The tourism agency has issued a warning language guide banning the use of the word “walkthrough” as it is “non-inclusive”.
Tourism UK, which receives £54m a year from taxpayers, insists it should use the word “review” to avoid offending disabled people.
VisitBritain bans use of word ‘walkthrough’ on grounds of ‘not being inclusive’ VisitBritain Newspeak
It also states that the “blacklist” should be abolished and a “denial list” should be adopted.
Other terms identified by bosses include “guru”, which is said to have been appropriated from India’s Hindu culture, and should be replaced with “expert”.
The terms “minority,” “blindspot,” and “sanity check” are also considered off-limits.
VisitBritain has called on businesses hosting events for international guests to adhere to an 18-point “inclusive” term sheet to create a “culture of belonging”.
Read more about Walk Britain
The 50-page guidance was published within a diversity and inclusion “framework” and sent to the organization’s business partners to “help shape the future of events”.
“Words and phrases that have been used for generations are no longer acceptable,” it says.
Another section of the Equality Pack asks event designers to accommodate non-drinkers and set up “low-sensory rooms” at their venues.
VisitBritain is the UK’s national tourism agency and is funded by a £54m annual grant from the Department for Media, Sport and Culture.
Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense Group of Conservative MPs, said: “The people behind this document are out of touch. They should be blacklisted and blackballed.”
VisitBritain says: “This guide has been developed with input from our partners in the business events industry.”
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