Purpose

To recommend an amendment to the budget.

Decision

Resolved:

That Cabinet recommends that Full Council:

Delegate to the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration, responsibility to take forward the procurement of the Destination Management Plan through VisitWiltshire, in accordance with legal and procurement requirements.

Reason for decision:

Production of a Destination Management Plan is a key requirement of

VisitEngland for LVEPs, and the expectation from VisitEngland is that this work

should be targeted for completion by March 2026.

It has been identified that given the requirement for sector engagement and the

timescale in which this work is to be completed, VisitWiltshire as the accredited Destination Management Organisation and Local Visitor Economic Partnership

are well placed to complete this work.

It is considered that VisitWiltshire are best placed to produce the Destination

Management Plan given the need for the LVEP to lead production of the

strategy, for which VisitWiltshire are the designated authority. In addition, this

option complies with VisitEngland’s requirement for LVEPs to receive public sector funding, which would be strengthened by VisitWiltshire being funded to

undertake this work. Thirdly, the production of the Destination Management plan requires the producer to engage with the Wiltshire visitor economy, for which VisitWiltshire are the key contact.

Funding for VisitWiltshire was approved to cease at the end of the financial year

2023/24 as part of the 2023/24 Budget approved by Full Council in February

2023 and approved again as part of the 2024/25 Budget approved by Full

Council in February 2024. The proposal included within this report reverses

those decisions and therefore being presented to ensure due governance

processes are followed as part of the Budget and Policy Framework.