Design a postcard and win a family weekend at LEGOLAND or Alton Towers! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

With half term just behind us, you may have recently been thinking a little more about holidays. A little while ago a consortium of tourism folks* ran a survey with MNers to see what they thought of the Cut Tourism VAT campaign. Yes, we know, it’s not a sexy topic, but stick with us, it gets better.

Here’s what the consortium say, “MNers got engaged when it was revealed that the UK rate of VAT, at 20%, is double the average European rate for accommodation and a third more than the rate for attractions. 87% of those surveyed said that UK rates of VAT on accommodation and attractions should fall in with European averages.

“A VAT cut to 5 per cent on attractions and accommodation would make British holidays and attractions cheaper and the UK more competitive as a destination. And even more importantly, it should also create more than 120,000 new jobs and boost income for the Exchequer by £3.9 billion over 10 years.

“At the moment the campaign has cross party support of just over 100 MPs, so the survey also asked did MNers think this was something their MP should back.

“The results suggested this was something Mumsnetters cared about with:

• 62% of Mumsnetters saying that they would support the campaign
• Of those who knew that their MP hadn’t backed the campaign, 47% said that they were unhappy about this”

How you can help the campaign

Currently over 100 MPs are backing the campaign. The consortium behind the campaign * now want Mumsnetters to get creative and help them design a postcard that can be sent to all MPs to encourage more of them to back the Cut Tourism VAT campaign. Attached to this thread is their first attempt at a postcard design, but we think you could come up with something better.

So, if you are feeling super creative you can actually create your own postcard and upload a pic for the campaign to use onto this thread. But, if like us you’re not sure your creative powers stretch that far, please feel free to just add a slogan and a pic idea and we can do the rest.

The good news is that everyone who takes part and either posts a pic or adds their ideas will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a free overnight stay for four at either LEGOLAND or Alton Towers plus park tickets. Plus if your design is chosen and used by the consortium to send to MPs you’ll also be given a family overnight stay for four at either LEGOLAND or Alton Towers plus park tickets.

Thanks and Good Luck!

MNHQ

• consortium includes the British Hospitality Association, Merlin Entertainments plc and Bourne Leisure. Merlin Entertainments plc owns LEGOLAND, Alton Towers, The London Eye, Madame Tussauds and Thorpe Park amongst other things. Bourne Leisure own Butlins and Haven Holidays and other leisure businesses.

PS. The consortium behind Cut Tourism VAT campaign may use any designs posted on this thread in regional and national press, as well as designs to be printed to send to MPs, so please only post if you’re happy with this.

Where's the attached example???

I can see a little picture with a postcard on the mobile site!
What about..... A caption "everyone says I need to cut my hair" ( accompanying picture of 'it' from the aDdams family or similar) and then the other half with 'it ' on the beach and the caption "I would rather they cut the holiday tax" and a 5% shaved into his hair

Like this

Is this the kind of thing you're after?!

Is that honestly what the survey revealed? Because uf i remember correctly the majority if people said that even if the vat rate dropped to 5% we doubted that the prices would drop by the corresponding amount...

I am useless at drawing but My idea is a beach with sand , buckets spades , other little toys children play with , with a big fence Around it thats like a Jail but with the Bars then VAT bars then VAT and repeated all the way round. Outside trying to get in are a load of familes in swimming costumes and the slogan is. CUT HOLIDAY TAX NOT OUR HOLIDAYS xxxx Hope this makes sense

#VAT#VAT#VAT huge around the beach

I would have a postcard with 2 pictures of beaches on the front:

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

1 packed with people in Spain
1 empty, but lovely beach in UK

10% VAT slapped on first pic and 20% VAT slapped on second pic

Please help boost our tourism industry by reducing holiday tax

I'm not at all arty but hopefully this gives you an idea, holiday related items with 20% missing or faded.

Ok here is mine :-)

Ok mines coming out a bit small hope you can see it better now

Hi poorbuthappy, the Cut Tourism VAT consortium spotted your comment and would like to say, "The results of the survey did show that the majority of Mumsnetters would support the campaign. The figures that we've quoted here are the results that came out of the survey which we conducted with more than 1,500 Mumsnetters. Some Mumsnetters did express a concern about the benefit of a cut in tourism VAT being passed on to the consumer. A Copenhagen Economics Study for the European Commission has shown that the example of other countries is that competitive forces means that over time the cut is passed through. The Cut Tourism VAT campaign is actively discussing with UK Parliamentarians how this could work in the UK."

A family of five getting ready to go on holiday, all in the car except the youngest child, mum is saying something like "sorry Timmy, we have to leave 20% of the family behind to cover the tax bill".

This is my little piece of 'artwork' not perfect but this is probably the first picture that's not from "Frozen" that I've done for a long time!

I can't draw, but here's a slogan...

Make holidays 'Value Added Family Time' not 'Value Added Tax Time'

Reduce holiday tax(first) or...I am off home (second pic)!

Sorry, this is the other pic!

This is my brilliant postcard idea - 20% is missing from the message - I measured

Not arty so hope these words help paint the picture.

The backdrop is a big sun and underneath a window box with 5 or 6 flowers made from pictures of key tourist landmarks from different parts of the UK ( Big Ben, Harlech castle, Blackpool tower, Giants causeway, Arthur's Seat?).

Above the window box are some secateurs saying "prune back the VAT" then under the box the slogan " and watch homegrown holidays bloom".

I'm not sure how much money difference this would make to a family of 2+2 say, so mine is more flexible and 2 ideas. I feel people would still holiday in uk but cut back on the spend a little, so here goes #1.

Inspired by your photo of Brighton beach, family in deck chairs, dad sits on the pebbles. Mum explains- "The Chancellor took Daddy's deck chair"
You also have "He took Daddy's ice cream (or lolly)"
At the attractions, Daddy looks glum while the others get rides. oh wait, are tickets all inclusive?

Better to imply that dad gets a raw deal, because many of your MPs will be dads.

#2, and I've no idea re the costings for this- amend as necessary. The family are split between 2 sofas, looking at brochures. Dad - "we could have 5 days in Bournemouth..." Mum- " ...or a week in France!"

Sorry to harp on about this MNHQ but are they basing that on the results of the survey or the comments on the thread?

Here is my idea

Postcard of a map of Europe - but with the Uk 2× the size of the rest of Europe and lots of airplanes flying to European destinations like an airline route map.

Slogan along the lines of "Double the tax drives away tourists"

my idea may seem mad but a pic of a deserted uk beach and a picture of a spansh beach crowded with the slogan ... GB tourism vat police supporting family holidays abroad

poorbuthappy, the stats given in the OP are based on the survey results.

My thought was to keep it simple, but hopefully eye-catching

Can I ask for clarification please?? The start of the second paragraph reads “MNers got engaged " does it mean to say "MNers got enraged"??!!

Anyway, my idea would be to have pictures of children looking towards an inviting British beach carrying buckets and spades but somehow being prevented from stepping on the sand and some catchline saying
"we want to enjoy holidays too"