Visit Lincolnshire Corporate

A Message from Marc Etches - August 2010

2010-08-23T09:33:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T09:07:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-18T04:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-02T03:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-02T03:13:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-02T02:58:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

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

Headline events coming soon…

2010-07-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

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’

2010-07-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

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

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

2010-07-09T04:57:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-09T04:51:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-06T03:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

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'

2010-07-01T05:56:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-01T05:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-24T04:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-24T04:33:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-24T04:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-24T04:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-24T04:10:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-06-24T04:05:00.000-07:00

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.

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

Visit Lincolnshire's AGM – 14 October

2010-06-24T04:01:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 14 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 Visitor Guide! – 26 July

2010-06-24T03:51:00.000-07:00

Just over one month left to enter our photography competition...

We launched it to find a new cover image for the county’s flagship visitor guide Visit Lincolnshire 2011, and we’d like to invite you and your visitors to take part.

The winning photo 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 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 Emma Tatlow, Head of Marketing 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.

See our website to for more details of entering!

Aviation Opportunities

2010-06-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

This year is the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and we’re flying the county flag to highlight Lincolnshire’s aviation history to visitors and local residents – and you could be doing the same.

(Did you see our national press coverage in the Telegraph?)

Many residents and visitors will be seeking to pay tribute, and see for themselves, a sample of the UK’s aviation heritage.

By working together we can help raise the profile of aviation in Lincolnshire and ultimately boost the visitor economy of the county.

Created in December last year, the Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire project will ensure individual aviation museums in Lincolnshire benefit from a shared marketing approach in order to attract more visitors; this will be co-ordinate with support from Visit Lincolnshire.

Over the coming three years many events are being planned to celebrate aviation heritage in Lincolnshire; visitors and local residents will be looking for more information so why not contact the Aviation Heritage Partnership team to discuss how you can support the project, and how the project can help boost business for you!

Useful website - www.aviationlincolnshire.com

For more information or to receive updates on the project that you can share with your customers please contact Phil Bonner phil@visitlincolnshire.com or Dave Harrigan david@visitlincolnshire.com – tel 01522 561672.

Advertise in 2011

2010-06-24T03:37:00.000-07:00

Want to know more about advertising on the 2011 visitor guides? All the information is here.

Headline events for the summer

2010-06-24T03:27:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for event to share with your visitors’ have a look at visitlincolnshire.com, it is the perfect place to find ideas and information about things happening around the county.

Headline events coming soon…

June 27: World Egg Throwing Competition, As seen on TV! The fifth world egg throwing championship is going to be held at Thorpe Latimer, near Sleaford.

June 30: Presentation on Canadian Airforce in Lincolnshire, A presentation evening about the history of the Canadian Air Force in Lincolnshire. In aid of Help the Heroes. Book online today!

July 3 & 4: RAF Waddington International Air Show, Celebrating the 90th anniversary of the first ever RAF Air Show, at Hendon, the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and 35 years of Airborne Early Warning. The largest of all RAF Air Shows it offers a truly unforgettable day's entertainment for the whole family.

July 3 & 4: Stamford Riverside Arts Festival 2010, sees Riverside celebrate our 10th Anniversary under the Riverside branding, although the festival can trace its roots back to the early 1980s under various names including Music on the Meadows.

July 5: The Eagles Squadron of Kirton in Lindsey, Spend an evenng of history with a presentation about the Eagle Squadrons in aid of Help for Heroes and the Lincolnshire Air Ambulance. Tickets are limited so book your ticket online today!

July 10: Battle Proms Picnic at Burghley House, The Proms is the quintessential British summer event, and the Battle Proms is the only way to do it in style! We invite you to sit back and enjoy an evening of exceptional, soul-stirring entertainment in a truly stunning setting. Gather the troops, pack up your picnic, and raise a glass to this unique flag-waving, breathtaking celebration that you will never forget; it’s the ultimate proms in the park!

For more information see our website.

VB’s picture of international tourism

2010-06-24T03:24:00.000-07:00

Packed full of tasty bites about tourism in Britain and a sneak preview of its contribution to the visitor economy.

Secretary of State Speech on Tourism 2012

2010-06-24T03:21:00.000-07:00

The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt MP has just given his first address on tourism in Weymouth, outlining the Government’s direction of travel in what he has identified as one of his key areas of responsibility.

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.

He recognised that in spite of tourism’s potential, there were some real causes for concern – the decline in visitor numbers in 2009 and the 0.7% predicted decline for 2010, as well as the increased competition, particularly from countries that have established tourism as a clear priority.

Whilst tourism will not be immune from the pain of the spending decisions that lie ahead, he stated that this Government would take a different approach to tourism.

He ran through his two key, immediate priorities for tourism:

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

His vision for the Games is to deliver £1 billion of PR and marketing, showcasing the whole of Britain in our top developing and mature markets and creating a new fund, match-funded by the industry.

VisitBritain already has a clear and established strategy to leverage the Olympic and Paralympic Games and has been working with the Secretary of State on how to deliver his vision. Detailed plans as to how the fund will work will be published by the end of September.

He also 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 will be travelling around the country to seek industry views.

We are delighted that our new Secretary of State has prioritised the delivery of a lasting tourism legacy from our hosting of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and look forward to working with the Secretary of State and Tourism Minister to deliver the best marketing strategy ever seen from a host nation and securing sustainable growth for Britain’s tourism industry to ensure that Britain remains a world-class tourist destination.

This extract was taken from VisitBritain’s Special bulletins

A Message from Marc Etches

2010-05-18T06:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the May edition of our newsletter...

Last month I wrote about the concept of the visitor economy as something that has at its core a traditional view of tourism but also incorporates other visitor-related economic activity such as business meetings, conferences and exhibitions, shopping, special events, eating and drinking, sports and leisure, and arts, cultural and heritage activities.

I also argued that successful ‘place-making’ is fundamental to growing the visitor economy; in essence, a place that is attractive to live and work in is consequentially more likely to attract visitors and inward investment.

It seems to me that what can also be said to be a natural consequence of successful ‘place-making’ is a strong sense of community pride borne out of knowledge and understanding of the best attributes of the area in which a community is located. Given that traditional tourism is predominantly driven by visiting family and friends, local knowledge is vital to securing a good tourism experience.

With this in mind, I am pleased to have learned that Lincolnshire has, over the last decade, developed an award-winning approach to the provision of public transport across a county that is extensively rural. Specifically, the bus routes that connect Lincoln with most of the towns around the county are supported by, and connected to, a remarkable network of bookable mini-bus services – see www.lincsbus.info for more details about the CallConnect services. This is just the sort of innovation that Visit Lincolnshire should promote in partnership with those providing the services. Our commitment is to include bus service information on our own website, www.visitlincolnshire.com.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution and commitment that Keren Shepherd, our Travel Trade Manager has made to Visit Lincolnshire during her more than five years with us; Keren is moving on to fresh challenges elsewhere and we all wish her great success. I would also like to express my delight in announcing that Emma Tatlow has been appointed Deputy Chief Executive, which she will combine with her existing duties as Head of Marketing.

Thank you.

Easter’s Business Barometer Survey

2010-05-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

The latest Business Barometer Survey covering Easter 2010 is now available; produced in partnership with East Midlands Tourism (EMT) it gives a snapshot of business performance following the Easter holiday.

