tourism is big business in East Anglia, generating £5.5bn a year across the two counties.
But those in the sector warn our region is unable to compete with destinations elsewhere in the UK due to blind spots in the way the public funding is allocated.
It’s after the government changed the structure of destination management organisations (DMOs) – which include Visit North Norfolk and The Suffolk Coast – replacing many existing bodies with a new type of organisation, called Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs).
READ MORE: Our manifesto for business in East Anglia
Fifteen have been set up across the UK, with millions of pounds of public money ring-fenced to support their activities.
So far more than £4m has been promised to areas under the LVEP model, including the Cotswolds and Cornwall.
In East Anglia, however, there has been resistance to adopting the new structure, with business leaders arguing it will tourism-sector/”>take power away from local…
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