Morning, Tuesday, 9th September 2025
Online
This conference will examine the role of the heritage sector in supporting UK tourism, regional growth, wellbeing, and other key policy areas.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to assess how supporting tangible and intangible heritage can help to meet ambitions for 50 million international visitors per year by 2030, in the context of the upcoming National Visitor Economy Strategy. Delegates will also consider proposals for the introduction of a local visitor levy put forward by a coalition of English mayors in June 2025, including how a levy might support regional growth, and the potential legislative options, such as the forthcoming English Devolution Bill.
Sessions will examine the adequacy of recent heritage-focused funding packages such as the £270m Arts Everywhere Fund and £15m Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, looking also at opportunities for the UK heritage science sector to support innovation and UK soft power via programmes like AHRC’s RICHeS, and driving a proactive approach to heritage policy in the devolved nations.
Attendees will consider the potential impact of policy and regulatory reforms - such as changes to VAT and planning rules - on helping to address challenges in protecting built heritage. How best to define and safeguard intangible heritage will be discussed, in the context of the UK’s commitment to implementing the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Further sessions explore issues around diversity, representation, inclusion and general capacity in the heritage sector workforce.
With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, overall areas for discussion include:
- policy and strategic direction:
- alignment of heritage policy with the National Visitor Economy Strategy and the 50 million visits ambition
- instilling clarity on the role of heritage within the Industrial Strategy
- best practice from devolved nations and local authorities
- heritage science and innovation:
- the role and future of heritage science such as the AHRC/UKRI RICHeS programme in supporting heritage tourism
- new opportunities for research collaboration, commercialisation and promoting UK soft power
- funding, sustainability and operational models:
- evaluation of the adequacy of the Arts Everywhere Fund and wider regional culture investments in supporting operational sustainability
- options for long-term and revenue funding models for heritage institutions
- protecting built heritage:
- the role of built heritage in tourism, town centre renewal and regional economic strategies
- the impact of the VAT system on building preservation sustainability
- planning policy barriers, such as EPC requirements and listing processes
- viability of community asset transfer of heritage buildings
- cultural and intangible heritage:
- UK implementation of the UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage
- safeguarding traditional arts, crafts and local practices and integrating with tourism
- diversity, access and inclusion:
- response to claims of lack of diversity in heritage leadership and workforce
- how definitions of heritage shape inclusion - addressing barriers to participation
- skills and workforce:
- skills shortages in heritage construction, craft and conservation
- new training and workforce development opportunities