The results show about 24% of businesses had more visitors than last Easter and 37% had the same level. However, one in three had fewer. Unfavourable weather and the economic climate are the two key reasons for visitor numbers being down.

For accommodation providers 34% were fully booked over the Easter weekend with another 34% being less than 50% full.

Overall, the trend shows that repeat visitors are bringing stability to the industry. Over 30% of businesses have increased levels of repeat visitors in 2010 and over half are maintaining the same level.

However the summer is looking reasonably good, as one in four operators have more advance bookings for the summer than this time last year, and about 42% have the same level.

To read the full survey visit our website.

‘Welcome to Lincoln’ guide – the new bedroom browser

2010-05-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

We’re launching a new guide for the city of Lincoln in partnership with Lincoln Business Improvement Group (Lincoln BIG).

The guide, targeted at residents and visitors is a magazine style publication focusing on what’s happening in the city, events, where to eat, shopping highlights and more. The guide will be distributed to tourist attractions, hotels, accommodation providers, shopping centres and retailers across the city in early July.

The guide will complement our City Breaks marketing campaign which also includes a dedicated website, social media plan, advertising and PR to generate visits to Lincoln.

If you would like to advertise in this new guide or have copies for your visitors, please call Fiona on 01522 561676 – fiona@visitlincolnshire.com, or Dan on 01522 561674 – dan@visitlincolnshire.com

Advertise in 2011 Visitor Guides & VE's Annaul Attractions Survey

2010-05-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

VisitEngland's Annual Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions for 2009

VE recently sent an email to all tourist attractions asking them to take part in the above survey; it will only take a moment and in return you will get useful feedback showing how you compare against other attractions.

If you have not yet completed the survey please do so by following the link on the Annual Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions 2009 email you received from VisitEngland.

If you cannot find the email, or want the website link resending to you please contact Lisa de Roche on 0207 578 1466 or attractions2009@visitengland.org

Advertise in 2011 Visitor Guides
For all the latest information about advertising on the 2011 visitor guides for the county please click here

Lights, Camera, Action - join VisitEnlgand’s new marketing campaign for free!

2010-05-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

The search is on for England's Best Minute!

VisitEngland has launched a new marketing tactic encouraging holidaymakers to share their best holiday videos online – but tourism businesses can also use it to promote themselves to potential visitors at a national level!

The competition is called ‘England’s Best Minute’ and videos could be anything from a perfect picnic, a surf lesson at the beach, hiking through the countryside or sharing a drink with friends in the sunshine.

Videos can only be uploaded by the British public, but tourism businesses are being urged to tell visitors about the competition – and in return videos of their attraction, accommodation, workshop, event or site could be seen on VisitEngland’s website.

A public vote will decide the ‘Best Minute’ video and a free holiday will be presented to the winner.

For businesses, the venue of the winning video will receive free national publicity and promotion. For more information on the competition and how you can get involved visit their website.

Cultural Olympiad launches their tourism campaign

2010-05-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

Cultural Olympiad have launched their new tourism campaign called 'Discovering Places' on the 23-25 July 2010.

The 2012 Olympics will throw a global spotlight on the UK – not only for sports, but as a place to visit before, during and after the games.

To help businesses capitalise on the attention a nationwide weekend promotion called ‘Discovering Places’ is being organised by the Cultural Olympiad Team.

Its aim is to highlight the range of activities and things to do in the UK around the time of the Olympic Games.

For more information see their website, or email the Project Co-coordinator Catharine Bull c.bull@theheritagealliance.org.uk.

Photo competition for Lincolnshire’s Visitor Guide 2011

2010-05-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

We’re launching a photography competition to find a new cover image for the county’s flagship visitor guide Visit Lincolnshire 2011, and we’d like to invite you and your visitors to take part.

The winning photo 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 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 Emma Tatlow, Head of Marketing 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 see our website.

Olympic Opportunities ‘Working Together’ - 14 July

2010-05-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

Join us at the latest Olympic opportunity workshop designed to encourage and explain how tourism businesses and sports organisations can work together to boost business for the 2012 Olympics.

Guest speakers include Janet Inman, Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Sports Partnership; Ruth Hyde, Tourism Director of East Midlands Tourism and Cllr Doreen Stephenson, Lincolnshire 2012 Champion.

Topics will cover How to Tap into the Leisure Market; case study examples plus a practical workshop called ‘How to Make 2012 Work for You’.
Venue - Market Rasen Racecourse, 9.45am – 3.30pm.

For more information and to reserve your space please contact Sharon Stone on 01522 561661 or sharon@visitlincolnshire.com.

Win Awards & Win Visitors – deadline 28 May

2010-05-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

EnjoyEngland Excellence Awards 2010 – celebrate success in Lincolnshire

We’d like to invite you to enter this year’s regional awards and to join the elite of Lincolnshire’s tourism businesses – but the deadline for applications is 28 May, so here is your guide about taking part?

Why should you enter?

Do you want to build your business and attract new customers?
Do you want to raise the profile of your business with the media?
Do you want to receive FREE constructive professional feedback on your operation?
Do you want to stand out from the crowd?

Who is eligible?

All tourism businesses, no matter how large or small – from the smallest tea shop to attractions welcoming over 100,000 visitors each year.

What do you have to do?

Decide which category you would like to enter (you may enter as many as you like).Please check the eligibility criteria which will be available shortly.If you are not eligible for one, you may be for another!
Register your interest by emailing sharon@lincolnshiretourism.com and the application form and guidance notes will be sent by return for completion.

When do you have to complete by?

Completed hard copy application forms need to be with the Sarah Gravelle or Sally Porter at Visit Lincolnshire, Beech House, Waterside South, Lincoln LN5 7JH by 3.00 pm on Friday 28 May 2010.

2010 Categories include:

Access for AllBed & Breakfast/ Guest AccommodationBest Tourism ExperienceBusiness TourismCaravan Holiday ParkLarge HotelOutstanding Customer ServicePub ExperienceSelf CateringSmall HotelSmall Visitor AttractionSustainable TourismTaste of the RegionThink FamilyTourism Event of the YearTourist Information Centre

Timescale:

Friday 28 May 2010- Completed applications to be received by Visit Lincolnshire
June 2010- Short Listing
July/August 2010- Mystery ShopSeptember 2010 - Final Judging
Thursday 7 October 2010 - Regional awards
April 2011- National awards

The Celebrating Excellence Booklet is now available if you want one please contact sharon@visitlincolnshire.com.

VL’s Annual General Meeting – 14 October

2010-05-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

Save the date and join us at our Annual General Meeting on 14 October 2010.

More details about the event will follow shortly, but if you wish to discuss it in more detail please contact Sharon Stone on 01522 561661 or sharon@visitlincolnshire.com.

We need your vote… for best travel website!

2010-05-18T06:03:00.000-07:00

Visitlincolnshire.com has been nominated for the UK’s best travel website in the 2010 TravelMole Web Awards.

The award recognises travel provider websites that break through the ordinary to impress their clients and visitors. The winning website, and the businesses mentioned in it, will receive national recognition helping us to further raise the profile of Lincolnshire.

Please support visitlincolnshire.com by logging your nomination. Deadline for entries is May 28th. An expert panel of judges will then determine the winners.

Nominate through their website.

And congratulations to…

2010-05-18T06:02:00.000-07:00

The Kildare B&B in Skegness for winning Channels 4’s Three in a Bed TV series.

