In its fervent pursuit of immediate growth, the present Government seems determined to look straight through the contribution that heritage and culture can make to our economy.

Athena fully understands that the past has none of the headline appeal of — say — the vast investments into tech announced to coincide with Donald Trump’s recent state visit. Nor does it necessarily promise to yield spectacular returns that will rebalance the budget overnight. Nevertheless, it does have an important economic contribution to make and, by any measure, is already a massive employer and business. In 2023, for example, heritage-led tourism alone in Britain generated an estimated £12.5 billion from international visitors and a further £15.9 billion from domestic travellers.

Yet when was the last ministe

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