HOMETourism Together - The Strategic Partnership of Tourism Organisations
Tourism Together is a strategic partnership of five key UK Tourism organisations to enable them to work closer together, and to undertake specific joint activities.
The British Resorts and Destinations Association (BRADA), Destination Performance UK (DP:UK), The Institute for Sports, Parks and Leisure (ISPAL), The Tourism Management Institute (TMI) and The Tourism Society (TS) all have different strengths and expertise in tourism, destination and resort management and performance. In combining their skills they hope to create a stronger National and Regional voice for Tourism.
Collectively they have over 3,500 individual members and 200 public sector agencies and partnerships in membership. BRADA and DP:UK members are drawn predominantly from Local Authorities, ILAM, TMI and TS memberships comprise mainly individuals with some corporate memberships.
The aims of working more closely together include improved communications and to help other agencies to have a clearer understanding of the roles and specialisms of the different bodies. National event planning will also benefit from closer liaison and the group is working together on the next Destination Management Handbook.
Destination Performance UK
Destination Performance UK (DP:UK) is the membership organisation for local authority tourism services and destination management organisations committed to the principles of performance management and best practice.
DP:UK was set up in 1999 in response to the Best Value regime and has over 140 local authorities in membership.
The mission is to improve the quality of tourism provision amongst local authority tourism departments and destination management organisations by offering advice on the components of best practice and encouraging the sharing of comparative information.
The Tourism Society
The Tourism Society is the leading professional membership body for people working in all sectors of the visitor economy. With around 1,200 people in the UK and worldwide, the Society was founded in 1977 with the aim of driving up standards of professionalism in a fast-growing global industry which can have major social, economic and environmental impacts on communities and nations. Membership is open to people working in every sector of the industry - public, private or voluntary - and to those well-established in their career path as well as those starting out on a travel or tourism course at college or university. The Society offers regular meetings throughout the UK, a quarterly journal, access to an extensive database of industry colleagues, signposts to better business opportunities and education and careers support.
The Tourism Management Institute (TMI)
The Tourism Management Institute (TMI) is the professional institute for tourism destination management in the UK. Formed in 1997 as the successor to the long standing British Association of Tourism Officers, TMI represents over 340 people who are involved in marketing, developing and planning tourism within local and national government, regional and national tourist organisations, destination marketing partnerships, RDAs, visitor and conference bureaux, national parks, countryside organisations, TICs, visitor attractions and tourism education and training services. TMI represent tourism professionals working at all levels and provides an independent voice for members. TMI has pioneered the Destination Management Handbook and is developing a clear focus on Continuing Professional Development.
The British Resorts And Destinations Association (BRADA)
The British Resorts And Destinations Association (BRADA) is the UK trade body for substantial, well-established local authority sponsored tourism interests. Formed in 1921, BRADA has developed to become a proactive trade association, representing local authorities, tourist boards and commercial organisations. Although many of the member authorities are coastal, BRADA also represents inland resort areas and destinations. The common linkage between members being an ingrained tradition of hosting visitors and thus a much higher local social and economic dependency on tourism and the wider visitor economy. BRADA are especially active in the areas of policy and lobbying and also undertake the full range of typical trade body activities, including marketing, PR, communication and sharing of information.
The Institute for Sport, Parks & Leisure (ISPAL)
Formed out of two previous bodies (ILAM and NASD), ISPAL is a charity dedicated to the workforce of this vital leisure industry, at all levels, in all three sectors – public, private and voluntary.
ISPAL is the training and learning specialist, with an emphasis on CPD.
ISPAL is the voice of the industry’s workforce – to Parliament, to Government, to the media.
ISPAL is an event specialist – staging conferences, courses and seminars.
ISPAL provides information, research, and data, based on the largest industry library in the UK.
ISPAL is a network – of professionals working in this vibrant industry, helping them exchange ideas, good practice, facts & figures, and success stories.