Respondents to a report on inbound tourism strategy have called for further involvement in business visits and events from the national tourism agency VisitBritain as part of a national strategy.
The Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) has made the double appointment of Carmel Dennis and Gaelle Connolly as secretariat and administrative support for the partnership.
The BVEP has welcomed news that the tourism and Olympics legacy portfolio will be picked up by sports minister Hugh Robertson, the government figure responsible for London 2012.
There are fears for the event industry’s representation at UK government level after Tourism and Heritage minister John Penrose MP lost his job in Prime Minister David Cameron’s latest round of political musical chairs.
The Chair of the BVEP, Michael Hirst, has urged ministers to recognise how the success of business events during the Olympics can become a major part of the Games legacy.