A Message from Marc Etches

2010-04-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome, this is my first appearance as interim Chief Executive on Visit Lincolnshire’s e-newsletter.

I’m approaching my first full month in the role and during this time I’ve had the privilege of meeting many of you who share my ambition to grow tourism in Lincolnshire.

My primary focus is to identify how we can best facilitate effective partnership working, for the benefit of those with an interest in growing and enhancing tourism within the context of Lincolnshire's visitor economy.

My past roles, managing and developing national and international tourism and entertainment businesses, have shown me firsthand the important contribution tourism makes to the English economy; it’s worth nearly £100 billion and supports two million jobs. In Lincolnshire, tourism is second only to food production generating £958 million and supporting over 16,000 jobs.

In the current economic environment, tourism offers real opportunities for meeting some of the difficult challenges ahead. Attracting more international tourism and encouraging more Britons to holiday in England would make a positive and lasting impact on the economy.

Tourism brings very real economic benefits to local communities, supplying direct jobs and supporting supplier businesses. It is an industry that lends itself to entrepreneurship and although dominated by SMEs offers opportunities for investment in various types of business of all sizes, from international brands to local family-run concerns.

Without doubt, tourism is economically important nationally, regionally and locally. However, it is also important to recognise that the traditional concept of tourism associated with 'bucket and spade' holidays, caravans and tents, ice-creams and post-cards, hotels and guest houses is but a part of a much broader concept.

The concept of the 'visitor economy' includes traditional holiday-related tourism but also incorporates business tourism, conferences and exhibitions, shopping, special events, eating and drinking, sports and leisure, and cultural and heritage activities. And, vitally, it is a concept that embraces residents and visitors alike.

Understanding how to successfully grow the visitor economy as an integrated whole requires an understanding of the fundamental importance of successful 'place-making'. In essence, a place that is attractive to live and work in is consequentially more likely to attract visitors and inward investment. The collective challenge for our communities is to recognise that this virtuous circle is achievable and sustainable only on the basis of effective partnership working between the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Marc Etches

Interim Chief Executive, Visit Lincolnshire

Win Awards & Win Visitors – entering is easy

2010-04-29T06:54:00.000-07:00

Winning awards can give your business the edge in what is a very competitive world, and ultimately generate you more visitors and income. As a result we’d like to invite you to enter this year’s regional tourism awards.

As well as possibly scooping an award and attracting visitors there are other reasons why we would recommend that you enter.

You will:
• Receive free constructive professional feedback on your business
• Raise the profile of your business in the media
• Reward your team for all their hard work
• Attract new customers

The regional tourism awards, know as the East Midlands Tourism EnjoyEngland Excellence Awards 2010, have categories for all businesses; they include hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, food and drink and large and small visitor attractions.

The aim of the awards is to recognise businesses that are committed to delivering a high quality memorable experience that leaves visitors with a positive lasting impression of the region, which will inspire them to make repeat visits in the future.

How to apply
We’re here to help you every step of the way when applying for awards. The first step is to register your interest by contacting Sharon at Visit Lincolnshire on 01522 561661 or sharon@visitlincolnshire.com.

Once registered we’ll send you a ‘Q&A’ booklet, helpful information and one-to-one telephone advice. The deadline for returning your application to us is 3pm Friday 28 May 2010.

New Membership Packages – Same price but more benefits!

2010-04-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

Great news for existing members of Visit Lincolnshire - our annual membership fee is staying the same for 2010-11, but we’ve added lots of new benefits so you actually get more for your money!

Membership is tailored to suit your business type and size, and added benefits include:

• Enhanced profile on our website visitlincolnshire.com including up to seven images, and the opportunity to supply additional information like downloadable brochure and a video.

• Save £200 on Eviivo Frontdesk - a Property Management System which gives you a whole suite of facilities to manage your bookings, on and offline.

• Membership Toolkit including sticker to display at your business and branding guidelines to enhance your marketing materials.

• Networking opportunities with likeminded businesses.

• Access to the Linked in members lounge - request your invitation here.

• Member to Member benefits – special deals offered between Members

If you want to check you’re are getting value for money or want to join as a new member we’re here to help, just contact Dan on 01522 561674 or dan@visitlincolnshrie.com

A facelift for visitlincolnshire.com

2010-04-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t seen it already, have a look at our new visitlincolnshire.com website. It’s the official site for attracting visitors to Lincolnshire and we’d like your feedback.

Visitlincolnshire.com now has improved searches; online book-ability that feeds through to over 40 other commercial websites such as lastminute.com; a practical visitor planning tool; a what’s new page; links to your trip advisor reviews and an option to include video links for businesses.

Please have a look and tell us what you think – and double check all the information we have for your business is correct.

We’d love to hear your feedback. If you have suggested changes and constructive feedback please contact Celia on 01522 561668 or celia@visitlincolnshire.com. If you want to include your business or update current information on the website please contact Gillian on 01522 561667 or gillin@visitlincolnshire.com.

Lincolnshire wins best quirky event in the UK

2010-04-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Lincolnshire has scooped a national award in the EnjoyEngland Awards for Excellence 2010 for the best quirky event in the UK – the World Egg Throwing Competition.

Scooping gold in this unusual category has caught national media attention and projected Lincolnshire into the spotlight. We’re using it to raise people’s awareness of the county as a great place to visit. And we urge you to take advantage of the national attention the award has attracted by mentioning it on your website.

The World Egg Throwing Competition, held every June near Sleaford, scooped gold against Sussex’s Bird Man Festival, Dorset’s World Nettle Eating Contest and Worcestershire’s Asparagus Festival. The winner was decided by a public vote. In the weeks leading up to the final Visit Lincolnshire and the event’s organiser, Andy Dunlop, worked together to rally local support.

For more information about the event visit their website or contact Charlotte on 01522 561670 or charlotte@visitlincolnshire.com

Help shape the future of tourism – workshop

2010-04-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

Have your say on the future of tourism in the East Midlands by attending a series of workshops through the county. Visit Lincolnshire is working in partnership with East Midlands Tourism to ensure Lincolnshire businesses have their say.

Workshop dates:
• Friday 7 May - Oak House, Waterside South, Lincoln.
• Thursday 13 May – Alford Manor House, Alford.
• Tuesday 18 May – Grimsthorpe Castle, Bourne.

For more information or to register your attendance at one of the workshops please contact sharon@visitlincolnshire.com or 01522 561661.

Visit Lincolnshire’s Roadshow – Tuesday 11 May at Burghley House

2010-04-29T06:39:00.000-07:00

In May we are inviting businesses who want to learn more about Visit Lincolnshire to a roadshow at Burghley House.

Non-members, or existing members who want to work more closely with us are invited to meet our team, and the Board of Directors, to explore opportunities around working with Visit Lincolnshire. Visitors will be treated to a special tour of the house, which is one of the grandest Elizabethan buildings in the UK.

Venue – Burghley House, Stamford, 11.30am – 1.30pm. For more information or to confirm attendance please contact sharon@visitlincolnshire.com or call 01522 561661.

Advertising opportunities 2010 & 11 – Increase your enquiries and bookings

2010-04-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

Visit Lincolnshire 2011:
This is the annual county visitor guide, sent out in response to enquiries from Visit Lincolnshire marketing campaigns. Featuring where to stay, things to see and do, places to shop and eat, this is your opportunity to reach people who have expressed an interest in to coming in to Lincolnshire for a short break or longer holiday. Supported by a £250,000 marketing campaign involving press advertising, direct marketing and work with the travel trade and PR.

