Norfolk and Suffolk awarded joint Local Visitor Economy Partnership Status

Norfolk and Suffolk have joined the new national framework of VisitEngland-accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEP) after a successful bid by Visit East of England supported by Norfolk County Council and Suffolk County Council. 

Developed and administered by VisitEngland, the national portfolio of strategic and high-performing LVEPs support collaborative working locally and nationally on shared priorities and targets to grow the local visitor economy. 

The creation of LVEPs was part of the UK Government's response to the recommendations of The de Bois Review: an independent review of DMOs in England, to reshape destination management across England, reducing fragmentation and bringing coherence to its DMO landscape. 

Visit East of England chair Andy Wood said, "We're delighted that Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils have worked with us to make this successful joint LVEP application. We've brought together all the destination organisations and local authorities in the past few years, and this excellent news means we can grow that collaborative approach and deliver more for what is our largest industry sector and biggest employer." 

As well as a nationally recognised official status, LVEPs have access to resources and guidance from VisitBritain/VisitEngland in areas including expert advice, dedicated toolkits and training programmes in areas ranging from product distribution, accessibility and sustainability to business support and marketing. An important strand of support will be highlighting available Government funding streams as well as developing and providing a 'toolkit' to help LVEPs with bids to those streams. 

The new Suffolk-Norfolk LVEP joins the likes of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the Peak District, Kent, Cumbria, the Cotswolds and Yorkshire as well as cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. 

Andrew Stokes, England Director at VisitEngland said, "The Local Visitor Economy Partnerships programme is going from strength to strength as the number of LVEPs increases, representing more of England. The new structure is transforming the visitor economy landscape, supporting its cohesion and growth in a more inclusive, accessible and sustainable way and I am delighted to welcome Suffolk and Norfolk.

'Working together, the LVEPs are ensuring England continues to be a compelling destination for both domestic and international visitors. As Suffolk-Norfolk is established as a LVEP, VisitEngland will provide ongoing support including a dedicated regional lead." 

Councillor Kay Mason Billig, Leader of Norfolk County Council, said, "Norfolk County Council is delighted to be supporting Visit East of England and excited about the creation of a new Local Visitor Economy Partnership for Norfolk and Suffolk. The influence of tourism on our county is immense in terms of jobs and economic impact, and the new partnership promises to increase investment into Norfolk and raise our profile nationally and internationally." 

Councillor Richard Smith MVO, Suffolk County Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Economic Development and Skills, "Suffolk is a diverse county, full of natural beauty, history, and culture. Our historic towns and villages, picturesque coastline and attractions like Snape Maltings, Sutton Hoo and racehorses training in Newmarket make it a wonderful destination all-year round. We are the proud home of a newly-promoted Premier League football club, and our excellent food and drink offer has seen us named 'the foodie county'. This new LVEP status will help us to showcase what the region has to offer at a national level, attracting more visitors and realising the full potential of our visitor economy." 

Councillor Fabian Eagle, Cabinet member for economic growth at Norfolk County Council said, "The Norfolk visitor economy is worth more than £3bn a year and is one of our key industry sectors, accounting for nearly 20% of all jobs in the county. A successful Local Visitor Economy Partnership will help us to grow the sector even further and support high-quality jobs across the county." 

To reinforce its application for LVEP accreditation, VEE received many letters of support from stakeholders including Lord Leicester of Holkham, the Broads Authority, Stansted Airport, Norwich International Airport, Greater Anglia, National Trust East, English Heritage, Transport East, the VENI Skills Group, Norfolk and Suffolk Tourist Attractions group, Gt Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area, Bury St Edmunds BID, Discover Newmarket, local authorities and businesses such as English Distillery and Maids Head Hotel Norwich. 

VisitEngland welcomed the first three LVEPs, NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI), Visit County Durham and Visit Northumberland, into the programme in 2023. They form the pilot Destination Development Partnership (DDP) in the North East of England, led by NGI, first announced by the UK Government in November 2022. The pilot is a valuable opportunity to prove the DDP concept and the impact the model can have on growing the visitor economy, strengthening the case for future funding.