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1. Approve the establishment of Visit Cambridge as a legally
incorporated destination management organisation
2. Approve the City Council's representation on the Board of Visit Cambridge
3. Approve Visit Cambridge's proposal to appoint an official walking tours
partner(s)
Decision type: Key
Reason Key: Executive Proposals: Change to plan or strategy;
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Notice of proposed decision first published: 24/08/2021
Decision due: 7 Oct 2021 by Executive Councillor for Climate Action and Environment
Lead member: Executive Councillor for Climate Action and Environment
Department: Environmental Services
Contact: Joel Carré, Head of Environmental Services Email: joel.carre@cambridge.gov.uk Tel: 01223 458201.
Additional Information: This is a key item and will automatically appear on the agenda.
Background Information: In June 2020, the city’s destination management organisation (DMO), Visit Cambridge and Beyond (VCB), ceased trading and went into liquidation. The Council had provided financial grant and rent relief support to VCB at the start of the pandemic, while the organisation’s board reviewed its business plan. However, despite the VCB Board approving, what it felt to be, a viable new commercial operating model, the actual impact of COVID on returning visitor numbers was so great, that the new model’s income targets were not able to be met and so, the Board had no option but to close the business. The Council, in partnership Cambridge BID, Fitzwilliam Museum Enterprises Ltd (the trading arm of the University of Cambridge) and King’s College, successfully acquired the liquidated assets of VCB, including its web domain name and brand identity. The Council and its asset owning partners have since been working to establish a new DMO to fill the gap left by VCB.
