The British Tourist Authority has appointed a new interim director, England, Andrew Stokes.

Stokes has spent the last 14 years as chief executive of Marketing Manchester where he transformed the organisation from being totally focused on tourism to one working across sectors responsible for branding, promotion and marketing the city.

In his role as director, England, Stokes will lead on the development and delivery of the new £40 million ‘Discover England Fund’ announced by the government as part of last year’s spending review.

The fund is specifically for England tourism product development to ensure that ‘bookable’ regional product is being sold in international markets.

This is set to also benefit the domestic tourism industry by building engagement and partnerships across regions and developing product that will be attractive to domestic as well as international markets.

BTA chief executive Sally Balcombe said: “I am very pleased to welcome Drew as the new director, England.

“He brings a wealth of skills, experience and industry contacts to the role making him a powerful voice for England as we focus on the government’s priorities set out in the CSR settlement.

“Our ambition is to spread the economic benefits of tourism across the English regions focusing on product development, building partnerships and greater co-ordination across the industry.”

Stokes, whose new role will report Balcombe, will also be responsible for developing an English Action Plan focused on the Discover England Fund and on business visits and events for England tourism.