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 drives growth from tourism across the nations and regions so local communities feel the benefits, inspiring visitors to visit Britain now.
VisitEngland leads and enables a sustainable and resilient visitor economy through a simplified regional structure for English tourism, business support, guidance and training and the championing of domestic tourism.
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 21 overseas markets.
VisitBritain/VisitEngland actively support a sustainable and resilient tourism sector across the UK’s nations and regions and in 21 overseas markets with two clear distinctions between the roles of VisitBritain and VisitEngland.
VisitBritain’s while working within the UK VisitBritain supports the whole of Britain internationally in partnership with the national tourist boards for Scotland, Wales and London & Partners as well as with global industry and non-industry partners. Our international activity includes consumer marketing campaigns under the GREAT Britain campaign. Our activity can be seen across our international network with campaigns in across Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA.
VisitEngland works within England’s borders. The focus of the VisitEngland is on supporting tourism and the tourism industry across all regions of country. Through the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) Programme we are transforming England’s visitor economy landscape and building a strong network of local leadership and collaboration to grow the value of tourism across the country. VisitEngland’s work at the grass roots of English tourism supporting SMEs across England on critical subjects to support positive impact and growth including sustainability, accessibility and quality of their welcome and offer.
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
For more detail on our corporate priorities and areas of focus across VisitBritain/VisitEngland for 2023 to 2024, please see our business plan (PDF, 5.56 MB).
For more information on our work for England, please see the latest VisitEngland business plan (PDF, 243.7 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.
