Arts Council England is investing £3million into the Cultural Destinations programme which will provide arts and culture organisations, working in partnership with Destination Organisations, the opportunity to bid for grants to deliver projects that develop the local cultural offering.
UK Culture Minister Ed Vaizey and Tourism Minister Hugh Robertson teamed up to launch Cultural Destinations, an exciting new initiative aimed at boosting cultural tourism in England. Arts Council England is working in partnership with national tourist board VisitEngland to pioneer this new initiative which will see arts and culture organisations working hand in glove with local tourism bodies.
Arts Council England is investing £3million into the Cultural Destinations programme which will provide arts and culture organisations, working in partnership with Destination Organisations, the opportunity to bid for grants to deliver projects that develop the local cultural offering. Closer working between the two sectors will help to increase visitors, and how much they spend, to both arts and cultural attractions, and as a result contribute to local economic growth.
Arts Council England are seeking applications from consortia made up of at least one cultural organisation and one Destination Organisation which can apply for grants from between £250,000 and £350,000 for projects that will run from March 2014 for a maximum of 3 years. Up to 15 consortia could benefit from this new fund.
This project will develop of new arts events and festivals, holiday packages and cultural experiences as well as training, audience and visitor research, and familiarisation visits.
The programme forms part of the three-year partnership between the Arts Council and VisitEngland.
A key priority is to encourage and support destinations that have real potential to grow their economies by improving their cultural offer. A drive to ensure tourism and cultural bodies work more closely together at the local level, and programmes to share research and improve skills in each sector are also top priority.
Minister for Tourism Hugh Robertson said: “The arts are one of this country’s greatest assets, attracting visitors from near and far. This partnership will provide a boost for local arts organisations, help the tourism sector build on 2012 and make a strong contribution to economic growth.”
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said: “Bringing together the culture and tourism sectors in a scheme like this is an inspired concept. Thousands of brilliant cultural events are staged in cities, towns and villages across the UK each year and this fund will be instrumental in promoting them to the 26 million overseas tourists who visit England annually, and the 104 million Britons who venture out on “staycations” each year. Our fantastic cultural sector is one of the top reasons why tourists choose to holiday here, and is a key element in attracting the £97 billion contribution that tourism makes to the British economy each year.”
VisitEngland Chief Executive James Berresford said: “A strong cultural offering in destinations around England will certainly help to boost domestic and international tourism, will stimulate local economies, and provide visitors with world class cultural experiences, ultimately strengthening England’s reputation as one of the greatest cultural destinations in the world. VisitEngland’s marketing strategy fully supports the cultural sector through a variety of campaigns aimed at inspiring visitors to make the most of this country’s fantastic arts and music scene. We believe in the value of cultural tourism and this partnership certainly demonstrates the legacy for tourism following a bonanza year of cultural events in 2012.”
Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said: “As everybody knows, people come to England for the vibrant arts and cultural scene that we have here. And we need to make the most of this. This is why the £3 million we are investing in the Cultural destinations programme is so important – because the closer arts and cultural organisations work with the tourism sector, the more they can contribute to the growth of local economies, and grow Brand Britain as the destination for people to go.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
