Visit Hull & East Yorkshire

What Visit Hull & East Yorkshire does

Visit Hull & East Yorkshire (VHEY) is the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for the Hull and East Yorkshire region, recognized by VisitEngland and jointly funded by Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council. The organization strategically connects, supports, and promotes the regional visitor economy, coordinating across accommodation providers, food and beverage businesses, attractions, conference venues, retail, arts and heritage organizations, and inbound visitors. It operates a partnership-driven model where tourism businesses join for free in exchange for promotional exposure, business support, networking, and conference bureau services.

VHEY's core products are interconnected destination-marketing and business-support services rather than a single software platform. These include the REYTAs (Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards) programme, now in its 16th year; the Digital Asset Library providing high-resolution marketing assets to partners; VHEY Conferences, the official convention bureau offering venue finding, bid support, and accommodation booking; Insights and Intelligence resources for visitor data; Business Support services including funding guidance and skills development via the HEY Business Growth & Skills Hub; Accessibility Resources including Purple Tuesday participation; and Travel Trade Services covering media visits and group travel. The underlying technology is a website platform with a content management system, email marketing through Formstack, social media integration, and an OpenWater-based online awards application system.

The business model is publicly funded rather than commercially monetized: VHEY's revenue comes from two local authority grants, and all partner-facing services (partnership enrollment, awards entry, application masterclasses, asset library access) are provided free of charge. Complementary commercial sponsorship (e.g., Wykeland Group, Fred Marketing as headline REYTA sponsors; Lyon PR as category sponsor) supplements but does not replace the council funding base. The organization serves a regional visitor economy that generates over £1 billion in annual visitor spend and supports approximately 21,000 jobs (10% of area employment).

Name

Visit Hull & East Yorkshire

Legal name

Visit Hull & East Yorkshire

Website

https://visithullandeastyorkshire.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visit Hull & East Yorkshire is the publicly funded Local Visitor Economy Partnership for Hull and East Yorkshire, recognized by VisitEngland. It strategically connects, supports, and promotes regional tourism businesses, the convention bureau, and the annual REYTAs awards programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Tourism Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Tourism partnership
• Visitor economy
• Convention bureau
• Tourism awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston upon Hull

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: VHEY is funded by Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council as the designated Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), recognized by VisitEngland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Visit Hull & East Yorkshire is the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for the Hull and East Yorkshire region, recognized by VisitEngland. The organization strategically connects, supports, and promotes the visitor economy by offering free partnership to tourism businesses, business support services, a convention bureau (VHEY Conferences), the annual REYTAs tourism awards, a digital asset library, visitor publications, and consumer-facing destination marketing content.

Product overview

Visit Hull and East Yorkshire is the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for the region, recognised by Visit England and funded by Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council. The organisation provides a unified destination marketing and tourism support platform comprising the REYTAs awards programme, Digital Asset Library, VHEY Conferences convention bureau, Insights and Intelligence services, Business Support, Accessibility Resources, and Travel Trade Services. Rather than a single software product, it operates as a partnership-driven initiative offering multiple interconnected services to support and promote the visitor economy across Hull and East Yorkshire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• REYTAs (Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards): Annual tourism awards program recognizing excellence across the visitor economy in Hull and East Yorkshire, aligned with VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
• VHEY Conferences
• LVEP (Local Visitor Economy Partnership)

Products and services

• REYTAs (Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards) Annual tourism awards programme celebrating excellence across the visitor economy in Hull and East Yorkshire, with eligible winners progressing to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. The 2025 edition featured 66 finalists across 17 categories and attracted 500+ industry professionals.
• Digital Asset Library A resource library providing high-resolution images for marketing purposes, available to partners and tourism businesses in the region.
• VHEY Conferences (Convention Bureau) The official convention bureau for Hull and East Yorkshire offering venue finding, accommodation booking, promotional materials, travel information, site visits, event services, bid support, social programmes, and marketing/PR support for conference organisers.
• Insights and Intelligence Consumer and industry data and insights resources for tourism businesses in Hull and East Yorkshire.
• Business Support Services Advisory services for tourism businesses including online booking support, funding opportunities, business networks, and skills development through the HEY Business Growth & Skills Hub.
• Accessibility Resources Practical tools and guidance for businesses to improve accessibility and tap into the accessible tourism market, including Purple Tuesday participation and case studies.
• Travel Trade Services Resources and support for travel trade professionals including media visit facilitation, filming in Hull and East Yorkshire, and group travel coordination.

