A Message from Marc Etches - August 2010

Welcome to our August newsletter,

We were delighted to hear the Prime Minister’s speech recently declaring the Government’s new commitment to the tourism industry.

It is clear to see that David Cameron values tourism as a fundamental contributor towards rebuilding our economy; Visit Lincolnshire shares and supports his vision to use the opportunities of the next decade and the 2012 Games as a way of increasing the UK’s and Lincolnshire’s international appeal for travel and tourism.

At VL we continue to champion the visitor economy at a local level, and hearing David Cameron describe tourism as“first class priority at the front and centre of Britain’s economic strategy” offers growing support for the industry at a national level.

The most significant part of David Cameron’s speech outlines the Government’s view that tourism should be a local industry. Their aspiration is to create new Local Enterprise Partnerships, allowing local people and entrepreneurs more responsibility and control over how tourism is developed in each local area.

In the future a new set of incentives will be proposed for local authorities – including options for business rate incentives allowing local authorities to reinvest the benefits of growth back into their local communities. Visit Lincolnshire will ensure it is central within these discussions to represent the best interests of all concerned in the local visitor economy.

We wish you a busy and successful summer,

Marc Etches
Interim Chief Executive, Visit Lincolnshire

Prime Ministers Speech on Tourism – August 2010

The Prime Minister has delivered a speech (12th August) declaring the Government’s new commitment to tourism, in the light of the opportunities and challenges facing the UK as we progress towards 2012.

He outlined how tourism is now a first class priority at the front and centre of our economic strategy, as an export earner with international visitors and with a strong domestic market. He also stressed how fundamental the industry will be to the rebuilding and rebalancing of our economy.

He recognised that the 2012 Games and the coming decade of great international sporting events across Britain, with all that Britain has to offer, is an unprecedented opportunity. But, to ensure that this opportunity is not missed, as an industry there is still much that needs to be done to improve perceptions of Britain at home and overseas.

Over the coming months the Government will be working on ‘the strongest possible tourism strategy’ looking at:
- What the Government does nationally
- The role of local government and the support of the local area
- How we stimulate the private sector in tourism
- How we make policy in other areas that will impact the tourism industry

At a national level, the dedicated Minister for Tourism and Heritage, John Penrose will lead a new relationship with the tourism industry, showing the Government gets tourism and understands the huge potential of the industry.

In spite of the current tough times meaning tough decisions, he is keen to ensure that these decisions will serve us in the long-term.

However, the Government views tourism as a local industry and their aspiration is for new Local Enterprise Partnerships to allow local people and entrepreneurs more responsibility and control over how tourism is developed in each local area.

A new set of incentives will be proposed for local authorities – including options for business rate incentives allowing local authorities to reinvest the benefits of growth back into their local communities.

The right local incentives should also help to stimulate the private sector. In addition to the reduction in red tape and excessive business taxes planned, the Prime Minister sees tourism bids as potentially key beneficiaries of the new £1 billion regional growth fund.

He will also look across Government at the policies that impact tourism in a big way – visas, airport security, infrastructure – not as isolated issues, but from the perspective of both the domestic and international tourism industry.

Finally, he committed John Penrose to work with the industry, bringing together all your best ideas, to develop a tourism strategy by the end of the year, with the goal of setting Britain on a path to break into the world’s top five tourist destinations.

Read the full speech.

Extracted from VisitBritain’s news bulletin.

Funding opportunities - rural broadband

A new funding opportunity to help businesses get better rural broadband service has been launched.

Emda is launching the Rural Broadband Fund, funded through the Rural Development Programme for England. This fund seeks to support the government’s objective that Britain should have the best superfast broadband network in Europe.

The funding can contribute towards developing innovative approaches that address existing gaps in rural broadband coverage.

These approaches can include:

Community broadband projects
- Projects that seek to upgrade existing infrastructure to exceed the proposed Universal Service Commitment speed of 2Mbit/s
- Projects that enable early deployment of next generation compatible solutions

The funding is aimed at businesses that can access match funding of 15K minimum.

For more information please visit emda’s website.

Lincolnshire Day 2010 – promote your business

Lincolnshire Day will celebrate everything Lincolnshire throughout October 2010.

We’d like to share the information with you, and encourage you to get involved to promote your business and the county to residents and visitors alike.

Your support can be as big or as small as you want. Over the last few years Lincolnshire businesses, schools and community groups have got involved in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways.

Cafés and restaurants have served dedicated Lincolnshire menus where all the ingredients are grown in the county - even down to the sugar in the coffee!

Other businesses have asked their staff to wear yellow for the day in honour of the county's Yellow Belly historical roots; or they have flown the Lincolnshire Flag.

What you do is entirely up to you - we just want to inspire you to join us to celebrate Lincolnshire Day.

Decided to celebrate Lincolnshire Day – don’t forget to submit your event on the website!

A dedicated Lincolnshire Day website has been launch to act as the hub of information for the event. Visitors and businesses can visit the site to see what events and activities are taking place.

For more information visit the Lincolnshire Day website and submit your events to events@lincolnshireday.co.uk

Vote Lincolnshire in Best Beach hut Competition UK

There is a national competition to crown the UK’s best beach hut and we’d like your support to put Lincolnshire’s beach huts on their shortlist.

If a Lincolnshire beach hut scooped the top prize the county would receive national media attention and endorsements from influential coastal commentators. This would help raise Lincolnshire profile and would attract more visitors to the county’s coastline.

To celebrate their colourful presence on our coastline people are being asked to put forward their ‘Beach Hut of the Year’ in a competition that will see five coastal regions go head to head for the coveted award.

Entries can be submitted on theBest Kept Hut, Best Design, Beach Hut Hero and Best Beach Hut Name at www.beachhutoftheyear.co.uk.

With over 20,000 beach huts in the UK there are plenty to choose from and entries are welcome from individuals, councils, regional tourist boards or beach hut associations. The public can take part by visiting the website and voting for their favourites.

For more information visit the Beach hut of the Year website – don’t forget to pass it on to friends.

Get yourself on the Guardian’s tourist map for free

As part of VisitEngland’s partnership with the Guardian newspaper they have produced an interactive tourist map which they are asking people to populate with their favourite places to visit from all over the UK.

This is a perfect opportunity for you to put your business onto the tourist map and highlight yourself and Lincolnshire to the millions of people who log onto the Guardian’s website every day. You can see the interactive tourist map on the Guardian’s travel website and also on VisitEngland’s website.

In order to build on the great information already submitted by Guardian readers, VisitEngland is encouraging Visit Lincolnshire to pass the interactive map onto our businesses and partners.

Information on the map could also be used to feed news article into the Guardian’s travel supplements that are printed every weekend.

It would be great if you could support the map and pass it on to others who can help us grow the Lincolnshire profile.

Upload your information now into the interactive tourist map, once you have updated one website it will automatically update the other.

