Captain Richard Exley, Marine Manager at The Port of Tilbury, has been appointed to join the Visit Essex Board.
Captain Exley joined the Board last week and will work with the organisation to achieve its goal to develop a sustainable tourism offering for the future, identify new markets and harness visitors at the county’s major gateways of Stansted, Harwich, Southend and Tilbury.
Commenting on his appointment Captain Exley said: “I am delighted to have been invited to join the Board of Visit Essex. In my role as Cruise Manager at Tilbury, I am working to attract tourism back into the Thames and to Essex. The vast footfall through our terminals provides a boost to the local economy and this is something we are keen to improve year on year. There is a great opportunity for cruise guests to visit the many attractions within both Essex and London and in my new role with the Board, I will continue to develop this”.
Captain Exley’s role as Marine and Cruise Manager at the Essex Port sees him responsible for the redevelopment of the historic Grade II listed London Cruise Terminal, marketing this unique cruise facility on the Thames internationally and building the cruise business into Essex and London. He has recently returned from Florida where, Forth Ports in association with Cruise Britain, exhibited at the Cruise Shipping Miami Conference, with a view to attracting new business to the cruise terminal in London.
Essex Board Chairman George Kieffer said: “We are thrilled to welcome Richard onto the Board. His experience and current activities in the cruise tourism business will be a valuable asset to our Board’s activities.”
