INVESTMENT, INNOVATION, INSPIRATION – GROWING YOUR TOURISM BUSINESS IN ENGLAND

Attend VisitEngland’s Visitor Economy Forum and find out how to boost your bottom line in 2013 and beyond

2012-10-17 — /travelprnews.com/ — Following the success of last year’s event, VisitEngland is hosting a second Visitor Economy Forum in London on 22 November 2012, in association with Natwest Bank plc. The one-day conference provides an opportunity for public and private sector businesses working in the visitor economy to debate the big issues affecting the growth of the sector in England in 2013 and beyond. An impressive line-up of industry leaders including The Eden Project’s Sir Tim Smit and Longleat’s David Bradley will make the case for continued investment and innovation, demonstrating how to grow your business by providing visitors with a fantastic experience.

VisitEngland’s Chairman, Lady Cobham, will reflect on the successes of 2012 and the future challenges and opportunities, and Chief Executive, James Berresford will highlight the work of the industry in delivering the growth target of 5% stated in England’s Strategic Framework for Tourism – the domestic industry blueprint for growth. The Forum is chaired by Steve Brown, Founding Director of the Centre Parcs Group.

Further programme highlights include:

•Economic Overview & Future Trends: An overview of the UK and Global Economy, key sectors and business lending, by James McCann, Economic Advisor at RBS/Natwest.

• Visitor Economy 2020: A detailed analysis of growth opportunities for the domestic tourism industry over the next ten years, with Stephen McCall, MD, UK & Ireland, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Ray Jones, Group Development Director, Time Out.

• Investment, Innovation, Inspiration: A debate on the role of innovation in visitor economy growth with a panel of experts chaired by Barry Dodd, Chairman, GSM Group and Chairman of the York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership:

– Andy Phillipps, Chairman & co-founder of Reevoo & ActiveHotels.com
– Sally Broom, Managing Director, TripBod
– Ufi Ibrahim, Chief Executive, British Hospitality Association

James Berresford, Chief Executive at VisitEngland, said:
“Tourism in England is worth £97billion to the UK economy and supports over 2 million jobs – an industry so far reaching it has the potential to benefit everyone, everywhere, every day. It is vital that we keep the momentum of this special year going, and take advantage of every opportunity to grow the visitor economy”.

Mr Berresford continued:
“The Visitor Economy Forum provides a platform for the industry to come together and discuss the key factors affecting tourism growth in England, and we are delighted to be holding an even bigger and better event this year. This is an opportunity not to be missed, and a great chance for businesses to be inspired by a strong line-up of speakers from both within and outside the tourism industry.”

The Visitor Economy Forum is taking place at the RBS building at 280 Bishopsgate, London. The delegate fee is £120 (+VAT). Spaces are limited, so book your place now and be a part of this exciting event:

http://www.visitengland.org/about/IndustryStakeholderEngagement/visitoreconomyforum2012.aspx

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For more information contact:
Sarah Long, Head of Corporate Communications Tel: 020 7578 1452, Mob: 07500555651, Email: sarah.long@visitengland.org   www.visitengland.org
Emma White, Corporate Communications Executive Tel: 020 7578 1471, Email: emmalucy.white@visitengland.org  www.visitengland.org

About VisitEngland
• VisitEngland is the country’s national tourist board. We work in partnership with the industry to develop the visitor experience across England, plan national tourism strategy, grow the value of tourism in England and provide advocacy for the industry and our visitors
• Our work is underpinned by robust research and customer insights. You can access the latest in-depth market intelligence and statistics on www.visitengland.org/insight-statistics
• For corporate information see www.visitengland.org and for consumer information see www.visitengland.com