Support Structures
Regional Development Agencies
Regional Tourist Boards; Destination Management Organisations/Partnerships
London Tourism
Local Government
Tourism Management Institute
In April 2003 the strengths and resources of the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourism Council were combined in one organisation, renamed VisitBritain.
VisitBritain is responsible for promoting Britain overseas and England to the domestic market. Its key roles are to boost Britain's income from tourism through professional and effective marketing, and to provide a framework within which the tourism industry can work in closer partnership. With its network of overseas offices, VisitBritain helps the over 120,000 tourism businesses in Britain reach overseas customers cost-effectively. For England, VisitBritain provides a central coordination role to make the most of the collective effort of all sectors promoting tourism in England to a domestic audience.
Regional Development Agencies
The nine Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in England are non-departmental bodies whose primary role is to act as strategic drivers of economic development in their region. The RDAs aim to co-ordinate economic development and regeneration, enable regions to improve their relative competitiveness and address the imbalances that exist within and between regions.
The RDAs' agenda includes regional regeneration, taking forward regional competitiveness, taking the lead on inward investment and, working with local partners, ensuring the development of a regional skills action plan that matches the needs of the labour market. The RDAs together have an annual budget of £2billion. /P>
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The RDAs are now key players with Government in the strategic leadership of tourism, working both individually and with one another, as well as with regional and local partners. This is more than a transfer of responsibilities - tourism is being repositioned as a driver of regional economies. In line with Government guidance on RDAs' Regional Economic Strategies, the RDAs are encouraged to mainstream tourism into their economic strategy development, by making links with other regional strategies, eg for regeneration, skills development, transport and planning.
The RDAs are currently developing and/or implementing Regional Sustainable Tourism Strategies. The role of the RDAs in supporting the National tourism strategy will be set out in the forthcoming Tourism Prospectus.
For more information on RDAs and their tourism strategies please visit the following websites:
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Over 2003-06, the RDAs are are receiving from DCMS £3.6milion pa specifically for tourism. This money is ring-fenced to be passed on to the Regional Tourist Boards until the end of 2005-06. Those regions which no longer work with an RTB have sought the Department's approval to pass the money to other designated tourism delivery bodies. The RDAs will determine what objectives and targets the RTBs or other organisations should meet in return for the funds, working as appropriate with local authorities and businesses
Regional Tourist Boards; Destination Management Organisations/Partnerships
The Regional Tourist Boards (RTBs) are not Government Agencies and their board members are not appointed by Ministers. They are have no statutory basis other then company law legislation. Their funding comes from membership fees (businesses plus local authorities) commercial income (eg training courses) as well as some public funding, eg from DCMS, VisitBritain and the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). Under the regional tourism strategies being developed by the RDAs, the RTBs will in some regions be the RDAs' principal delivery partner; in other regions the RTBs are either being subsumed within the RDA or are being reconstituted as strategic bodies to oversee the work of sub-regional "Destination Management Organisations" (or Partnerships) which have been established by the RDAs.
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London Tourism
London plays a vital role in the UK's tourism industry, with over half of visitors to the UK coming via the capital. Promoting London as a tourist destination and as a "Gateway" to the rest of the UK is a statutory duty of the Mayor of London, who works through the London Development Agency in implementing his Tourism Strategy for London. The Department is contributing £1.9million pa over 2003-06 towards delivery of the Strategy; the current emphasis being on developing the "Gateway" role.
More information:
www.london.gov.uk
www.lda.gov.uk
Local Government
Local Authorities(LAs) have a vital role in supporting the tourism industry because of their statutory duties and because of their wider responsibilities for local infrastructure, economic development and sense of place. Local Authorities are the only bodies capable of joining up all aspects of tourism at local level, working in partnership with local businesses and other interests including the RDAs. The role of LAs, working through the Local Government Association, in supporting the national strategy will be set out in the forthcoming Tourism Prospectus.
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The Department is currently working with the Local Government Association and certain LAs on two initiatives: Fitness for Purpose and the Beacon Councils Scheme "Promoting Sustainable Tourism" .
Tourism Management Institute
The Tourism Management Institute is the professional institute for tourism destination management in the UK with over 250 members involved in marketing, planning and developing tourism.
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