Creating Value Through Innovation – In the Tourism and Leisure Sector

in Collaboration with Visit Kent

The Creating Value through Innovation- In the tourism and Leisure Sector webinar in collaboration with Visit Kent and supported by Santander University will be taking place on Monday 14th December.

Introducing Deirdre Wells OBE who will be speaking at the webinar.

Deirdre was appointed as CEO of Go To Places – the company responsible for both Visit Kent and Visit Herts – in September 2018.  Go To Places is currently the only organisation running two destinations in the UK and leading a number of major national projects under the Government’s Discover England Fund.  Go To Places also provides advice and expertise to a range of partners across the UK and is the company behind the highly successful Big Weekend programme.

Prior to her appointment to Go To Places, Deirdre was Chief Executive of UKinbound, representing nearly 400 UK inbound tourism businesses. During her tenure at UKinbound, Deirdre was a passionate advocate on behalf of the industry on a broad range of issues including the impact of Brexit, Visas, Air Passenger Duty and skills.

Deirdre joined UKinbound following 20 years in Government at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport working on a variety of high-profile projects including the Millennium Dome, Liverpool Capital of Culture 2008 and the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.  As Head of Tourism, Deirdre was instrumental in the delivery of the GREAT campaign – an ambitious and far-reaching marketing campaign promoting Britain as a great place to visit, study, work, invest, and do business.

Deirdre was awarded an OBE in 2007 in recognition of her work in leading the team behind the national memorial services for the UK victims of the 9/11 attacks, the Bali bombings, the 2004 Asian Tsunami and the London 7/7 attacks.

Deirdre is Chair of English Tourism Week and sits on the Board of the Tourism Society and the Tourism Alliance.

Deirdre lives in Kent with her husband and two sons.

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