A Delegated Decision Report (embedded below for your convenience) was published on Tuesday, revealing that a new private sector-led organisation is planned for the Isle of Wight.
The move follows Government policy revealed in March 2011, which the report says, “identified its desire to see the development of industry led local tourism bodies to be, ‘the voice of the visitor in their destination and of the businesses which form the local visitor economy too.'”
The council say they intend to “consult with the tourism industry on its plans to create a new private sector-led organisation to promote and develop the Island as a world class visitor destination.”
£3million investment in tourism
They go onto say that if the proposals go ahead as planned, £3 million of council funding would be invested in tourism industry over the next nine years.
The new ‘destination management organisation’ (DMO) would be an association between the council and the private sector. The council stresses that the DMO is not designed to be in competition with other membership-based organisations such as the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce, Tourism and Industry, or the Federation of Small Businesses.
Decision early next year
The Delegated Decision Report has gone before Cllr George Brown, with a decision expected to be made by him on or after 5 January 2012.
Councillor Brown said: “We believe that this is an ideal vehicle for the tourism industry to have more of a say in how the Island is developed and marketed as the major visitor destination it is. At these most difficult of financial times it is an important commitment of the council to consider allocating a significant sum of its discretionary spending to tourism for the next nine years.”
Image: imcountingufoz under CC BY 2.0
