Showcasing Thanet’s unique beaches, attracting more investment and creating additional attractions and accommodation are all part of what Thanet District Council hopes will be achieved following the development of a new Destination Management Plan for Thanet.
The plan, which is the first of its kind in Kent, has been created to help the area achieve its potential as a visitor destination, by working closely with local tourism industry businesses.
Developed in partnership with Visit Kent and overseen by leading destination consultants, Blue Sail, the plan has involved the contribution of almost 100 local businesses through a series of workshop sessions over the past eight months.
The final draft of the plan was shared with tourism industry businesses at an event yesterday (Tuesday 25 June) at Manston Airport, where they were encouraged to sign up to deliver some of the key activities.
The new plan sets out priorities for Thanet over the next five years to help improve the visitor economy and encourage investment into the area.
The priorities focus around, beach management, coastal regeneration and telling our stories.
Some of the specific activities include the creation of a beach management plan to help improve public information about beach cleaning and activities on offer, developing a new toolkit with businesses to help market and promote the area and improving trails and signs around the coast to help create an excellent first impression for visitors.
Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr. Iris Johnston, said: “The tourism industry in Thanet is worth £230 million to the local economy. This is a key priority for the area.
“Working together with local businesses and attractions is absolutely essential to maximizing the potential future growth of this industry and attracting millions of new visitors to the area.
“Those familiar with Thanet will know the wealth of stunning natural assets the coastline has to offer, and the great attractions there are to visit.
“The purpose of this plan is to help coordinate all of our efforts to make sure we’re selling Thanet at its absolute best, supporting local businesses who we know work tirelessly to provide attractions, accommodation, eateries and experiences and ultimately doing all we can to ensure we’re creating a unique and exciting experience for our visitors.”
“The purpose of this plan is to help coordinate all of our efforts to make sure we’re selling Thanet at its absolute best, supporting local businesses who we know work tirelessly to provide attractions, accommodation, eateries and experiences and ultimately doing all we can to ensure we’re creating a unique and exciting experience for our visitors.”
Michele Grant, Director of Blue Sail (Destination Consultants), said: “'A successful destination is one that agrees what is special and distinctive about the place and then uses that to prioritise action. That has been our approach to developing the Thanet DMP. We've involved the industry every step of the way and their commitment and enthusiasm will help ensure the DMP adds value to what is already happening”.
The Destination Management Plan is part of Thanet’s wider Economic Growth and Regeneration Strategy.
A tourism plan announced at the beginning of July? And how is that a first for Kent? Sounds like bureaucratic desperation. Or another cockup like not signing the Dreamland papers and wasting another year.
ReplyDeleteAnd working with local businesses? They've done stuff all. A mention on the tourist website, and funding Infratil or TransEuropa on the quiet.
Any Dutch visitors been seen from KLM etc? Thought not.
We need an official naturist beach! That'll bring the Dutch in, and maybe the French & German too.
ReplyDeleteThe beach where you go is sort of official isn't it? Won't it attract doggers? The toilets are riddled with peepholes whenever I empty my bowels. If they're not closed, the toilets I mean not my bowels.
ReplyDeleteWell I personally haven't used it in years, as I'm more into hiking and cycling than lazing around on a beach these days (as well as more careful about protecting my skin)... No it's not an official naturist beach (the only official naturist beach in Kent is in Shellness near Leysdown) but it is perfectly legal to be nude there, as with anywhere else in England unless there's specific local by-laws preventing people from doing so (and there's none anywhere in Thanet). What IS illegal is to "deliberately cause offence" by being naked, so it's all a very grey area.
DeleteAs for "doggers" or any other anti-social behavior, if the beach became officially recognised then people wouldn't hesitate to call the police.