North East tourism organisations recognised with new national status

Regional bodies leading on the promotion, marketing and development of the North East’s visitor economy are the first to be recognised by VisitEngland in a government programme to establish a new structure for the tourism industry.

NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI), Visit County Durham, part of Durham County Council, and Visit Northumberland are the first organisations to be recognised by VisitEngland in a new national portfolio of strategic tourism bodies which are to be called Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs).

This new programme gives the three Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) nationally recognised official status with a stronger strategic relationship with VisitEngland. They will be critical partners in place-shaping, providing effective leadership and management of the destination and ensuring it is inclusive, accessible and sustainable for visitors nationally and internationally.

The LVEP programme embeds robust destination management planning principles, best practice sharing and a commitment to ensure industry engagement in the development of the visitor economy. Organisations will be reviewed on an annual basis to evidence their impact and the quality of their operations.

VisitEngland director, Andrew Stokes, said: “We look forward to continuing our close collaboration as the LVEPs are established, providing ongoing support including a dedicated VisitEngland regional development lead.

“Great destinations are great places to live, work and to visit. Having the right national and local infrastructure in place to grow our visitor economy, in an inclusive, accessible and sustainable way, will ensure England continues to be a compelling destination for both domestic and international visitors.”

John Marshall, chair of NGI, said: “This nationally recognised status acknowledges that NGI is operating at the highest level and will allow us to further support and boost the tourism sector. With one in four jobs in our city being in tourism and hospitality, it is critical that we work collaboratively to develop our offer and secure further investment.”

Andrew Fox, chair of Visit Northumberland, said: “We are very proud to be at the forefront of delivering the ambitions of the De Bois Review of domestic tourism and welcome the role that we have to play in driving forward change with our partners in the North East of England.

“We are grateful for VisitEngland’s confidence in awarding us accredited LVEP status, and their acknowledgment of the progress we have made in galvanising the Northumberland visitor economy. We welcome the accreditation, we support the national coordination of the tourism industry and we look forward to sharing our learnings as other destinations embark on their journey.”

Ivor Stolliday, chair of Visit County Durham, said: “Receiving Local Visitor Economy Partnership accreditation is fantastic news for Durham. Not only does it reflect the effectiveness of our strategic approach to growing the county’s visitor economy, but the wide-ranging support we offer to tourism businesses.”

This is the next step in implementing the government’s response to the De Bois Review of DMOs. In December, the North East was announced as the pilot area for a new regional tourism framework called a Destination Development Partnership (DDP) which has resulted in the region receiving £2.25m additional funding.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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