‘Super six’ enlisted to continue growth of Cheshire’s £3.9bn visitor economy

The manager of the UK’s biggest designer outlet, a tour operator chief and director of an historic estate are among a new “super six” team of experts enlisted to spearhead the continued growth of Cheshire’s £3.9bn visitor economy.

Marketing Cheshire, the region’s tourism body, today confirmed the names of its new board members who bring with them a wealth of experience and business acumen straddling the tourism, retail and hospitality sectors.

The appointments widen representation on the board from across Cheshire and Warrington’s visitor economy. They will advise and influence Marketing Cheshire’s ongoing work with councils, attractions, leisure and hospitality businesses to promote tourism and market the region as one of the best places to invest, work, live and visit in the UK.

In March, Marketing Cheshire confirmed it had appointed Jamie Christon, CEO of Chester Zoo, the UK’s most visited paid attraction outside of London, as its chair.

Today it was confirmed the board will be bolstered further with the appointment of six high-calibre new recruits.

They are: Kenny Murray, General Manager, of Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet; Kirsten Warren, Assistant Director for the North, National Trust; James Hall, Senior Agent and Director of Cholmondeley Estates; Chris Naylor, Owner and MD of the Boutique Hotel Group; David Lyne, Managing Director, Barton Hill Travel; and Rachel Scott, Marketing & Business Development Director at the stunning Bolesworth Estate near Tattenhall.

Delighted at the appointments, Marketing Cheshire’s chair, Jamie Christon said: “Thanks to our world-class attractions, innovative businesses and stunning destinations, Cheshire and Warrington’s visitor economy is worth £3.9billion a year and supports 38,000 jobs. We attract more than 56million visits a year with ambitions for significant growth in the coming years.

“These six new board members hold crucial roles across visitor economy. Their collective expertise and insights will ensure our work to enhance and promote our tourism offer continues to evolve and thrive.”

Marketing Cheshire worked with recruitment specialists, Sherrington Associates, to appoint the new chair, and several new members for the board.

The tourism body utilises its Local Visitor Economy Partnership status from Visit England, to work in collaboration with neighbouring areas to attract national and international visitors. 

It also celebrates its partners’ contributions at its annual tourism awards which champion everything from family attractions, wedding venues and holiday parks to accommodation providers, pubs and restaurants.

FULL BIOS

• Kenny Murray, General Manager, of Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet which boasting over 400,000 square feet of retail space and comprising more than 150 boutiques, restaurants and cafés is the UK’s first and largest Designer Outlet. In his current role, Kenny oversees the strategic direction of the centre, which is made up of 165 brands, offering a portfolio of luxury, premium and high-street brands, driving innovation and asset value for investors and owners. In addition, Kenny is also the Regional Retail Lead for UK & Canada, delivering group retail strategy across eight McArthurGlen centres.

 

• Kirsten Warren, Assistant Director for the North, National Trust. National Trust places in Cheshire include Quarry Bank, Lyme Park and Alderley Edge and sites in the region attract two million visits a year. Kirsten's role is to ensure delivery of the National Trust's strategic aims across Cheshire, Manchester, Merseyside and south Lancashire, both at properties and beyond their boundaries. Prior to this role Kirsten worked as Director at Knowsley Safari following a career spanning operational leadership in museums in London and General Management of two National Trust portfolios in Cheshire.

 

• James Hall, Senior Agent and Director of Cholmondeley Estates.
  James is the Managing Agent at Cholmondeley, overseeing a diverse portfolio that encompasses agricultural, residential, commercial, and tourism sectors. The Estate attracts more than 200,000 visitors a year and focuses on the historic and natural environment, with the Castle Gardens, BeWILDerwood and the hosting of charity events and festivals. A chartered surveyor, James is an advocate for environmental and sustainable land use, work that has been rewarded with European accreditation and appointment as a Director for Wildlife Estates. James is on the Board of Cheshire’s Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission, and a member of the Rural Strategy, Future Farming and Destination Cheshire Groups.

 

• Chris Naylor, Owner and MD of the Boutique Hotel Group, a leading organisation that owns and operates three leading hotels and wedding venues in Cheshire: Peckforton Castle, Nunsmere Hall Hotel and Inglewood Manor Hotel. With more than 19 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Chris has demonstrated a strong commitment to the industry beyond the confines of the hotel group. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he took on the crucial role of Chairman of the UK Wedding Task Force, collaborating closely with the government to develop strategies for the safe reopening of the wedding industry.

 

• David Lyne, Managing Director, Barton Hill Travel - a leading specialist inbound tour operator bringing clients into the UK from all over the world. After studying history at university, David has worked in the travel industry for almost 40 years, encompassing airlines, educational tourism, international language schools and both inbound and outbound tour operating. In the early 2000’s, he was CEO of an AIM-listed travel promotions company and devised some of the largest and most successful consumer travel promotions ever in the UK, including the Daily Mail’s Free Flight for Every Reader. He has also been a Justice of the Peace serving the Chester and West Cheshire bench since 2010.

 

• Rachel Scott, Marketing & Business Development Director at the stunning Bolesworth Estate near Tattenhall which hosts everything from events and musical festivals to equestrian experiences. Rachel brings over a decade of strategic leadership within the visitor economy and destination marketing sectors. Her focus since joining Bolesworth in early 2024 has been on contributing to the estate’s event strategy and evolving its position within the regional visitor economy. Rachel’s career spans financial services, retail, visitor attractions, and events venues, Rachel was an inaugural member of the Liverpool City Region LVEP Board, chaired the Liverpool Attractions Group and served on the Liverpool City Region Destination Marketing Board.

More detailed bios can be found here.