UNITED KINGDOM TOURISM ADMINISTRATIVE AND TERRITORIAL ORGANISATION

Britain’s tourism industry is a dynamic affiliation of public and private sector organisations including small- to medium-size enterprises (SMEs); international private businesses (eg. airlines or large hotel chains), as well as Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) at local and regional level.

Each of the countries within the British Isles also has its own national tourist board which works closely together.

VisitBritain is a non-departmental public body, funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) through a grant-in-aid (GIA). The Secretary of State of DCMS is responsible to the UK Parliament for VisitBritain’s activities. The UK Government sets the overall strategy, policy and objectives for tourism.

VisitBritain is the strategic body for inbound tourism to Britain, responsible for the international tourism promotion of Britain and its nations and regions.

England

VisitEngland is the national tourist board for England and is legally accountable to the board and Accounting Officer of VisitBritain and has its own CEO and board. It is responsible for the development of standout tourism products through the management of an English tourism challenge fund and domestic marketing.

Scotland

VisitScotland is the national tourism organisation for Scotland. It has a strategic role as the public sector agency providing leadership and direction for the development of Scottish tourism to get the maximum economic benefit for Scotland. It exists to support the development of the tourism industry in Scotland and to market Scotland as a quality destination.

Wales

VisitWales is the Welsh Assembly Government's tourism team, within the Department for Heritage. Visit Wales has taken over the functions of the former Wales Tourist Board (WTB), with responsibility for the promotion and development of tourism in Wales.

London

London & Partners is the official promotional agency for London, attracting and delivering value to businesses, students and visitors. It is a not-for-profit public private partnership, funded by the Mayor of London and a network of commercial partners. Their remit is to drive leisure and business visitors as well as bidding to secure major events in London.

Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board is part of the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment. Its primary objective is to promote Northern Ireland as a tourist destination.

The Channel Islands

Jersey and Guernsey both have Crown Dependency status but are not part of the United Kingdom. The tourism body on these islands are a department of their respective governments.

There are also a wide number or regional Destination Management Organisations and local authorities with responsibility for tourism to their specific area.

Industry Groups and Bodies

• Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)- Trade association for travel agents.
• Association of Independent Museums- Represents the interests of independent museums and helps to improve standards and influence national policy.
• Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA)
• British Beer and Pub Association- Promotes the reputation of the UK brewing and pub industry.
• British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA)- Trade association which represents the interests of owners, managers, suppliers and developers in the UK's commercial leisure parks, piers, zoos and static attractions sector.
• British Destinations- Trade association for major UK destination based tourism interests.
• British Educational Travel Association (BETA)- Umbrella body representing producers and suppliers of youth, student and educational travel related products.
• British Hospitality Association (BHA)- Represents the interests of the hospitality industry, identifying key issues and lobbying to influence policy making.
• British Institute of Innkeeping- Professional body for the licensed retail trade.
• Camping and Caravanning Club (CCC)- World's oldest and largest club for all forms of camping, and with over 400,000 members.
• CaravanClub- Provide services and activities for 1 million caravan, motor caravan and trailer tent owners.
• Heritage Railway Association- Represents the majority of heritage and tourist railways, tramways and railway preservation groups within both the UK and Ireland.
• Historic Houses Association (HHA)- Represents 1,500 privately owned historic houses, castles and gardens, helping private owners to maintain them.
• Hospitality Finance, Revenue and IT Professionals (HOSPA)- Not for profit educationally focused association helping hospitality's finance, revenue management and IT professionals develop their careers and networks, as well as keep up-to-date with industry trends and developments.
• Hotel and Catering International Management Association (HCIMA)- Professional body for managers and aspiring managers working in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry.
• Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)- Professional development body for the UK's sport and physical activity sector. It provides leadership, support and empowerment for professionals working in sport and physical activity.
• Institute of Tourist Guiding- Standard-setting body for Blue Badge tourist guide and the tourist guiding sector.
• Institute of Travel and Tourism- Professional membership body for individuals employed in the travel and tourism industry, dedicated to developing and maintaining professional standards for the benefit of its members and the industry.
• Local Government Association- The voice of local government within the national arena.
• National Casino Industry Forum- Trade association that represents over 90% of the UK's casino sector.
• Tourism Alliance- Lobbying body seeking to establish and maintain a favourable operating environment for all businesses involved in the delivery of tourism, particularly in England with membership comprising trade associations and trade bodies within the sector.
• Tourism Management Institute- Professional institute for people working with destinations.
• Tourism Society- Forum for professionals working in all sectors of the tourism industry.
• UKInbound- Trade association that represents the UK's export tourism business.