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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