Supporting the Industry

A great deal of the work undertaken by Visit West benefits businesses and the region, often without recognition or an understanding of how.

Lobbying and representation

 Behind the scenes, Visit West lobbies for the industry locally and nationally ensuring the voice of the industry is heard, working in partnership with agencies such as VisitBritain, UKInbound and others to give insight and learn from others.

During Covid-19, this included working closely with individual businesses to support them through an understanding of grants and support, particularly those excluded from programmes, and raising issues with local MPs.

We work closely with DCMS and other organisations to ensure that the industry voice is heard.

Indirect benefits of work and ‘soft power’

Much of the work undertaken by Visit West has a significant impact on the visitor economy in the region.  While membership is where businesses receive more direct benefits, especially through marketing opportunities, business development, training and events, there is undoubtedly a halo effect.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the work undertaken to raise the profile of the destination and region through earned media.  Each year, we support press and media visits bringing travel and lifestyle writers and influencers to experience first hand what makes our region so special.  Often these trips are delivered in partnership with travel partners but can be through our own pro-active work.  Each incoming request is carefully considered as there is often investment beyond our own staff time to make these visits a success.

Complimentary to this, is the work undertaken by the same team to share pro-active content relating to the visitor experience, and MICE industry with partners and the media.  This is usually thematic or seasonal, or in response to a specific request.

The same is true for the work with the travel trade and our convention bureau.  This B2B activity helps raise the profile of the destinations specifically with buyers, ensuring the destinations are featured in the right itineraries with the right product. 

Providing practical advice to stakeholders and influencing behaviour

As well as providing inspiration for travel, there is a significant amount of guidance and practical advice that Visit West provides to help make travel to the region more effective.

This includes reminding of just how valuable the sector is to the local economy and the jobs it supports.  A visitor economy does not just happen by itself but involves significant and ongoing work to ensure that it can fulfil its potential.

For international partners, this can be using Bristol Airport as the entry point rather than the London Airports.  Not only does this reduce the carbon impact of international arrivals by reducing the need for onward travel from London to the region, but it means that by working in partnership with Bristol Airport colleagues, we can ensure that there is clear information to help organised groups or help provide information for those arriving independently.

It is important that we help promote sustainable travel options, and so working with partners, we create itineraries and experiences that encourage use of public transport, and particularly walking and cycling.  We can also identify opportunities for intervention, where there are weaknesses and work with others to provide solutions.

Local supply chains and support for independent businesses are also critical.  While we develop practical signposting of suppliers in the region, we also ensure that there are opportunities to work with even the smallest business.  Through our membership programme, we provide opportunities to engage irrespective of size with a tiered membership programme, and flexible payment terms so that even the smallest businesses can support destination work, participate in destination activity and receive benefits for less than £20 a month – about 55p per day.