To find out how you can benefit click here.

NEW – Welcome to Lincoln
This guide is produced in partnership with Lincoln BIG, this is a city focused guide which will reach visitors who are staying in Lincoln and the surrounding areas. It is also designed to inspire local residents to explore and sample the great things available on their doorstep including ideas on where to eat, great places to shop, and things to see and do. A quality lifestyle magazine supported by a £100,000 city marketing campaign including on-line promotion via visitlincoln.com, e-newsletters, regional and national PR and press advertising. It will also be converted in to an e-brochure and hosted on visitlincolnshire.com.

If you would like to discuss these opportunities please call Fiona on 01522 561676 – fiona@visitlincolnshire.com, or Dan on 01522 561674 – dan@visitlincolnshire.com

VisitEngland Update

2010-04-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

VisitEngland has launched the Strategic Framework for Tourism 2010-2020 outlining the basis for future development in England’s tourism industry. Included in the framework are initial plans for promoting the 2012 Olympics, plus an overview of the entire tourism economy.

VisitEngland also plan to boost business tourism and are leading a new project focused entirely on growing business tourism in the UK. Business tourism was identified as an area of potential growth and as a result tourism experts have created a plan that will kick start it in the UK. Business tourism can help increase mid-week occupancy at accommodation providers, and also repeat visits when people return to a destination with friends and family.

Nominate Lincolnshire for Gordon Ramsey’s new show

2010-04-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

‘Ramsay’s best restaurant’ an exciting new TV series are looking for recruits. If you own or want to nominate a restaurant in Lincolnshire click here for more information.

Lincolnshire’s Quirky Events could be the best in the UK!

2010-04-06T03:46:00.002-07:00

Echoing those famous words of the 1914 recruitment poster I’d like to say….LINCOLNSHIRE NEEDS YOU!

The county’s been nominated for a national Enjoy England Award for Excellence 2010 and with your vote we can scoop gold!

A bit of background on how this came about: Two of Lincolnshire’s most unusual events, the Haxey Hood and the World Egg Throwing Competition have been nominated for … (drum roll please)… the new “Where Else but England” award which celebrates the quirkiest events in the UK.

The category is brand new for 2010 and celebrates English eccentricity (because that’s what we do best!). Whoever wins will be on the receiving end of some fantastic national media attention – which should result in more visitors flocking to these events or visit the host destination.

Thanks to local press coverage in the Lincolnshire Echo and also BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire’s two shortlisted events; the World Egg Throwing Competition and Haxey Hood won places in the national final.

The county now needs as many people as possible to vote for Lincolnshire’s quirky events to give us a chance to scoop gold in the national awards.

Vote here, it only takes 2 mins.

The winner will be announced on St Georges Day, April 2010.

A Message from the Chief Executive

2010-03-25T04:04:00.002-07:00

Welcome to the last newsletter I will introduce as Chief Executive for Visit Lincolnshire.

After 12 years in the post I have decided to pass over the reins, but looking back it’s been an honour and a pleasure working with tourism businesses throughout the years.

I have met some wonderful characters and truly inspirational people on my journey, and enjoyed leading the Visit Lincolnshire team in raising the profile of Lincolnshire as a quality visitor destination.

Looking back we’ve seen nearly £200 million of investment towards new and fabulous tourism facilities in Lincolnshire over the last 10 years, and together we’ve helped boost the overall value of the industry to £958 million – this is a massive achievement and something we should celebrate together.

However, the time has come for me to pass over the baton and let the company get a fresh perspective for future growth. And I feel this is just the beginning, the Directors have appointed my replacement who has the experience and passion to built on Lincolnshire’s already impressive growth in the visitor economy. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Marc Etches, the newly appointed interim Chief Executive for Visit Lincolnshire. I am sure Marc will be writing to you soon.

Once again I would like to thank you all for your continued support throughout my years at Visit Lincolnshire and to wish you every success for the future.

I’m now looking forward to my new found leisure time and plan to visit the wonderful attractions I have been working alongside for over 10 years. So perhaps our paths will cross again sometime soon…

All good wishes,

Penny Baker,
Chief Executive, Visit Lincolnshire

Useful Link:
- Press release announcing Penny Baker leaving Visit Lincolnshire
- Bio for Marc Etches

Visit Lincolnshire’s new interim Chief Executive

2010-03-25T03:52:00.002-07:00

After a competitive recruitment process the Board of Directors and Visit Lincolnshire are pleased to announce that Marc Etches has been appointed interim Chief Executive for Visit Lincolnshire.

Marc brings a wealth of experience to the role. He has spent much of his career managing and developing national and international tourism and entertainment businesses, including five years as the managing director of Windsor Safari Park followed by six years with Center Parcs; a company that set new standards for domestic tourism in the UK during the 1990s.

Having accepted a move to join the Walt Disney Company in Paris in the summer of 1998, he was persuaded to instead take up the role of managing director of Leisure Parcs Limited, owners of Blackpool Tower, and to lead the campaign for resort casino development as a catalyst for the economic regeneration of Blackpool.

In 2004, Marc left Leisure Parcs to set up his own international consultancy Insight, which provides public affairs, advocacy and strategic advice to public and private sector clients with an interest in leisure, hospitality, tourism, gambling and the creative industries.

Marc’s strong strategic background has grown from his experience of being a board member to Culture Northwest (2003-09), a body jointly responsible to the UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA). Its objective was to champion England’s Northwest with a special focus on tourism, heritage, sport, performing art and leisure.

In 2005-06, Marc chaired the management board of a research project investigating ‘Climate Change and its Impact on Tourism’ managed by Sustainability Northwest and funded by the UK Government’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

When asked about his new post Marc said, “I am looking forward to working with Visit Lincolnshire and contributing to the team’s skills, knowledge and determination to highlight the county as a leading visitor destination against stiff competition elsewhere in the UK. The quality of the staff at Visit Lincolnshire, combined with the expertise of the Board of Directors was one of many things that attracted me to the role.”

Marc’s first task as Chief Executive will be introducing himself to Visit Lincolnshire’s members and tourism businesses. However, if in the meantime you have any questions please email Sharon@visitlincolnshire.com.

Visit England’s Chairman comes to Lincolnshire

2010-03-25T03:47:00.002-07:00

Lady Cobham, Chairman of VisitEngland, visited Lincolnshire on Wednesday 24 March for VisitEngland’s Board of Directors meeting at De Vere Belton Woods Hotel.

VisitEngland's newly launched Strategic Framework for Tourism 2010-2020 was the main topic for the meeting. The strategy outlines the work to be done by public and private sectors to grow the UK’s £97 billion visitor economy.

Hosting such an influential person is a great achievement for Lincolnshire. We arranged a mini tour of the county for Lady Cobham so she could see what great visitor assets we have to offer. In the long run this first-hand experience of Lincolnshire could help reap rewards for the county and place Lincolnshire in the fore mind of our national partners.

A spring clean for visitlincolnshire.com

2010-03-25T03:30:00.002-07:00

Our website, visitlincolnshire.com, attracts thousands of local people and visitors looking for day trips and short break ideas. Visitlincolnshire.com, along with our visitor guides, is the first point of call for people looking for places to stay, things to do and places to eat in the county.

