CONFERENCE SESSION

The Conference session takes place on Monday 28 January and runs from 14.00-16.00 at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead.

Speakers:

Lyndsey Swift, VisitBritain/VisitEngland

Lyndsey Turner Swift is Deputy England Director at VisitBritain/VisitEngland. She leads England strategy development and business planning and has oversight of priority programmes to enable the visitor economy to develop and grow.  A key priority is delivering the outcomes of the Destination Management Organisation (DMO) Review. The Government response was published in July 2022 and establishes a clear leadership role for VisitEngland in the roll out and support of a new tourism delivery structure across England. Lyndsey drives this forward including VisitEngland’s Local Visitor Economy Partnership Programme and oversight of the regional Destination Development Partnership pilots. She also leads on enabling a strong voice for the organisation across the regions. She previously ran the £45.5million Discover England Fund to create world-class bookable tourism products for domestic and international visitors. She was also responsible for England’s industry tourism growth strategy, leading relationships with Government Departments, national agencies, Local Enterprise Partnerships and local government.

Carol Southall, Head of Staffordshire Business School

Carol Southall is Head of Staffordshire Business School, Staffordshire University, UK. A former Operations and Training Manager in the tourism industry, she entered academia on completion of an MA in Tourism Management in 2008. Carol is currently undertaking research focusing on the relationship between cultural awareness and visitor satisfaction in tourism. She has published in the areas of tourism curricula decolonisation, family tourism, culture and LGBTQI+ tourism, and is also a Certified Management Business Educator and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Alongside her academic career Carol continues to guide and drive UK and European coach tours for one of the UK’s leading award-winning coach tour operators. Industry experience also includes seasons as a Resort Representative in France, Switzerland and Yugoslavia, as well as a period of hospitality industry employment in Sydney, Australia.

Ian Thomas, Visitor Economy Director, NewcastleGateshead Initiative

Ian leads the destination team at NGI having been with the organisation for over 10 years. He coordinates and oversees the research carried out on behalf of the destination as well as the activity and projects which support tourism businesses in the region.

Ian has worked in Destination Management for almost 20 years, studying Tourism Operations and Management at university before beginning his tourism career at Northumberland Tourist Board. Ian sits on the VisitEngland Research Advisory Group, represents NGI on the North East Tourism Alliance and is a Trustee for Beamish Museum.

Ian’s expertise lies in the research which supports the development and innovation of the North East visitor economy. Ian helped lead the North East’s bid to become the pilot Destination Development Partnership scheme which will see NGI work on behalf of the region alongside Visit Northumberland and Visit County Durham to develop the North East as a must-visit destination whilst attracting private investment and driving growth.