Month: March 2014
British Destinations’ Annual Conference Dates and Venue Announced
This year’s British Destinations’ Annual conference will now take place on the 16 and 17 June in the Ramada Hotel Southport. The conference, themed around issues of building tourism business confidence and engagement, will take place under the auspices of Liverpool’s two month long International Festival of Business (IFB). Within this major international business event our conference will form a part of the VisitEngland’s IFB tourism component. This involves a half dozen conferences, seminars and other national tourism orientated events, specifically framed around tourism related business issues.
Our conference will major on current issues like the emerging, whole destination based Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), larger area, cross boundary tourism BIDS, the future of retail and the look and feel of High Streets from village, town to City and the growing need for a strong tourism voice in the forthcoming Business Rate Review in England and Wales. Other provisional subjects include the implications of the latest Sheffield Hallam study on seaside resorts tourism (yet to be published) discussions around balancing tourism with wider non tourism related economic activity to ensure that destinations are both pleasant and affordable place to live and to work in, as well as nice places to visit.
Please diary the date and look out for more detail which will be published in April. This year the event is open to all regardless of their British Destinations membership status. To ensure you receive more detail please email your contact details to us here .
Last chance to register for European Tourism Indicator System Pilot and to submit comment on EU tourism consultations:
Last chance to register as an ETIS pilot (15 March now extended to 15 April)):
Two online consultations on the future of EU tourism also close on 15 March also extended?:
New VisitBritain and VisitEngland update links added:
VisitBritain updates added to the member’s protected pages:
VisitEngland updated Destinations Communication and eNews links added:
English Heritage New Model Consultation response summary
The Secretary of States covering letter and brief analytical summary of the c600 responses received to the recent consultation on the proposed new model for English Heritage can be accessed at:
British Destinations Members special offer for International Conference coming to England for the first time!
A highlight of English Tourism Week’s will be the 8th International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations 3-5 April. This year it takes place at the Monastery in Manchester, and will focus on a various issues affecting the development, management and growth of local tourism. VisitEngland’s Chief Executive James Berresford will kick off the event with a key note speech on the first day looking at the future of destination management. He will be joined by a number of experts, notably Harold Goodwin Professor of Responsible Tourism at Manchester Metropolitan University and various representatives from destinations including: Bath Tourism Plus, Northumberland National Park, Visit Lincoln Partnership as well as ABTA; who will discuss the future priorities for destinations; the role of tour operators and agents in the growth of tourism in England and the importance of public transport in order to create a vibrant and sustainable industry. For more information please look at the website here .
If you wish to book a place at RTD8 please email RTD8Mcr@gmail.com with the names and the code BD/RTD8 making clear which day or days you are wishing to attend Thursday £40 and/or Friday £20.
Coastal Communities 2013/14 awards and 2014/15 application detail announced
Details of the Coastal Community Awards announcement today for Scotland and England and the details of the bidding process UK wide third year programme (closing 30 April) can be accessed at:
Consultation on fee under the Licensing Act 2003 (England and Wales) closing 10 April 2014.
Details of the Home Office consultation on fee under the Licensing Act 2003 (in England and Wales) closing 10 April 2014 can be accessed at:
This consultation is likely to attract mixed view from Licencing authorities desperate to cover costs and from the licenced trader who understandably may not be keen on see local business costs potentially increased. Destination management organisation, some of whom are Council/Licensing authority based, who all represent local tourism businesses and, some of whom are themselves license holders, may find this a particularly tricky one to handle? At the very least it may be worth ensuring that the local trade are aware of the consultation process.
Invitation – VisitEngland ‘Marketing Meet’
VisitEngland invites destination marketeers to join them at one of three ‘Marketing Meets’ to take place in locations across England during English Tourism Week.
Bristol 1st April ● Birmingham 2nd April ● Manchester 3rd April 2014:
Detail and the invitation to attend can be accessed at: http://b2b.visitbritain.org/ntop/newslettermail.aspx?cultureInfo=en-GB&cid=31744&subschduleid=3380&act=serverlink
European Commission tourism policies and programme link added
A useful link to the EC tourism website index page has now been added to our corporate website:
https://britishdestinations.net/european-commission-tourism-policies-and-programmes/
European Commission future of tourism. Two consultations closing 15 March 2014
A reminder that two online European Commission consultations on the future of tourism remain open for comment until 15 March. Whatever your views on EU competency and or engagement in this area have your say whilst you can: https://britishdestinations.net/consultation-responses/open-consultations/european-commission-future-of-tourism-closing-15-march-2014/
British Destinations 