Dates for your Diary

Visit Lincolnshire’s AGM - Wednesday 13 October 2010- RAF Scampton- 10.00 am for a 10.30 am start
Come and join us at our Annual General Meeting to hear about our 2010-11 plans, plus key achievements from 2009/10. The keynote speaker is Wing Commander Alex Stylianides, Station Commander at RAF Scampton. Attendees will enjoy a tour of the historical museum and infamous Red Arrows. For more information please contact Sharon Stone on 01522 561661 or sharon@visitlincolnshire.com

Think Family – 21 September 2010 – Grimsthorpe Castle – 10.00 am to 4.00 pm
An inspiring and stimulating day to find new ways of making your business truly welcoming and enticing to families. This workshop is being run in conjunction with Lincolnshire Heritage Forum.

Welcome Host Plus - NEW – 30 September 2010 – Rand Farm Park – 9.15 am to 4.00 pm - Fully booked
Part of the Welcome to Excellence programme, Welcome Host Plus is a one day training programme which aims to build on and extend knowledge and skills in customer service and communication to give your organisation competitive edge – limited spaces available.

Places of Interest Quality Assurance Scheme (PIQAS) – NEW – 3 November 2010 – Metheringham Airfield - 10.45am to 4pm
PIQAS is a valuable management and marketing tool for all places of interest and smaller attraction operators. The service meets the needs of places of interest and smaller attractions whether volunteer run, charity organisations, unmanned sites or natural features in the landscape. This accreditation is the next step up from Code of Practice.

Leaflet Swap and Working Together for the Games – 15 November 2010 – South Holland Centre, Spalding – 10.15 am to 3.30 pm
Come and join us for the autumn leaflet swap, and following on from the conference in July, we will be hosting a ‘mini’ conference for Working Together for the Games. Hear an update from VisitBritain on how your business can benefit from the forthcoming Games and other national sporting events coming to the UK in the next few years, together with the launch of Lincolnshire’s 2012 Strategy.

Staying One Step Ahead (Accessibility) – 25 November 2010 – Petwood Hotel – Times to be confirmed
This workshop isn’t about disability – it’s about helping you to offer a more accessible business to a wide range of potential visitors – those less mobile, families and elderly guests in an easy-to-achieve, low cost way.

For more information and booking forms for any of the above please contact Sharon Stone on 01522 561661 or email sharon@visitlincolnshire.com

Inspire Olympic mark open more opportunities for your business

We want to encourage as many businesses as possible to apply for the London 2012 Inspire Mark.

The London 2012 Inspire Mark enables non-commercial organisations across the UK to link their events and projects to the London 2012 Games - Visit Lincolnshire was awarded the Inspire Mark in July 2010 for our business conference ‘Working together for the Games’.

The aim behind the Inspire programme is to involve as many people as possible in the 2012 Games. Once an Inspire Mark has been awarded it will enable businesses and event organisers to take advantage of a number of marketing opportunities surrounding the 2012 Games.

If you sign up, you’re event and business will join a broad participation programme spanning sport events, education, sustainability, volunteering, business opportunities and skill.

If you are planning an event, festival or activities that could be linked to the 2012 games; or you want to sign up for the Inspire Mark please email EmmaBurke@emd.org.uk or visit the Inspire website.

Lincolnshire currently has 13 Inspire Marks assigned to events and businesses that are supporting the 2012 Games.

Across the region, the East Midlands have 83 Marks. If we can raise Lincolnshire’s support for the 2012 Games it will raise the county’s profile in the run up to the games. In the long term this could also enhance Lincolnshire’s national reputation as a county to do business with and a place to visit.

Congratulation to our advertising winner

Congratulations to our lucky advertisers who won a discount of £150 for 2011's visitor guide adverts.

Like the sound of this – well, you could be in with a chance of winning a discounted 2012 advert by placing an order for one in 2011.

For more information on advertising please contact Dan Pounds on 01522 561674 or email Dan@visitlincolnshire.com.

The winners are:
Visit Lincolnshire 2010 – Dove Cottage, Self Catering in the Lincolnshire Wolds
Skegness and Mablethorpe 2010 – The Ramblers Guest House, Trusthorpe
Discover Rutland 2010 – Lands End Outlet Store, Rutland
Wake up to Cleethorpes 2010 – Aristocrat Guest House, Cleethorpes

Value of tourism in Lincolnshire reaches £971 million – 14% of the overall economy

Newly published research shows the value of tourism within Lincolnshire’s visitor economy last year was worth £971 million – an increase of £13 million (1.3%) compared with 2008- and contributes 14% to the county’s overall economy, second only to the food industry.

The total number of seaside and attraction related tourist visits to Lincolnshire increased by 200,000 to 17.2 million creating 349 new jobs.Visit Lincolnshire, who has released these results in partnership with East Midlands Tourism, is the organisation that champions tourism and the wider visitor economy across the county with support from local authorities, tourism businesses and other stakeholders.

Marc Etches, Interim Chief Executive of Visit Lincolnshire said “This is good news. Our marketing campaigns promoting Lincolnshire as a place to visit have delivered excellent results earning £44 for every pound spent. More than 17,000 jobs depend on holiday and attraction related tourism across Lincolnshire and it is vital that we all recognise the economic value of this industry sector.”

Last year Lincolnshire Tourism rebranded itself as Visit Lincolnshire and relaunched the website VisitLincolnshire.com. In addition, the organisation improved the quality of the county’s flagship visitor guides; launched online booking opportunities for businesses; generated extensive national and regional PR and launched Visit Lincolnshire’s social media activity.

The research shows that Lincolnshire’s most significant visitor spend is on shopping (22%) (grown to £210 million from £202 million) and food and drink (18%) (grown to £173 million in 2009 from £165 million in 2008).

The largest increase in visitor spend is in recreational activities an increase of 9% from the previous year.

“The growth in visitor spend on shopping, food and drink and other recreational activities outline the importance of recognising that traditional tourism is one element of the wider visitor economy which includes business and education related tourism as well as events, sports, cultural and other leisure activity,” continued Marc Etches.

“Local knowledge is a vital ingredient to future success not least because 34% of overnight stays in Lincolnshire were in the homes of friends or relatives.”

“Despite this success we must not be complacent; there is still a need to keep Lincolnshire fresh and competitive against other destinations. Since 2009 we’ve upped our game and we’re looking forward to exceeding these figures next year by continuing to work closely with our members and partners.”

Cllr Eddy Poll, Executive Councilor for Cultural Services at Lincolnshire County Council said: 'The County Council has always placed great importance on the value of tourism to Lincolnshire, and this news is very encouraging. Our commitment to tourism and our drive to get the best out of our attractions has obviously succeeded and we hope that even more people will visit in the future to enjoy our beautiful county.'

Notes to Editors: For more information please contact Charlotte Goy, Media Executive for Visit Lincolnshire on 01522 561670 or charlotte@visitlincolnshire.com

Visit Lincolnshire is the organisation set up to market Lincolnshire as a visitor destination. It was formally known as Lincolnshire Tourism.

Visit Lincolnshire works in partnership with VisitBritain, East Midlands Tourism, Lincolnshire County Council, all local district authorities, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire Councils, plus all tourism businesses.

The latest estimate of people working in Lincolnshire in 2009 is 316,400 people, this relates to 73% of the working age population, 5.4% of which are tourism jobs. (Lincolnshire Research Observatory)

Research published by Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) reports that the Lincolnshire Coast has 8,900 year-round jobs directly supported by seaside tourism – the eighth highest for any county in England.

