Birmingham will be home to VisitBritain’s new headquarters, the national tourism agency has announced.
VisitBritain/VisitEngland, which is funded by the Department for Media, Culture and Sport and tasked with promoting the country’s tourist offer, said it chose Birmingham because of the city's strong international and UK transport links and key stakeholders.
The tourism agency said it had seen other government departments and private sector companies successfully transition their operations to the region.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: ‘With record tourist numbers, world class museums, excellent connectivity to the whole country and, of course, following on from the spectacular 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham is the perfect place for VisitBritain.’
Birmingham welcomed 141.2 million visitors in 2022, who brought in £14.1bn, according to the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Patricia Yates, CEO of VisitBritain/VisitEngland, said the agency would retain office space in London to maintain relationships with government and industry stakeholders based in the capital.
The new headquarters are set to open in April next year, with the exact location yet to be announced.
