Councillor on tourism board
One of Winchester City Council's long-serving councillors has just been voted into a key role in the tourism industry of the south east. Following a postal ballot which covered the region from Berkshire and Buckinghamshire across to Kent, Cllr Therese Evans has been selected as the local authority representative on the board of the regional tourism body Tourism South East.
The appointment was official announced by Chairman Nigel Walmsley at Tourism South East's recent annual general meeting. Cllr Evans, who has for the last four years held the dual role of Deputy Leader and Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and Sport at Winchester City Council, was pleasantly surprised by the news.
"There were eleven contenders with a wealth of impressive tourism expertise between them, so I feel very honoured to be the successful candidate. I believe this is in no small part an indication of the regard people have for Winchester as a successful and well-managed tourism destination," she said.
Eloise Appleby, the city council's head of cultural services, added: "The vote is also confirmation of the valuable work that Cllr Evans has done in her eleven years on the city council as an advocate for the tourism industry. Her positive and pro-active thinking in recent years has bolstered a legacy of sympathetic council policy towards the tourism industry.
"This is recognised and appreciated by those who run tourism businesses in the Winchester District. But it also clearly strikes a chord with other local authorities in the region."
Cllr Evans represents the rural village of Wickham and is keen to see rural issues on the agenda for the Tourism South East board. She also hopes that her previous career as a teacher of Modern Languages might prove useful on board business.
Tourism is a principal industry in the Winchester District, generating £171 million annually and supporting 3,700 jobs. Winchester has been identified by Tourism South East as a key brand in domestic and overseas markets. The council already plays a leading part in the Hampshire sub regional committee of Tourism South East, and is currently taking the lead on a county-wide marketing campaign based on the new film of Pride and Prejudice.
Cllr Evans attends her first board meeting on 5 October.