The research which was commissioned by East Midlands Tourism, East Midlands Development Agency’s tourism arm, also shows the estimated number of tourist visits to the region, including both day and overnight visits, rose by 320,000 to 141.7 million in 2009.

The research was conducted by Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM) and in the sixth major consecutive study into the economic impact of tourism at a regional and county level and is based on 2009 data.

Key findings

• 2.02 million overnight-staying tourists visited Lincolnshire in 2009, spending 9.53 million nights in commercial tourist accommodation, both serviced and non-serviced.


• 1.06 million visitors stayed some 2.51 million nights with friends and relative (SFR) in Lincolnshire.


• Overnight visitors spent £562.03 million in Lincolnshire with day visitors spending a further £409.61 million.


• The temporary 2.5% reduction in the standard VAT rate had an impact on the total amount of VAT paid by visitors on tourism-related goods and services. The amount of VAT generated by tourism activity declined by 11% to £94.5 million.


• Approximately 13,905 jobs (full time equivalents) were directly supported by tourist expenditure in Lincolnshire and a further 3,270 jobs were supported by indirect revenue from tourism.


• Average expenditures per day per tourist category are as follows: serviced (i.e. hotels and B&Bs): £92.44; non-serviced (i.e. self-catering): £41.51; SFR: £38.11; and, day visitors: £28.87.


• Day visitors coming to Lincolnshire account for 42 % of the total tourism revenue. Seasonality also influenced the number of day visitors that Lincolnshire received, rising from a low of 567,200 visitors in December to a peak of 2.65 million in August.


• Although the number of sleeping spaces in serviced accommodation remained at 13,451 throughout the calendar year, there was a significant variance though in the number of maximum non-serviced sleeping spaces available from a low of 27,288 in January to a peak of 61,103 in July and August.

Photography competition rally’s local support for the Visit Lincolnshire guide 2011

Visit Lincolnshire is delighted with the local support it has received to pick a new cover images for the Visit Lincolnshire Guide 2011.

Encouraging local residents and visitors to take part in the production of the 2011 guide has helped promote the work VL does for the wider visitor economy and the role of the flagship guide has in promoting the county as a tourist destination.

The competition was launched in May through the local media and Visit Lincolnshire’s social media channels.

More local press coverage will be drip fed at significant stages of the competition when the cover shot is chosen, designed into the front cover and eventually printed.

In July the bar was raised for quality competition entries when the current 2010 guide’s cover scooped a prestigious national industry award for Brochure Cover of the Year from the British Resorts and Destinations Association (BRADA) annual conference.

Commenting on the entries for the competition Emma Tatlow Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Marketing said “We were thrilled to receive 128 entries for the competition. There was a fantastic array of different shots from all over the county. Choosing a winner, and taking into consideration the public vote is certainly going to be tough.

“By promoting the shortlisted images through our facebook social media channel we are encourage more people to join as VL’s Facebook friends. In the short term this will allow people to post comments about the photos in this competition – and in the future we’ll have grown our list of Visit Lincolnshire friends who will be kept up to date with the latest county news.”

The winning photo for the guide will be printed on 70,000 visitor guides and distributed all over the UK.

The guide attracts visitors to Lincolnshire for short breaks boosting the value of Lincolnshire’s Visitor Economy, currently £958 million.

Latest campaign evaluation showed that 95% of visitors said previous guides had influenced their decision to visit – making the selection of a front cover essential to its success.

The 20 shortlisted images for the cover have been whittled down to four. Out of these four the winner will be announced in the next few weeks.

Lincolnshire stands out in the Guardian’s special seaside travel supplement

We’re delighted with the lastest stand out national coverage we have secured for the Lincolnshire Coast in the Guardain travel section (Saturday 7 August 2010).

The article was generated by a press trip secured and deliverd by Visit Lincolnshire aiming to highlight the Lincolnshire coast to a national audience.

Working with Martin Hoenle, owner and designer of the chic coastal chalet Twenty-Six at Anderby Creek, as well as other Visit Lincolnshire members we devised a weekend itinerary that guided the journalist around the coast and Lincolnshire Wolds.

The article clearly directs readers to useful website and telephone numbers encouraging them to make bookings following the excellent independant endorsements of the jouranlist Patrick Barkham.

This press trip is the latest media coverage for the coastal campaign. In the coming weeks we will continue to promote the Lincolnshire Coast with the Bathing Beauties Festival in Mablethorpe (featured on national BBC Breakfast news last week) and North East Lincolnshire’s Cultural Festival with Lit.com and the art exhibition at Abbey Walk Gallery entitled ‘Out of the Dark’.

Read the Guardians full article and let us know what you think by posting a message on this blog.

We’d like to thank all the businesses who help Visit Lincolnshire deliver this press trip.

VL champions coastal tourism

A local press title has published a good news article, generated by Visit Lincolnshire, about the positive impact coastal tourism is having on the wider visitor economy of the county.

The story originated from a national tourism report issued by Sheffield Hallam University in July and focused on the growth potential of coastal tourism throughout the UK.

Visit Lincolnshire worked with East Lindsey District Council to ensure this national data could be used at a local level to demonstrate the strength and growth potential of the county’s visitor economy in the wake of the national recession.

Read the full article here….

"This article not only embraces the visitor economy concept, it also highlights Visit Lincolnshire’s role in uniting stakeholders, members and tourism businesses to grow the economy in the future, ’’ said Emma Tatlow, Deputy Cheif Executive and Head of Marketing at Visit Lincolnshire.

Local and international PR success for Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire

Visit Lincolnshire’s newly hosted Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire (AHL) team has reported one of its most successful months to date after organising three high profile internally attended tributes and two open presentations about Lincolnshire’s contribution to Fighter Command during WWII.


In late June and early July, three events were planned by AHL at RAF bases and heritage sites round the county.

Local press coverage was generated by AHL and VL around these events. This included a three night special series on BBC Look North and further coverage on ITV Calendar news, Radio Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire Echo and online BBC News.

The series of events has also sparked future interest in potential visits to the county from overseas. One strand of this is an opportunity to include the former RAF base at Hemswell and the base at Kirton in Lindsey as part of an American heritage trail in the north of the county.


Contacts have also been established between AHL and the RAF Museum’s American Foundation.In addition, following publicity of the events over in Canada, a Canadian veteran and former pilot has made enquiries about organising a group tour to Lincolnshire by former member of the Canadian Air Force in 2011.Building these relationships is key to developing the work of AHL.

New guide is launched for VL’s City Breaks campaign

A brand new ‘Welcome to Lincoln’ glossy lifestyle magazine has been launched to bring more visitors into Lincoln, and inspire local residents to enjoy their city this summer.

30,000 copies of the publication which has been produced by Visit Lincolnshire in partnership with Lincoln Business Improvement Group are being distributed to accommodation providers, shops and eateries around the city.

Its aim is to fill a gap in the market by providing the latest information about summer events and activities in an easy to read and inspiring format, to bring summer in the city of Lincoln to life for its readers.

Emma Tatlow, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Marketing at Visit Lincolnshire said “Feedback on the new ‘Welcome to Lincoln’ guide has been very positive; it is a practical guide to the city that readers will want to keep throughout the summer months – and beyond.

