Visit Britain a waste of space - official

[greenbarn]

However, they are an effective advocate

Posted on the VB forum today

VisitEngland is a Government funded organisation and, as such, is prevented by statute from undertaking lobbying activity, it is the role of Trade Associations rather than VisitBritain/VisitEngland to lobby the Government for changes in regulation and businesses should ensure that they are members of their Association if they want to effect change.
VisitEngland, however, provide “behind the scenes” advice to Government on legislation that affects tourism businesses and has been an effective advocate for the industry on a wide range of issues. The Minister is currently setting up a group to reduce regulatory burden on the industry and VisitEngland will be closely involved with this programme.

Now call me stupid, but it looks like VB cannot lawfully lobby the government, of whom they are part, but I don't see anything that says they can't kick some ass on our behalf in the halls of the PRS, Filmbank et al.

But what would I know?

edited to add: I should point out that this was posted by the Tourism Alliance, who are not government funded, and include groups such as EASCO. So maybe it's not official that VB are a waste of space. But VB are also members of the Tourism Alliance............. I'm confused now.

[Windy]

No GB - you are not confused at all

VB ARE useless and as of tomorrow I will be an ex VB member.

No way am I paying to continue to be part of such a toothless quango.

I have to say that I can't see a difference between "lobbying" and "being an advocate" but then I wasn't educated by Jesuits so this sort of casuistry sometimes escapes me. Perhaps a quango can do the former but not the latter even though they are the same thing?

[greenbarn]

Eeeeeh Windy - I do hope you're going to stump up to maintain membership of AKH so that you can continue to post on their forum. Your balanced and cogent words of wisdom are definitely required as a counterpoint to my rantings.........

ps - Are you going to go with the AA, or just drop the idea of ratings altogether?

[Windy]

I have YHM and I have "Rated Places" and I have EASCO. I am well validated and it costs peanuts to support some effective representatives

I don't think VB offer me anything valuable any more for £160 sad to say. The DVD, PRS and EPC idiocies have been the final straw.

Likewise CT although I am sadder about that as I quite like them . I just can't justify donating large sums to keep them going now Dave has decided not to fund our industry properly whilst he "supports" it so vehemently.

I can't see much value in the AA either (although giving up drinking wouldn't do me any harm I suppose)

[charles cawley]

I went to the Best of Britain networking event in Birmingham a couple of weeks back. It was a trade only event... and Visit England, among others, had large NEC stands. The person I was meeting there who was also a visitor asked me... who is this show for? Apart from stand staff chatting to each other, it appeared a monumental waste of money. Why on earth was the public not invited along?

http://www.britainandirelandevent.co.uk/

There were long and earnest discussions about the need to make marketing effective. That this had to be said speaks volumes-- as if ineffective marketing was an option.

Incidentally, Visit Herefordshire has just come up with 'The Land of Wye Not'. Poor old North Herefordshire is written off at one fell swoop by this restrictive and awkward slogan.

Visit Britain, England, Wales, etc seems more interested in chummy get togethers, logos, employing expensive marketing consultants and speaking in public sector management speak than joining the fight.

Most of these people were on good salaries and appeared unaware, despite protestations to the contrary, of the absolute need to make every penny work effectively.

[Windy]

Unbelievable Charles.

Still they have to spend the money somehow and it's easier to hang about the NEC than it is to take on serious issues like DVD Concierge, PRS, Digital Economy, EPC etc etc etc etc.

They are smug, (rather easily) self satisfied and not getting any more of my dosh I'm afraid.

In these straitened times at least every penny of MINE is going to count!

[charles cawley]

We were refused advertising with Visit Herefordshire because some of our featured cottages were not officially accredited. At the time this included:

http://www.countryholidaylets.co.uk/ind ... qGu8tUVGbO

We sell on the basis of good quality and have recently turned down a 5 star gold due to its OTT 1980s Laura Ashley decor including those large framed prints and stripped pine going dangerously close to ginger so much loved in the 1980s.

The Visit people have been protected from competition and the value of their stars has fallen away. However clean and full of equipment and gadgets, a cottage with decor reflecting the extremes of passing taste from thirty years ago is not acceptable. Taste and fashion move on, like it or not.

If I had rented it out on the basis of its stars and gold bar, alone, I would have felt cheated on a grand scale. I suspect no five star hotel would dare to behave in this fashion.

[Windy]

I ended up renewing in spite of all my misgivings about VB to get the 4 star rating continued - I had a sneaking feeling that it might JUST be worth having in a tough year.

Of course given that http://www.lakedistrict-stay.co.uk is showing with apparent impunity 7 of my direct competitors having 4/5 star ratings to which they would not appear to be entitled I am wondering why I bothered. I think this is extremely unethical and am quite surprised that the guy who runs it (who is otherwise OK) can't see this.

It would be great to feel that VB would take this seriously but i have a feeling that I will have to do their work for them by raising this with Cumbria Trading Standards.

[greenbarn]

I'm watching the AKH (VB) forum with interest to see if they actually answer your question, but I'm not holding my breath. I can feel a bit of cage rattling coming on; I'd be interested to know how the AA would respond if their awards were being claimed fraudulently, although their site isn't overflowing with information and contact details for the self-catering side.

[Windy]

I am waiting to see if they actually post the follow up I wrote. The censors blue pencil is alive and well over there.

[Windy]

They obviously don't like having their bluff called in public.

It would be polite of them to explain "we have declined to publish your recent posting because..." wouldn't it?

On a more positive note I emailed Pam Foden separately and she has promised to deal with the problem. Maybe it's just Accommodation Know How that is a waste of space? It certainly seem to be a waste of time and I seem to recall that the two are inextricably linked.

[greenbarn]

Windy, it's obviously just you they don't like...........
I submitted a reply on your thread first thing this morning, and it's already been posted - along with your missing posts, which they must have found in the same cardboard box. Sneaky of them to put other than today's date on your posts - history will show them to be efficient......
Now, as we're demanding a response from VB, what do you think they're going to do/say?

[Windy]

Sneaky of them to put other than today's date on your posts

Conspiracy theories aside, I imagine they would be the times of the original posts not the time the mod finally got round to doing his/her job.

I think that maybe we would do best not to hold our breath ...

[greenbarn]

Okay - I've just been over for another look and there's your latest post in all its glory. Maybe one of their "moderators" is looking for a new job......

Why do I suspect that they thought it was a closed forum.......

[Windy]

Ha - someone's awake over there at last.

I am SURE they thought it was - in fact i am sure it used to be- i suspect someone has mis-set a permission flag and nobody has noticed as we all have automatic log-in enabled.