Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will consider setting up a national community-led tourism network to work with local visitor economy partnerships.

DCMS recognises the importance of local communities and their representatives in shaping a thriving, sustainable visitor economy and the need for their voices to be reflected in local and national decision-making.

The government expects local authorities and tourist boards to engage a broad range of stakeholders (including residents, businesses, and cultural institutions) when developing tourism strategies. This principle of broad representation is embedded in the accreditation criteria for Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), which are designed to support more coordinated, inclusive and resilient tourism leadership across England.

DCMS recently established the Visitor Economy Advisory Council to bring together industry leaders, regional voices and expert advisers to inform policy and ensure that the sector's growth is inclusive and sustainable. DCMS’ upcoming Growth Strategy for the visitor economy will consider how best to support the sector’s development, including the role of LVEPs - ensuring a coordinated approach to driving growth across destinations and sectors.