Thousands of visitor attractions, local businesses and suppliers across Nottinghamshire are being asked to give their views on the future of the county’s vital visitor economy.
An online consultation led by Nottinghamshire County Council to update our visitor economy strategy began Monday 5th September and will end on Friday 14th October.
The visitor economy encompasses traditional tourism, but also includes everything in the supply chain that draws visitors to Nottinghamshire – including construction, agriculture and sport – and the infrastructure that supports this.
The purpose of developing an updated visitor economy strategy is to restart the sector as we learn to live with Covid-19 and reflect on how the pandemic and current cost of living have changed the way people do their Spend freetime.
Councilor Keith Girling, County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Wealth Management, said: “I urge attractions, businesses, supply chain sectors and our council partners to get involved in this online consultation on the future of our visitor economy in Nottinghamshire.
“Before the pandemic, the visitor economy was one of the UK’s fastest growing industries, generating billions of GDP a year and employing over two million people, but it has become one of the hardest hit sectors.
“The time is now right to re-examine how we can recover and make the most of our county’s unique selling propositions, rich history and natural environment for our visitors and the businesses and organizations that serve them.”
The updated visitor economy strategy is based on five key areas that the county council will build on to increase visitor economy-related visits and spending, as part of the council’s overall goal of returning to pre-pandemic levels by 2025 .
The revised document also sets out what we believe are the key themes of Nottinghamshire that make the county a unique place to visit, including making the most of our global Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest brand, our free thinking, our sporting abilities and our rich nature and built history.
Councilor Girling commented: “We have endeavored to clearly state our goals, ambitions and unique themes so that all organizations participating in the consultation can see where they fit into the bigger picture.
“We want to hear from those at the heart of Nottinghamshire’s tourism industry, from larger attractions and visitor management businesses to volunteering at small museums or if you run your own bed and breakfast.
“We are determined to kickstart our visitor economy and free ourselves from the challenges it has faced in the darkest days of the pandemic.
“An updated visitor economy strategy will achieve this and deliver on our promise, as part of our 10-year plan for Nottinghamshire, to strengthen businesses, create better quality jobs and make our county a place where people love to live, work and visit.”
To take part in the Visitor Economy Strategy Advice, visit the Nottinghamshire Visitor Economy Strategy Feedback Survey – Nottinghamshire County Council – Citizen Space and answer all nine questions.
Kirsty Edwards, Contracts Manager at Parkwood Leisure, the manages Rufford Abbey Country Park in Ollerton, urges companies to respond to consultation.
“This is a crucial consultation as we seek to transform and revitalize our vital visitor economy in Nottinghamshire in the years to come.
“In our role as manager of Rufford Abbey Country Park, we are particularly interested in the topic of history and heritage and how we can make the most of our fascinating past for visitors,” she said.
Kirsty added, “We will participate in the consultation, provide constructive feedback and encourage other companies to do the same.”
