Foreword

Visit East of England was launched in the Spring of 2019 with the intention of overcoming a complaint from VisitBritain and VisitEngland that they only heard ‘white noise’ from our region.

By Dr Andy Wood OBE Chairman, Visit East of England

At the launch event, Patricia Yates, now Chief Executive of VisitBritain, told the assembled guests that if we could speak with one collective voice, we would be listened to by the national tourism bodies, and they would be able to work with us.

At its core VEE was formed out of a desire for collaboration across Suffolk and Norfolk and ending fragmentation. It was not to create a hierarchy, to compete or replicate. Tourism management must be bottom up.

VEE is here to support the collective ambitions and objectives of local authorities and destination management organisations (DMOs), and the real stars of our tourism firmament, the private sector businesses who make our industry. It is here to amplify local messages and provide added value.

The visitor economy is driven primarily by private sector investment, but local authority engagement and interaction, not least planning, as well as public sector investment in infrastructure, primarily connectivity, are crucial to growing the sector. Local authorities also control key tourism assets, from car parks and beaches to museums, trails and parks. Working with partners, VEE looks to provide a strategic and management lead.

Previously Visit East Anglia, VEE proved its worth during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it provided a much-needed platform of information and resource for tourism businesses. VEE also established a coalition of DMOs and, with the New Anglia LEP, a Visitor Economy Group of local authorities. This was the first time all the DMOs and local authorities had worked together to a common goal.

Among VEE’s actions during COVID-19 were:

A dedicated website page with daily updates on Government briefings and support packages as they affected the sector, supported by our social media channels. This was much appreciated by business.

Being the regional conduit for VisitEngland to local DMOs and businesses.

Regular consumer sentiment surveys and business confidence monitors.

Personal letters from myself as VEE Chairman to MPs lobbying on issues such as financial support, continued reduction on VAT and extending furlough arrangements.

Twice inviting the Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston to come and speak to local tourism businesses.

Producing a Tourism Recovery Plan than segued into a Tourism Action Plan and, later, our Destination Development Plan.

Working with the DMO coalition to successfully bid for £425,000 from two national marketing funding streams, Escape The Everyday and Enjoy Summer Safely, to promote our new Unexplored England brand.

We were given the largest awards of any bids from those two pots, being told by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport that ‘we can’t argue with 14 DMOs working together’.

Indeed, VEE Executive Director Pete Waters was awarded an MBE in The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021 for ‘Services to Tourism during COVID-19’, a representation of the collaborative work of all the DMOs and local authorities during that dark time.

The landscape has improved since then, but it is still challenging. There is still much work to do to get our sector back to pre-COVID-19 levels and flourishing again. I believe we can do that. If we continue to work in partnership, across Suffolk and Norfolk.