THE NEW chair of Shakespeare’s England is set to weave his magic over Warwickshire’s tourism sector.
Liam Bartlett, regional director for Merlin Entertainments, has taken on the role after serving on the Shakespeare’s England board for a number of years, most recently as deputy chair.
Liam, who grew up in Warwick and attended Myton School, brings more than 18 years’ experience, most recently running one of the county’s premier attractions Warwick Castle, which welcomes around 750,000 visitors every year. In addition to Warwick Castle, Liam now heads up a portfolio of attractions for Merlin including Cadbury World and the National SEALIFE Centre in Birmingham.
He will combine his commitment as chair with his role at Merlin, and takes over from the Eden Hotel Collection’s sales and marketing director, Tara Robinson, who has held the position since 2022 and will remain on the Shakespeare’s England Board.
Liam said: “Tourism and hospitality has been a big part of my life and has opened so many doors and experiences for me over the past 20 years, so I am honoured to be able to take on this new role for the region.
“I believe that successful attractions should benefit the wider community, and I am looking forward to adopting a similar approach in my role as chair of Shakespeare’s England to promote further collaboration across the county.
“Warwickshire is one of those counties that has so many stand out attractions that you can build short breaks and days out around – whether it is visiting the hometown of William Shakespeare to watch a play, exploring a medieval castle in Warwick or Kenilworth, or venturing around picturesque National Trust properties in the north and south of the county.
“While the current economic climate will inevitably make some visitors think twice about how much and where they are spending, there is a real opportunity for our region over the coming months to capitalise on an influx of visitors – whether that is from the Hamlet effect, the upcoming Game of Thrones shows at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, or even the wider knock-on effect of Premier League football returning to the region for the first time in 25 years thanks to Coventry City’s success.”
Darren Tosh, operations and marketing director at Shakespeare’s England, added: “We’re delighted to see Liam take on the role of chair, having already made a valuable contribution to Shakespeare’s England over a number of years on the board and, most recently, as deputy chair.
“Liam’s experience at one of the county’s leading visitor attractions, combined with his knowledge of Shakespeare’s England and its members, will be hugely valuable as we continue to support and grow the visitor economy across Warwickshire.”
