Liverpool City Region is on the lookout for an inspirational leader to drive tourism

The chair of the newly established Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) will oversee the strengthening of the city region’s thriving visitor economy and help build on the success of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, The Open Championship, the Grand National Festival and other world-famous events.

An inspirational leader is being sought to drive visitor growth across the Liverpool City Region and solidify its position as a premier tourist destination.

Staged at the M&S Bank Arena in May, Eurovision is forecast to increase the number of visitors to the city region by around 5% for years to come – boosting the economy by £250m by 2026.

The 151^st Golf Championship was hosted at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake from 20-23 July with an expectation to attract more than 250,000 visitors to the region, generating an estimated £100m for the local economy. It was announced earlier this month that the event will return to the city region in 2026 when the 154^th Open is held at Royal Birkdale.

The Liverpool City Region’s LVEP will be one of the first in the country following VisitEngland’s approval of an application in April. The partnership will be a dynamic collaboration between local government, tourism organisations, business associations, and key stakeholders dedicated to promoting and enhancing the city region’s visitor economy. As chair, the successful candidate will play a pivotal role in leading this partnership to new heights, ensuring sustainable growth and development.

The Liverpool City Region’s visitor economy is a vital component of the region’s overall economic fabric. From its rich cultural heritage and iconic landmarks, waterfront and beaches to its vibrant arts and music scene and world-class sporting events, the city region has become a must-visit destination for visitors from around the globe. The LVEP chair will be instrumental in harnessing this potential and shaping a strategic vision for the future.

Accountable to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the Chair of the LVEP will also sit on the Business and Enterprise Board which will be the primary strategic link between business and the Combined Authority.

The LVEP will typically be composed of members broadly representing the city region geography but with the flexibility to co-opt members to plug gaps in areas of expertise, local geography or to ensure greater diversity. In all cases, the Combined Authority will endeavour to ensure that the new boards reflect communities across the city region and would particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Backgrounds, are women or who have a disability.

Cllr Mike Wharton, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Business, said:

“Visitors already flock to the Liverpool City Region for its culture, sport, heritage, scenery, nightlife and much more – adding billions of pounds to our economy and providing jobs for tens of thousands of people.

“Eurovision provided a timely boost to our visitor economy following the ravages of the pandemic and helped cement our reputation as a must-visit destination to a huge global audience. But we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.

“We must instead constantly evolve and enhance our visitor offering and develop the way we promote our city region. The Local Visitor Economy Partnership, and its chair, will play a vital part in setting our strategy and direction or travel for years to come.”

The LVEP will replace the Liverpool City Region Visitor Economy Board that was managed by the Local Enterprise Partnership. Following a national review of the work of Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Combined Authority was required by government to integrate the functions of the LEP into its own governance structure.

Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool and Chair of the city region Visitor Economy Board, said:

“Our visitor economy is crucial to the city region’s economic success creating jobs and business opportunities as a result of our national and international visitor appeal. Although we are seeing more visitors in the region since the start of the pandemic there is still work to be done to get back to our pre-pandemic numbers – the creation of a Local Visitor Economy Partnership will enable the city region to do just that ensuring the continued success of our amazing destination.”

Laura added: “It has been an honour to chair the previous visitor economy board on behalf of the city region and I wish the incoming chair of the LVEP every success for the future.”

Interested candidates are invited to submit a covering letter explaining why they are the ideal candidate to be LVEP Board chair and a brief explanation of their vision for the city region. More information can be found here.