Recommendation 20

HM Government Accepted

VisitBritain will continue to prioritise regional dispersion through the relaunch of their GREAT international marketing campaign, See Things Differently, targeted at key GREAT markets in the EU, US and the Gulf. This will promote messages of warm welcome and highlight Britain as a dynamic, adventurous and inclusive destination to stimulate inbound demand and drive the dispersal of tourists to the nations and regions. To increase domestic visitor numbers, their ‘Escape the Everyday’ campaign continues to encourage 25 to 34-year-olds to take a city-break. Partnering with the Family Holiday Charity, VisitBritain have supported over 800 families facing difficult challenges, including lower incomes and with caring responsibilities, to take a holiday in England - contributing to wider government objectives around levelling up. Furthermore, their Gateway Innovation Fund aims to provide financial assistance by way of a cash grant to a UK-registered Destination Management Organisation (DMO), UK based tourism supplier or transport carrier in order to deliver international marketing activity for a specific inbound gateway or region. Although the Government does not presently intend to expand VisitBritain’s Business Events Growth Programme (BEGP), we will continue to evaluate the case for expanding this as part of future DCMS budgetary planning. The Government recognises that VisitBritain’s BEGP plays an important role in helping UK destinations to attract and grow international delegations at a range of valuable business events. In turn, these events have fuelled investment into UK growth sectors while propelling vital research and innovation. VisitBritain received £500,000 for Business Events from DCMS in the last financial year (additional funding for business events was allocated from the VisitEngland core budget), and £340,000 was spent on the BEGP. Here, the BEGP supported 24 international events held or due to be held in all corners of the UK. In recent years, BEGP funding has helped London host the largest ever Sibos financial services event, Leeds to welcome this year’s brand new UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum and Glasgow to win this year’s Euroanaesthesia Congress (set to attract over 8,000 delegates from more than 100 countries). The Government also adds strength to UK event bids through embracing the advocacy strand of the BEGP. For example, three Secretaries of State provided letters of support for London’s successful bid to host the EcoCity World Summit in 2023. While the event is predicted to generate a £877,000 delegate spend, it will more importantly further enhance the UK’s reputation as a leader on clean growth following last year’s COP 26 summit in Glasgow. DCMS recognises that the business events sector is a powerful asset for the economy. The Department relaunched the Events Industry Board as a Tourism Industry Council Working Group to generate practical policy options to both support the sector’s recovery and to maximise collaboration between industry, VisitBritain and the Government. Ministerial attendance at business events last year such as the World Travel Market, Global Offshore Wind, Farnborough International Airshow and London Tech Week demonstrates that the Government is prioritising the recovery of the sector, and will continue to explore ways to reconnect, rebuild and innovate the industry. These occasions, paired with appetite for more sustainable ways of doing business, are set to drive growth in upcoming years.