Former BBC boss to head tourism body

Lord Tony Hall was the BBC's director general between 2013 and 2020

Councils across the Liverpool City Region are joining forces to create a new tourism body.

A new partnership between the regions six councils and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will be headed by the former BBC director general Lord Tony Hall of Birkenhead.

The city region visitor economy is worth about £5bn a year and employs about 51,000 people.

About 60m people visit the region every year to enjoy the region's cultural, musical and sporting attractions.

The new body will be known initially as the Local Visitor Economy Partnership

The team will be made up of 15 national and regional board members who will bring expertise from the worlds of sport, film, music, hospitality, retail and leisure.

Although yet to be officially named, the new body will be known initially as the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP).

Lord Hall, who was born in Birkenhead, said it was "a fantastic opportunity to come back to my roots", adding he was "proud and honoured to be leading a very high-calibre board that represents the diversity of the sector and the city region".

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said the area is a "national and international destination of choice" which is "renowned" for its culture, music, sport and hospitality and the new board "all about ambition".

"We want to go from strength to strength and partnership is the key to that," he said.

"That's why I’ve pledged to double support for culture to 2% of our budget to build on our achievements."

Liverpool was praised for its approach to hosting the Eurovision Song Contest

Earlier this year, Time Out magazine named Liverpool as the seventh best city in the world, ranking above Tokyo, Rome and Paris, and last year the city was praised by the British Council for its approach to hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, which it said should be considered as a blueprint for future contests.

Leader of Liverpool City Council, Liam Robinson, said the board will help bring city region together "in a creative union, with a shared goal of inspiring residents, boosting the local economy and attracting visitors".