The DMO review
The DMO review
What was the DMO review, and why was it needed?
In 2021, an independent review of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) was commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The review was conducted by Nick de Bois CBE, Chair of the VisitEngland Advisory Board, and addressed long-running concerns about the structure, funding and fragmentation of the DMO landscape. It aimed to establish whether there may be a more efficient model than DMOs for supporting tourism at a regional level – and if so, what that may be.
De Bois’s findings were published in September 2021. The review recommended that England’s DMO landscape should be restructured into a tiering formation, to create a national portfolio of high performing and strategic destination organisations. The UK government published its response in July 2022, echoing the proposals and announcing £4 million funding for us at VisitEngland to begin implementing them.
We welcomed the UK Government’s response and the opportunity to play our part in delivering the recommendations. Since the response, we have been working on the new accreditation scheme, and have engaged with DMOs to refine and develop the criteria through a series of regional roundtables.
The new structure of tourism management
Destination Development Partnerships (DDPs)
DDPs will set regional priorities for the visitor economy, and receive government funding to focus on key objectives. Each DDP will be a partnership of LVEPs across a geography, with one taking the lead; we expect there will eventually be 15 to 20 DDPs across England. The UK Government is supporting two pilot DDPs until 2025, led by NewcastleGateshead Initiative and the West Midlands Growth Company (see below).
Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs)
LVEPs will replace the current DMOs. They will lead, market and manage the destinations in their geography, collaborating with other destination organisations, local government and businesses. We are administering the accreditation process and expect there will eventually be around 40 LVEPs across England. They will receive dedicated support and national collaboration.
Destination Organisations
Destination organisations are likely to be operating below county or city region level. They will contribute to the management and marketing of destinations, maintaining close contacts with tourism businesses. They will need to collaborate with LVEPs to ensure that local needs and priorities are represented in the destination management plan (DMP).
DDP Pilots
The first regional DDP pilot was announced in the North East and is led the NewcastleGateshead Initiative on behalf of the region, working alongside Visit Northumberland and Visit County Durham. It will be active until March 2025 and receives £2.25 million from the UK Government.
A second DDP pilot is being delivered from March 2024 by the West Midlands Growth Company who are working with their LVEPs Birmingham, Solihull & the Black Country and Coventry & Warwickshire.
The pilots’ aim is to develop tourism while attracting private investment and driving growth: an opportunity to unlock the untapped potential of their regions, attracting more visitors, developing new experiences, targeting new markets, and creating new jobs. They will act as a blueprint for future DDPs across England.
‘England’s DMOs have an important role to play’
‘England’s DMOs have an important role to play’
Read the UK Government’s full response to the de Bois Review, and its vision for England’s destination management.
Learn more about LVEPs
Learn more about LVEPs
Find out more about England’s 30+ Local Visitor Economy Partnerships – the strategic organisations working on shared priorities to support the visitor economy.
