UKEVENTS has joined forces with other organisations within the Tourism Alliance in expressing deep concern over the recent decision to significantly reduce GREAT funding for VisitBritain, a key partner.
This decision, which sees a 41% cut in funding compared to last year, poses a substantial threat to the vital work carried out by VisitBritain in promoting the UK as a premier destination for tourism and events.
VisitBritain’s initiatives, including the recently launched ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign and the Great Events Shape the Future activity, have been instrumental in attracting international visitors.
The funding cut threatens to derail these efforts, impacting the UK’s ability to compete with other countries for valuable inbound tourism.
The UK events industry contributes £61.6bn to the UK economy (UK Events Report 2024) and benefits significantly from the promotional activities and support provided by VisitBritain.
This includes the highly successful and productive Business Events Growth Programme, which UKEVENTS has been proposing should be expanded given the proven return on investment.
The reduction in funding not only affects tourism marketing but also jeopardises regional gateway activities that have historically benefited from GREAT funding.
UKEVENTS calls on the Government to align its actions with its stated ambition to grow inbound tourism to 50m visits by 2030.
Glenn Bowdin, chair of UKEVENTS, said: “VisitBritain plays a crucial role in supporting UK events and the wider tourism industry. The reduction in GREAT funding undermines the efforts to showcase the UK’s diverse and vibrant events on the global stage and attracting major business events to the UK. We stand firmly with VisitBritain and urge the Government to reconsider this decision.”
Bowdin continued: “The UK events industry is ready to support the Government’s economic growth mission. However, we need consistent and adequate funding to continue attracting international visitors and maintaining our competitive edge. We urge the GREAT Programme Board to reconsider the funding cuts and work collaboratively with the industry to ensure sustainable growth.”
Louisa Watson, chair, beam, commented: “The beam board is deeply concerned by the decision to slash VisitBritain’s GREAT programme funding by 41% – it is a blow to our global competitiveness as a destination. Business events and hospitality are vital drivers of international visitor value, and without strong international marketing, we risk falling further behind our competitors. Our sector has been clear – we stand ready to support UK economic growth, but we need the Government to match that ambition with action.”
David Tremmil, vice chair, beam and executive committee member UKEVENTS, said: “As someone who also sits on the executive committee of a sister organisation, I’ve seen how united the industry is in its concern. We urge the Government to reconsider and work collaboratively to ensure that VisitBritain is properly resourced to promote the UK on the world stage.”
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