BRITISH TOURIST AUTHORITY TRADING AS VISITBRITAIN ...

VisitBritain and VisitEngland
Annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 st March 2010
1. INTRODUCTION
British Tourist Authority (BTA) is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
(DCMS). The functions, duties and powers of BTA are set out in the Development of Tourism Act 1969 (the Act). The Act defines
BTA’s functions as:
Encouraging overseas visitors to come to Great Britain
Encouraging people who live in Great Britain to take their holidays in Great Britain
Promoting the provision and improvement of tourist amenities and facilities in Great Britain.
BTA also has a duty to:
Advise ministers and public bodies on tourism matters in Great Britain.
The English Tourist Board (ETB) has like functions and the same duty under the Act in relation to England but does not have power
to encourage overseas visitors to come to England unless it is acting on behalf of BTA.
On 1 st April 2003, ETB ceased to be funded and was re-classified as an unfunded advisory body and the British Tourist Authority
assumed responsibility for the domestic marketing of England and commenced trading as VisitBritain. As an unfunded advisory
body ETB was required, inter-alia, to advise VisitBritain on strategy for the domestic marketing of England.
Following the decision to cut VisitBritain’s funding by over 20% in real terms for the years 2008/09 to 2010/11, the then Secretary of
State for Culture, Media and Sport asked VisitBritain to carry out a wide-ranging review: The British Tourism Framework Review. It
became clear that there was a demand for the promotion of tourism in England to be undertaken by a separate body.
To achieve this, to the extent possible within the existing statutory and funding framework, on 1 st April 2009 VisitBritain ring-fenced a
‘VisitEngland’ team and a Chief Executive was recruited to report directly to the Chairman of the English Tourist Board, now also
known as VisitEngland. In legal terms, the VisitEngland Executive remains a part of VisitBritain for funding and governance
purposes and undertakes its role as British Tourist Authority trading as VisitEngland.
Accountability to the Board and Chief Executive/Accounting Officer of VisitBritain is exercised primarily through an internal Funding
Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding has been developed to record the detailed corporate governance arrangements.
British Tourist Authority
trading as VisitBritain
British Tourist Authority
known as VisitBritain
Accounting Officer/
Chief Executive
1
English Tourist Board
known as VisitEngland
British Tourist Authority
trading as VisitEngland