1. Phil Evans Head of Policy and Analysis British Destinations Annual Conference- Southport 2014 VisitEngland- looking forward

2. The forthcoming year will be one of the most challenging, not just for VisitEngland but for the entire industry

3. But let’s not forget some of things already achieved so far:

4. A new set of figures:

5. Tourism in England is now worth £106 billion per annum The industry employs over 2.6 million people It generates 101.8 million domestic overnight trips We receive over 28.6 million overseas visitors 1.4 billion day trips were made in 2011 worth over £46bn

6. Over 1,000 events took place as part of National Apprenticeship Week Businesses were invited to pledge their support and join over 200,000 existing workplaces in England which already offer apprenticeships The government is establishing a series of trailblazers, which consist of groups of employers working together to design new apprenticeship standards for occupations in their sectors The hospitality and tourism trailblazer is being managed by People 1st and led by Hilton Worldwide and will develop new standards for two roles in the sector People 1st has also released a practical guide to help businesses understand the apprenticeship reforms in England Enterprise National Apprenticeship Week

7. A highlight of English Tourism Week was the 8th International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations on 3-5 April This year it took place at the Monastery in Manchester and focussed on various issues affecting the development, management and growth of local tourism James Berresford launchedthe event with a key note speech on the first day looking at the future of destination management He was joined by Harold Goodwin from Manchester Metropolitan University and various representatives from Bath Tourism Plus, Northumberland National Park, Visit Lincoln Partnership and ABTA It discussed 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 Events Responsible Tourism in Destinations

8. There’s also some unfinished business:

9. VE commissioned a professional copy writer to produce in-house case studies that will be published on the new website from June onwards VE employed an intern to do all the ground work and around 20 case studies were identified for publication We are still very short of case studies for seaside resorts in particular VE will do most of the work on any remaining projects if these can be supplied by destination managers/local authorities All work will be offered for approval before being published Action Plans Case Studies for Action Plans

10. Many Action Plan outcomes are still being delivered

11. What do we have to look forward to in the year ahead?

12. It’s a pre-election year

13. The Regional Growth Fund will finish

14. It’s a pre-election year The Regional Growth Fund will finish Destinations are going to have to explore new sources of funding

15. It’s a pre-election year The Regional Growth Fund will finish Destinations are going to have to explore new sources of funding There will be changes to the national structures

16. It’s a pre-election year The Regional Growth Fund will finish Destinations are going to have to explore new sources of funding There will be changes to the national structures The post-recession period will present new issues for the tourism sector

17. At VisitEngland we’ll additionally have to focus on: - Establishing new Corporate Priorities

18. At VisitEngland we’ll additionally have to focus on: - Establishing new Corporate Priorities - Corporate Plan 2015

19. At VisitEngland we’ll additionally have to focus o n: - Establishing new Corporate Priorities - Corporate Plan 2015 - Refreshing the Strategic Framework

20. At VisitEngland we’ll additionally have to focus on: - Establishing new Corporate Priorities - Corporate Plan 2015 - Refreshing the Strategic Framework - Establishing Local Destination Support/adapting to changing operating environment

21. At VisitEngland we’ll additionally have to focus on: - Establishing new Corporate Priorities - Corporate Plan 2015 - Refreshing the Strategic Framework - Establishing Local Destination Support/adapting to changing operating environment - Working with LEPs

22. At VisitEngland we’ll additionally have to focus on: - Establishing new Corporate Priorities - Corporate Plan 2015 - Refreshing the Strategic Framework - Establishing Local Destination Support/adapting to changing operating environment - Working with LEPs - Building on our Partnerships programme

23. At VisitEngland we’ll additionally have to focus on: - Establishing new Corporate Priorities - Corporate Plan 2015 - Refreshing the Strategic Framework - Establishing Local Destination Support/adapting to changing operating environment - Working with LEPs - Building on our Partnerships programme - Examining how we provide Stakeholder Advice

24. All three Directorates are going to be working hard throughout the next twelve months:

25. Marketing

26. The second wave of Wallace & Gromit adverts aired in the Spring and GREAT 3 is now underway Marketing Holidays at Home are GREAT (3)

27. The second wave of Wallace & Gromit adverts aired in the Spring and GREAT 3 is now underway The Marketing Team are continuing to work on developing new strategic partnerships and joint campaigns Marketing Holidays at Home are GREAT (3)

28. The second wave of Wallace & Gromit adverts aired in the Spring and GREAT 3 is now underway The Marketing Team are continuing to work on developing new strategic partnerships and joint campaigns Marketing Holidays at Home are GREAT (3)

29. The second wave of Wallace & Gromit adverts aired in the Spring and GREAT 3 is now underway The Marketing Team are continuing to work on developing new strategic partnerships and joint campaigns Successful campaigns such as our joint promotion with Black’s established that there is scope for further commercial tie-ins Marketing Holidays at Home are GREAT (3)

30. The second wave of Wallace & Gromit adverts aired in the Spring and GREAT 3 is now underway The Marketing Team are continuing to work on developing new strategic partnerships and joint campaigns Successful campaigns such as our joint promotion with Black’s established that there is scope for further commercial tie-ins As we work more closely with ‘third sector’ and ‘not for profit’ organisations, more opportunities will arise Marketing Holidays at Home are GREAT (3)

31. We are looking at ways of funding joint marketing campaigns to raise awareness of destinations beyond London

32. All three Directorates are going to be working hard throughout the next twelve months: Enterprise

33. Review of the quality grading system and how it is delivered Continuing progress in delivering accessibility programmes Republication of the ‘Pink Book’ Responding to industry enquiries and offering support Supporting a range of publications and guidance Enterprise- providing business support Enterprise

34. Launch new strategic partnerships - English Heritage (Oct) – Creative England (tbc) Develop next phase of Strategic Framework (2015-2020) Cultural Destinations Programme with ACE (share learning, evaluation) Work with National Parks England on promotion Continue to engage with LEPs and Govt on visitor economy growth Research and Development Strategic Partnerships

35. VisitEngland has been invited to work with the National Grid on the ‘Visual Impact Provision’ programme Half a billion pounds will be made available to look at ways to minimise the visual impact of new pylons and power lines VistEngland is advising on the implications this will have for tourism The programme is unprecedented internationally It demonstrates the value that we give to our countryside and the quality of our national tourism product Working with other sectors National Grid VIP Programme

36. VisitEngland has been invited to work with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to help roll out a series of Marine Management Plans MMO workshops and evaluation testing workshops are being held throughout coastal regions VistEngland has emphasised the need to include the aspirations of the tourism sector at the earliest stage of development The programme is now underway in the East and South areas The next region will be the south-west Working with other sectors National Marine Management Plans

37. Most domestic visitors don’t use rail to go on holiday- but there are various sectors- domestic and international- that do depend on it- especially for day visits For many train operating companies, the only real opportunity to increase capacity is through off-peak travel Rail is a most effective means to explore metropolitan cities outside London It also connects to most of our major resort destinations It can help create ‘packaging’ Working with other sectors Why tourism is important to the rail industry

38. In addition to the day to day work we have other long-term strategic issues to tackle…

39. International Festival for Business 2014

45. Issues around airports: Hub; Capacity; Gateway Status; and Connectivity are also recognised

46. Whilst airports such as Manchester have spare capacity we need to create greater connectivity and attract more inbound flights to such hubs

48. We need to consider the changing population structure, innovation and changing consumer demands

49. VisitEngland has a huge portfolio of high quality images that are freely available to promote destinations and local landscapes

51. philip.evans@visitengland.org