“The guide is one element of our city breaks campaign which is raising the profile of Lincoln as a visitor destination – aiming to grow Lincoln’s visitor economy and encourage residents of the city and the wider county to explore what is on their doorstep. The guide is supported by an award winning website Visitlincolnshire.com as well as social media, PR and national press adverts.”

Matt Corrigan from Lincoln Business Improvement Group (BIG) added,

“We are delighted with the support we have received from local businesses for this guide, and the guide compliments the new visitor map Lincoln BIG published last year. Overall we are starting to build the portfolio of information that Lincoln needs to be a serious tourism destination.”

The guide is the first of a series planned to promote the city through the seasons. It will be followed by the Lincoln at Christmas brochure in November.

A competition to win a luxury cheese hamper from the Cheese Society in Lincoln has been included in the guide.

Keep it real: a marketing & communications toolkit

Keep it Real is a new toolkit to help tourism businesses to sell sustainability as part of their unique offer. It is designed for those businesses who have already taken action to be more sustainable and want to maximise the marketing opportunities that may exist. Produced by England’s Regional Tourism bodies in association with VisitEngland and written by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism the toolkit is packed with case studies from around the country. By illustrating the Who, Why, Where, When and What is involved Keep it real is designed to give businesses the confidence to talk about sustainability and make it part of their sales proposition.

The toolkit is available as an online document at www.visitengland.com/keepitreal where it can be downloaded if preferred at no cost.

A Message from Marc Etches

Welcome to our July newsletter.

Last week I was delighted to meet so many businesses at our ‘Working Together for the Games’ conference held at Market Rasen Racecourse on Wednesday 14 July. Thank you to each of you that attended.

Working with Lincolnshire Sports Partnership we were able to bring together businesses from sectors including sports, leisure and tourism to facilitate and identify new networks and opportunities, using the 2012 Games as a catalyst.

(Group image at the event from left to right, Janet Inman Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Sports Partnership, Ruth Hyde East Midlands Tourism, Cllr Doreen Stephenson Lincolnshire 2012 Champion, Claire Lambert East Midlands Tourism, Clive Lawrence-Forbes East Midlands Development Agency and Marc Etches, Interim Chief Executive of Visit Lincolnshire).

I was invited to be a judge for the 2010 East Midlands Renaissance Heritage Awards in June, and attended the awards ceremony at Alford Manor House on Friday 16 July to see St Katherine’s – 900 years of History Heritage and Cultural Centre in Lincoln win Museum of the Year. A result of all Lincolnshire's winner can be read on the Lincolnshire Heritage Forum website.

Congratulations to all businesses who took part in the awards.

By taking part in the judging process I saw at firsthand a selection of outstanding heritage venues across the county which makes a significant and much valued contribution to our cultural offering.

Staying on the topics of awards, I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the six businesses who have been shortlisted in the East Midlands EnjoyEngland Excellence Awards 2010.

As the difficult economic climate continues it will bring many new challenges. And as you’ve just read, during this month alone we’ve had great county success with heritage awards, sport tourism opportunities and shortlisted businesses in the East Midlands EnjoyEngland Excellence Awards. I am confident that by working more effectively together across the varied sectors we can meet the challenges and grow our visitor economy.

On a personal note I have accepted the Board of Directors invitation to continue working as Interim Chief Executive for Visit Lincolnshire until March 2011.

I wish you all a successful summer season, and look forward to seeing you at our AGM in October.

Marc Etches,
Interim Chief Executive, Visit Lincolnshire

Regional Tourism Oscars 2010

Congratulations to our six regional finalists who have been shortlisted for the East Midlands Enjoy England Excellence 2010 Awards.

Being nominated for such a prestigious industry award is a huge accolade for these businesses, and Visit Lincolnshire will be supporting them every step of the way to help them scoop gold.

Emma Tatlow, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Marketing at Visit Lincolnshire said “It’s fantastic to see so many Lincolnshire businesses shortlisted for the 2010 awards; we’ve spoken to each business personally to congratulate them.

“Being shortlisted distinguishes those businesses that are willing to go the extra mile for their customers.”

"All six have been shortlisted for the final of the annual East Midlands Tourism Enjoy England Excellence Awards and will go head to head with other finalists from Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland for the title of the ‘region’s finest’ at a ceremony on the 7th October.”

Some regional award winners will then go on to compete for the national title in the Enjoy England Excellence Awards finals, staged in 2011.

Visit Lincolnshire has been a consistent support throughout the process and will be working with each business up to the awards and beyond.

The shortlisted businesses are:

• Grayingham Lodge B&B, Northorpe – B&B / Guest Accommodation


• The Manor House Stables, Martin - Self Catering & Sustainable Tourism


• The Olde Barn Hotel, Health Club and Spa, Marston - Business Tourism


• Brackenborough Hall Coach House Holidays, Louth - Sustainable Tourism


• Helsey House Cottages, Helsey, Nr Hogsthorpe - Think Family


• Long Acres Caravan Park, Old Leake - Caravan Holiday Park

If you’d like to know how to be an award winner for next year please contact Sarah Gravelle on 01522 561673 or email sarah@visitlincolnshire.com

Social media marketing reaches new heights thanks to Vouchercloud

Do you want to get involved in a revolutionary new marketing opportunity promoting your special offers?

Vouchercloud will help you capture more customers and encourage people to stay longer in Lincolnshire.

We’re introducing Vouchercloud to Visit Lincolnshire members, a great new downloadable application for iPhones and smart phones which brings special offers to people already in the area - encouraging them to take advantage of special offers in Lincolnshire, from meal vouchers, or money off shopping trips and discount entry tickets.

“Vouchercloud is great for any all visitors to Lincolnshire – whether its residents, students, business travellers, sport or leisure group,” said Emma Tatlow, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Marketing at Visit Lincolnshire.

“We’re thrilled to bring this to Lincolnshire businesses. Vouchercloud has already had over 40,000 downloads and has been voted one of the UK’s hottest new applications for smart phones.

“It has already attracted the attention of the big national brands and we’re bringing it to the smaller and privately owned businesses throughout the county. Overall it will help contribute towards the local visitor economy by bringing special offers directly through to people’s mobile phones thanks to their GPS signal.”

Vouchercloud will complement the online marketing Visit Lincolnshire delivers for the county’s visitor economy. Over the past few months the Online Team have been collating special offers from Visit Lincolnshire’s members to profile on Vouchercloud.

Vouchercloud is one of the fantastic marketing benefits of being a Visit Lincolnshire member and it is totally free, a revolutionary new opportunity to promote Lincolnshire’s quality special offers to a wide audience.

Feedback from Visit Lincolnshire Members who have exclusive access to Vouchercloud has been very positive. Many are embracing the new technology that has captured their customers’ attention. Not only are they excited about how simple the concept is, but also how powerful the marketing opportunity it presents them. Lincolnshire’s Vouchercloud will be launched in mid August.

If you want to learn more about Vouchercloud, or becoming a member of Visit Lincolnshire to take advantage of this opportunity please contact Clare Fryer on 01522 561666 or email clare@visitlincolnshire.com.

Online booking success!