Help us ensure your business information is up-to-date; share with us your opening times or seasonal activities and we’ll put them on the website – this is open to Visit Lincolnshire members and non-members. For more information please contact Gillian Richardson on 01522 561667 or gillian@visitlincolnshire.com.

Lincolnshire’s tourism businesses also have access to our new online booking system, this allows visitors to pre-book and pay for tickets / accommodation online. This can help boost sales for your business as 80% of visitors choose to look and book online. For more information please contact Clare Fryer on 01522 561666 or email clare@visitlincolnshire.com.

Lincolnshire’s BOBI success

2010-03-25T03:26:00.002-07:00

A special thanks to all our businesses that supported our Lincolnshire stand at the UK’s largest travel exhibition, Best of Britain and Ireland, last week. The event, in London, placed Lincolnshire side by side with leading destinations all over the UK.

In total five businesses and partners joined us, they included Waddington Air Show, The Olde Barn, Spalding Flower Parade, the Coast and De Vere Belton Woods Hotel.

Ben Callaghan, Sales & Marketing Manager from the Olde Barn in Grantham said “I was unsure of what to expect from the event, but thanks to Visit Lincolnshire, who invited us to take part in BOBI, it provided us with the opportunity to meet contacts we would never have had the chance to meet face to face otherwise. There was a steady stream of visitors representing quality business opportunities over the four day event, some of whom have already been converted into customers. I’d like to thank Visit Lincolnshire for enabling us to be a part of this national event and hope we can be there again next year.”

BOBI is an annual event, if you want to know more about future events and exhibition opportunities email keren@visitlincolnshire.com.

EnjoyEngland Excellence Awards 2010 – celebrate success in Lincolnshire

2010-03-25T03:16:00.002-07:00

We’d like to invite you to enter this year’s regional awards and to join the elite of Lincolnshire’s tourism businesses. So, how do you go about taking part?

Why should you enter?
Do you want to build your business and attract new customers?
Do you want to raise the profile of your business with the media?
Do you want to receive FREE constructive professional feedback on your operation?
Do you want to stand out from the crowd?

Who is eligible?
All tourism businesses, no matter how large or small – from the smallest tea shop to attractions welcoming over 100,000 visitors each year.

What do you have to do?Decide which category you would like to enter (you may enter as many as you like).
Please check the eligibility criteria which will be available shortly.
If you are not eligible for one, you may be for another!

Register your interest by emailing sharon@lincolnshiretourism.com and the application form and guidance notes will be sent by return for completion.

When do you have to complete by?
Completed hard copy application forms need to be with the Sarah Gravelle or Sally Porter at Visit Lincolnshire, Beech House, Waterside South, Lincoln LN5 7JH by 3.00 pm on Friday 28 May 2010.

2010 Categories include:
Access for All
Bed & Breakfast/ Guest Accommodation
Best Tourism Experience
Business Tourism
Caravan Holiday Park
Large Hotel
Outstanding Customer Service
Pub Experience
Self Catering
Small Hotel
Small Visitor Attraction
Sustainable Tourism
Taste of the Region
Think Family
Tourism Event of the Year
Tourist Information Centre

Award Diary Dates

Monday 19 April - Win Awards, Win Visitors! Workshop @ The Petwood Hotel - get help with your application!
Friday 28 May 2010- Completed applications to be received by Visit Lincolnshire
June 2010- Short Listing
July/August 2010- Mystery Shop
September 2010 - Final Judging
Thursday 7 October 2010 - Regional awards
April 2011- National awards

The Celebrating Excellence Booklet is available on Monday 5 April 2010 if you want one please contact sharon@visitlincolnshire.com.

‘Harness the Power of Web Marketing’ with Susan Hallam

2010-03-24T09:24:00.001-07:00

Members and non-members have been invited to attend Susan Hallam’s latest Web Marketing conference on Friday 14 May with discounted ticket prices.

Visit Lincolnshire members can receive a half price ticket (£175 instead of £350) until Wednesday 31 March. Contact susan@hallam.biz and quote your membership reference number, if you need reminding of your number please speak to fiona@visitlincolnshire.com or ring 01522 561676.

Grant funding may also be available, as long as you have five or more employees who need to learn more about internet marketing. If this applies to your business you can claim 100% funding for the first £500, and a further £500 is available at a 50% match. To apply for grant funding please email Susan directly (susan@hallam.biz)

VisitBritian invites you to ‘Get involved with the 2012 Olympic Games’

2010-03-24T09:17:00.001-07:00

VisitBritain have launched a new tourism website, in partnership with London 2012’s Nations and Regions Group. Its aim is to help tourism businesses get involved in the Olympic Games.

If you work in tourism and want to know more about the London Olympic Games and Paralympics Tourism2012Games.org is the website for you.

Get an insight into the UK’s preparation to host the biggest event in the world and find out how your business can make the most of the Games. You can even sign up to the Tourism 2012 Games free e-newsletter.

Coming soon – We’re working with Lincolnshire Sports Partnership to hold a county based conference specifically for tourism businesses, the aim will be to explain how to get involved and reap the benefit of working with Sports Associations to maximize the potential of 2012.

Free Business Workshops throughout April

2010-03-24T09:16:00.001-07:00

Have a look at these free business workshops run by the NE Group based in Boston.

If you’re interested in learning more about team work; speed networking or managing effective teams we think you’ll find this website useful.

Calling all heritage & cultural attractions

2010-03-24T09:13:00.001-07:00

The BBC has launched a new History Campaign for the summer holiday and needs help from cultural and heritage businesses to get as many children and families involved as possible.

History is a major theme for the BBC this year and many programmes will be shown on TV as a result. To compliment the programmes the BBC wants to work with local businesses to help inspire families across the UK get ‘hands on’ with their past to help them discover history in their local area. As a result they want to provide businesses with Holiday History Packs bursting with ideas that will inspire heritage and cultural attractions to run family activities. In return any activities provided will feature on their website.

For more information email helen.sykes@bbc.co.uk.

Lincoln Book Festival – become a friend & attract visitors

2010-03-24T08:47:00.001-07:00

Events act as a hook for attracting visitors and we need your help to promote the Lincoln Book Festival on 12th – 16th May. The programme has just been launched and can be viewed on the Book Festival’s Website from 25 March onwards.

If you want to support the festival please contact Sara Bullimore (sara.bullimore@googlemail.com). You can become a ‘Friend of the Festival’ by paying a small subscription fee, this will give you priority access to the headline events; or you can just request festival brochures, posters and other promotional material to display in your business.

Useful links
- Follow the festival on Twitter! /lincolnbookfest
- Become a Book Festival Fan on Facebook
- For the box office call (01522) 873894 or http://www.lincolndrillhall.com/

Did you know Lincolnshire has Robin Hood connection?

2010-03-05T06:15:00.001-08:00

It’s not long now until the release of the new Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe (sorry, but I can’t get the vision of Robin Hood, Men in tights out my head).

In anticipation on this, (the movie, not Russell in tights) we have been researching any connections Robin Hood had to Lincolnshire.

We’re doing this because when the movie is launched it will get global promotion and Lincolnshire could get a little slice of the cake– like we did for The Da Vinci Code and The Young Victoria.

Although none of the movie was filmed in Lincolnshire, people following the Robin Hood Movie Trail or story of the man himself will want to visit places that have connections to him…. and Lincolnshire is one of them!

