Catch Up On This Year's Presentations

Tourism Conference November 2009 - David Thornton

Back in April, just a week or so after my appointment, I was interviewed by the Buxton Advertiser. The newspaper wanted to know what sort of a year it was going to be, what was our key message to the tourism businesses who would read this article?

Well, I said, It's going to be a critical "make or break" year for tourism in the Peak District & Derbyshire... I suppose I was thinking about our organisation just as much as the industry as a whole.

I spoke of the need to be greater than the sum of our parts... to be creative, enthusiastic, passionate and focussed in everything we do. We need to work in the "here and now" to exploit every opportunity that comes our way, whilst developing new strategies and campaigns to deliver more in the medium & long term. There's stiff competition out there, I said. Overseas travel may be in temporary decline, but some honey-pot UK destinations are gearing up to spend millions to capitalise on the "staycation" opportunity... (CLICK HERE to download the entire speech)

 

---

 

As the Peak District & Derbyshire's official tourist board, we shine a spotlight on our World Class Destination and communicate all that is special about visiting this unique part of the British Isles.

We work with East Midlands Tourism and our tourism partners to produce creative, high yielding marketing, PR and promotional campaigns, events and packages that deliver robust economic benefits for our product providers and their businesses.

 

---

 

Our overall aims are to:

INCREASE the tourism spend in our region every year through attracting more visits and increased per capita spend per head from domestic and overseas markets.

IDENTIFY and EVALUATE market opportunities and work with our industry partners to showcase and develop outstanding tourism products to attract markets and their high yielding segments.

PROTECT our tourism businesses from external threats that potentially impact upon their fortunes through creative and dynamic marketing solutions that make us stand out from the crowd.

ENCOURAGE residents who live within our area to support their own tourism economy by visiting and experiencing our world-rated attractions and facilities.

DELIVER a world class welcome, outstanding value for money and the highest possible standard of service to our partners and visitors.

 

---

 

The tourism economy of our area is worth approximately £1.4 billion a year. More than 36 million people a year visit the Peak District & Derbyshire for days and nights out, overnight stays, short breaks and holidays. We are one of the largest tourist destinations in the world.

We are champions and protectors of the Peak District & Derbyshire brand, working with partners and strategic allies to communicate, position and strengthen our brand attributes, recognition and value in all the market places we operate within.

We achieve our campaign results through core funding we receive from East Midlands Tourism (EMDA), our Council partners and the iconic tourist destinations that operate within our area. We also attract advertising and sponsorship revenue for the operators and owners of tourist facilities and other businesses and organisations who share our aims of growing the tourism product and increasing economic returns.

We don't believe we have all the answers! We welcome advice, campaign and product ideas, feedback and recommendations from anyone who shares our aims. Please send your communication to David Thornton, Head of Marketing for Visit Peak District & Derbyshire: david.thornton@visitpeakdistrict.com

 

Further Information

Marketing Team Who's Who 

Marketing Think Tank – Marketing Research & Advisory Panel

Workshops (information coming soon)