The decision by Andy Burnham to back a 20% cut in business rates for pubs, bars and live music venues is a welcome recognition of the pressures facing businesses that are central to the UK's economy.

But where is the support for hotels, restaurants and the thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that underpin so much of the UK’s economy and workforce?

Our visitor economy is an interconnected ecosystem. Travel agents, tour operators, hotels, restaurants, attractions, transport providers and hospitality businesses all rely on one another to drive economic growth. Supporting one part of that ecosystem while overlooking others risks limiting the overall impact.

Hotels and restaurants continue to face significant cost pressures, while independent travel businesses and other travel SMEs up and down the country continue to contend with overhanging Covid debt, rising employment costs and business overheads, and ongoing economic uncertainty.

These businesses are major employers on both a local and national scale, generate billions for the UK economy and play a vital role in communities nationwide.

If policymakers are serious about unlocking the full potential of the UK's economy, support must extend beyond a single segment of hospitality.