Jeremy Reed (pictured) is to the new chief executive of BALPPA, the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions.
Due to start in September 2011, he previously served as regional visitor operations director at English Heritage. This key role within BALPPA has been vacant since the sudden departure over the summer of Martin Barratt.
“Jeremy brings a wealth of experience in operations and commercial,” says the association’s chairman Adrian Mahon of Merlin Entertainments. “He has a strong background in commercial catering, and his extensive experience in lobbying politicians – both at the national and local government level – will be valuable in BALPPA’s pursuit of its lobbying goals.”
BALPPA continues to campaign on a number of issues. Recently the association wrote to British parliamentarians asking them to commit to supporting the country’s tourism industry by taking at least one UK break over the summer – and 98% agreed.
“With tourism one of the key pillars of the Government’s economic recovery and growth policy, it is good to see members of both Houses [Parliament and Lords] supporting tourism on their own doorstep,” says Mahon. “We have so much choice and variety to offer holidaymakers here in beautiful Britain and there has been significant investment in our tourism infrastructure and facilities by operators over the last couple of years, in spite of the recession.”
