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Who we are

Learn more about our role, our priorities and our senior team.

Introduction

We are the British Tourist Authority (BTA), operating under the brand names VisitBritain and VisitEngland. As the national tourism agency, we work to raise Britain’s profile, increase the volume and value of tourism exports and develop England’s visitor economy, working with organisations of all sizes and specialities.

We are funded by the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and function as a non-departmental public body as established in the Development of Tourism Act 1969.

VisitBritain’s role is to deliver growth for the visitor economy, inspiring visitors to explore Britain now through tourism and events.

VisitEngland champions domestic tourism within England and provides support to the wider industry through support of guidance and training.

Collectively, we are a trusted advisor to industry and to Government on the visitor economy, providing research and insights.

Where we work

VisitBritain/VisitEngland is active across the UK and in 22 overseas markets.

We work with SMEs and destination partners to support a sustainable and resilient tourism sector in England. Through the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) Programme we are transforming England’s visitor economy landscape and building a network for strong local leadership and collaboration to grow the value of tourism across the country.

Our overseas network accounts for approximately three-quarters of inbound tourism spend in Britain. We are active in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA.

Our international activity includes consumer marketing campaigns under the GREAT Britain campaign. Our international reach enables us to build relationships, understand our global customers and sell Britain effectively. We gather global market intelligence, develop and maintain relationships with international media, work closely with the travel trade, secure partners on-territory and oversee public diplomacy liaison.

Thanks to our digital expertise, we also ensure that relevant content is distributed to the customer through the most appropriate channels, allowing us to reach markets beyond those where we have a physical presence.

Our corporate priorities for 2024 to 2025

VisitBritain: International visitor value

Grow international visitor value, position Britain as a welcoming, dynamic and diverse destination, prioritising regional and seasonal dispersion.

VisitEngland: The English visitor economy

Lead and enable a sustainable and resilient visitor economy in England.

Our shared priorities include:

Build our future

Transform the way we work to compete in a digital world. Build our strengths in data. Grow and diversify our funding.

Our influence

Be a collaborative, trusted and valued partner with industry and Government. Support growth by shaping policy and providing insights.

Our team

Work as one global team. Develop and engage our people. Work by our values.

Our business plans

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For more detail on our corporate priorities and areas of focus across VisitBritain/VisitEngland for 2023 to 2024, please see our business plan (PDF 5.6 MB).

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The Angel of the North, an iconic statue in northern England

For more information on our work for England, please see the latest VisitEngland business plan (PDF 243 KB).

Our team

Meet the Board members for the BTA Board and the VisitEngland Advisory Board, and our senior management team. These are the people who decide our overall direction – working within a framework agreed by government – and monitor our performance against government targets. We meet six times per year and publish the minutes from our recent board meetings.

BTA Board

Meet Nick de Bois CBE, Chair of the BTA.

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Meet William Burton, BTA Board member.

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Meet Beth Knight, BTA Board member.

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Meet Peter Gowers, Board Member on our BTA Board.

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Meet Dame Judith Macgregor, Board Member on our BTA Board.

Dame Judith Macgregor

Meet Karin Sheppard, Board Member on our BTA Board.

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Meet Ian Edwards, BTA Board member.

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Meet Lord Thurso, BTA Board member in an ex-officio capacity.

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Meet Duncan Parish, Observer on our BTA Board.

Duncan Parish

Meet Mark Taylor, Observer on our BTA Board.

Mark Taylor

Meet Kaved Navid, Board Apprentice on our BTA Board.

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VisitEngland Advisory Board

Meet Lady Victoria Borwick, Chairman of the VisitEngland Advisory Board.

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Meet Sarah Fowler, Board Member to the VisitEngland Advisory Board.

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Meet Allan Lambert, Board Member to the VisitEngland Advisory Board.

Allan Lambert
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Meet Fiona Pollard, Board Member to the VisitEngland Advisory Board.

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Meet Nadine Thomson, Board Member to the VisitEngland Advisory Board.

Nadine Thomson
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Meet Nigel Wilkinson, Board Member to the VisitEngland Advisory Board.

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Meet Andy Wood OBE DL, Board Member to the VisitEngland Advisory Board.

Andy Wood
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Meet Laura Backhouse, Observer to the VisitEngland Advisory Board.

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Meet Mel Harradine, Boardroom Apprentice to the VisitEngland Advisory Board.

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Our senior team

Meet Patricia Yates, Chief Executive.

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VisitBritain/VisitEngland CEO Patricia Yates photographed outside the Visit England offices

Meet Louise Bryce, Partnerships Director.

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Meet Liz Herridge, Transformation Director.

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Meet Serena Jacobs, Finance Director.

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Meet Robin Johnson, Global Marketing Director.

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Meet Gavin Landry, International Director.

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Meet Debra Lang, Director of HR and Professional Services.

VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023 Judge

Meet Andrew Stokes, England Director.

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Discover more

Our purpose is to drive a thriving tourism industry, creating economic prosperity across Britain.

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Browse our career opportunities, explore frequently asked questions, and learn why VisitBritain/VisitEngland is a great place to work.

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Discover our return on investment, campaign reach and contribution to the economy – and download our annual reports.

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Young woman smiling, behind a counter in a record shop, with the till and card reader in front of her