After launching our new online booking software, called Eviivo Frontdesk on www.visitlincolnshire.com we’ve had great feedback from county businesses using it – and you could be benefitting from it too!

Jeff Longmuir, at the Tennyson Hotel in Lincoln is one accommodation owner singing its praises.

Since signing up Jeff regularly receives two or three bookings every week from people browsing online for suitable accommodation.

Jeff and a number of other accommodation providers joined Eviivo after attending a series of demo sessions organised by Visit Lincolnshire in March.

Jeff and his peers signed up for the system and received the free online booking software with full training out as part of a special deal.

The system, called Eviivo Frontdesk, is suitable for small and medium quality assured accommodation providers. It allows you to publish your availability to potential visitors, allowing them to book online through your own website or other well known online channels such as Expedia, Super Break and Lastminute.com. This can help boost sales for your business.

Thanks to adopting the new system Jeff’s bookings are much improved from last year.

Through Eviivo Jeff has seen bookings from Germany, Spain, France and New Zealand; and feedback from the guests has been really positive. It allows them to leave reviews, pass feedback to the provider, and endorse the accommodation to future visitors.

For more information or an informal chat please contact Clare Fryer on 01522 561666 or email Clare@visitlincolnshire.com

Report demolishes myths about demise of British seaside tourist industry

A national report released last week by Sheffield Hallam University has found that the seaside tourist industry in England and Wales is growing!

It explored the popular myth that the increase in foreign holidays had destroyed the economy of Britain’s own seaside towns.

This is excellent news for Lincolnshire, whose coast is one of the assets of the county and attracts millions of visitors every year. And of coastal visitors 22% travel to visit Lincoln City, 19% visit the Wolds, 16% visit the Fens, 13% the countryside and 5% the vales.

As a result the whole of Lincolnshire will benefit from this good news.

The report also indicated that the Lincolnshire coast supports 8,500 jobs; and the annual gross value added (GVA) directly attributed to the seaside tourist industry in Skegness is £54m; Cleethorpes £36m; Ingoldmells a further £33m and Mablethorpe £13m.

VisitEngland commented on the research on BBC Look North TV following a brief from Visit Lincolnshire.

Top tips for getting your business in peak condition for 2012 Games

On the 27 July, the UK will be just two years away from hosting the London 2012 Games.

The Tourism2012Games.org site which VisitBritain run in partnership with London 2012 has advice on things you can start doing now to get your business in peak condition to benefit.

They include:-

• Downloading the official 'Britain You're Invited' logo for free and use it in your own promotions and publications


• Using of Games-inspired imagery, also free to download


• Helping to shout about why 2012 is going to such a great year to visit London & the whole of the UK
  

Tell VB what you can offer in 2012

Overseas tour operators and potential visitors are keen to know exactly what there will be able to do and see in Britain during, before and after the 2012 games. If you have a new product and service coming to market, tell Visit Lincolnshire (sharon@visitlincolnshire.com) and VisitBritain!

Don't forget to spread the word!

You are one of 170,000 small to medium enterprises involved in tourism in the UK – the more businesses understand about the part they can play in the Games, the greater the overall tourism benefits will be.

Be part of this effort and visit the VB site, download the tools and sign up for the newsletters.

For more advice and to read more visit VB website.

Stay one step ahead - free expert advice

The countdown as begun for guest accommodation and self-catering businesses to take advantage of free advice and support when it comes to making the first step in the National Accessible Scheme.

'One Step Ahead' is easier than you think and opens up your business to those who are less mobile, families and elderly guests.

If you want to be one of the first for free help contact Christopher at onestepahead@live-tourism.co.uk.

VL AGM – 13 October

Wednesday 13 October 2010

10.00 am for a 10.30 am start

RAF Scampton

Come and join us at our Annual General Meeting to hear about our 2010-11 plans for promoting the visitor economy in the county, plus key achievements from 2009/10.

We will also have a keynote speaker from RAF Scampton and a tour of the museum – which is on the same site as the infamous Red Arrows.

For more information please contact Sharon Stone on 01522 561661 or sharon@visitlincolnshire.com

Photo Competition for Visit Lincolnshire Visitor Guide! – 26 July

The countdown to enter the VL photography competition to find a new cover image for the county’s flagship visitor guide Visit Lincolnshire 2011 is on.

It’s a great opportunity for you and your visitors to take part in.

The winning photo will be used as the front cover on 70,000 visitor guides and will be distributed across the UK.

The guide attracts visitors to Lincolnshire for short breaks boosting the current worth of Lincolnshire’s Visitor Economy, at £958 million.

“Images are an essential part of the visitor guide and we have launched the competition to give residents and visitors the opportunity to show what they see as the most iconic images of the county,” said Alan Darby, Consumer Marketing Manager at Visit Lincolnshire.

"After all, who knows the most picturesque areas better than residents and visitors?”

The deadline for entries is 26 July, 20 photos will be shortlisted and exhibited for two weeks in the in Kodak Express shop, Guildhall Street, Lincoln for people to view.

The winner will be picked shortly after the exhibition and will have the honor of their photograph being the front cover of the Visit Lincolnshire Guide 2011.

For more information or to enter see our website.

Advertise in 2011

For all the latest information about advertising in the 2011 visitor guides for the county please click here.

Headline events coming soon…

Some events to share with your visitors….

SO Festival 2010- perfect for attracting visitors!

Events act as a hook for attracting visitors and we need your help to promote the SO Festival in Skegness on Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 July.

The festival programme has been announced and it will take Skegness by storm with exciting events for all the family; including comedy, cabaret, opera, theatre on the beach and so much more. The finale of the festival is a breath taking fireworks display.

The full programme can be seen here http://www.sofestival.org/, and for more information contact East Lindsey District Council or call 01507 601111.

Useful links- Follow the festival on Twitter! twitter.com/sofestival

July 2 - September 5: BEAM!

Lincoln Children & Young People's FestivalLincoln is the place to be if you are a young person this summer. The launch of beam! 2010 sees the city overrun with children’s activities and events.

July 19 - August 15: South Holland Food Festival

Cafés, restaurants, pubs and attractions across South Holland are celebrating our delicious local food and drink! With special menus, cooking demonstrations, promotions and competitions and a host of children's activities, the South Holland Food Festival will culminate in a spectacular Food Fair in Spalding

31 July - Cleethorpes Carnival Parade

This is the 34th parade which runs for four miles through the heart of Cleethorpes. The streets of Cleethorpes will come alive to the sound of music. Join in the carnival atmosphere as the many floats, musicians and street performers take to the streets at this year's fun packed free event.

August 1 - Revesby Country Fair

A fun-filled action packed family day out. Numerous main ring events including show jumping, gymkhana games, terrier racing and much more.

August 8-13: Skegness Carnival

Skegness Carnival Week begins with the Carnival Parade Procession. This provides a fascinating family afternoon out in Skegness. Enjoy the colourful floats, the bands, the atmosphere and the sounds of a wonderful event.

August 18-22: Lincolnshire International Chamber Music Festival

This unique countryside Chamber Music Festival is now in its seventh year. This years programme will include works by Debussy, Ravel and Saint-Saens, their predecessors, and those who were influenced by this exciting time in French music and culture.

