The tourism minister has unveiled a scheme to streamline English tourist boards and invest £4 million over the next three years to support regions attract more visitors.
Nigel Huddleston said the “radical restructuring” will make it easier for holidaymakers to plan trips in England.
The government wants to create a simpler structure in which tourism boards, known as Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), are a “one-stop shop” for visitors to find all they need to know about a local area.
It will create an accreditation scheme for the highest-performing DMOs which will be the sources for that information.
A review into DMOs, carried out in 2021 by Nick de Bois, chair of VisitEngland’s advisory board, found that the landscape is over-crowded and fragmented.
For example, there are 46 DMOs in the southeast alone, which makes it confusing for tourists planning breaks and businesses looking to invest.
More: Government must do more to boost inbound tourism, urges Select Committee
The £4 million will fund the new accreditation scheme, developed and administered by VisitEngland, and create a pilot in one region of the country, giving one top-tier DMO or a group of local DMOs the opportunity and investment to restructure under a new model.
Huddleston said: “This new scheme will show people where to visit and help them plan the best possible trip, supporting our tourism industry to be bigger and better than before.
“At their best, DMOs can make a real difference to their local areas. Visit Cornwall, for example, helped to secure over £40 million investment for the Eden Project, which has welcomed more than 18 million visitors and generated £2 billion for the southwest.
“Marketing Manchester has generated almost £400 million a year for its local economy in visitor spend as well as promoting new international air routes, and Cumbria Tourism was instrumental in winning the coveted Unesco World Heritage Status for the Lake District National Park.”
Under the new accreditation scheme, DMOs will be renamed Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs).
The scheme will streamline the sector so holidaymakers and visitors can more easily understand what is on offer in a region and plan trips, and make sure local businesses can come together to develop and market their local area as a must-see destination.
The scheme will also bring together local businesses with the local authority to pitch for funding to develop the area’s visitor economy, and efficiently and market the area to visitors.
Andrew Stokes, VisitEngland director, welcomed the government’s response to the de Bois review of DMOs.
“We look forward to implementing the accreditation scheme and the Destination Development Partnership pilot, ensuring we have the right national and local infrastructure to enable England to continue to be a compelling destination for domestic and international visitors. This will also strengthen the case for future funding,” he said.