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Great South West Tourism Partnership

The Great South West Tourism Partnership was formed as a new group at the start of COVID to provide ‘joined up’ and rapid support to the thousands of Tourism and Hospitality businesses across the South West impacted by COVID lockdowns. Members include:

Torbay Development Agency (TDA) – providing secretarial support funded by the SWLEP.
South West Tourism Alliance
ERBID Company
Visit Devon
Devon County Council
Visit Cornwall
Visit Dorset
Visit Somerset
Visit Exmoor
Visit Exeter
Devon County Council
Devon & Cornwall Business Council
Visit England

Key issues discussed regularly by England’s Great South West Tourism Partnership include:

1. Funding Opportunities

Considerable help was secured jointly by the GSWTP working closely with Government and including our own MP Kevin Foster including:

DMO Marketing Recovery Fund
Welcome Back Marketing Fund
Energy Support Package

2. Lobbying Government

Including instigating regular meetings with MPs across the South West in staging specific Tourism APPG Meetings to raise the industry’s key concerns at the time, including:

Financial support, extending furlough
National Accommodation Statutory Registration
Reducing the VAT Rate
Issues concerning recruitment
Issues concerning accommodation for Asylum Seekers

Meeting regularly with the Government’s Head of Tourism and our local MP these issues are continuously on the agenda and debated.

3. Research

Undertaking regular South West Business Impact surveys to collect hard evidence regarding the impact of COVID on businesses. The survey evidence was shared with Government, local MPs and Councillors to lobby for financial support and demonstrate how vitally important the Tourism and Hospitality Sector is to the Economy.

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Other Partners

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Torbay Council

The Chief Executive of the ERBID Company meets with the Leader, Cabinet Member for Tourism and Chief Executive of Torbay Council on a monthly basis to discuss key issues.
UNESCO Global Geopark Management Committee

The Global Geopark Management Committee is the lead organisation bringing together all the strategic partners involved in ensuring that we work together to retain our UNESCO accreditation.
Devon & Partners LVEP

Devon and Partners LVEP is a recently formed public/private sector partnership between the county’s local authorities, destination management organisations and regional businesses. Devon has the third largest visitor economy in England. The LVEP is part of a national program managed by Visit England.
Visit Devon

Visit Devon is the official DMO for Devon and the ERBID Company is a strategic commercial partner with unanimous support for the work and need for a county DMO.
Visit Britain

As the official DMO for Torbay, the ERBID Company is also the official link with Government through our links with Visit England and DCMS, the Government Departments responsible for Tourism, Culture, Media and Sport.
Strategic Partnerships

The ERBID Company works closely with our strategic partners to ensure that opportunities to achieve growth are maximised for levy payers.