VisitEngland, the UK's national tourism board, underwent a digital transformation to better promote English tourism with limited resources. They decided to adopt an open source content management system (CMS) to allow for flexible growth, multiple authors, and lower costs compared to proprietary software. After researching requirements, consulting stakeholders, and getting technical advice, VisitEngland selected an open source CMS. This has provided a more user-friendly and productive platform for the team, improved website performance, and started shifting their culture to a more coordinated, content-led approach to digital engagement. The key lessons were to thoroughly research options and define needs to ensure open source is the best fit.

1. The story of VisitEngland & open source
Alison Lewis-Jones
Digital Marketing Manager

2. Agenda
Scene setting
Digital strategy
Our journey with open source
Outcomes

3. WHO WE ARE & WHERE WE WERE
Setting the scene

4. Short introduction to VisitEngland
National Tourist Board
Established 5 years ago
Changing external stakeholder environment
Small organisation

5. Our inherited legacy infrastructure
But with contracts ending…

6. DEFINING OUR DIGITAL ROLE
Digital transformation strategy

7. What is our opportunity?
“We aim to be a modern, dynamic tourist board
responding to the environment in which we operate.
Digital progress presents us with a significant and
pressing opportunity to develop the way that VisitEngland
supports the growth of English tourism.”

8. Our priorities for digital transformation
Taking an integrated approach to communications and services
Delivering ‘more for less’ by optimising our infrastructure
Targeting our marketing efforts to avoid duplication of effort
Taking a co-ordinated content-led approach to digital
engagement
Investing in facilitating and enabling the sector to optimise for
digital

9. How could we achieve this?

10. THE JOURNEY WE WENT ON
Open Source

11. Key drivers for us to consider open source
With limited budget we wanted to invest in people instead of
proprietary licenses and software
Ability to allow multiple content authors
Potential for multiple domains to service campaigns or potential for
local destination sites on different domains
The progressive and successful growth and implementation of .gov.uk
Didn’t want to be locked in to costly long-term solution

12. How did we make the decision?
Through our strategy we defined what we wanted to achieve
– Audience research
– Stakeholder research and consultation
Examined existing infrastructure, processes and costs
Analysed internal user requirements
Sought advice from our IT department
Created a development roadmap and phased delivery plan
Director and Board sign off

13. What were the pros of open source for us?
Flexibility long term
Multiple users access to CMS
Built the CMS for our requirements
Good support network for bugs and fixes
Lower operational and integration costs

14. OUR FUTURE & KEY TAKE OUTS
Outcomes

15. What is our experience so far?
Easier and more user friendly CMS allowing increased team
productivity
Better website health in search leading to increased domain
authority
Starting to change internal culture and nurturing a more co-
ordinated content-led approach

16. Key take-outs
Not an easy decision, do as much research, consultation and
get as much advice from as many sources as possible
Define your resources and requirements both short and long
term as much as possible
Open source isn’t just for small sites