Dorset has been awarded official Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) status by VisitEngland.
What is an LVEP:
VisitEngland has created a portfolio of over 40 nationally supported, strategic and high-performing Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) across the country. LVEPs provide strong leadership and governance in tourism for their destination and work in collaboration locally, regionally and nationally on shared priorities and targets. The LVEPs' mission is to support and grow the visitor economy through robust destination management and strong stakeholder relationships.
Who are we:
Dorset Council is the accountable body for the Dorset LVEP and led on the application for LVEP status, supported by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and the Dorset Tourism Association.
Visit Dorset will lead on the delivery of the LVEP activity with support from the LVEP Advisory Board.
The Dorset Tourism Association will now become the LVEP Advisory Board for the Dorset LVEP and has representation from all sectors of the visitor economy across Dorset including:
- Dorset LVEP Chairperson
- Dorset Arts and Culture Sector
- Dorset Food & Drink
- Chair of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Destination Management Board
- Chair of Bournemouth Area Hospitality Association – representing serviced accommodation
- Chair of Best of Dorset Attractions Group
- Dorchester Town Council
- Weymouth BID
- Swanage Town Council
- Dorset Holiday Parks – representing non serviced accommodation
- Dorset National Landscape
- National Trust
- The Tank Museum
- Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
- Hall & Woodhouse - representing hospitality
Cabinet members from Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and officers from the Visit Dorset tourism team attend.
Dorset LVEP FAQs
Our Plans for Dorset
Dorset’s official LVEP status was achieved in April 2025.
The partnership’s first action was to create the Dorset LVEP Destination Management Plan 2026-2035. The report, approved by Dorset Council and BCP Council at their cabinet meetings in July 2026, and launched to the industry on 9th September 2026.
The Destination Management Plan sets out a 10-year strategy to make Dorset a welcoming, vibrant, year-round destination, addressing the county’s heavy reliance on seasonal tourism while building on a visitor economy worth £1.66 billion.
The plan identifies seasonality as the key challenge and focuses growth efforts on two high-potential markets, Nature & Culture and Active & Mindful. Six strategic priorities underpin delivery: growing off-peak demand, increasing visitor spend, improving marketing and perceptions, enhancing accessibility and welcome, promoting sustainability and regenerative tourism, and strengthening collaboration across the visitor economy.
View the presentations from the launch event
Dorset Destination Management Plan VisitEngland Update - Lyndsey Turner-Swift (VisitEngland Deputy Director)
Dorset DMP Launch Presentation - Sam Richardson
Dorset Off Peak Brand Perceptions - Sam Richardson
You can read the full DMP here: Dorset LVEP, Destination Management Plan: 2026 - 2035
Read our press release – Dorset achieves Local Visitor Economy Partnership Status
Annual Growth plan – currently in development
