Joint Annual Conference 15 Nov 21 speaker and content update plus latest on CSR and DMO review.
The joint Tourism Alliance, Tourism Society and British Destinations’ annual conference, Rebuilding the UK Tourism Industry, to be held 10.00 am 15.00 at the Royal Over-seas League, London SW1A 1LR, followed by the Annual Tourism Industry Parliamentary reception 160.00 – 18.00 is now only two weeks away.
Last week the final programme was confirmed with the addition of World Travel and Tourism Council CEO and President, Julia Simpson speaking on the Prospects for International Tourism, complimenting the Ministers keynote on tourism recovery plans and Chairman Visit England’s on the DMO review and sessions on both climate change and VAT on tourism services.
On the DMO front we also now know from last week’s CSR announcements that, although DCMS was allocated additional funding for many parts of its portfolio, none of that was apparently earmarked by Treasury to specifically support the implementation of the de Bios independent England DMO review recommendations which, we understand, included an original aspiration/recommendation for up to £51m over the 3 years (c£17m pa). This reduces the potential options for implementation.
Now that we know that DCMS has not been allocated a specific sum (almost certainly asked for but potential not necessarily at the £17pa level?) to support the recommendation, the review can only be implemented in full, or in part, by finding funding for it during the internal DCMS dispersal and occasional reallocation process that will follow in the coming few weeks. By the 15th November the headline internal decisions on funding allocations may or may not have been made and regardless even if it has very little of the more complex finer details associated with will have been set in stone. It is therefore all the more important that destination and destination management interests are very well represented at the conference, where both Nigel Huddleston MP, Minister for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society is giving the key note speak and Nick de Bios, Chairman Visit England, will be speaking about the robust, wide-ranging review he conducted independently of his VE or any other role.
The revised final programme has been uploaded to the booking platform being run on behalf of all three organisation by the Tourism Alliance. This can be accessed on our 2021 conference page on Briishdestinations.net from the main menu conference tab, or go direct to that page at: https://britishdestinations.net/annual-conference-19-march-2018/
Please support this event and take the opportunity to both hear what is being planned for the industry at a strategic level and to help us influence key individuals at both the conference and Parliamentary reception that follows. If you are attending the latter do please consider letting your local MP(s) know that, preferably indicating that you hope to meet or see them there. Invitation have been sent to all Parliamentary Offices but may not have been seen by the individual MPs themselves.
British Destinations 