Work is been done by us, VisitEngland and Experience Nottinghamshire to develop movie trail maps. But in the meantime have a little read of these….

To get a sense of how big Sherwood Forest really was go on a Lincoln Cathedral roof top tour and see the boundaries where the forest use to border Lincolnshire. Sherwood Forest came within 6 miles of the Cathedral!

Lincoln Castle is the only place in the world where you can see the Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forrest together.

The material that his clothes were made of was from Lincolnshire, it was called “Lincoln Green”.

The library in the Cathedral has one of the very first hand written rhymes of Robin Hood. Dr Nicholas Bennett resident at the cathedral said “Lincoln Cathedral’s Library is of major importance in Robin Hood studies. It has the first hand written rhyme / verse which refers to Robin Hood.
The verse reads (In modernised form), ‘Robin Hood in Sherwood stood, hooded and hated, hosèd and shod’. This is the earliest surviving written rhyme of Robin Hood in existence anywhere. We display this in the Library exhibition every year.” See the copy on a visit to Lincolnshire.

Robin Hood was known as ‘robbing the rich to feed the poor’ and it would have been Lincoln’s ‘rich’ he robbed at city events as it was the closest most affluent city to him.

The Sheriff (or Shire Reive) of Nottingham administered Lincolnshire as part of his area of jurisdiction.

Fingers crossed for the Oscars

2010-03-05T02:00:00.001-08:00

When we heard ‘The Young Victoria’ movie (partly filmed in Lincolnshire) had been nominated for several Oscars we excitedly dusted off our posh frocks and waited with starry-eyed hope…

Alas, our golden invitations failed to drop through the letter box. But if the Young Victoria were to scoop a little gold man this weekend it would, once again, put the movie and it’s filming locations into the global spotlight.

This would be fantastic news for Lincolnshire! We’ve already had one bite of the cherry when the movie was released, because people wanted to visit the set locations and follow the footsteps of their favourite stars - like Emily Blunt (who played Victoria in the movie).

Keren from our office spoke to Rod Whiting at BBC Radio Lincolnshire this morning on the subject - if you missed what was said you can hear it here on the stations ‘listen again’ weblink.

Useful links

BBC Radio Lincolnshire ‘Listen again’
Film locations in Lincolnshire

A Message from the Chief Executive

2010-02-26T08:58:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the February edition of our newsletter.

On Tuesday 23 February we held Lincolnshire’s Annual Tourism Conference 'Success through Quality' at Woodhall Spa; the event was a huge success and I’d like to thank everyone who supported it by attending.

Information from the conference is available online, through a clever program called SlideShare. Have a look by clicking on slideshare.net/VisitLincolnshire and you’ll see my presentation, plus the workshop notes and hand outs. You can even leave us feedback and comment on the event.

Also, in the next couple of weeks we’ll be flying the county flag during the UK’s largest tourism campaign – British Tourism Week (BTW), which runs from 15 - 21 March 2010.

British Tourism Week was launched to raise awareness of the size, value and importance of Britain’s £114 billion visitor economy; we will be raising awareness of Lincolnshire’s role in contributing to the national picture.

The most significant events taking place during BTW include Discover Lincolnshire Weekend, Saturday 13 to Sunday 14 March and a Lincolnshire stand at the largest domestic trade and consumer exhibition of the year BOBI, Wednesday 17 to Saturday 20 March.

Get in touch with us to find out how you can be part of BTW, and how we can work together to raise the profile of Lincolnshire as a short break destination.

Penny Baker

Chief Executive, Visit Lincolnshire

Save £295 with our new online booking opportunity – ends 31st March

2010-02-25T02:48:00.001-08:00

We’ve negotiated a deal for all Lincolnshire based tourism businesses to receive free online booking software and training that saves you a massive set up charge of £295 (based on the RRP).

The system, called Eviivo Front desk, is suitable for all attractions, event organisers and 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 online channels. This can help boost sales for your business.

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

More information and Q&A can be found on our corporate website.

Business Opportunities for London 2012

2010-02-25T02:43:00.001-08:00

Business Link is hosting a free event to outline what the opportunities around London 2012 will be, particularly for medium and smaller sized businesses.

The workshop sessions are hands on, practical and jargon free. So far over 100 East Midland businesses have won contracts to support the London 2012 games.

For more information please call the Business Link Team on 0845 058 6644. Booking forms are available for the morning session or for the afternoon session.

Date - Thursday 11 March, 9.30am or 1.30pm, Lincoln.

British Tourism Week (BTW) - Opportunities & Dates for your diary

2010-02-25T01:41:00.001-08:00

To kick start the 2010 season Visit Lincolnshire is inviting businesses to a series of events and workshops led by industry experts, including internet marketing guru Susan Hallam (pictured).

How to Save Money and Increase Market Share Workshop – Wednesday 10 March (10am for 10.30am start)

Join us for this one day workshop, run by Andy Clegg and Sandra Barnes-Keywood of the Green Training Company. Intended for businesses with little experience or knowledge of sustainable tourism, this introductory course provides a background to the whole concept of green and sustainable tourism, and an introduction to Green Start and The Green Tourism Business Scheme. For more information contact sharon@lincolnshiretourism.com or call 01522 561661. Venue – Epic Centre, Lincolnshire Showground.

Discover Lincolnshire Weekend – Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 March

Join tourism businesses over the county for a weekend celebration which inspires visitors and local residents to Discover Lincolnshire! Over one weekend a host of attractions will be throwing open their doors for free, encouraging residents to explore what’s on their door step, whilst also attracting visitors from outside the county. The aim is to raise the profile of Lincolnshire’s visitor attractions and encourage repeat visits. We’d like to invite your business to join us. If you are interested in participating or want further information read our press release and then contact Sharon for an application form at sharon@lincolnshiretourism.com or 01522 561661.

Leaflet Swap & Social Media Marketing: A Successful Tool for Tourism - Monday 15 March (10.15am – 3.30pm)

Join us for the Leaflet Swap and learn about the benefits of Social Media for your business in this fascinating session by internet marketing expert Susan Hallam. For more information contact sharon@lincolnshiretourism.com or call 01522 561661. Venue - Bainland Country Park, Woodhall Spa.

Best of Britain and Ireland (BOBI) Olympia - 17 to 20 March 2010

As part of British Tourism Week (BTW) Visit Lincolnshire will be exhibiting at Best of Britain and Ireland (BOBI), the largest trade and consumer travel event of the year. The show takes place at Olympia in London and over 400 exhibitors from destinations, hotels, attractions and tourism suppliers will be attending. Visit Lincolnshire will be part of the brand new East Midlands area and will be supported by a number of Lincolnshire businesses who took advantage of our invitation to take part.

Entry for the exhibition is now closed but Visit Lincolnshire will be flying the county flag throughout the event – or if you’re in London come and see us and help us celebrate the best of British tourism.

Members Meeting & Getting your Business into the Media – Thursday 18 March (10am for 10.30am start)

At our members meeting we will also be running a workshop by Jon Grubb, our Chairman and current Editor of the Lincolnshire Echo, about how to get your business into the media. For more information contact sharon@lincolnshiretourism.com or call 01522 561661.

