This week marks the first anniversary of Devon and Partners Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) which was accredited by VisitEngland as part of a nationwide re-structing of the tourism sector in England last April.

The partnership is a voluntary coalition of organisations from across Devon who have come together to create a more strategic and joined up approach to growing the visitor economy across the wider county, districts and unitaries. The LVEP aims to provide leadership and influence, which means a stronger voice for the tourism industry at national, regional, and local level. The LVEP and its partners can drive policy change, unlock funding and make a strong case for the industry, the County, and its further development. The main aspiration of the LVEP partners is to work more closely together on visitor economy development.

Tourism and the wider visitor economy is worth £1.6 billion annually to the Devon economy supporting over 50,000 jobs (9% of employment). It is estimated that the new structure will enable additional growth in the sector of over £300 million annually going forwards.

Reflecting on the achievements of the past few months Chair, Vince Flower said “It has been a privilege to Chair the LVEP over the past year. I would like to thank all our partners for their outstanding support and contributions. Despite significant changes across the county and challenging trading conditions for our tourism businesses, we have made steady and meaningful progress toward achieving our early goals.”

Key achievements have included developing the first countywide ‘Growth Plan’ for the visitor sector which includes 61 separate project workstreams and fourteen priority areas. Creating a visitor economy data hub for Devon to provide real time information to businesses in the county and creating an effective partnership working group.

The South West Visitor Economy hub has been a key project for all partners and is now becoming increasingly well used by local businesses, local authorities and related organisations having launched in September after two years of development. The hub is being funded by income from some of the LVEP partners as well as commercial income streams. The first annual report was recently produced and is the first of its kind for Devon.

Additional projects which are being developed are a programme of activity to support promotion of ‘accessibility’ for Devon tourism businesses and creating a more joined up approach to PR nationally. The core early priorities for the LVEP are as follows:
▪ Advocacy and leadership – encouraging the development of the destination through strategic partnerships and strengthened organisation
▪ Encourage the development of the destination through strategic partnerships that invest in the fabric of places
▪ Improving the quantity and quality of data and insight – a focus to inform economic impact, direction, and performance
▪ Partnership Building and improving collaboration and delivery effectiveness
▪ Position and Profile - improving branding, marketing, and promotion
▪ Skills and Workforce development
▪ Sustainable Tourism including transport and other infrastructure, travel choices and access for all.

VisitEngland Director, Andrew Stokes said: “We are very pleased to see the Devon and partners LVEP coming together and working collaboratively to create the first growth plan for the county. It is an ambitious plan which will support the growth of the visitor economy in the coming years, and we are looking forward to seeing the plan turn into action during in the next 12 months”.

Key partners involved in the LVEP Advisory board include: Devon County Council, Visit Devon, Destination Plymouth, English Riviera BID Co, Visit South Devon, Visit Exeter, Visit Exmoor, Professional Association of Self Caterers, Food and Drink Devon, Dartmoor and Exmoor National Park, South West Water, Torbay UNESCO Geopark, North Devon UNESCO biosphere, East Devon Council, Mid Devon Council, North Devon Council, Devon Association of Tourist Attractions, Brend Collection hotels, SW Devon, SW Coast Path and the National Trust.