August 21 & 22: Lincolnshire Steam & Vintage Rally

Held on the Lincolnshire Showground this rally never disappoints with its variety and content. With more than 1,500 exhibits expected ranging from steam engines, fairground organs, vintage tractors, cars, commercials, motor cycles, stationary engines, model and craft exhibition, military vehicles, miniatures in steam and trade stands.

September 9 - 12: Heritage Open Days

Take in the wealth of Lincolnshire heritage when many stately homes and manors open their doors for FREE!

September 17 - 19: Bathing Beauties Festival

The Bathing Beauties Festival is the only one in the UK. With a 5 mile stretch from Mablethorpe to Sutton on Sea it has become the largest and longest linear coastal art festival in England.

For more information on events see our website.

We’re reading ‘Penrose’s blog’

John Penrose MP, Minister for Tourism has started a blog, follow him here…

VL’s ‘Working Together for the Games’ conference attracts 75 businesses

Our latest business event on Wednesday 14 July was almost at maximum capacity thanks to businesses, and sport organisations signing up to learn how they can take advantage of Olympic opportunities surrounding the 2012 games.

The event was delivered in partnership between Visit Lincolnshire and the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership, with support from East Lindsey District Council, North Kesteven District Council, Boston Borough Council, East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and Lincolnshire County Council.

We’re delighted to announce the event has received the prestigious ‘Inspire Mark’; the official badge of approval from the London 2012 Inspire Programme – making it the only business event in the East Midlands to be granted its use.

The event, called ‘Working Together for the Games’, at Market Rasen Race Course, is one of a series being planned by Visit Lincolnshire in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games.

The London 2012 Inspire Mark, which has been given to this event, recognises innovative and exceptional projects that are directly inspired by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

‘Working Together for the Games’ is focused on maximising the opportunities sporting events can bring to a range of businesses across Lincolnshire and how they can contribute towards the county’s Visitor Economy.

“We want to inform and help businesses understand the wider opportunities sporting events can bring to them and a destination like Lincolnshire,” said Emma Tatlow, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Marketing at Visit Lincolnshire.

“Sports Tourism is an important element of the Lincolnshire’s Visitor Economy and we’re urging local businesses to embrace it and benefit from the forthcoming opportunities”

“Over the next 10 years the UK will host a number of global sporting events including the 2010 Ryder Cup and the 2012 Olympic Games, through to the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The Leader of East Lindsey District Council, Councillor Doreen Stephenson, said: "I would like to congratulate Visit Lincolnshire on achieving an Inspire Mark from the Olympic Committee in recognition of Working Together for the Games. It is important that the work in our county is recognised nationally as best practice and this is another great example of how we're leading the way. We must continue to focus our efforts on developing tourism to support our economy and create jobs all year round for local people. Visit Lincolnshire is instrumental in helping us to drive forward this vision and I'm delighted they've received national recognition for their work."

“This decade of sport and the associated training and interest in participation presents an opportunity for accommodation providers and host venues to accommodate the teams involved in the sporting events, not to mention the spectators who may be looking to combine it with a short break in the UK."

Seb Coe, Chair for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said: “Working together for the Games’ is encouraging Lincolnshire’s businesses to fulfil their potential. I am proud that with the help of partners such as Visit Lincolnshire and the Lincolnshire Sport Partnership we are delivering on our vision to use the power of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to boost participation in Lincolnshire.”

More information on the Inspire programme:

The Inspire programme is run by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is an opportunity for everyone to be a part of the London 2012 Games – a broad participation programme spanning sport participation, education, sustainability, volunteering, and business opportunities & skills.

New opportunities are being created to inspire young people and encourage the whole of the UK to join in.About London 2012: The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are delivered by two key organisations – the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

LOCOG is responsible for staging a memorable Games in 2012. They will deliver the best possible Olympic and Paralympic Games experience for everyone involved, enabling a lasting legacy and inspiring people to join in.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is the public body responsible for developing and building the new venues and infrastructure for the Games and converting the Olympic Park for long-term use after the Games.

In the summer of 2012, the UK will come alive with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The four-year Cultural Olympiad will reach a climax with the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on 27 July. This event marks the start of the 60-day festival of sport and culture across the UK that is the Olympic and Paralympic Games.Find out the latest from the London 2012 HQ blog –london2012.com/blog

Regional Tourism Oscars

Visit Lincolnshire has helped six tourism businesses reach the regional finals of the East Midlands Tourism awards 2010.

Being nominated for such a prestigious industry award is a huge accolade for the businesses; and contributes towards Lincolnshire’s Visitor Economy – by raising the county’s profile to visitors, and creating sense of pride among local residents and business leaders.

Emma Tatlow, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Marketing at Visit Lincolnshire said

“It’s fantastic to see so many Lincolnshire businesses shortlisted for the 2010 awards; we’ve spoken to each business personally to congratulate them.

“Being shortlisted distinguishes those businesses that are willing to go the extra mile for their customers.”

All six have been shortlisted for the final of the annual East Midlands Tourism Enjoy England Excellence Awards and will go head to head with other finalists from Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland for the title of the ‘region’s finest’ at a ceremony on the 7th October.

Some regional award winners will then go on to compete for the national title in the Enjoy England Excellence Awards finals, staged in 2011.

Visit Lincolnshire has been a consistent support throughout the process and will be working with each business up to the awards and beyond.

The shortlisted businesses are:

• Gainsborough Grayingham Lodge B&B, Northorpe – B&B / Guest Accommodation

• Martin, near Horncastle and SleafordThe Manor House Stables, Martin - Self Catering & Sustainable Tourism

• Marston, near Grantham The Olde Barn Hotel, Health Club and Spa, Marston - Business Tourism

• Brackenborough, near Louth Brackenborough Hall Coach House Holidays, Louth - Sustainable Tourism

• Hogsthorpe, near Skegness and Alford Helsey House Cottages, Helsey, Nr Hogsthorpe - Think Family

• Old Leake, near Boston Long Acres Caravan Park, Old Leake - Caravan Holiday Park

Secretary of State Speech on Tourism – 8 June 2010

The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt MP has just given his first address on tourism.

He highlighted the vital importance of tourism to this country, not only as Britain’s fifth largest industry worth £115 billion and supporting 1.5 million people in jobs that cannot be outsourced or offshored, but also as an industry with huge potential for growth.
The Secretary of State ran through his two key, immediate priorities for tourism:

• First, making sure we have a lasting tourism legacy from hosting the 2012 OIympic and Paralympic Games for the whole of the country
• And secondly, boosting domestic tourism by rediscovering and reinvigorating what UK destinations have to offer.

He specifically called for industry officials to help draw up a plan to reinvigorate domestic tourism to boost the tourism spend of UK residents on domestic holidays from 36% to 50%. VisitEngland have been in discussions with him. And John Penrose, the Minister of Tourism, will be travelling around the country to seek industry views.

Marc Etches has since written to John Penrose MP inviting him to include Lincolnshire on his intended tour of England.

A copy of the letter can be viewed ….

Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire reaches for the skies

Visit Lincolnshire has been supporting the Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire (AHL) partnership launch their new campaign to local residents and visitors.

A recent press trip in April produced outstanding national coverage in the Telegraph plus the Sunday Express and Press Association titles.

