Tourism jobs at risk after cuts

Jun 20 2007

THE future of tourism in the Midlands has been dealt a severe blow with the impending closure of the region's major tourist board.

The Heart of England Tourist Board will cease trading from the end of the current financial year next March after the plug was pulled on a significant part of its finances totalling £1 million.

All 22 employees, from chief executive David Moyser down, are now at risk of redundancy at its headquarters in Worcester.

Funding had come direct from the Government through the Department of Culture, but this was transferred to regional agencies, such as Advantage West Midlands, three years ago.

Another major source of finance had come from the tourist board's 3,000 members, but the membership scheme had to go as part of the Government deal.

Mr Moyser added: "Last December, Advantage West Midlands decided to cease funding and create their own tourism team.

"We were a little bit hung out to dry and, although we are not insolvent, we could only have continued for another few months.

"Parts of our business are doing very nicely, such as the research side, but we couldn't generate sufficient revenue from other areas."

Funding from Advantage West Midlands was worth £500,000 last year, plus another £500,000 invested directly into marketing.

"The likely effect of this is that people will be made redundant," he added. "All 22 jobs are at risk of redundancy, including my own."

The chairman of the Heart of England Tourist Board, Sir William Lawrence, said: "This was a very difficult decision."

An AWM spokesman said a new structure, called Tourism West Midlands had been set up with a budget of £3 million.