19th November 2025   ∘   Speakers   ∘   Programme   ∘  Sponsors   ∘   Book Tickets

About The Conference

This year’s Tourism Policy Conference, hosted by the Tourism Alliance, will take place on Wednesday 19th November at the Royal Aeronautical Society, No.4 Hamilton Place, London.

This will be the ideal opportunity to consider what the tourism sector will look like in the coming years as the government unveils it’s strategy for the industry.

Speakers, presentations, panels, and topics will be announced in the coming weeks and months. This year’s rate for members of the Tourism Alliance, will be £205+VAT and for non-members £295.

front of Royal Aeronautical society building

What To Expect

  • Government SME policy, economic outlook and growth strategies.
  • Deep dive into tourism taxes, including Spain’s case study and a panel debate with industry and local government.
  • Immigration and visa policy updates, the impact of tax-free shopping on regional growth, and discussions on statutory registration and class actions.

Ready To Join The Conference?

Join industry leaders and policymakers at the Tourism Conference 2025 in London, exploring the latest trends, economic insights, and growth strategies in the visitor economy.

Engage with experts on tourism policy, SME support, visas, taxation, and employment rights shaping the sector’s future.

Network with key figures from government, business, and tourism organizations driving innovation and regional growth . This year’s rate for members of the Tourism Alliance, Tourism Society, and British Destinations will be £205+VAT and for non-members £295.

Our Speakers

Manuel Butler Halter

Chair of Antor & Tourism Counsellor

Spanish Embassy in London

Manuel Butler Halter

Tourism Counsellor at the Spanish Embassy in London. He was Executive Director at the UNWTO, General Director of Turespaña, President of the European Travel Commission and General Director Sales and Marketing of the Hotelchain HUSA. His work is focused on strategic marketing and sustainability. At the UNWTO he introduced the INSTO Network of Observatories in Spain, and Spain as co-leader of the UN ONE PLANET. At Turespaña he was the driving force behind the bespoken TURESPAÑA Demographic Clustering together with Coca-Cola, and based on the findings he concentrated Turespaña’s efforts on driving up the quality and sustainability. In the UK he launched the yearly Forum Spain Sustainability Day and the Spain for All campaign addressed on accessibility. He firmly believes in a new sustainable tourism model and collaboration is key, that’s why he is Chair of ANTOR.

Chris Webb MP

Member of Parliament for Blackpool South

Member of Parliament

Chris Webb is the first born and bred MP for Blackpool South in 60 years. A child of tourism, his mother moved to Blackpool to work as a Butlins Redcoat, and his first job was serving holidaymakers on a stall on Blackpool’s famous Promenade. He understands tourism shapes the town’s identity.

Webb is chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tourism & Hospitality and in Parliament his work has focused on boosting tourism and hospitality, as well as advocating for coastal communities, fighting child poverty and improving mental health services. 

Webb lives in Blackpool South with his wife and young son and is committed to amplifying local voices and helping drive economic growth and regeneration through tourism.

Louise Hellem 

Chief Economist

CBI

Louise is the Chief Economist at the CBI and a member of its Executive Committee. She and her team provide business leaders with advice on the UK economic outlook and global risks. Building on the insights from members, she shapes the CBI’s overall view on economic and fiscal policy and leads the CBI’s discussions with senior politicians and policymakers in these areas. Louise also oversees the CBI’s economic consultancy business CBI Economics.

Before moving into the role Louise was the Director of Economic Policy at the CBI. She led the CBI’s policy work on tax and regulation, as well as developing the CBI’s strategy and evidence base for enhancing the competitiveness of the UK’s business environment. Prior to joining the CBI, Louise spent 13 years at HM Treasury as a member of the Government Economic Service, where she led on a number of different analytical and policy issues, including National Living Wage policy and assessing the economic and distributional impacts of policy measures at fiscal events.

Louise holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Bristol and studied Economics and International Development at Bath University.

Craig Beaumont OBE

Executive Director

Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)

Craig is the chief spokesperson and lobbyist for the UK’s grassroots small business organisation, championing small firms and the self-employed. A former staffer at 10 Downing Street, London 2012, VisitBritain, Visit London and the English Tourism Council, since 2013 he has led FSB’s policy, media, government and international affairs work where he secured campaign wins including a £7.7bn Employment Allowance, targeted cuts to business rates & VAT, and elements of the Government’s COVID support schemes.
Craig leads FSB’s engagement with the UK’s major business groups (the ‘B5’), its veterans partnership with X-Forces, and its LGBT+ online business hub. He volunteers with the Industry and Parliament Trust, the Social Mobility Commission, and STAMMA. He holds awards for campaigning and was appointed an OBE in the 2025 Birthday Honours.
Alistair Handyside

Alistair Handyside MBE

Executive Chair

The Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK

“PASC UK (Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK) is the sectors largest trade association and leading voice for the sector, championing self-catering businesses across the England and Wales. PASC UK advocates for fair regulation, informed policy, and sustainable tourism, working closely with government and stakeholders to protect and promote this vital part of the visitor economy.”

Philippa Rouse

Director for Migration & Citizenship and SRO 

Future Border & Immigration System (FBIS) Home Office

Philippa joined the Home Office in 2002 and has been working in the immigration system since 2005 in a range of roles including operational research, strategy and transformation, strategic corporate support and customer service reform. 

Since December 2018 Philippa has been Director for Migration & Citizenship and SRO for the Future Border and Immigration System programme, her role incorporates responsibility for policy and programme delivery of Home Office transformation of the legal migration system and border control.

