As Chair of Visit Hull and East Yorkshire (VHEY), I’m incredibly optimistic about the future of our visitor economy and its role in the success of our region.
It’s a cornerstone of our economy, employing over 21,000 people and attracting more than 12 million visits to the region. It’s worth more than £800m and we have a strategy to grow that to £1bn by 2029.
More than that, tourism enhances our sense of place, celebrates our culture and brings people together. When the visitor economy thrives, our communities thrive too.
Visit Hull & East Yorkshire is a partnership between Hull City Council and East Riding Council and partners from the private sector.
I’m grateful for the shared vision and strong working relationship we have with Hull City Council leader Mike Ross and East Riding of Yorkshire Council leader Anne Handley, who both fully appreciate the significance of the visitor economy to the region. Their support is central to everything we do.
We are though, entering a new chapter with the creation of the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority and the recent election of Mayor Luke Campbell. This is a significant moment for our region, and one that hopefully offers huge potential for our sector.
Ahead of the election, we held a hustings event at Beverley’s East Riding Theatre, in partnership with HEY Creative, and it was encouraging to see strong engagement and genuine recognition from all candidates that the visitor economy is crucial to our region.
I was able to meet Mayor Campbell before the election and I’m pleased to say our conversation was both positive and productive. I’m hoping to work with him and the Combined Authority to place the visitor economy at the heart of any of their future investment.
As part of that, I hope we can secure appropriate funding to allow the work that VHEY carries out to grow to the level our region deserves.
As a nationally accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), VHEY provides essential support, coordination and promotion for our tourism businesses.
From driving destination marketing to helping attract major conferences and events, our work is focused on growth, collaboration and long-term sustainability.
We also work closely with business leaders, public sector organisations and local communities to ensure the benefits of the visitor economy are felt across the region.
Whether it’s through promoting our offer nationally, supporting events, or providing practical resources to visitor-facing businesses, VHEY plays a vital role in making Hull and East Yorkshire a compelling, high-quality destination.
Together – with our new Mayor and Combined Authority, our Councils, our business community and the people who live and work here – we have an incredible opportunity to elevate Hull and East Yorkshire as one of the UK’s most exciting and successful visitor destinations.
I’m proud to be part of that mission and excited for what lies ahead.
Chris Blacksell, Chair of VHEY