Tourism in Yorkshire needs clear leadership and meaningful help - Susan Briggs

Meetings are taking place behind closed doors across Yorkshire. It’s hard to get real insights into all the current activity, but tourism is once again on council agendas.

Business owners are somewhat bemused. The big picture still isn’t very clear. Not every part of Yorkshire is moving at the same speed. Plans are emerging slowly and patchily. But after years spent campaigning for better destination management, I am cautiously optimistic.

Some time ago the national body, Visit England, commissioned the De Bois review to consider how domestic tourism should be organised. The conclusion was essentially that destinations should each create a robust new Destination Management Plan. After these have been submitted to Visit England and approval given, successful destinations will then create a new organisation called a Local Visitor Economic Partnership (LVEPs). Each will focus on a distinct area, working together with businesses and other relevant organisations. It’s hoped that several of these LVEPs will then be able to collaborate to create a Destination Development Partnership.

A LVEP has already been announced for Hull and East Yorkshire. The mood is buoyant in North Yorkshire where consultants working with North Yorkshire Council are now creating a destination management plan that shows great promise. A consultation event I recently attended in Ripon felt upbeat and very positive. Similar activities are taking place in York, South and West Yorkshire. For the first time in years, there’s a real willingness to collaborate for the common good.

Unfortunately we’re playing a game of catch-up in Yorkshire. Other destinations are further ahead in this process, and have enjoyed better relationships with VisitEngland and VisitBritain.

Not all tourism businesses are aware of these plans. It’s essential that communications with the industry are improved. After all, the many small businesses are the backbone to the industry.

There is already some confusion. The previous tourism agency, Welcome to Yorkshire, went into administration in March 2022. The name ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’, their website and other assets were then bought by a technology company which now runs Yorkshire.com as a commercial entity, offering businesses the opportunity to advertise with them.

The new LVEPs and Destination Development Partnership will be quite different to either of the Welcome to Yorkshire incarnations. The new destination management plans will have a much broader scope. They will cover the many elements that are needed for a successful tourism destination. What transport developments are needed? Is our infrastructure strong enough? How can we improve skills, and staff recruitment and retention in the industry? What are the strengths that should be promoted and what aspects need to be developed? How can the environment be protected?

The new plans will include recommendations on how we can make tourism more sustainable (environmentally and economically) and more inclusive and welcoming. An important element will be data and market intelligence. This is much needed so we can monitor success and look to the future.

Not everyone agrees with this activity. There have been some calls for the establishment of a single regional body, which focuses on the promotion of Yorkshire as a whole.

Once the LVEPs have been established across Yorkshire, it will be easier to think about the Destination Development Partnerships and whether there should be one to cover the whole of Yorkshire.

I have two concerns. The first is that although plans for LVEPs are being drawn up quite quickly, it will take time for them to become fully established. We still need to know how they’ll be financed, what will be their structure and how tourism businesses can get involved. The second is that these plans are being drawn up by local authorities so there’s a risk that this will be something done to or for business, rather than with them.

Tourism business owners and managers need to make sure they attend the meetings and respond to consultations. The new structures will provide strong bones for the future of the industry. It’s in our interests to help flesh out the plans.

Susan Briggs is director of the Tourism Network.