In 2022 Philippa was awarded a CBE for public services.

Image of Paul Barnes in suit jacket and tie

Paul Barnes

Chief Executive

The Association of International Retail

Paul is the Chief Executive of the Association of International Retail, leading the campaign to persuade the Government to introduce a fully digitalised tax-free shopping scheme for all international visitors to the UK. He is the acknowledged expert on UK VAT free shopping policy

Paul has been a public affairs professional for 35 years, latterly as Managing Director of the UK’s largest public affairs agency. He has been a board level advisor for major businesses in the tourism, retail and property sectors including The Crown Estate, The National Trust, Boots, Global Blue, and five central London BIDs. He ran the UK China Visa Alliance, who’s recommendations were launched and adopted by the then Home Secretary and led to the number of UK visitor visas issued in China rising from 200,000 to 800,000.

Joss Croft

Joss Croft OBE

Chief Executive

UK Inbound & Vice Chair Tourism Alliance

Joss Croft OBE is the CEO of UKinbound, the leading trade association representing the UK’s inbound tourism sector. With over 30 years’ experience in international tourism, investment, trade, and marketing, Joss has held senior roles at VisitBritain and the Department for International Trade, where he led global campaigns through the award-winning GREAT initiative. He is a passionate advocate for the UK’s visitor economy, regularly engaging with government and industry to drive growth, innovation, and investment. Joss chairs the International Working Group of the Visitor Economy Advisory Council, helping shape national tourism strategy. He is fluent in French and based in Kent. He was awarded an OBE in the King’s New Years Honours in 2024.

Nick Brooks-Sykes

Nick Brooks-Sykes

Director of Tourism

Marketing Manchester & Vice Chair Tourism Alliance

Nick Brooks-Sykes is Director of Tourism at Marketing Manchester and Vice Chairman of the Tourism Alliance.

He was educated at the University of Stirling and the Scottish Hotel School, having spent his formative years immersed in the hospitality industry at his parent’s 52-bedroom hotel. His early career began at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and, as a fluent French and German speaker, he has spent time working for tour operators in both Paris and Germany.

Nick has over thirty years’ experience in the tourism sector, having previously held a number of senior management roles at the North West Tourist Board and North West Regional Development Agency. Until 2014, he was Chief Executive of Bath Tourism Plus, recognised as one of the country’s leading destination management organisations.

Nick leads the tourism, insights and convention teams at Marketing Manchester, the agency charged with promoting Manchester on the national and international stage and the official tourist board for the city region.

Photo of Cllr Darryl Smalley

Councillor Darryl Smalley

Cllr

City of York Council

Cllr Darryl Smalley has been a City of York Councillor since 2019. Until 2023, Darryl held the Culture, Leisure & Communities cabinet portfolio. In that role he oversaw transformative projects such as the £44m York Community Stadium, a £32m (15 year) library programme and hosting the Rugby League World Cup.

Alongside Darryl’s experience on combined authorities, fire and police panels, unitary and parish councils – Darryl spent five years as a non-executive director of Make it York (Visit York). In his spare time, he can be found kayaking along rivers in Lincolnshire.

The Tourism Alliance would like to thank all ours event speakers for supporting this year’s Policy Conference

Our Sponsors

PASC UK (Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK)

PASC UK (Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK) is the sectors largest trade association and leading voice for the sector, championing self-catering businesses across the England and Wales. PASC UK advocates for fair regulation, informed policy, and sustainable tourism, working closely with government and stakeholders to protect and promote this vital part of the visitor economy.

Sponsor Coming Soon...

Coming soon....

The Tourism Alliance would like to thank all ours sponsors for supporting this year's Policy Conference

The Conference Programme

9.30
Arrival and Registration
10.00
Welcome

Emma McClarkin OBE, Chair, Tourism Alliance

10.10
Making Our Voice Heard

Eddy Leviten, Executive Director, Tourism Alliance

10.15
How the APPG is Supporting Tourism Businesses

Chris Webb MP, Chair of the Hospitality and Tourism APPG

10.30
Will Government SME Policy Help Tourism Businesses?

Craig Beaumont OBE, Executive Director, Federation of Small Businesses

11.00
What the Economic Outlook Means to Tourism

Louise Hellem, Chief Economist, CBI

11.30
The Visitor Economy Growth Strategy

Duncan Parish, Deputy Director for Tourism, International Culture and Diplomacy, DCMS

12.00
Lunch Break
13.00
Spain’s Experience of Tourism Taxes

Manuel Butler, ANTOR Chair and Director of the Spanish Tourism Office

13.15
Tourism Tax Debate

Manuel Butler, ANTOR
Nick Brooks Sykes - Marketing Manchester
Joss Croft - UKinbound
Cllr Darryl Smalley – LGA Culture Tourism and Sport Committee

13.45
Where are we with Visas, ETAs and ETIAs and YMS?

Philippa Rouse, Director of Immigration and Border Policy Directorate, Home Office

14.15
Boosting Regional Growth through Tax Free Shopping

Paul Barnes, CEO, Association of International Retailers

14.45
What’s Happening with Statutory Registration

Alistair Handyside MBE, Executive Chair, PASC

15.00
Support for Domestic Tourism

Andy Jasper, CEO, The Eden Project

15.15
The Impact of the Employment Rights Bill on Tourism Businesses

Yasna Reynolds, Head of Policy – zero hour contracts, Department for Business and Trade

15.45
Summing Up
16.00
Close

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