Decision details

The report outlines a plan for Destination Marketing and International Relations for the period of 2022 – 2025, Connecting the Local with the Global.

The Director of City Development submitted a report which sought approval to the Destination Marketing and International Relations Plan 2022- 2025: ‘Connecting the Local to the Global’. The report noted that the plan was part of an ongoing programme to reset and renew the work being undertaken in the current challenging economic environment and to reflect changes which had taken place regionally with the election of the first West Yorkshire Mayor in May 2021 and the closure of ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ in early 2022.

The Board noted a comment made regarding the need to increase the provision of premium hotels in the city centre in order to enhance Leeds’ status as a preferred conference destination, with Members being provided with an update on what had been achieved to date in this area, but with an acknowledgement that there was further work to do.

Responding to a Member’s enquiry regarding the marketing of the Yorkshire brand following the closure of ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’, the Board received an update on the range of actions that continued to be taken collaboratively with partner organisations, with it being noted that active discussions continued on how regional marketing would be delivered in the longer term.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the Destination Marketing and International Relations Plan 2022- 2025: ‘Connecting the Local to the Global’, as detailed at Appendix 1 to the submitted report, be approved;

(b)  That the necessary authority be delegated to the Director of City Development, to enable the Director to implement the Plan.

Consultation took place throughout 2021/22 and prior to the drafting of the report

The Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education has been briefed on our thinking around the delivery of the plan. One to one meetings have also taken place with the Leeds Hotels and Venues association, Leeds Business Improvement District, the Local Enterprise Partnership, Leeds Bradford Airport, as well as the cultural consortium Leeds, which comprises of 17 of the city and region’s key cultural venues including Harewood House, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Opera North, Leeds Playhouse, Leeds Heritage Theatres, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Arts and Venues, Thackeray Medical Museum and HE institutions. Consultation has also taken place with colleagues across the council that are involved in Economic Policy delivery, Education, Major Events and Culture. All institutions were receptive and in broad agreement with the plan.