East Staffordshire Borough Council has recently undertaken a review of its Tourism Plan which was approved by Council in November 2020.
This plan sets out a vision, as well as the actions the Council has taken, to promote the strengths of East Staffordshire’s tourism offer and looks to build an image for the Borough as an emerging tourist destination.
As part of this review, a visitor audit has since been completed, which includes data on the Borough’s visitor economy and indicates just how important this sector is for East Staffordshire.
The Council’s visitor audit outlines just how much of an impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Borough’s tourism, with visitor numbers falling by over 50%. In order to build a greater understanding of the Borough’s visitors, the Council is working closely with a specialist tourism research agency to continue the collection of relevant tourism data going forward.
Further information on the Council’s visitor audit can be found here.
In addition, the Council has also established a Tourism Partnership Board to help publicise and promote what the Borough has to offer, while also improving communication with key partners and local tourism businesses. This, along with the Council’s plans to develop a standalone website for tourism, demonstrates the Council’s ambition to help reignite the Borough’s tourist economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Councillor Bev Ashcroft, Cabinet Member for Tourism and Cultural Development, said: “It is vital the Council continues to evaluate and develop its approach to tourism, ensuring we’re getting as many visitors to the Borough as possible. Going forward, the Council’s Tourism Plan can easily be adapted to suit any unforeseen changes to the Borough’s tourism needs, future-proofing the plan for years to come.”
For more information on the Council’s Tourism Plan can be found here.