The latest activity, to pay tribute to Fighter Command based in Lincolnshire during WW2, has been covered by local and regional press with a three night special feature on BBC Look North (Tuesday 29 June - Thursday 1 July 2010), as well as coverage on ITV Calendar News and Radio Lincolnshire.

A number of high profile events have taken place with dignitaries attending from across the world. The events included ‘A Tribute to the Nation’, ‘Canada Day’ and ‘Tribute to the American Eagle Squadrons’ from WW2.

Championing Lincolnshire’s ‘Visitor Economy'

The Visitor Economy concept embraces culture, heritage, retail, food and drink; as well as traditional tourism.

Together they enhance the reputation of Lincolnshire as places to live, visit, work and invest.

In recent weeks Marc Etches, Interim Chief Executive at VL has given two interviews to the local media about Lincolnshire’s evolving visitor economy.

These have included Peter Levey lunch time BBC Radio Lincolnshire show, and BBC Look North.

Visitlincolnshire.com named top website by TravelMole

Visitlincolnshire.com has been named as one of the best ‘Tourist Board Websites’ in the country by TravelMole – the leading online community for the travel and tourism industry.

Lincolnshire went head to head with two rival destination websites - Yorkshire.com and visitblackpool.com, both of whom were nominated in the same public vote for ‘websites that break through the ordinary to impress their clients and visitors’ in TravelMole’s 7th annual web awards.

Visitlincolnshire.com was piped to the post by Yorkshire.com at an awards ceremony on Thursday 17 June in London.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have been nominated,” said Emma Tatlow Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Marketing at Visit Lincolnshire. “Over the past year we’ve been working hard to deliver a website that acts as a 24/7 shop window into the county – showing visitors and residents alike exactly what’s on offer.

“We’ve had fantastic feedback - not only for the way the website looks, but for its easy navigation and search facilities which are essential for helping people find what they looking for. Being nominated for such a prestigious industry award is the icing on the cake and recognition from TravelMole could mean an increase in business for Lincolnshire’s visitor economy.”

• Visit Lincolnshire receives up to 30,000 unique visitors per month.
• In spring 2010 Visitlincolnshire.com migrated to a new platform to improve performance and functionality.

Lincolnshire’s Visitor Guides are the best in the country

Two visitor guides created by Visit Lincolnshire have scooped prestigious industry awards at the annual British Resorts and Destinations Association (BRADA) conference held at Butlins, Skegness in June.

‘Skegness & Mablethorpe 2010’ and ‘Visit Lincolnshire 2010’ received second and third prize respectively in the Brochure Cover of the Year category, piped to the post by The Isle of Scilly who snatched first prize.

The BRADA awards are hosted by the leading experts in the travel and tourism industry, and the 2010 ceremony saw the county guides secure prizes for the most striking and effective front cover within the brochure category.

“We are absolutely delighted the guides have won national acclaim for the second year running,” said Emma Tatlow Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Marketing at Visit Lincolnshire.

“We produce the guides in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council, East Lindsey District Council and all the local authorities and they form a vital introduction to what Lincolnshire can offer visitors and local residents all year round.

“Selecting the correct cover image for a visitor guide is critical because it has to work very hard to gain people’s attention in a competitive market place – and fantastic pictures of the county can inspire future visits.

“It’s incredible to think Lincolnshire took the majority of the awards, scooping two of the three awards in the national category. The competition was really tough when you consider how many other destinations in the UK produce visitor guides.”

The 2010 Skegness and Mablethorpe Guide was produced by Visit Lincolnshire on behalf of East Lindsey District Council.

Report demolishes myths about demise of British seaside tourist industry

A major new report released by Sheffield Hallam University has found that the seaside tourist industry in England and Wales remains a substantial and growing employer.

The research exploded the popular myth that the increase in the numbers of foreign holidays has destroyed the economy of Britain’s own seaside towns.

It also indicates the annual GVA directly attributed to the seaside tourist industry in Skegness in £54m; Cleethorpes £36m; Ingoldmells a further £33m and Mablethorpe £13m.

VisitEngland commented on the research on BBC Look North TV following a brief from VL. Read the press release here or the full report.

Press Release - Sheffield Hallam University

Report demolishes myths about demise of British seaside tourist industry

• Seaside tourism directly supports more than 20,000 jobs in the region
• The industry adds £300m a year to the regional economy

A major new report released today finds that the seaside tourist industry in England and Wales remains a substantial and growing employer.

The Seaside Tourist Industry in England and Wales, by a team at Sheffield Hallam University, explodes the popular myth that the increase in the numbers of foreign holidays has destroyed the economy of Britain’s own seaside towns. In fact, the British seaside tourist industry continues to employ as many people as the whole of the telecommunications sector, and more than the motor industry, the aerospace industry, pharmaceuticals or steel.

The report uses novel methods to disentangle jobs supported by tourism - in shops, hotels, bars and restaurants - from those supported by local consumer spending.

It finds that:
• The seaside tourist industry in England and Wales directly supports some 210,000 jobs spread across more than 100 resorts. Large numbers of additional jobs are also supported indirectly through the supply chain.
• The Blackpool area has the largest single concentration of seaside tourist jobs – more than 19,000
• No fewer than 58 individual towns each have at least 1,000 jobs in seaside tourism
• Since the late 1990s employment in the seaside tourist industry has actually increased by about one per cent a year – an overall growth of 20,000 jobs
• The estimated value to the economy of the jobs in seaside tourism is around £3,600 million.

The report provides local figures on seaside tourism employment for 121 individual resorts around the coast.Professor Steve Fothergill, from Sheffield Hallam's Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), who led the team, said: “That a large seaside tourist industry has survived and adapted is good news, not just for seaside towns but for the British economy as a whole.

"Leisure and tourism is a growing market. What our figures show is that even in the face of stiff competition from holidays abroad, Britain’s seaside towns have been able to retain and even expand much of their core business. The British seaside tourist industry remains a major employer. The new government should make every effort to ensure that the industry delivers its full potential in the coming years.”

Peter Hampson, Director of the British Resorts and Destinations Association, said: "People who follow the fortunes of the British seaside tourist industry have always known it is a myth that the industry is in terminal decline, but we have not had the comprehensive and convincing evidence to prove otherwise until now.

"Britain’s seaside resorts face challenges in responding to changing economic circumstances and consumer tastes, but what the Sheffield Hallam report tells us is that in many places around the coast the seaside tourist industry is still alive and well – and growing.

"The seaside tourist industry has been written off too often. This report highlights its resilience.”

Notes for editors:
1. The report can be obtained on the CRESR website at www.shu.ac.uk/cresr

2. The Seaside Tourist Industry in England and Wales: Employment, economic output, location and trends is by Christina Beatty, Steve Fothergill, Tony Gore and Ian Wilson from Sheffield Hallam University.

It was co-financed by the British Resorts and Destinations Association, North West Development Agency, South East of England Development Agency and Visit Wales (Welsh Assembly Government).

A Message from Marc Etches

Welcome to the June edition of our newsletter!

This month the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympic, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt MP has delivered his first speech on tourism in which he acknowledged that “the tourism industry is one of our most undervalued national assets”.

