A Welcome from Amanda Cottrell
My first year as Chairman of Visit Kent has been truly inspirational and certainly full of opportunities. As a staunch supporter of the County of Kent, its personalities, history and landscapes, it has also been a great pleasure to raise awareness of Kent as a true advocate and to encourage others to savour its many different facets for themselves.
Sandra Matthews-Marsh and the team at Visit Kent have achieved a remarkable level of performance and have shown incredible dedication and creativity in promoting and raising the Kent visitor brand to new heights. They are to be commended for their team spirit and for their enthusiasm in working with the partner organisations and businesses who have committed their support to promoting Kent.
The change over from Kent Tourism Alliance and Kent Tourism to Visit Kent is now legally completed and marks a new phase in the future of tourism within Kent. A three year business plan is about to be discussed and an exciting ten year vision and development plan for tourism in Kent is in process.
Our supporting partners and investors have shown true loyalty and commitment to Kent’s tourism industry. We have to give an enormous vote of thanks to Kevin Lynes, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration. In addition the Kent Tourism team led by Fran Warrington has pioneered a range of programmes that are complimentary to the marketing agenda. We are delighted that KCC’s support has been confirmed for a further three years taking us towards the important milestone of 2012.
Over the past five years tourism in Kent has taken a huge leap forward and this is reflected in the excellent results which have been demonstrated through the most recent Cambridge Economic Impact model which shows how tourism, if supported, can act as a major force for economic good – real jobs right here in Kent. The next five years promise to be incredibly exciting with world class sporting events, major regeneration developments and the opportunity to continue to showcase Kent on a global stage.
I am looking forward to these opportunities and challenges and thank you in advance for your continued support in continuing to grow tourism in our very own Garden of England.
Chairman, Visit Kent