Report author: Jennifer Young Tel: 0113 3781166 Report of Director of City Development Report to Executive Board Date: 22 June 2016 Subject: Growing the Leeds Visitor Economy Are specific electoral wards affected? Yes No If relevant, name(s) of ward(s): Are there implications for equality and diversity and cohesion and Yes No integration? Is the decision eligible for call-In? Yes No Does the report contain confidential or exempt information? Yes No If relevant, access to information procedure rule number: Appendix number: Summary of main issues 1. Tourism is a significant and growing sector of the Leeds economy and a major contributory factor to the success of the city benefitting everyone who lives and works here. Leeds currently attracts around 27 million visitors a year, generating £1.15 billion of economic benefits, and supporting around 18,500 jobs. We are the 6th most popular visitor destination for overnight visitors in the UK and the 6th most popular UK conference destination. In 2014, Leeds attracted over 54,000 conferences and meetings, providing a £447m boost to the city’s economy. The top five comprise: London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Visitor numbers and tourism spending in Leeds is growing rapidly, at a faster rate than the national average. 2. Our ambition is to build on this success by working collaboratively as VisitLeeds with a number of organisations such as Welcome to Yorkshire and VisitEngland, who will continue to promote Leeds as a destination, secure new conference and leisure tourism business, and to develop the offer for visitors. This report sets out the plan and priorities for this work over the year ahead and how we will achieve our objectives. 3. Recent success has been achieved in developing a more professional and targeted approach to tourism promotion by capitalising on new visitor destinations such as the first direct arena, Trinity Leeds, and Victoria Gate, and in attracting and hosting major events such as the Grand Depart in 2014, the Tour de Yorkshire, the World Triathlon Series, British Art Show, MOBO Awards and the West Indian Carnival. The plan helps support the council’s ‘Strong Economy’ ambition as set out in the 2016/17 Best Council Plan and the specific council priorities on ‘Supporting economic growth and access to economic opportunities’ and ‘Hosting world class events in Leeds’ related breakthrough project. 4. The growth of the Leeds visitor economy is crucial to the development of the wider Leeds economy. The Council aims to continue to support and drive this growth by maximising the opportunities in the leisure and conferencing sectors, and delivering the forward plan discussed in this report. 5. VisitLeeds (the visitor economy function) transferred from Leeds and Partners to Leeds City Council, (LCC) in April 2015. Since then, the team have worked with the stakeholders to secure funding and to take forward actions to attract more visitor spending to Leeds and create jobs. 6. VisitLeeds adds significant value to the LCC core investment through direct contracted conference income and the subsequent economic benefits this brings, in addition to the local, national and international funds that it continually levers with a match cash and in kind model for the inclusion or direct allocation to Leeds. 7. There is a strong strategic stakeholder and cross boundary approach at a local, regional, national and international level and VisitLeeds is central to this with commitment to deliver from 2016 onwards, supporting the Leeds European Capital of Culture 2023 bid. Recommendations 8. Executive Board is recommended to approve: i) The strategic approach and forward plan for the Leeds visitor economy function set out in this report (including the cross-boundary, partnership- based approach aimed at attracting visitors in national and international markets) and delegate detailed delivery to the Chief Officer of Economy and Regeneration, in consultation with the relevant Executive Member; ii) The approach to working with other destinations and Welcome to Yorkshire on joint promotional campaigns, and to endorse the focus on attracting visitors from outside Leeds City Region, who spend more and support more jobs than local visitors; iii) The approach to attracting additional funding by applying for and delivering external investment and commercial match funding (including in-kind support) to ensure Leeds is a lead destination and included when the function has the capacity to do so; iv) That VisitLeeds continues horizon scanning for strategic developments and opportunities, new approaches to funding, mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships including working more closely and effectively with LCR destination management organisations, funding opportunities and responds to them appropriately in consultation with the Chief Officer of Economy and Regeneration; v) That the recommendations within this report be exempted from the Call In process, for the reasons detailed within paragraph 4.5.2. 1 Purpose of this report 1.1 This report highlights the success of the transition of VisitLeeds to LCC from April 2015. It gives an overview of the current approach and the mid to long term forward plan and how this aligns to the core budget, brings in external funding whilst exploiting cross boundary collaboration opportunities. It seeks approval for conclusions and recommendations in implementing this continued approach and forward plan. 2 Background information 2.1 Context 2.2.1 The value of a visitor economy is defined as ’The importance of tourism and the wider set of individuals and organisations which drive the success of a destination’. It includes all things that attract a visitor includingthe infrastructure, attractions, retail, culture and the arts, sport, food and drink and accommodation. At the core is the economic impact derived from a successful visitor economy which drives growth and creates employment for a destination. Visit Leeds focuses on initiatives that drive value and impact in target national and international markets and sectors to maximise the sector contribution. 2.2.2 The 2015 STEAM economic impact study demonstrates that Leeds attracted 26.83m visitors in 2014, (7.8% increase on 2013), resulting in £1.151bn in economic impact, (+7.4% on 2013). The industry sustains approximately 18,500 full time equivalent jobs, (+5.3% on 2013). The city is ranked 6th as the most popular overnight visitor and UK conference destination in 2015. This is in the context of major capacity UK conference centre destinations of London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In 2014 the city attracted over 54,000 conferences and meetings, delivering value of £447m into the local economy. 2.2.3 Results from the International Passenger Survey showed a 24% increase in international visitors to Leeds between 2013 and 2014. Spain, Netherlands, France, Germany and the USA were the top five destinations of visitor origin. 2.2.4 In 2015 the city’s hotel sector continued to perform in alignment with regional UK data. In particular, the city centre accommodation portfolio performs well in terms of average occupancy and daily rate on a regular basis Monday to Saturday. 2.2.5 This growth has significant implications on the additional economic impact experienced by businesses and organisations located in Leeds including but not limited to hotels, venues, retail, attractions, food and drink, transport providers. Meetings and conferencing bidding is aligned to sector and inward investment strengths. Current and future growth predicted for the Leeds visitor economy is a critical consideration for visitor economy inward investment including hotel, attraction and retail developments who typically investigate the investment in the destination visitor economy function as a consideration. 2.2.6 Leeds has successfully hosted major events such as the MOBO Awards, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Tour de France Grand Depart and Rugby World Cup. And this has provided significant potential for the visitor economy on national and international levels. This has also enabled us to capitalise on the extensive positive impacts including destination profiling, providing even more reasons to visit Leeds which results in a wider economic impact. 2.2.7 The Executive Board report Review of Inward Investment in Leeds City Region December 2014 approved that Leeds and Partners be discontinued as a separate organisation to deliver a saving to LCC of around £1m. It concluded that the visitor economy function be transferred to LCC from1 April 2015. It supported proposals for consideration over the longer term of a future city region or cross boundary approach. The transition process was the responsibility of the Chief Economic and Regeneration Officer and was completed successfully including all dealings with relevant legal, financial, staffing, funding, stakeholder and industry associations. 2.3 External Funding 2015/16 2.3.1 April 2015 to March 2016 has seen VisitLeeds manage short term annual funding due to transition into LCC and the impact of external organisation reviews, in particularly the outcomes of the November 2015 VisitBritain and VisitEngland triennial review. It has continued the approach of raising external funds through a system of collaboration, co-ordination, ambitious funding applications and successful leveraging of commercial cash and in kind match to release these funds. 2.3.2 VisitEngland’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF), ‘Growing Tourism Locally’ programme 2013-15 – National leisure