He went on to issue a challenge to the industry to drive up the proportion of domestic tourism expenditure in the UK from 36% of total tourism spending to 50%.

In issuing this challenge, the Secretary of State asked stakeholders engaged with tourism to inform him about what needs to be done to support and reinvigorate our domestic tourism industry. The Minister for Tourism and Heritage, John Penrose MP will be undertaking a tour of England over the next three months to gather local views and insight.

I have written to the Minister inviting him to include Lincolnshire. Despite being the second largest county in England, Lincolnshire is a visitor destination that is comparatively less well-known than the Lake District, the Cotswolds and Cornwall.

However, the county does possess authenticity and diversity in its product that can match these successful destinations; from historic market towns such as Stamford to the architectural magnificence of Lincoln Cathedral, from the traditional seaside holidays in Skegness to the Lincolnshire Wolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

17 million tourists generate almost £1 billion of GVA and supports 17,000 jobs in Lincolnshire and with the growing interest in domestic tourism, the county represents a ‘hidden gem’, widely unknown and unexplored.

The key to growing domestic tourism lies in developing a sense of pride of place within communities, and in recognising the vital importance of local knowledge. In 2008, 55% of the total 96 million overnight trips in the UK were business-related (16%) or involved visiting friends or relatives (39%). 42% of all overnight stays are spent in the homes of friends or relatives. For most day trips, consumers do not seek information (52%), but when they do the internet (35%) and friends and relatives (23%) are by far the most important sources.

I hope that these facts combined with an opportunity to discuss our innovative approach to tourism as an important element of the wider visitor economy will encourage the Minister to accept our invitation.

Thank you.

If you missed it - Read an overview of the Secretary of State's Speech on Tourism here.

VL.com named top UK tourism website by TravelMole

Our website has be named as one of the best ‘tourist board websites’ in the country by leading online community for the travel and tourism industry TravelMole, at their annual Web Awards.

Lincolnshire’s narrowly missed scooping gold against strong competition from Yorkshire.com and Visit Blackpool, never-the-less the best ‘Tourist Board Website’ category received more public nominations than any other in the 2010 awards.

This is extremely encouraging and we are very proud that VL.com was named in the top 3 websites among the UK.The judges who oversaw the public nomination looked for websites that ‘broke through the ordinary to impress their clients and visitors’.

Emma Tatlow Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Marketing at Visit Lincolnshire said about the awards, “We’re absolutely delighted, over the past year we’ve been working hard to deliver a website that acts as a 24/7 shop window into the county – showing visitors and residents alike exactly what’s on offer.”

“We’ve had fantastic feedback– not only for the way the website looks, but for its easy navigation and search facilities which are essential for helping people find what they looking for. Being nominated for such a prestigious industry award is the icing on the cake and recognition from TravelMole could mean an increase in business for Lincolnshire’s visitor economy.”

Did you know…

• Visit Lincolnshire receives up to 30,000 unique visitors per month.
• In spring 2010 Visitlincolnshire.com migrated to a new platform to improve performance and functionality.

Do you want to be part of VL.com?

If you want to become part of visitlincolnshire.com please call Gillian for an informal chat. Through the website we share event information, accommodation offers, place to eat and drink, ideas for things to do and much more with local residents and visitors. Gillian Richardson on 01522 561667 or gillian@visitlincolnshire.com

Looking for more information on the TravelMole Web awards, it’s here.

Latest reports show tourism boost for the county

We’ve just received the latest reports from East Midlands Tourism, the tourism arm of the regional development agency emda, evaluating how successfully we promoted Lincolnshire as a visitor destination last year – and the news is good.

The result of the evaluation allow us to improve our promotions of the county, and increase the number of visitors looking to Lincolnshire as a place to visit, eat and explore in the future.

The evaluation focused on our two core marketing campaigns called Big Skies Coast and Essential England, and the key highlights included:

Big Skies Coast Marketing Campaign

• Between 2009/10 the additional visitor spend was £2.5million.

Essential England Marketing Campaign

• Between 2009/10 the additional visitor spend for the county was over £5 million.

As well as the income generated for the local visitor economy, the research also revealed that our marketing materials; including e-newsletters, mailings and visitor guides had proved highly effective in attracting and securing bookings from day trippers and short breaks holiday makers.

If you want more information about getting involved in our latest work and opportunities contact Sharon Stone on 01522 561661 or email sharon@visitlincolnshie.com .

Further statistics from the evaluation showed that:

• 95% of people said that the visitor guide ‘Visit Lincolnshire 2009’ had a positive influence on their decision to visit.
• 95% of people said that the visitor guide ‘Skegness & Mablethorpe 2009’ had a positive influence on their decision to visit.
• 81% of people found out about the Lincolnshire coast through Visit Lincolnshire’s website, adverts and brochures.
• £39.50 is the average spend per person per night for staying visitors, £24.50 average spend per person per night for day visitors on the Lincolnshire coast.
• £48.04 is the average spend per person per night for staying visitors, £39.88 is the average spend per person per night for day visitors throughout the county.
• 96% of are likely to recommend Lincolnshire to friends, relatives or colleagues.

Business Opportunities Conference - Working Together for 2012

Wednesday 14 July 2010

9.45am for a 10.15am start

Market Rasen Racecourse

Cost: Free of charge

If you’re looking for opportunities to promote your business and contribute towards Lincolnshire’s visitor economy don’t miss this free event organised by Visit Lincolnshire and the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership.

The event has been organised to help you maximise the opportunities sporting events can bring to businesses across Lincolnshire. And over the next 10 years the UK will host a number of global events like the 2010 Ryder Cup and the 2012 Olympic Games, through to the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

To help you find out how to benefit please attend the conference ‘Going for Gold’ at Market Rasen Racecourse on Wednesday 14 July 2010.

The programme offers an insight into the important role sport plays in the visitor economy, informative sessions on 2012 Olympic Games and Lincolnshire’s involvement within it, plus useful workshops around the importance of a great welcome and marketing.

This event is ideal for all businesses from accommodation providers, the leisure sector and sports clubs.

There will also be a keynote speaker, a number of exhibitors who can help you benefit from these opportunities and you will enjoy a Tastes of Lincolnshire lunch.

For a booking form please email sharon@visitlincolnshire.com or call 01522 561661

Stay one step ahead - free expert advice

We’re offering a limited number of guest accommodation and self-catering businesses free advice and support when it comes to making the first step in the National Accessible Scheme.

'One Step Ahead' is easier than you think and opens up your business to those who are less mobile, families and elderly guests.

If you want to be one of the first for free help contact Christopher at onestepahead@live-tourism.co.uk.

SO Festival 2010- perfect for attracting visitors!

Events act as a hook for attracting visitors and we need your help to promote the SO Festival in Skegness on Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 July.

The festival programme has been announced and it will take Skegness by storm with exciting events for all the family; including comedy, cabaret, opera, theatre on the beach and so much more. The finale of the festival is a breath taking fireworks display.

If you want to support the festival why not share it with your visitors via your website or by placing leaflets in your attraction or accommodation.

The full programme can be seen here www.sofestival.org, and for more information contact East Lindsey District Council or call 01507 601111

Follow the festival on Twitter! twitter.com/sofestival