Visit Lincolnshire’s new interim Chief Executive

After a competitive recruitment process the Board of Directors and Visit Lincolnshire are pleased to announce that Marc Etches has been appointed interim Chief Executive for Visit Lincolnshire.

Marc brings a wealth of experience to the role. He has spent much of his career managing and developing national and international tourism and entertainment businesses, including five years as the managing director of Windsor Safari Park followed by six years with Center Parcs; a company that set new standards for domestic tourism in the UK during the 1990s.

Having accepted a move to join the Walt Disney Company in Paris in the summer of 1998, he was persuaded to instead take up the role of managing director of Leisure Parcs Limited, owners of Blackpool Tower, and to lead the campaign for resort casino development as a catalyst for the economic regeneration of Blackpool.

In 2004, Marc left Leisure Parcs to set up his own international consultancy Insight, which provides public affairs, advocacy and strategic advice to public and private sector clients with an interest in leisure, hospitality, tourism, gambling and the creative industries.

Marc’s strong strategic background has grown from his experience of being a board member to Culture Northwest (2003-09), a body jointly responsible to the UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA). Its objective was to champion England’s Northwest with a special focus on tourism, heritage, sport, performing art and leisure.

In 2005-06, Marc chaired the management board of a research project investigating ‘Climate Change and its Impact on Tourism’ managed by Sustainability Northwest and funded by the UK Government’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

When asked about his new post Marc said, “I am looking forward to working with Visit Lincolnshire and contributing to the team’s skills, knowledge and determination to highlight the county as a leading visitor destination against stiff competition elsewhere in the UK. The quality of the staff at Visit Lincolnshire, combined with the expertise of the Board of Directors was one of many things that attracted me to the role.”

Marc’s first task as Chief Executive will be introducing himself to Visit Lincolnshire’s members and tourism businesses. However, if in the meantime you have any questions please email Sharon@visitlincolnshire.com.