Baroness Patience Wheatcroft will succeed the current Association of Leading Visitor Attractions chairman, Lord Lee of Trafford, when he steps down on September 18 after 30 years in the role.
Lord Lee, the founder chairman of the UK association, will be appointed president of ALVA at the AGM and Baroness Wheatcroft will take over the chairmanship at that point.
Patience Wheatcroft is a former trustee and deputy chairman of the British Museum, a former editor of the Sunday Telegraph, a former editor of The Wall Street Journal Europe, and former business editor of The Times.
She was appointed to the House of Lords in 2010 as a Conservative peer but since November 2019 she has sat as an unaffiliated peer. Baroness Wheatcroft's maiden speech in the House of Lords was on the importance of the UK tourism economy.
Director and chief executive of ALVA, Bernard Donoghue, said: “This is a significant moment for ALVA as we thank and congratulate Lord Lee on his exceptional service, leadership and achievements for ALVA and we are delighted that he has accepted the position of president upon his retirement as chairman.
"I can think of no-one better than Baroness Wheatcroft to succeed Lord Lee. She has exceptional experience at the highest levels of journalism, especially in business, and has proved to be a passionate advocate for visitor attractions and UK tourism through her role at the British Museum and her work in the House of Lords.”
