About Us

Tourism South East is a membership-based organisation, working to the principles of ‘not-for-profit’, reinvesting any surplus for industry benefit. We offer a mix of tourism services – our widely-based membership packages; our marketing, domestic and international, PR and web promotions and contract services; our training and skills development courses, our research and insight services, and our support for and direct management of Tourist Information Centres. We work with a whole variety of partners – private, public and third sector – to ensure tourism brings optimum benefit to visitors, operators and local communities alike.

With VisitEngland charged with leading the government framework for tourism at a national level and Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) emerging alongside destinations (local authorities) to shape and deliver local ambitions, Tourism South East plays an important and complementary role as a provider of support, coordination, economies of scale and expertise.

We look both within and beyond traditional South East boundaries, seeking out and responding to opportunities to work with those who want to work with us. Knowing what others are doing so we can avoid duplication or plug gaps, we provide support to partners in areas where local tourism bodies have yet to be established - to ensure they do not lose out on opportunities. And the opportunities are great. Despite resources and financial support never being more constrained, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the ‘staycation’ effect, the Diamond Jubilee have the potential to significantly boost tourism in the South East. We will be working hard with partners through 2011/12 and beyond to ensure that we achieve the maximum benefit. Specifically in 2011/12 TSE has available £400,000 of SEEDA project funding to prepare businesses and destinations for the Games opportunity.

Tourism South East is based at Eastleigh in Hampshire. The organisation is under the leadership of the Executive Directors who form a Board with a group of non-Executive Directors offering advice and insight from an operator and commercial view point. The teams provide the backbone to the delivery of specialist tourism support to the industry, including:

Making the Most of 2012

Raising the profile of the South East internationally is a core element of TSE’s SEEDA funding programming inspired by the 2012 Games. In 2011/12 we are:

working with VisitBritain, businesses and destinations to host international media and generate coverage.
running overseas marketing campaigns in key markets.
offering subsidised Welcome courses to businesses.
working with destinations and businesses to ensure they appeal to people with disabilities.
organising the Disabled British Open Golf in East Sussex.
hosting international Olympic and Paralympic Committees to secure training camps.
with SEEDA funding, pump priming four local 2012 partnership programmes in ‘games related areas’.

Our Main Campaigns

Selling the South East, its destinations and businesses to domestic audiences is key to our - and your - business. We are:

delivering impressive rates of return to partners through campaigns, such as Family Fun and Time for Us.
building on the strength of our travel trade programme, including the highly successful Excursions™which supports destinations and attractions partners.
continuing investment in PR and the web to underpin the success of campaigns.
seeking out fresh ideas and funding for promotions such as Countryside 2011 and the Great Country Pubs campaign.

Developing the Skills of Businesses

TSE has gained a national reputation for its role in delivering effective, tailored and cost effective customer service training through the Welcome programme. Significant subsidy is available in 2011/12, so we are:

encouraging businesses to take up customer service training opportunities.
offering highly subsidised accessibility training.
tailoring our courses to specific businesses and local destination needs.

Voicing What Matters

The tide of red tape impacting on our members has never been greater. We are:

working with other agencies such as the Tourism Alliance and British Hospitality Association to lobby on behalf of the industry.
disseminating information on potential and new regulations and legislation to members.

Supporting our Members

TSE’s mandate comes from its commercial and local authority members. We want to consolidate our membership base by:

providing a valuable package of benefits.
ensuring our field-based Business Development Executives understand and support member needs.
working with existing and emerging membership organisations to offer joint packages to businesses and destinations.

Retaining High Quality Visitor Services

Visitor information services play an important role in supporting the tourism industry locally but budget cuts in the public sector threaten future provision. We are:

advising and providing practical help to the Tourist Information Centre network.
helping local authority partners with strategies for future provision.
offering outsourcing options to local authorities taking advantage of TSE’s economies of scale.

Cost Effective Research and Market Insights

Over the years TSE has built a strong reputation for specialist research services. We are:

providing market insight to members drawing on national, regional and sector data.
fulfilling the specific research needs of business and destination partners.