DMOs urged to work with Government

National tourism leaders speaking at the Tourism Institute Annual Convention, have urged destination management organisations (DMOs) to work with Government to ensure the recommendations of a major report are introduced as policy
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National tourism leaders speaking at the Tourism Institute Annual Convention, have urged destination management organisations (DMOs) to work with Government to ensure the recommendations of a major report are introduced as policy.

Nick de Bois (pictured left), chairman of VisitEngland’s advisory board, and Sally Balcombe (pictured right), CEO of VisitBritain and VisitEngland spoke at the convention. They were also joined on a panel by Tourism Alliance’s, Kurt Janson.

The convention, with a focus on sustainable destinations, was held in Coventry and brought together more than 60 individuals from DMOs. The tourism management institute (TMI) was supported by Conference Coventry and Warwickshire. The event also saw more than 50 industry professionals join online via live stream.

It followed on from The de Bois Review: an independent review of DMOs in England, which was led by Nick de Bois and completed in August 2021.

The Review recommendations, if implemented, aims to help overcome gaps in funding and create a simplified coherent national DMO structure that will be able to deliver Government tourism objectives, as well as a strong regional voice for tourism.

Speaking at the convention, de Bois called on DMOs and the wider to industry to work together with their MPs regarding the new report and encourage them to support it becoming Government policy.

“DMOs are the glue of the local visitor economy and we are calling for more Government investment in that sector as they can be a real agent of growth for the tourism industry,” said de Bois.

He added: “There is no other sector that better meets the Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ criteria than tourism and we would encourage local DMOs to go to their MPs and get behind this Review. The Review will help to overcome gaps in funding as well as bridge the distance that some DMOs find between themselves and their regional neighbours.

“We are not looking for growth that is determined by lines drawn on maps, but industry-wide development that draws on local knowledge and passion.”

Balcombe also supported the new report and highlighted the importance of bringing back international tourism to drive the industry back to pre-pandemic levels.

She said: “International tourism is vital to recovery and there is potential to tap into the multiple overseas tourism markets as vaccination levels rise. We are also looking at ways to combine heritage-based tourism with an approach that affords greater ownership of national tourism to a younger generation.

“One of the greatest concerns is that tourism should be sustainable, and one way in which we hope to achieve this while still driving regional growth is through encouraging visitors to stay longer and travel slower, using public transport and exploring areas off the beaten track and outside of peak travel times.”

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