reportedly the third largest earner, behind chemicals and financial services.

In the speech, Mr Cameron said: 'For too long tourism has been looked down on as a second class service sector. That's just wrong.

'Tourism is a fiercely competitive market, requiring skills, talent, enterprise, and a government that backs Britain. Tourism contributes £115 billion to our economy every year. It employs nearly 10% of our national workforce.'

Will Allan, spokesperson for Dartmoor Partnership, said the partnership agreed with the prime minister and was in total support of any help the government provides tourism throughout the country and not just on Dartmoor.

He said: 'I am really pleased that finally tourism is being given the respect and importance it deserves. Tourism is a vast entrepreneurial industry, and has the potential to help re-build Britain's economy which Mr Cameron commented on.

'Too many people see tourism as seasonal, part-time work which doesn't have real value, but they're just wrong.

'Tourism is an industry which is largely untapped in terms of income potential for the UK in its hour of need.

'It is also the one industry that can raise the profile for the UK internationally, bringing it back onto the world stage as a destination that can compete with the US and Australia for awesome factor.

'We welcome the government's aim to make Britain one of the top five destinations in the world and will be right, doing our bit to make sure that it happens.'