Visitor Economy – Business Support for Accessibility & Inclusion

Overview

The West Midlands is proud to have been accredited as one of two national pilot Destination Development Partnerships (DDP). The West Midlands DDP is a collaboration between the Birmingham, Solihull & Black Country Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) and Coventry & Warwickshire LVEP. It is supported by UK Government funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) via VisitEngland. The West Midlands DDP enables a joined-up regional approach to addressing strategic sector priorities including accessibility and inclusion, skills, sustainability, business and major events, product development, and data and insights. Collaboration between stakeholders across the region means greater impact is delivered via co-ordinated and collective activity, supporting a strong strategic relationship between our LVEPs, VisitBritain/VisitEngland, and DCMS. The West Midlands DDP is run by West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), whose purpose is to attract investment, jobs, visitors and businesses to the region. WMGC is owned by the West Midlands Combined Authority and its constituent members, with governance that includes private sector partners: wmgrowth.com Our ambition is for the West Midlands to be an exemplar when it comes to offering an inclusive visitor welcome. Therefore, making it as easy as possible for disabled people to visit and enjoy our region will be key to our success. We will achieve this by working with an appropriately qualified consultant who can: • Help more of our regional tourism businesses to create and publish access guides, which provide disabled visitors with the detailed information they need to confidently choose the West Midlands • Provide training for frontline staff so they feel knowledgeable and empowered in offering a professional, barrier-free, and inclusive welcome • Support the development of accessible and inclusive itineraries which will attract disabled visitors of all backgrounds, identities, and cultures Through the activity outlined above, the consultant will raise businesses’ confidence and aspirations in delivering accessible and inclusive experiences in anticipation of the 2027 Invictus Games, when the region will once again take to the global stage to welcome disabled visitors and their travelling companions from across the world.