VisitEngland Advisory Board Member
- Body
- VisitEngland Advisory Board
- Appointing Department
- Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- Sector
- Culture, Media & Sport
- Location
- All meetings are ordinarily held in London.
- Skills required
- Audit and Risk
- Number of Vacancies
- 1
- Remuneration
- Board members are remunerated at a rate of £3,300 per annum. Costs of travel from your home location (within the UK) can be reclaimed, as well as other reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out work for VisitEngland.
- Time Requirements
- The VisitEngland Advisory Board meets five times a year in its advisory function, along with a joint strategy board meeting held in conjunction with the members of the BTA Board.
Campaign Timeline
-
Competition Launched
25/11/2021
-
Closed for Applications
06/01/2022
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Panel Sift
w/c 31 January 2022
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Final Interview Date
TBC
-
Announcement
TBC
Assessment Panel
- Panel Member
- Duncan Parish
- Panel Role
- Panel Chair
- Positions
- DCMS Deputy Director for Tourism, International Culture and Diplomacy Departmental Official
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- Panel Member
- Nick de Bois
- Positions
- Chair, VisitEngland Advisory Board Representative of Organisation
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| Notes | - |
- Panel Member
- Yasmin Diamond CB
- Positions
- Independent Member
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Vacancy Description
Summary
The Secretary of State wishes to appoint a new Board Member to the VisitEngland Advisory Board (VEAB). The VEAB is responsible for providing advice on English tourism matters to Ministers and the Board of the British Tourist Authority (BTA).
DCMS is committed to eliminating discrimination and advancing equality of opportunity in its public appointments. We particularly encourage applicants from underrepresented groups, those based outside London and the South-East and applicants who have achieved success through non-traditional educational routes. This ensures that boards of public bodies benefit from a full range of diverse perspectives and are representative of the people they serve.
Introduction
Tourism is a crucial industry for the United Kingdom and made up of a variety of different kinds of enterprises, including: accommodation providers, attractions, cultural activities, exhibition and conference facilities, passenger transport, and sport and recreational activities.
Importance of the UK tourism industry
In 2019 (the most recent for which full figures are available), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that tourism industries directly contributed £75 billion to the UK’s economy (gross value added or GVA), with 1.7 million direct employees This equated to 4% of all GVA.
Impact of and HM Government’s response to coronavirus pandemic
The tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit sectors affected during 2020 and 2021 by measures introduced to combat the spread of COVID-19, such as restrictions on travel, on leaving home for non-essential reasons and on gathering, and the mandatory closures of certain types of businesses and premises. The ONS estimates that overseas residents made only 11.1 million visits to the UK, a reduction of 73%, and only £6.2 billion, a reduction of 78%, in 2020 compared to 2019.
In June 2021, HM Government published The Tourism Recovery Plan, following the commitment reiterated in the Prime Minister’s Spring Reopening Roadmap announced in February. It sets out the role that HM Government will play in assisting and accelerating the tourism sector’s recovery from COVID-19, along with a framework for how the government will work with the sector to build back better.
Looking ahead, the HM Government wants to see a growing, dynamic, sustainable and world-leading tourism sector reaching its full potential and driving growth across all parts of the UK. Specifically, some of the key aims are to:
- Ensure that the sector’s recovery benefits every nation and region with visitors staying longer, growing accommodation occupancy rates in the off-season and high level of investment in tourism products and transport infrastructure.
- Build back better with a more innovative and resilient industry, maximising the potential for technology and data to enhance the visitor experience and employing more UK nationals in year-round quality jobs.
- Ensure that the tourism sector contributes to the enhancement and conservation of the country’s cultural, natural and historic heritage, minimising damage to the environment and is inclusive and accessible to all.
- Return the UK swiftly to its pre-pandemic position as a leading European destination for hosting business events.
About the VisitEngland Advisory Board
The VisitEngland Advisory Board has been in existence since the Development of Tourism Act 1969 and is legally constituted as the English Tourist Board, an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body. It is responsible for advising the Board and the Senior Team of the British Tourist Authority, which operates as VisitBritain and VisitEngland with ring-fenced funding for Britain and England activity, on matters relating to tourism in England, and thereby helping to drive economic growth and excellence in English tourism. It recently advised on the criteria for assessing grant-funding applications to the Discover England Fund and its comments and advice were then communicated to the BTA Board to inform its decisions.
VisitEngland is accountable to the BTA Board and the Accounting Officer of BTA exercises the responsibilities through a governance framework put in place in 2016 which details the corporate governance arrangements.
The Secretary of State’s priorities for English tourism
The Secretary of State has recently reconfirmed the following priorities for English tourism:
- Continue to maintain distinct activities to develop and market English tourism.
- Help the tourism industry recover swiftly from the impact of COVID-19 by aligning work with HM Government’s Tourism Recovery Plan. This includes funding for the development of a new domestic rail tourism product, addressing any recommendation of the current independent DMO review being undertaken and prioritising support for domestic marketing activities.
- Capitalise on key events in 2022 including Her Majesty The Queen’s Jubilee and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The Role
Board members are expected to contribute effectively to the overall work of the VisitEngland Advisory Board, chaired by Nick de Bois since June 2020, in providing expert advice and support.
The main responsibilities of board members are, to:
- Contribute effectively to the discussion of the VisitEngland Advisory Board and support the Chair of the Board.
- Support the Chair in advising the Board of the British Tourist Authority on matters relating to English tourism.
- Support the Chair in ensuring that the VisitEngland Advisory Board membership and governance is constituted in such a way as to provide the most relevant and expert advice and experience on a range of key topics of increasing importance, including (but not limited to) the needs of English destinations, digital marketing, grant management and local economic development issues (in light of the Levelling Up agenda).
- The Board Members must provide support and challenge as necessary to the VEAB Chair to ensure that the BTA retains an appropriate separation of England only activity and funding.
- Champion England domestically as a visitor destination.
Person Specification
Essential criteria
Candidates for the role must be able to demonstrate that they meet the majority of the following essential criteria:
- A commitment to the purpose and objectives of the VEAB and an understanding of matters relating to tourism in England, and thereby helping to drive economic growth and excellence in English tourism;
- An ability to think strategically and creatively to help the VEAB deliver its strategic objectives to better serve and work in partnership with all stakeholders;
- Experience and demonstrable senior leadership in a commercial or financial role in either the private or public sector including effective oversight of audit, risk and compliance.
- Good judgement with a willingness to be open, ask challenging questions and help find solutions;
- An ability to work collaboratively and as part of a team;
- A willingness to learn about the legal duties and responsibilities of trusteeship;
- An understanding of the differing opportunities and demands of the public and private sectors;
- The ability to contribute effectively to corporate governance matters including risk management and strategy development; and
- A strong commitment to engaging communities outside of London, and factoring UK-wide perspectives into all decision making.
Desirable criteria
In addition to experience in audit, risk and compliance, applications from individuals with experience in any of the following would be desirable: digital marketing, grants management and local economic development.
Additional Information
Further information on current activities and corporate governance of VisitEngland (and the British Tourist Authority) can be found on our websites:
A full list of current members of the VisitEngland Advisory Board and their short biographies can also be found at https://www.visitbritain.org/our-team
A copy of the British Tourist Authority’s most recent annual financial report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/british-tourist-authority-annual-report-and-accounts-for-the-year-ended-31-march-2021
A copy of HM Government’s Tourism Recovery Plan, published in June 2021, is also available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/992974/Tourism_Recovery_Plan__Web_Accessible_.pdf