Who we are
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
We are active across the UK’s nations and regions 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 supports the whole of Britain and 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.
We are a partnership organisation, working alongside the national tourist boards for Scotland, Wales and London & Partners as well as with global industry and non-industry partners to extend our reach and fulfil our customers’ needs.
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.
We also have shared priorities which are:
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
City of London Corporation/Antoine Buchet
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).
Rich Kenworthy
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.