Web viewDear Secretary of State, ... of 44 captains of the tourism industry wrote to express their...
Transcript of Web viewDear Secretary of State, ... of 44 captains of the tourism industry wrote to express their...
The Rt Hon. John Whittingdale, OBE, MPSecretary of StateDepartment for Culture, Media & Sport100, Parliament StreetLondonSW1A 2BQ
3rd December 2015
Dear Secretary of State,
Thank you for your efforts in securing an excellent overall settlement for heritage, tourism and culture. Before the Spending Review, an ad hoc grouping, coordinated by British Destinations, of 44 captains of the tourism industry wrote to express their support of a new product development fund for English tourism. We are of course delighted to see that you have agreed to provide a most welcome £40million ‘Discover England Fund’.
Reading further into the detail of the Spending Review we now feel compelled to write again to express our concern that although English tourism has been given a new fund, it is possible that VisitEngland, with all its expertise, may lose its operational independence. The risk of this is that a tourism body focussed on delivering for English tourism could be lost.
If this were to take place, we believe that well-known problems of the past could resurface. Each time the strategic role of the English tourist board has been downgraded and merged with the international marketing wing of the British Tourist Authority, it has become very apparent that this approach does not work in practice. Indeed, on each occasion the decision has had to be reversed only a few years later at great cost to the taxpayer, and the tourism sector. This very situation led to the convincing case being made in the 2009 British Tourism Framework Review, which was subsequently reaffirmed in the 2015 Triennial Review and DCMS Select Committee Inquiry, that the best and only course of action was to put VisitEngland in a position whereby it can operate independently from VisitBritain, albeit remaining under BTA accountability to ensure back-office efficiencies.
This approach, if confirmed, contrasts starkly with the higher funded and larger national tourists boards in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland and would clearly disadvantage England in both the international and the larger domestic markets
If it is your intent for VisitBritain to absorb VisitEngland, we believe that this is a significant step that could have profound implications, leaving English tourism with a diminished voice, and a lack of dedicated support or leadership. We would therefore encourage the Government to consider a formal consultation.
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Without VisitEngland’s expertise and leadership, the very real growth potential of the sector (the domestic and international businesses and organisations we represent) will be damaged and jobs and growth put at risk. The dominance of VisitBritain is not the best course of action to deliver the Prime Minister’s Five-point Plan, the Triennial Review, or indeed your own recommendations when Chairman of the DCMS Select Committee earlier this year.
We have noted and accept that your department has requested that both VB and VE consolidate their governance arrangements. In fact, such efficiency could be very beneficial. However, we do not believe that the full absorption of VisitEngland into VisitBritain is in the best interest of English tourism and we ask that the operational independence of VisitEngland is guaranteed.
CC: Tracey Crouch MP
Yours sincerely,
Nicole AmilExecutive Lead for Tourism, Torbay Council
Robin BarkerPresident Tourism Management Institute
Malcom BellChief ExecutiveVisit Cornwall
Nick BodgerHead of Cultural and Visitor Development,City of London
Steve Brownfounding Director Center Parcs
Soozie CampbellChair Brighton & Hove Tourism Alliance
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Richard ComptonPresidentHistoric Houses Association
Geoff CowleyManaging DirectorWyndham Vacation Rentals UK
Carolyn CustersonChief Executive OfficerEnglish Riviera Tourism Company Ltd
Anthony Climpson OBEEmployment & Tourism ManagerNew Forest District Council
Juliana DelaneyChief Exectutive OfficerContinuum Attractions Limited
Bernard DonoghueDirectorAssociation of Leading Visitor Attractions
Emma EnglishExecutive DirectorBritish Educational Travel Association
Phil EvansSenior Head of Tourism and EnterpriseEastbourne Council
Richard EvansDirectorBeamish, the Living Museum of the North
Paul Gardner BougaardChief ExecutiveResort Development Organisation Ltd
Jane Lady Gibson, ChairMake It York
Peter HampsonChief Executive British Destinations
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Alistair HandysideChairman South West Tourism Alliance &Chairman Premier Cottages
Michael Hirst OBEChairmamBusiness Visits and Events Partnership
John HoyChief ExecutiveBlenheim Palace
Robert Hough CBEChairmanLiverpool City RegionLocal Enterprise Partnership
Tim HulmeChif ExecutiveBritish Institute of Innkeeping
Dr Noël JamesDirectorHistoric Towns Forum
Kurt JansonDirectorTourism Alliance
Paul KellyChief ExecutiveBALPPA
John Lally Director GeneralNational Caravan Council
Nick LomasDirector GeneralThe Caravan Club
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Andrew LovettDirector & Chief ExecutiveBlack Country Living Museum
Robert Louden MBEDirector GeneralCamping and Caravan Club
Tim MansonOperations & Policy DirectorMarketing Birmingham
Simon McCloyChief ExecutiveShropshire Tourism
forRay NewtonAdviser to the ChairmanRadisson Blu Edwardian London
Howard PriddingChief ExecutiveBritish Marine
Ros Pritchard OBEDirector GeneralBritish Holiday & Home Parks Association
Ian OfficerChairmanWye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism
Ken Robinson CBE ChairTourism Society Think Tank
Martin SachChief ExecutiveEASCO
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Nigel SmithChief Executive Tourism South East
Ian StephensManaging DirectorCumbria Tourism
Ivor StollidayChairmanVisit County Durham
Dr Matthew Tanner MBEChairmanAssociation of Independent Museums
Simon TarrChief ExecutivePeople1st
Amanda Thompson OBE Managing Director Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Mark TanzerChief ExecutiveABTA - The Travel Association
Emma TatlowHead of Visit Lincoln
David ThorntonChief ExecutiveVisit Isle of Wight Limited
David Weston FTSChief ExecutiveThe Bed and Breakfast Association
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John White’s SignatureChief ExecutiveBritish Amusement Catering Trade Association
Nigel Wilkinson Managing DirectorWindermere Lake Cruises Limited
Andy WoodwardChief ExecutiveFarm Stay UK
Peter WraggChairmanVisitWiltshire
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