Richard Dickinson

Executive Director – TEAM UK, England

Experience

Richard has over 25 years’ experience in the tourism industry operating in both public and private sectors at international, national, regional and destination levels. He has senior operational experience in CEO roles, initially at East Midlands Tourism in 2004 and for 8 years as CEO of the New West End Company, the organisation that develops and markets the West End of London’s core retail streets – Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street. Prior to those roles, Richard was Executive Director for Strategy & Insight at VisitBritain, Deputy CEO for the English Tourism Council, Head of Policy & Strategy for the English Tourism Council, Vice President Strategy & Communications for the World Travel & Tourism Council and Tourism Policy Manager at the European Commission in Brussels. He started his career in the Development Department of the English Tourist Board.

Core skills and qualifications

Richard joined the first year of the first UK degree course dedicated to tourism in 1986 and graduated with a first-class honours degree in Tourism Studies in 1990. He is a Fellow of the Tourism Society and has a very strong network both internationally and nationally in tourism and related fields.

Specialisms

Tourism policy and strategy, quality standards, research methods, market research, marketing evaluation, destination development, destination marketing, branding, sustainable tourism, tourism development in national parks and protected areas, visitor management, tourism planning, business engagement, major events, urban tourism, place-making, urban regeneration, tourism structures and delivery.