Destination Milton Keynes, the official tourism and information service for the city, is delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Kirby to the position of General Manager.
The visitor economy is estimated to be worth over £230 million to the local economy and Milton Keynes was recently named the nation’s top city for ‘destination shopping stays’, firmly cementing its place as a destination of choice for city breakers. That same report* also commented that Milton Keynes attracts around twice as many visitors as you would expect for its size – putting the city in line with famous leisure destinations such as Brighton and Edinburgh.
Over the next five years, Destination Milton Keynes will be working closely with Milton Keynes City Council and other stakeholders to further enhance the city’s tourism credentials, looking to promote MK to a wider audience for both leisure and business visitors. Andrew’s appointment shows the organisation’s commitment to showcasing and growing the visitor economy in Milton Keynes over future years.
Andrew’s experience shines through having worked in international marketing and events management for over 30 years including organisations covering high-profile global brands, professional associations and industry consultancies. He has organised a wide selection of international conferences, meetings and corporate hospitality events, and his academic career included course management positions at several public and private universities, with increasing student recruitment and satisfaction levels as key priorities. He lives in Milton Keynes with two teenage children and is a keen golfer and footballer.
John Cove, Chair of Destination Milton Keynes said, “The visitor economy in Milton Keynes is thriving but at Destination Milton Keynes we have an ambition to drive this growth even further, shown clearly in the recently developed Tourism Strategy for the city, which has been formally adopted by Milton Keynes City Council. Having Andrew on board allows the organisation to push forward with key priorities to strengthen the leisure and business offer and promote that message to a wider audience both locally, regionally and nationally.”
Andrew commented, “I am very excited by the opportunity to be involved with the great work of Destination Milton Keynes and to contribute to the increased promotion and marketing of the city to different target audiences. There is undoubtedly a huge amount of potential for the future, and I look forward to bringing further success to our amazing city.”
For more information about Destination Milton Keynes or find out about membership opportunities for your organisation go to: www.destinationmiltonkeynes.co.uk or follow @DestinationMK on social media.
* Source - The Centre for Cities’ Spending Time: the role of the visitor economy in UK Cities report – Nov 2024
