Tourism is big business in East Anglia, generating £5.5bn a year across the two counties. But those in the sector warn our region is falling behind other parts of the country due to blind spots in the way the public funding is allocated.
It's after the government changed the structure of destination management organisations (DMOs) - which include Visit North Norfolk and The Suffolk Coast - replacing many existing bodies with a new type of organisation, called Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs).
Fifteen have been set up across the UK, with millions of pounds of public money ring fenced to support their activities.
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But while advocates claim they'll help align regional goals with national priorities, East Anglian businesses say they'll be detrimental to our visitor economy.
Greg Munford is chief executive of Richardsons Leisure, which has been offering holidays in Norfolk for more than 80 years.
He said local businesses are overwhelmingly against replacing smaller DMOs with an over-arching body, as it would likely not address the specific needs of those operating in the area.
He said: “Creating a Norfolk and Suffolk LVEP would give us more central funding but it would come with very clear government targets which are not necessarily in line with local priorities.
“Yes the money would be fantastic, but it would come with clear conditions on how it would need to be spent.”
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Instead, Mr Munford said area-specific DMOs like Visit the Broads National Park and Visit Great Yarmouth should be given equal funding to their LVEP equivalents, with local businesses guiding where it should be spent.
He added: “Without a doubt Norfolk and Suffolk is missing out on funding.
“The chance to promote our region shouldn’t be dependent on meeting targets set by the central government, which aren’t even relevant to us.
“It should be about empowering these bodies to run effective campaigns that have real results for the region.”
This article is part of our Supercharge East campaign, brought to you in association with the East Anglian Daily Times and Greater Anglia.
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