Tourism Industry Council

The Tourism Industry Council is a collaboration between government and the tourism industry focusing on improving the tourism sector and the visitor economy as a whole.

Contents

  1. Role of the group
  2. Membership
  3. Subgroups
  4. Terms of Reference
  5. Minutes

Role of the group

The Tourism Industry Council (TIC) is an industry-led board composed of employers and small businesses and representative organisations from across the visitor economy. The council acts as a sounding board and point of dialogue between ministers and industry, providing a forum for the sector to advise the government on issues affecting tourism.

The council aims to bring this broad and varied industry together to speak with one unified voice, identifying the strategic priorities of the sector, supporting the implementation of the Tourism Recovery Plan and ensuring the visitor economy meets its full potential.

Membership

Council members are leading figureheads drawn from across the tourism industry, including attractions, hospitality, accommodation, aviation, transport and businesses both large and small whose services are actively marketed to inbound, outbound and domestic travellers.

The council is co-chaired by the Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries and Karin Sheppard, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Managing Director for Europe.

Tim Alderslade - Airlines UK

Michael Ainsley - GMB

Justin Baird-Murray - Hospitality Cymru

Rebecca Brooks - Abbey UK

Steve Cassidy - Hilton

Joss Croft - UKinbound

Kathryn Davis - Visit West

Bernard Donoghue - Association of Leading Visitor Attractions

Emma English - British Educational Travel Association

Paul Flaum - Bourne Leisure

Sarah Green - NewcastleGateshead Initiative

Carole Hiley - Institute of Tourist Guiding

Michael Hirst OBE - UK Events

John Lally - National Caravan Council

Ian Leete - Local Government Association

Julia Lo Bue-Said D.Litt - Advantage Travel Partnership

Kate Nicholls OBE - UKHospitality

Scott O’Neil - Merlin Entertainments

Shomik Panda - Short Term Accommodation Association

Robert Shaw - Coach Tourism Association

Chris Skeith OBE - Events Industry Alliance & UK Events

Joanne Stuart - Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance

Richard Toomer- Tourism Alliance

David Weston - B&B Association

Nigel Wilkinson - Windermere Lake Cruises

Subgroups

Workstream Leads Group

The Workstream Leads Group is an industry-led group with an active role in developing policy advice to feed into the TIC, overseeing and coordinating the outputs of the council’s working groups and ensuring that the council itself is used strategically to inform and advise the government. This includes deciding on the timing and frequency of council meetings and determining the agenda.

The group is composed of members that represent key short, medium and long term issues in the visitor economy, and includes representation from DCMS. It is chaired by the industry co-chair of the TIC.

Membership and their corresponding workstream is as follows:

  • Karin Sheppard, IHG - Chair (as industry TIC co-Chair)
  • Joss Croft OBE, UKinbound - representing the International Competitiveness and Demand Working Group
  • Sarah Green, NewcastleGateshead Initiative - representing the response to the Independent Review of Destination Management Organisations, as lead the Destination Development Partnership pilot programme
  • Kate Nicholls OBE - representing the Inclusivity and Accessibility Working Group
  • Duncan Parish - UK government representative, DCMS
  • Chris Skeith OBE - representing the Events Industry Board Working Group
  • Richard Toomer - representing live sector issues
  • Patricia Yates - representing the Sustainability Working Group

Working Groups

Working groups sit under the Tourism Industry Council and the Workstream Leads Group. They focus in more detail on creating policy advice and recommendations on key issues. There are currently four working groups:

  • Events Industry Board Working Group (EIBWG) - advises on the challenges and opportunities for business visits and events in the UK. Chaired by Chris Skeith OBE, Director of the Events Industry Alliance and Chair of UK Events.

  • Inclusivity and Accessibility Working Group - advises on levers that can be used to achieve a visitor economy that provides an inclusive and accessible offer that is open to all. Chaired by Kate Nicholls OBE, CEO of UKHospitality.

  • International Competitiveness and Demand Working Group - advises on policy areas which will contribute to the recovery and growth of international tourism volume and visitor expenditure. Chaired by Joss Croft OBE, CEO of UKinbound.

  • Sustainability Working Group - advises on how to develop a tourism industry that contributes to the enhancement and conservation of the UK’s cultural, natural and historic heritage and minimises damage to the environment. Chaired by Patrica Yates, CEO of VisitBritain.

The working groups lead and manage their own work, supported by DCMS who will actively engage in discussions, co-create policy where appropriate, and advise each group from a government perspective. Other government departments may join working groups on an ad hoc basis.

Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference

Minutes

Will be available here after each meeting.