One Step Ahead Workshop – Thursday 25 March (10am for 10.30am start)

Join us for this one day One Step Ahead workshop, run by Jude Sefton MBE of Access Unlimited. This workshop is designed to provide delegates with the relevant knowledge on how to successfully achieve NAS 1 (Mobility) using the ‘One Step Ahead’ framework as an effective tool. This will also embrace issues relating to accessible information provision ensuring that the messages you are giving to visitors are accessible ones. For more information contact sharon@lincolnshiretourism.com or call 01522 561661. Venue – Petwood hotel, Woodhall Spa.

Visit Lincolnshire's 'Success Through Quality' Conference

2010-02-24T03:19:00.001-08:00

There's a big tidy up afoot today - and no, we're not doing an early office spring clean...(yet)

Sharon Stone, Executive Assistant to the CEO organised a fantastic day for over 100 delegates set within the sprawling and luxurious facilities of the Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. Our annual 'Success Through Quality' Conference is always a chance for Lincolnshire's tourism businesses, valuable stakeholders and partners to enjoy a day of inspiring presentations, workshops and speeches celebrating Lincolnshire as a visitor destination.

Highlights included an enlightening keynote speech from Phillippa Forrester, of 'Tomorrow's World' fame and more recently a champion for environment and sustainability. We were amazed how Phillippa had travelled the world and seen so many fascinating creatures and sights...all with 3 small children in tow, and in some pretty remote locations.

We were then given a great insight into the lives of Paul and Flora Bennett from Brackenborough Hall Coach House Holidays. The couple have won awards for their committment to family holidays, making their 5* converted coach house accommodation (sleeps up to 24, in case you're interested in making a visit) into a haven for families. Everyone was delighted with Flora's idea to assemble a dressing up box and put it in the cottage for kids (and adults, so we heard!) to act out merry pirate and cowboy adventures.

After a spot of Lincoln Red Beef & all the trimmings for lunch, followed by yummy Plum Bread Pudding (I feel full just thinking about it again) we dived off into a selection of workshops to learn something for the afternoon. I ran the social media/online arm of the Top Marketing Tips - altogether a very useful session, if not a little like speed-dating for our delegates, who had to swap rooms every 20 minutes.

So we're all having a bit of a sort out here...(Sharon particularly - she's certainly clocking up the recommended 10,000 steps)...clearing up the aftermath of display banners, goodie bags and feedback forms...

If you'd like to view some of the documents and presentations from the day, we're happily loading them onto our SlideShare account http://www.slideshare.net/VisitLincolnshire

Useful links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippa_Forrester

http://www.brackenboroughhall.com/

More good news from our Press Office

2010-01-14T07:19:00.001-08:00

Great news from our press office – I’ve just received the latest coverage about Lincolnshire from one of the UK’s top travel writers, Christopher Somerville.

Chris is a trail blazer in his profession. He writes for many national newspapers and has a faithful following of readers who avidly read his reviews and follow in his footsteps by visiting the same accommodation and attractions and he does.

Before Christmas I spent a couple of days helping Chris plan his Lincolnshire visit – giving him contacts, suggesting accommodation, supplying a press pack and meeting him to make sure his stay here ticked all the boxes.

The final article in the Financial Times is a huge success and takes us one step closer to raising Lincolnshire’s profile as a place to visit.

Read it here for yourself http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/eee3eadc-ef63-11de-86c4-00144feab49a.html

Scam Reservation Enquiries to Tourism Businesses

2009-11-20T03:26:00.001-08:00

It's an all too common problem these days: many of us received unwanted emails from people we've never heard of, whether it's a dodgy pharmecutical message or a plea for money from an unfortunate individual from half way round the world.

We're growing ever wise to such scams and thankfully, most of our email boxes are armed with junk mail filters and spam boxes. Indeed, if something does slip through to the inbox most of us will simply hit 'delete' and forget about it. However sometimes the crooks need to be pretty clever to avoid arousing our suspicions - see this one from Wendy Breeds at Old Mill House B&B, Maltby le Marsh.

Good Morning folks in Lincoln,

Just wanted to chat about the increasing number of scam reservation emails we are picking up. We have had odd curious emails all the while we have been in business, just over two years now. We tend to ignore them but were not certain of their purpose until today. We picked up one this morning and I gave it more thought than usual. I gave it more consideration because a couple of months back, our son advertised his motor bike at on-line auction and he became involved in a scam whereby, the purchaser, from abroad of course, sent more money than was necessary, paid by bank draft on an Eire bank in Euros. Of course before the draft could be cleared, the purchaser was requesting the excess to be returned. Quite farcical but we observed the whole process with common sense and no money changed hands. We heard no more from the potential purchaser.

This affair has naturally sat in the back of my mind and when an email turned up this morning, the penny actually dropped. The request is usually for three or more double rooms, for seven or more nights...which could be a substantial amount. (The email is pasted to the bottom of this.) I can imagine that the procedure would be that upon the request for a deposit, they would pay up front, then before the payment clears, request a refund. The payment would then bounce and I would be out of pocket.

The reservation request often has a nice little story wrapped up in it, such as they are a bible study group from Central America, or they will be travelling with a linguist etc.

It didn’t take two minutes to find the following website www.tourismnortheast.co.uk/.../watch-out-for-this-email-scam-says-ne-accommodation-provider-a721
And my suspicions were confirmed!

Sadly for tourism, I am reluctant to take bookings by email from abroad, and always decline a deposit when I do. As yet, I have taken no bogus bookings. I would also feel sad for any small business that falls for a scam, easy to do now that it is the low season and businesses would appreciate the income.

I have not heard of or been warned by any source of this fraud activity and thought it might be wise to circulate some sort of info in the email circular you distribute on a regular basis.

Hope you can give this matter your attention and bring it to the attention of other businesses,

Regards
Wendy Breeds
Old Mill House

So, if you receive anything like this that you think other tourism businesses should be aware of, let us know. CL

To Tweet or Not to Tweet...

2009-09-21T01:25:00.001-07:00

One of my to-do's this week is compiling a newsletter on the latest developments from the digital news desk. Aside from the cold cup of coffee, Nutri-Grain bar (for elevensies) and various notes to self, there's lots of exciting stuff to talk about from my corner of the room.

I've just been sketching out the headlines for my newsletter, as I often do. One particular point relating to Social Media - and why we should all be embracing it's popularity - got me thinking... what if my readership don't have the foggiest what I'm on about? What if they need a bit more persuasion on the merits of the social media whirlwind? I know it took me a while to appreciate the value of these websites, setting aside my pre-conceptions of it being a pointless fad for teenagers. And if you think that FaceTube is another social media channel I think you'll benefit from some detail on the subject.

So, allow me to enlighten you a little more.

Twitter is just one example of an effective social media channel.There are others out there that produce results of a similar nature, but Twitter is the most popular, most talked about social media site of the moment - in the period Feb 2008 to Feb 2009, the number of visitors to the site grew by over 1000%. Not to mention the fact that every high-profile man and his dog are using it - Barack Obama, Jonathan Ross, and Richard Branson to name a few.

Here at LT we began using Twitter a few months ago. So far, it's been nothing but a hugely positive experience. Not only are we able to keep up to speed with our competitors, our industry partners, suppliers and visitors but we can quickly and easily post updates on what we're doing too. We've talked about everything from award-winning donkeys to the Lincolnshire sausage petition - and it's a great way to flag up articles posted on our blogs.

Part of the purpose of using Twitter as a business is related to crucial online brand-building. Your brand is essential, it's what sets you apart from the crowd, right? Your company logo, your ethos, your way of doing things - all of these attributes make up your identity as a business, and without a brand...well to coin a phrase from an esteemed colleague, it's a bit like forgetting to put the bacon in the breakfast.

