Tourism in the West of England

The tourism industry (including hospitality and leisure) in Bath, Bristol and Weston-super-Mare employs over 40,000 people and generates £1.4 billion for the local economy each year.

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the uk, with 1 in 5 of all new jobs being created within this sector. Local employment in the industry will grow by an estimated 9,000 jobs between 2000 and 2010.

Background of the Tourism Skills Network West of England

Throughout the mid to late nineties, the tourism industry in the West of England was becoming increasingly aware that while it enjoyed economic prosperity, its competitiveness was in danger of being affected as a result of critical skills shortages and recruitment difficulties throughout the area.

There was a real need to develop strategies to respond to these skills issues

In response the Tourism Task Force (now Tourism Skills Network West of England) was set up in 1999, by Bristol Tourism and Conference Bureau (now Destination Bristol) and WESTEC (now West of England Leaning and Skills Council) along with local employers, in order to deliver practical responses to tackle the shortage of skilled personnel in the tourism industry in the West of England area. The Tourism Skills Network West of England is a business unit of Destination Bristol.

Steering Group

The project is led by a Steering Group of local tourism employers. Members are representatives from local employer groups:

- Bristol Hotels Association
- Bristol Association of Restaurants
- Bath Tourism Plus
- Bristol Tourist Attractions Association
- Weston Hotels and Restaurants Association
- Bath Conference Cabinet
- Bath Hotels and Restaurants Association
- Destination Bristol
- West of England Learning and Skills Council

Funding

In addition to the core funding that the Tourism Skills Network South West receives from the South West Regional Development Agency, the West of England benefits from further funding from the Learning and Skills Council West of England.

Our Partners

The Tourism Skills Network west of England works in partnership with local employers and associations, including:
- West of England Learning and Skills Council
- South West of England Regional Development Agency
- Employment Service
- Job Centre Plus
- South West Tourism
- Connexions West of England
- Further Education and Higher Education Institutions
- National Training Organisations
- Training Providers
- Community Agencies
- Industry Associations e.g. HCIMA, Springboard UK.