Locum Destination Review - Issue 4

The journal of record for the global destination industry

Editorial

As we go to press, the Foot and Mouth epidemic that has afflicted the UK in recent months finally appears to be coming under control, but its effects will be with us for some time. The estimates of revenue loss to tourism have ranged from £100 million to £40 billion. One thing is for certain, though: the future of tourism in Britain has become a topic of national debate like never before. Vital issues have been raised regarding tourism’s place on the government’s list of priorities. On a wider level, the UK’s standing as a competitive destination for tourism and business has been called into question.

Staying firmly at the forefront of the debate, we open this issue of Locum Destination Review with a special feature on the overseas reputation of Destination UK. One of Britain’s leading businessmen and tourism evangelists, Sir John Egan, delivers his verdict on what we are getting right and wrong, from London outwards. Chris Powell, perhaps the UK’s leading voice on national branding, argues that the need for a proper Marketing Britain campaign can no longer be ignored. We also hear from Jonathan Griffin, who is leading the Britain Abroad Task Force, a new body responsible for recommending measures to improve the UK’s image abroad. Our Destination UK feature concludes with the first appearance of a new column, Custos, an independent voice within the destination industry. This column will comment on key topical issues facing the industry, both in the UK and internationally. In his first contribution, Custos picks up on some of the points regarding international perceptions of Destination UK raised by Jonathan Griffin in particular. Custos argues that for the UK to succeed in projecting itself as a major global destination for tourism, trade, talent and investment, the government needs to call upon leadership from within the private sector; only through its marketing expertise will the UK make the most of its considerable assets.
Among the UK’s assets cited by Custos are the brand new Landmark Millennium Projects, six of which are profiled as case studies in our second special feature, ‘The Millennium Bequest’. With the Dome now a distant memory, and many other Millennium Projects now making more favourable headlines, we hear from Mike O’Connor, Chief Executive of the Millennium Commission, about his organisation’s many activities and achievements to date. Meanwhile James Alexander, Managing Director of Locum, considers whether the majority of Landmark Millennium Projects have the managerial and commercial staying power to become destinations fit for the long haul.

Also under the microscope in this issue are the industry’s new kids on the block: science centres. With a raft of new science centres among the big Millennium Projects in the UK, and many more opening overseas, we look at a number of issues facing these new destinations, from branding and market positioning to project development, fit-out and interactive technology. Are science centres more exciting than they sound?

Returning to the opening question of Foot and Mouth and its impact on rural tourism, Katie Foster wraps up this issue of Locum Destination Review by trying to look beyond the present gloom to a more optimistic, prosperous future for operators in this sector. As well as arguing for long-overdue Government recognition of the industry’s true worth and needs, her commentary offers a few hints for operators to apply once normal service is finally resumed.

Owen Burdekin
Editor