Tourism New moves to maximise potential of region’s £2.3bn sector

THE destination management organisation for the West of England has been awarded Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) accreditation by the national tourism agency, VisitEngland.

VisitWest, which represents businesses in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire hopes to provide stronger leadership for the region, as it shapes and delivers strategies to promote tourism for the South West. The accreditation has been awarded in a bid to reshape destination management across the country into a more cohesive structure.

Awarded to 12 destinations in this first round VisitEngland aims to maximise the potential of local visitor economy in the region, which pre-pandemic supported 45,000 jobs and is worth £2.33bn.

The creation of the LVEP programme is in response to the UK Government’s independent review of Destination Management Organisations carried out by Nick de Bois, chair of the British Tourist Authority in autumn 2021, which recommended a more efficient and effective model for supporting English tourism at a regional level.

Kathryn Davis, managing director of Visit West, said: “Having worked in destination management for 23 years, I believe the introduction of the LVEP programme is vital to ensure the continued growth and development of the region’s visitor economy.

“We are proud to already be working extensively with VisitEngland and VisitBritain to promote the west of England to domestic and international visitors – especially as the sector began to recover from the impacts of the pandemic – through the funding we received for their ‘Escape the Everyday’ campaigns, for example.”

Andrew Stokes, England director at VisitEngland, added: “VisitEngland is delighted to welcome onto the programme the new LVEPs, who will play a central role in transforming the visitor economy in England in an inclusive, accessible and sustainable way.

“Ensuring we have the right national and local infrastructure in place to grow our visitor economy will ensure England continues to be a compelling destination, for both domestic and international visitors, for years to come.”

The tourist board has also partnered with the investment body West Midlands Growth Company to create a similar platform, Birmingham, Solihull and Black Country Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), giving destinations a voice at national level.

BRISTOL IT consultancy Symec has been acquired by US tech firm TRG.

Mobile tech specialist Symec employs around 70 people across its headquarters in Emersons Green and its 35,000 sq ft EU service centre in Poznan, Poland. The deal, which has been agreed for an undisclosed sum, will see the expansion of Ohio-based TRG’s operations in Europe, where it already has facilities in The Netherlands.

In a post on its LinkedIn page, Symec said its founders Paul Golden and Phil Bruce and the company’s leadership team would remain as shareholders. Mr Bruce, said: “Our teams both share a commitment to helping customers adapt to an everchanging technology landscape. We are very much aligned in our approach to managed solutions. I believe customers on both sides of the Atlantic will benefit significantly from this new relationship.”

Symec chief executive David Glover added: “We are excited to be joining the TRG family. Our combined operational expertise and expansive service offerings will add value for our customers while opening up exciting new opportunities for expansion and progression for our colleagues.”

TRG, which serves more than 5,000 customers and has more than 10 million devices under management, said Symec has a suite of services that “perfectly” aligned with its own. The firm’s president Sean Kennedy said: “Symec has built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading mobile device, connectivity and managed service providers. Bringing this team into the TRG family allows us to significantly expand our UK and European operations, while providing our customers with more top-tier global offerings.”

The purchase of Symec is TRG’s second of the year, after it bought Canadian company Real World Communications in January.