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IFB 2014 events showcase importance of tourism for regional economy

A series of major tourism events has been announced for the International Festival for Business 2014, underlining the importance of the visitor economy both locally and nationally.

VisitEngland, the national tourist board, will host a conference at the Museum of Liverpool on Tuesday June 10th titled ‘Mind the Gap – Addressing the Tourism Divide’.

This event will face the issues of bridging the tourism divide between London and the rest of the country. While the capital and city regions such as Liverpool have witnessed significant growth in their visitor economy in recent years, there is still work to be done to encourage more visitors to the rest of the country.

The event features experts in the field including Lord Shipley OBE (Deputy Chair, Regional Growth Fund Independent Advisory Panel), Helen Grant MP (Tourism Minister) and will include a video presentation featuring Evan Davis (Economist, Journalist & BBC presenter).

The Tourism Society is hosting a symposium on Monday June 2nd and Tuesday June 3rd, focussing on the role of tourism and culture in creating economic success.

Following educational study tours looking at Liverpool’s visitor offer and introductions on the first day, the second will be a full day of conferences with panel discussions and networking sessions.

Highlights include a fashion discussion with prominent industry figures Hilary Riva and Clara Mercer, and a keynote address from John Kampfner – director of the Creative Industries Federation.

The first two weeks of June will also see several other prominent tourism bodies hosting events, including the European Tour Operators Association, International Congress and Convention Association, UKinbound and British Destinations.

James Berresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland said: “I am delighted that tourism will have such a strong presence at the International Festival for Business this year. It is a great opportunity to raise the profile of the industry in England and its important contribution to the economy.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .