Visit Cornwall became a Community Interest Company (CIC) in April 2015. From being a service of Cornwall Council since our conception in the 1970’s, it was a monumental move. A move that has enabled us to harness the wealth of expertise, experience and resources afforded to us by the Council over the past 40+ years and become part of the private sector.

With Cornwall Council’s legacy as our foundation, Visit Cornwall CIC is now in the rightful position of being run by the tourism industry, for the touirsm industry. 

1970    First Cornwall & Isles of Scilly holiday guide produced

1975    Cornwall Tourist Board established as a partnership between the industry and the Local and National Government

1999    First destination Cornwall website launched cornwalltouristboard.co.uk

1999    Annual visitor numbers to Cornwall smash 4.5 million representing growth by almost 1/3 in the last decade 

2005    Cornwall Tourist Board rebranded to Visit Cornwall

2010    Malcolm Bell appointed as Head of Visit Cornwall bringing with him over 30 years of tourism experience

2010    Visit Cornwall Partnership comprising of key public and private sector tourism representatives is formed to advise and steer Visit     Cornwall activity

2012    Visit Cornwall delivers the start of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay generating in excess of £5m worth of media coverage and reaching up to a billion people worldwide

2012    Lord St Levan becomes Chair of the Visit Cornwall Partnership. James is the tweifth generation of the St Aubyn family who have occupied St Michael's Mount since the 17th Century

2014    Visit Cornwall is the main delivery partner for the Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta which provides an economic boost of £20.9 million 

2015 March    Cornwall Council withdraws funding from Visit Cornwall

2015 April    Visit Cornwall CIC is born

2015 November    Cornwall named UK Favourite Holiday Destination for the seventh consecutive year in the British Travel Awards