Major campaign to bring visitors back to the area
ADVERTISING AROUND the M25 commuter belt will be part of a nationwide marketing campaign to encourage visitors back to Yorkshire being prepared in an attempt to rebuild the region’s £9bn tourism industry after lockdown.
Tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire is publishing details today of a collaborative recovery plan designed to “reopen, recover and rebuild” the sector, which employs almost 225,000 people in the region but has been stricken by coronavirus.
Most hospitality businesses have been closed since March, with the region’s economy believed to have lost billions as a result of lockdown.
Chief executive James Mason said that in addition to reaching potential visitors through social media channels, WTY is considering some billboard advertising around London and the South East as it attempts to entice visitors back.
“We are thinking of some billboard advertising in and around the M25,” he said.
“That would reach two audiences – people who know Yorkshire exists, are really proud of it and want to come back – and actually other people going ‘I didn’t know Yorkshire had a coastline and national parks’.”
Mr Mason admitted uncertainty remains around precisely when the campaign will be launched – which is dependent on the lifting of Government travel restrictions and potential changes to social distancing measures, as well as when different areas of Yorkshire feel ready to welcome visitors again.
The Government has targeted July 4 as a reopening date for tourism businesses but currently holiday accommodation remains closed, hotels are only open to specific groups like critical workers and people are prevented from staying away from their own home overnight for a holiday. But with just a week to go until reopening, hospitality businesses are yet to be issued with national guidance on how they can welcome guests back safely.
Welcome to Yorkshire, which has struggled financially in the fallout to previous chief executive Sir Gary Verity’s resignation in March 2019 on health grounds amidst bullying and expense spending allegations, also intends to revise its membership model for businesses, starting with a free entry level service as part of the recovery plan. Mr Mason said: “We have got to be really creative.”
We are also going on our own journey and budgets are a lot less than previously.
“We have demonstrated in the last three months we can make a big impact on our digital channels.”
Among other parts of the recovery plan is the launch of a Yorkshire gift card which holders will be able to spend at participating businesses, while WTY intends to imminently launch individual memberships for general members of the public who have a personal connection with the county.
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