Visit Hull and East Yorkshire has become one of the first Local Visitor Economy Partnerships nationally accredited by VisitEngland, which has been described as a great boost for the visitor economy.
LVEPs aim to transform the visitor economy landscape, working collaboratively on shared priorities and targets to enable the visitor economy to thrive. They will be strategic, high-performing and represent the destination at local and national level.
The implementation of LVEPs comes after a thorough assessment of the structure, funding and function of destination management organisations, called the de Bois Review. It recommended a more efficient and effective model for supporting English tourism at regional level to maximise the potential of the visitor economy.
Garry Taylor, assistant director, major projects, culture and place at Hull City Council, said: “Visitor feedback on their experience of Hull and East Yorkshire exceeds all expectations. This accreditation will enable us to reach out to more potential visitors. It’s a great boost following a very challenging few years for the visitor economy.”
As well as a nationally recognised official status, LVEPs will also be able to access expert advice, dedicated toolkits and training programmes from VisitEngland in areas ranging from distribution, accessibility and sustainability to business support and marketing. An important strand of support will be highlighting available Government funding streams as well as developing and providing a ‘toolkit’ to help LVEPs with bids to those streams.
The LVEP will also help businesses that work with Visit Hull and East Yorkshire, increasing tourism across the area.
Elaine Robinson, owner of Broadgate Farm Cottages, said: “We are thrilled that VisitEngland has acknowledged the extensive history of Visit Hull & Visit East Yorkshire’s effective collaboration.
“Our track record of successfully working together positions us ideally to capitalize on the full range of benefits offered by the LVEP scheme, and it provides a significant impetus towards achieving our goals of expanding the tourism experience in Hull and East Yorkshire and drawing more visitors to discover and appreciate our delightful corner of Yorkshire.”
