DCMS COMMITTEE SLAMS SLOW GOVERNMENT
Martin Fullard analyses the DCMS Committee Report , which criticises the Government for failing to implement the de Bois Review and delaying VisitBritain funding
he Digital , Culture , Media , and Sport ( DCMS ) Committee has criticised the Government over its failure to fully implement the outcomes of the review into the reshaping of England ’ s Destination Management Organisations .
The de Bois Review : an independent review of Destination Management Organisations ( DMOs ) in England , was published in August 2021 and made 12 recommendations to streamline funding and to tackle the confusing and unsustainable overlapping . Currently , there is no consistent funding for DMOs , with some receiving money from local authorities and others through private means .
Among the 12 recommendations were the introduction of a tier system , core funding of £ 50m and the elevation of the tourism minister to a secretary of state position . However , in July 2022 , the
Government , under former tourism minister Nigel Huddleston , introduced a watered-down pilot version of the review , with £ 4m made available to one destination by way of trial .
The DCMS Committee has criticised the Government for its failure to implement the review in full , and for the time it took to respond . “ The de Bois Review of Destination Management Organisations received widespread support from across the industry and it is unacceptable that the Government took 11 months to respond and in such a half-hearted fashion ,” the committee report noted .
“ The Comprehensive Spending Review and departmental business planning are standard annual events and so the Government should not use these as an excuse for the delay .
“ We can only conclude that restructuring the DMO sector was not a priority , confirming stakeholders ’ fears that the
Government fails to appreciate the urgency of the issue . Now is the time for bold action , yet the Government has failed to commit to any long-term change .
“ We welcome the fact that the Government has accepted some of the report ’ s recommendations , but its response falls short of the changes necessary for Destination Management Organisations to reach their full potential .
“ We acknowledge the fact that the Government must ensure public money is spent wisely but are disappointed that the Government has made no commitment to fund a national scheme should the pilot prove to be successful , nor published the criteria by which it will be judged .”
The Committee recommended that the Government “ should complete the pilot to a swift timescale and commit to implementing the de Bois recommendations in full .” www . conference-news . co . uk