Ok, so we've established that Twitter a) helps you nosy at what other people are doing - which we all love and enjoy, lets face it b) allows you to update others on what you're doing c) is a solid online platform for brand-building.

So why Twitter? Surely it's just a faddy gimmick that will fade into nothing come 2012? Perhaps. But right now it's hot property. It's free to use, and setting up your business on Twitter takes all of about five minutes. You can even place a background on your page with your logo/pictures on - keep pushing that brand wherever you can.

Using Twitter takes a bit of practice, but won't steal hours of your day away from you like a needy relative. In fact, about ten minutes of your day is all you need to spare to keep your profile of updates and news fresh, plus catch up on what everyone else has to say, if you like. And of course you can take it a bit further if you have more time - post links to pictures, things that you like, things from your local area, things you've seen other people post...it goes on and on.

From a tourism business point of view a really important benefit of having a Twitter profile is that you'll gradually accumulate a population of 'followers'. These might be other tourism businesses, people who've visited you and people like us.

Now there's no reason to give it a whirl either (even if you just trial it, there's nothing to lose, right?) - Visit England's new Social Media Wizard tool will get you up and running in no time, perfect for anyone who might be a bit overwhelmed by any jargon or technology struggles. CL

Useful links

Visit England's Social Media Wizard tool:
www.eewizard.co.uk

Loads of advice if you're new to Twitter:
www.twitip.com/13-twitter-tips-and-tutorials-for-beginners

Visit Lincolnshire's Twitter Page:
www.twitter.com/visitlincolnshr

Get down to Mablethorpe to see some Bathing Beauties

2009-09-10T06:50:00.001-07:00

Do you want to see Lincolnshire’s Bathing Beauties…?

Are you curious what they look like…?

Well, wonder no more, just head down to Mablethorpe's Beach on 18 – 20 September and see Lincolnshire glorious Bathing Beauties Beach Huts for yourself.

The three day Bathing Beauties festival is the only beach hut festival in the UK and Europe’s longest linear event. They were born out of a designs competition to’re-imagine the beach hut for the 21st century'.

Designs include a giant gin and tonic complete with straw and another called Jabba the Hut.
And for beach hut lovers a new one will be revealed at the festival. www.bathingbeauties.org.uk. CG

Lincolnshire Day celebrations - it's not all about the sausage!

2009-09-04T10:12:00.001-07:00

Lincolnshire Day will celebrate everything Lincolnshire throughout October 2009.

We want businesses to get involved and celebrate our county. Your support can be as big or as small as you want.

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

Tastes of Lincolnshire is running a food fair with House of Fraser on Lincoln High Street and local attractions are throwing their doors open for free.

Smaller businesses can ask their staff to wear yellow for the day in honor of the county’s Yellow Belly historical roots, or fly the Lincolnshire Flag. What you do is entirely up to you – we just want to inspire you to join us and your business peers to celebrate Lincolnshire Day.

Lincolnshire Day is being supported by BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire County Council, Tastes of Lincolnshire, The Coop, Lincolnshire Life Magazine and the Lincolnshire Echo.

Businesses that support the day will be included in press and PR and could be featured in the local, regional and national media. – so let us know what you have planned by emailing you event and support to lincolnshireday@lincolnshiretourism.com.

For more information click onto www.lincolnshireday.co.uk.

A special discount is being offered by Lincolnshire Life Magazine for any business who wants to buy Lincolnshire flags and buntings, please contact Josie 01522 527127. CG

It's a Twitter Revolution…

2009-08-19T05:03:00.001-07:00

It would seem everyone is on Twitter these days: celebs, sports stars – even the US president.

Tweeting? Bird behavior, you say. If you happen to be clued up about Twitter, you might assume it’s a teenage trend - the newest and coolest way to impress their friends, perhaps?

In fact twittering, tweeting, tweet-posting – whatever you prefer to call it - is a fun, fast and effective way to communicate. And yes… even the lesser-spotted, greying-feathered population are joining the revolution.

Here at Lincolnshire Tourism, we’ve embraced its popularity to keep holiday makers, tourism industry professionals and local people up to date with our news.

Plus it allows us to keep in touch with people from all over the world, which is invaluable – we’ve got followers in Canada, Latvia and Australia.

It’s relatively early days - you could say we are still in our ‘tweeting infancy’ – but our experience so far tells us it’s a great way to communicate.

So if you want to follow our business tweets click onto www.twitter.com/lincstourism or see what we are saying to potential holiday makers at www.twitter.com/visitlincolnshr. CG

Move over Hollywood – Lincolnshire is now Film Friendly

2009-08-13T07:05:00.001-07:00

Lincolnshire has joined the red carpet A-list stars by gaining official ‘Film Friendly’ status.

Could this mean (sharp intake of breath) we’ll be bumping into Brad Pitt on Lincoln’s Steep Hill, sharing the Cleethorpes Land Train with George Clooney or asking Jennifer Aniston if she has 20p for the car park in Stamford...?

And the answer is – maybe!

But more importantly, Lincolnshire being film friendly gives reassurance to directors and scouts that when they film in Lincolnshire they will get a certain level of service, help and advice – which is music to their ears.

The knock on effect of Lincolnshire’s film friendly status could potentially mean more movies are made here; which would have a fantastic effect in the local economy, especially tourism, as people love to visit their favorite film locations.

Remember The Da Vinci Code and The Young Victoria at Lincolnshire Cathedral? Pride and Prejudice at Burghley House? Or Atonement starring Keira Knightley and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, with Cate Blanchet. All of them helped shine the spotlight on Lincolnshire.

If you want to know more see the press release www.lincolnshiretourism.com/media-room/press-release/2009.

We’ll let you know when Steven Spielberg is on the phone...CG

Latest Job Opportunties at Lincolnshire Tourism

2009-08-06T08:10:00.001-07:00

We're expanding our team a little more this month with the recruitment of two new posts...the search is on for an Aviation Development Officer and a Learning Outreach Officer. So what on earth does that involve, you might ask?

As part of a budget received by the Heritage Lottery Fund we're flying ahead - pun intended - with our campaign to raise awareness of Lincolnshire's aviation heritage, and the many fantastic aviation sites the county has on offer. These two roles will be vital to the successful delivery of this campaign, working closely with key sites and partners to plant our aviation history firmly on the map.

The closing date is 14th Sept 09, so if you think this might be up your street (or indeed someone you know) check out full details of the posts and how to apply at www.lincolnshiretourism.com CL

Coast Magazine loves Lincolnshire...

2009-08-03T06:39:00.001-07:00

I arrived at my desk this morning to see the latest copy of Coast Magazine – and turned straight to the four page spread dedicated to Lincolnshire’s Festival of Bathing Beauties, which takes place every September in Mablethorpe (18th-20th).

The festival is totally unique, and celebrates traditional seaside fun (something Lincolnshire is very good at!) with a quirky design twist. The article in Coast Magazine focuses on the design concepts of each artist when they sketched out the initial plans for their bespoke hut.

We love getting national coverage like this for Lincolnshire – it’s one of many ways we use to sing about what a great place it is to visit. If you want to know more about Bathing Beauties or attend the festival have a look on www.bathingbeauties.org.uk or pick up a copy of Coast Magazine! CG