New body to set city's tourism plan

Leading figures from businesses and public organisations are on a new body set up to establish Brighton & Hove’s tourism strategy.

A new council report says the Tourism Advisory Board will aim to align the city’s tourism strategy with the needs of local businesses.

Represented on a list of 23 board members are hotels, restaurants, trade bodies, attractions, the Brighton Festival and the South Downs National Park.  Additionally, councillors on the Board will be spokespersons on tourism for political parties represented on the council.  

Cllr Geoffrey Bowden, also chair of the council’s economic development and culture committee, will chair the Board initially.  However this could change in future, should the Board choose.

Board members will serve for a two-year term.  Its meetings will happen four times annually.

Under proposals, the Advisory Board would establish the city’s strategy, while the council’s tourism arm VisitBrighton would implement it.  It is anticipated that sub-committees of the Board could also look at particular issues.

Some 450 city businesses were invited to put forward representatives to the Board and 35 applied.

Cllr Bowden said:  “The council is backing this Board because it’s a great way of drawing together the vast expertise we have in tourism-related businesses. It’s vital that all these businesses and the council are pulling in the same direction if we’re to maximise the economic benefits of tourism.”

Councillors on the culture committee are being asked to approve the Board’s composition and terms of reference at their meeting on November 14.

The Board’s members are listed in the committee report among these agenda papers