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Chief Executive for Tourism South East Visits Buckinghamshire

The Roald Dahl museum, Bekonscot Model Village and the Eden shopping centre were just some of the places the Chief Executive for Tourism South East, Michael Bedingfield, visited during his trip to Buckinghamshire on Friday, 11th September. His visit was organised by the Buckinghamshire Tourism Officers' Group to help raise the profile of the county and bring more tourism to the area.

Buckinghamshire has stunning countryside, picturesque market towns and the captivating River Thames. However, the many hidden gems here, some of which are internationally significant, can be eclipsed by some of the south east's larger attractions. The recent focus on regenerating coastal areas in the region also means that the need to fly the flag for Buckinghamshire is greater than ever. Officers from Bucks Economic & Learning Partnership, amongst others, will also be asking Michael to champion the importance of tourism at the regional and national level, to ensure that the many thousands of jobs in the industry are protected and recognised for their valuable contribution to national prosperity.

Michael, who joined Tourism South East in June 2009, is responsible for growing tourism in South East England, an industry which currently generates in excess of £10 billion per annum for the region and supports over 300,000 jobs. Whilst visiting the county, he also opened the new tourist information centre at the Eden shopping centre and launched the 'Best of Bucks' brochure; a guide to the county's top ten luxury hotels and conference venues. His trip also included the Chiltern Open Air Museum and the Five Arrows Hotel at Waddesdon.

Michael said, "Buckinghamshire has a superb tourism offering and I was very fortunate to get a taste of it during my tour of the county last Friday. Developing and extending our existing valuable partnerships is a key priority for Tourism South East, especially being able to talk to some of our best tourism businesses, to identify how we drive the visitor economy forward, working in partnership."

Cabinet Member for Planning and Environment, Martin Tett added, "Buckinghamshire is a beautiful county and I feel very privileged to live here. It is a great place to visit whether for a week or just for the afternoon. It offers something for every one, young and old, historic or modern, relaxing or active. We have lovely countryside, including The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, magnificent historic houses including the highest number of national trust properties. We also have great shopping experiences like the new Eden Centre.

"I was very pleased to have met with Michael during his visit and look forward to working with him in future to raise the profile of our county."