Edinburgh Napier University

  The UK Leisure and Tourism sector is uniquely fragmented at government and industry levels and comprises a wide and diverse range of products and services. Tourist boards and strategic authorities are important for the thousands of small enterprises that provide accommodation, food, attractions and travel services in Britain. These organisations are responsible for marketing to incoming visitors and they provide a voice on industry issues. This article presents the findings of qualitative, exploratory analysis into the remits and positioning of six National Tourism Organisations in terms of the role each plays in interfacing with other interest groups to influence tourism policy issues and to support the tourism industry. Emphasis is placed on exploring the partnership-working dynamic between national tourism organisations and interest groups towards exerting influence on policy formulation. The study identifies best practice in partnership working and government lobbying based on thematic interviews. A thematic network is presented to suggest how the best practice partnership aspects that are identified might be applied in a UK context.