The official Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for Bristol, Bath, and Beyond.
Visit West is a not-for-profit partnership between the public and private sector with two distinct but complementary roles: as the region's LVEP and as the operator of Bristol BID.
We bring together over 600 member businesses, public sector partners, and national tourism bodies to develop, promote, and grow a visitor economy worth £2.7 billion to the regional economy, supporting more than 23,000 jobs.
Our visitor economy centres around the cities of Bristol and Bath, together with our surrounding towns and villages and the businesses within the region who, together, represent the most unique and inspirational visitor destination in the UK.
Whether you're a business looking to reach more visitors, a venue seeking to attract conferences and events, or a tourism professional looking for support and connections, we're here to help you grow.
What is the Visitor Economy?
The visitor economy encompasses all the economic activity generated by people visiting a place for various purposes, including tourism, business, and leisure. It's not just about tourism, but also the infrastructure, services, and businesses that support those visits.
It’s diverse business community and opportunities for growth mean that it requires careful management and a strong collaborative approach for it to achieve its potential. It also requires a collaboration between the public and private sector.
Our LVEP Status
What is an LVEP?
Developed and administered by VisitEngland, the national portfolio of of strategic and high-performing LVEPs support collaborative working locally and nationally on shared priorities and targets to grow the local visitor economy. The creation of LVEPs was part of the UK Government's response to the recommendations of 'The de Bois Review, an independent review of DMOs in England,’ to reshape destination management across England, reducing fragmentation and bringing coherence to its DMO landscape.
Visit West's Accreditation
In March 2023, Visit West was announced as one of just 15 English destinations to gain Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) status, following a formal application and accreditation process.
The formal boundary of the LVEP is the four unitary authorities: the City of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. We work with the public sector authorities in these areas as well as the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, who are one of Visit West’s shareholders, along with Business West.
What We Do
Routes to Market
As the LVEP, we work with businesses to develop and deliver a comprehensive programme of support and opportunity, usually through our membership programme, to provide routes to market and enable business growth. As well as membership, we provide signposting to careers and skills, business development and networking opportunities.
These routes to market are both consumer and trade. Our Visit Bristol and Visit Bath consumer brands and channels cover digital, campaigns, press and media. We also have strong B2B industry programmes that are business-led development for the Travel Trade and the Visit West Convention Bureau.
Business Support
As well as inspiring visits and developing routes to market, we support our visitor economy through access to research and support, including opportunities to promote and develop your workforce. This includes tools and resources to support industry recruitment. We also support the development of business sustainability and accessibility, both critically important to the success of the region’s visitor economy.
Bristol Business Improvement District (BID)
Visit West also delivers Bristol BID, working to improve cleanliness, safety, and the overall offer and experience in central Bristol, supporting levy payers and promoting the city for the benefit of residents, local businesses, students, and visitors alike.
Through a range of events and initiatives, from the Love Bristol Gift Card and TAP for Bristol to the Bristol Light Festival and many more, the BID is focused on developing and promoting Bristol city centre throughout the year.
Find out more about Bristol BID, including its boundary and what a BID does.