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and strategic.

• VisitEnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisitEngland provides national accreditation for VHEY as a Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP). VHEY works in partnership with VisitEngland and eligible REYTA winners are automatically entered into VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
• Hull City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of VHEY alongside East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Provides governance oversight and strategic direction for the visitor economy partnership.
• East Riding of Yorkshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of VHEY alongside Hull City Council. Supports local food and rural tourism network and various tourism initiatives.
• Wykeland GroupflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline sponsor of REYTAs 2025. Creating spaces for next generation through commercial offices, urban regeneration, and retail/leisure projects. Sustainability and culture integral to operations.
• Fred MarketingflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline sponsor of REYTAs 2025. Uses commercially driven, creatively delivered communications strategies to help businesses overcome challenges and add real value.
• Hull TrainsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing rail connectivity to support visitor economy. Active member of Conference Champions programme promoting the region.
• HPSSstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAV, stage and lighting equipment company providing event support services. Strategic partner championing the region's venues and supporting Conference Champions initiative.
• Lyon PRstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerCategory sponsor for REYTAs. Public relations partner supporting tourism promotion in the region.
• HEY CreativestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-sector partnership supporting arts, culture and heritage. Advisory Board member with shared vision to strengthen visitor economy. Funded by Arts Council England, local councils, NHS, University of Hull, and private sector.
• St Stephen's Shopping CentrestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship retail and leisure hub with 10+ million annual visitors. Advisory Board member leveraging tourism strategies to attract visitors to the region.
• DoubleTree by Hilton HullstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerModern city centre hotel with 165 rooms and region's largest pillar-free ballroom. Advisory Board member promoting Hull as visitor destination.
• HEY Business Growth & Skills Hub (HEYGH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner for UK Government high street support programme. Working with VHEY to deliver workshops, consultation, and geographically targeted business support across Hull and East Yorkshire.
• Mercure Hull Grange Park HotelstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference venue hosting VHEY Tourism Conference 2026. Provides premium event facilities for industry gatherings.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visit Kent: Visit Kent is the county-level DMO for Kent, delivering marketing, business support, and visitor information services through a public-private partnership structure parallel to VHEY's LVEP model.
• Visit Lake District: Visit Lake District is the regional DMO for the Lake District, providing destination marketing, visitor information, and tourism business support through a council-funded partnership model analogous to VHEY.
• Visit Birmingham: Visit Birmingham is the regional DMO for the West Midlands, providing destination marketing, convention bureau services, and a tourism business partnership programme that mirrors VHEY's offering.
• VisitBrighton: VisitBrighton is the destination marketing organization for Brighton & Hove, running conferences, consumer marketing, and tourism business engagement on a comparable municipal/partnership-funded basis.
• Visit Manchester: Visit Manchester is the regional DMO for Greater Manchester, operating a partnership programme, convention bureau, and consumer marketing under a closely analogous model to VHEY's LVEP framework.
• Visit Cornwall: Visit Cornwall is the regional tourism body for Cornwall, delivering destination marketing, trade engagement, and business support funded by public-sector partners — a direct structural analogue to VHEY.
• Visit Bath: Visit Bath is the destination marketing organization for Bath, operating a visitor information centre, marketing campaigns, and business support programme structurally similar to VHEY's services.
• Visit York: Visit York is the destination marketing organization for York, England — a directly comparable UK regional DMO running visitor information, marketing campaigns, events, and a conference bureau on a similar council-funded partnership model.

Others

• Simpleview: Simpleview is the leading DMO technology platform, and VHEY's website is hosted on simpleviewinc.com infrastructure — making it a direct enabling technology and services peer for destination marketing organizations.

Broad incumbents

• VisitEngland: VisitEngland is the national tourism agency that accredits VHEY as an LVEP and runs the national Awards for Excellence that REYTA winners feed into. It is a broader incumbent sitting above VHEY in the UK tourism hierarchy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/visithullandeastyorkshire
• Xx.com/VHEY_UK
• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitHullandEastYorkshire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visit-hull-and-east-yorkshire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Visit Hull & East Yorkshire