The Boards of Destination Bristol and Visit Bath have proposed the formation of a new destination management organisation (DMO) that can provide a full range of services to tourism and leisure businesses across the two areas. The local consumer brands Visit Bath and Visit Bristol would continue to be actively maintained, along with the programmes and services that underpin them. Support will include both travel trade and consumer marketing, a convention bureau, business support and development.
The new organisation will be a significant industry presence creating new routes to market and putting the sub-region in a much stronger position to access new and additional funding to support businesses in the sector. It will need to reflect the diversity and strength of the sector and bringing together the two existing DMOs will provide better value for money and greater efficiency of operation.
The new organisation will work closely with Bristol City, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset councils to develop and appropriate public-private sector partnership focused on maximising the visitor economy.
John Hirst, Chief executive of Destination Bristol said, “The hospitality and tourism sector was the first to be hit by lockdown and will be the last to recover. We need to do everything we can to support businesses by making sure that we have a stronger presence. Creating a new company to promote this area will be more resilient and gives us a strong voice with organisations such as VisitBritain and VisitEngland.”
Kathryn Davis, Interim Chief Executive of Visit Bath and Head of Tourism at Destination Bristol said, “Destination Bristol and Visit Bath enjoy an existing and longstanding collaboration, so now is the time to consolidate and cement that relationship to give the region one strong voice. A united DMO will have the skilled staff and resources to provide excellent professional services to all its members across the West of England.”
Welcoming the proposition, Sally Balcombe, Chief Executive of VisitBritain commented that, “The timing is perfect and a really good example of partnership working which would enable funding to support the sector to be channelled more effectively.”
