The newly-elected vice-chairman is Christopher Rawstron, vice president, operations, UK and Ireland, InterContinental Hotels group. Davy, who is proprietor of the Rose and Crown Hotel, Romaldkirk, Co Durham, has been a member of the national executive for six years and was chairman of the BHA's northern committee for two years. In addition to his own business interests, Chris Davy led the team that set up the Tourism Partnership for Co Durham and was its first chair. He was also vice chair of the county's Economic Partnership. He was chosen to feature in the region's highly successful 'Passionate People, Passionate Places' campaign which raised the awareness of the North East of England as a great place to work, visit and live. Davy said that tourism was the main economic driver of most regions of the country. It was imperative that government recognised this and supported its growth. "This year will be challenging for many businesses and government needs to appreciate that many of the measures it is introducing are damaging the industry rather than helping it create new jobs. "The BHA will be impressing on ministers and officials more and more the role that tourism and hospitality can play in growing the economy out of the recession."