The visitor economy is much more than the tourism sector. It’s town centre management, cultural events, retail, dining, the evening economy and all of the experiences that people visiting an area might expect.
VENI is a collaboration between educators and industry to deliver skills, support, and career opportunities for the region’s visitor economy.
VENI (Visitor Economy Network Initiative) is a partnership-driven employability and skills programme that uses the visitor economy as a vehicle for rebuilding confidence, developing workplace skills and creating routes into employment for people who are outside, or on the margins of, the labour market.
Originally conceived as a sector-wide collaboration between colleges, employers, local authorities, DWP and Visit East of England, VENI has evolved from a strategic visitor economy skills project into a highly practical, community-based model that combines employability support, customer service training, local pride, employer engagement and real-world experiences.
While its roots lie in addressing workforce challenges within tourism, hospitality and related sectors, the programme now focuses as much on personal transformation as economic development, helping individuals discover opportunities, build confidence and progress into employment, volunteering, training and apprenticeships.
Throughout its evolution, VENI has remained anchored in the belief that stronger local economies are built by connecting people, employers and places in meaningful ways.
In many ways, VENI has evolved from being principally a visitor economy workforce initiative into a people-centred employability movement that happens to use the visitor economy as its context and catalyst. This change is reflected in recent programmes across Suffolk and Norfolk, where confidence building, soft skills, local discovery, employer relationships and progression into work have become just as important as sector-specific training.
That, to me, is the enduring essence of VENI: connecting people to opportunity through place, partnership and purpose.
Visit East of England (VEE) has supported and nurtured VENI since its inception, and VEE was instrumental in the establishment of the VENI partnership, involving colleges, local authorities and business associations. VEE continues to champion VENI and as the Chair of the Visit East of England Skills Group, Andrew Wheeler (Eastern education group) also has a seat on the LVEP (Local Visitor Economy Partnership) Board, as does vice chair, Rachel Bunn from East Coast College.
VENI partners meet every quarter at the Visitor Economy Skills Group.