AWARENESS
26. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport launched
a series of eight regional "Celebrating the Millennium"
conferences on 27 February. As the Government's response to the
Select Committee in February explained, conferences were held
in Bristol, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham,
Swansea and London; all were well attended—1331 people from
893 organisations in total—and received good media coverage.
Aimed primarily at local authority audiences, their purposes were:
- to explain the Government's vision for the Millennium celebrations;
- to confirm the New Millennium Experience Company's national
programme of activities as part of the Millennium Experience project;
- to publicise the Millennium Commission's various programmes,
including the joint Millennium Festival celebrations in the year
2000 in partnership with Lottery distributors and NMEC;
- to provide guidance to events organisers on how to apply for
Lottery funding under the above proposals; and
- to distribute written information to events organisers and
provide an opportunity for them to share good practice.
27. The Department is currently considering, together with NMEC,
the Millennium Commission, local government organisations and
other interested bodies, how the conferences should be followed
up. It will be important to maintain the momentum and to continue
to stimulate interest in the wider Millennium celebrations as
well as those in and around London.
28. As part of this, the Department has financed expansion work
on the British Tourist Authority's events database to allow it
to carry information on Millennium events happening in different
locations around the UK. This is collated by regional tourist
boards from data entry forms which are being distributed to projects
by the Millennium Commission and other funding bodies. Local authorities
will also be encouraged to ensure that this database is widely
used by events organisers. Information on Millennium events has
been accessible via the Internet from the beginning of May. Discussions
are in progress between the Department, the Commission, NMEC,
the BTA and the FCO over how their various websites and databases
can be coordinated and linked so as to provide comprehensive and
clear information to the public in the UK and abroad.
29. There is considerable international interest in the UK's Millennium
plans. Foreign contacts, including suggestions for bilateral initiatives,
are being collated and monitored although, as most other countries'
plans are still at a relatively embryonic stage, the UK is very
much in the vanguard, leading the world with its plans to celebrate
the new Millennium. Officials from DCMS and the Millennium Commission
will attend a global meeting of Millennium planning bodies in
Rome in June while, at a European level, DG10 has set up a meeting
of Member States for 30 June to discuss how best to co-operate
in developing millennial celebrations across Europe.
30. The international profile presents an excellent opportunity
to promote the UK abroad, something which the FCO and British
Council have been keen to exploit, in conjunction with the BTA,
DCMS, the Millennium Commission and NMEC. The BTA estimate that
the UK will attract between £300-£500 million additional
overseas visitor revenue during the year 2000 as a direct result
of the New Millennium Experience, with a further £1 billion
attributable to the so-called halo effect.
31. In response to recommendation XVIII from the CMS Select Committee's
last inquiry, the DCMS commissioned a study from the English Tourist
Board of the potential impact of the Millennium Experience on
other visitor attractions. That report was submitted to the Committee
on 10 June. The report's main conclusions are that there can be
little doubt that the Dome will generate additional tourism expenditure;
that the 12 million projected visitor figure for the Dome is achievable;
that there should be an extra one million bednights from overnight
domestic visitors to London; and that any redistributive effect
on tourism patterns in London and the South East as a result of
the Dome should be offset by additional business, especially for
coach and rail operators and accommodation providers.
CONCLUSION
32. The Government believes that the UK's Millennium celebrations
will be a resounding success, involving a maximum number of people
from throughout the UK and leaving a tangible and lasting legacy
for future generations.
June 1998
