£2m boost for East Midlands tourism
Tourism organisations and projects are to receive a financial boost after successfully bidding for funding under East Midlands Tourism’s Challenge Fund.
More than £2 million will go into ten marketing and tourism improvement projects over two years to help upgrade tourism facilities and encourage higher spending overnight visitors to the region.
The Challenge Fund was established to add value rather than replace existing funding and applicants were required to provide funding of their own in additional to that from EMT.
A total of £1,594.06 has been awarded to tourism improvement projects and £509,000 to marketing projects.
The former will improve the visitor experience and includes the provision of enhanced visitor information, clearer signage, street lighting and public transport. The marketing initiatives will support the delivery of tactical campaigns to promote the region’s heritage, food and drink and leisure pursuits.
East Midlands Tourism chief executive Richard Dickinson said: “This fund was established to promote partnership activity and encourage large scale projects which would have maximum impact on increasing tourism in the region.
“Both funds were hugely oversubscribed and we had difficulty whittling down the applicants. However, the winning bids represent the best creative and practical thinking in terms of increasing visitor numbers and improving visitor facilities.”
Among the successful marketing applicants are the ‘Heroes & Pioneers’ project led by Lincolnshire Tourism in partnership with the East of England Tourist Board and Kent Tourism Alliance, and ‘Hidden England’, a joint initiative by Belvoir Castle, Burghley House, Rockingham Castle and other heritage properties.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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