MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE ECONOMIC, PLANNING, TOURISM AND LEISURE SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON THURSDAY, 13 JUNE 2002 COMMENCING AT 9.30 AM

Present :

Mr J H Fleming (Chairman), Mr J R Adams, Mr A C Bartlett, Mrs T M Buchers, Mr J F Howe, Mr C H Lillywhite, Mrs M J Lloyd, Mr A J Mundy (deputising for Mr A J Mellor), Mr K Pearson, Mr R C Richards Mr D G Williams

Apologies :

Mr C R Hancock

Portfolio Holders :

Mrs M A Jarman, Mr H Rees

Also Present (Non Voting) :

Mrs S A Smart, Mrs J L Wareham

 12.      MINUTES

RESOLVED :

THAT the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 May 2002 be confirmed.

13.      THE FUTURE OF TOURISM

The Chairman welcomed representatives from the Island Tourism Industry Association (ITIA) and other tourist industry representatives to the meeting. The report detailed three possible options in which tourism could be taken forward. The options were :

           1)        Leave the service as it was

           2)        Integrate Tourism Service within the Council

           3)        Externalise the function to a trust or limited company

Members were reminded that following the recent Best Value Review the Executive meeting held on 21 May 2002 had resolved the relocation of tourism services from the Directorate of Finance and Information to the Directorate of Education and Community Development. It had also been resolved that due to the departure of the Head of Tourism, the Head of Community Development take overall responsibility for Tourism whilst organisational arrangements were put in place

The Select Committee considered all the options. The Committee believed that tourism needed to be taken forward and therefore option 1, to leave the services as it was, was not supported.

           Members discussed the benefits of creating an additional directorate. However Members believed there would be some difficulty in including the many services related to tourism within the one directorate.

Consideration was given to option 3, to externalise tourism, Members believed that this provided the greatest opportunity for creating greater external funding. It was noted that although externalising tourism would mean there would be some loss of direct control the Council would maintain influence through the Service Level Agreement.

RESOLVED :

           (a)       THAT the Executive recommend that the Council externalise Isle of Wight Tourism and that a Service Level Agreement be formalised.

           (b)       THAT the proposed working mechanism for externalising tourism services be fully investigated by the Select Committee in partnership with the relevant stakeholders.

CHAIRMAN