Suffolk tourism fights back
SUFFOLK'S tourism promotion campaign is back on the road following the negative images of the county which dominated the news headlines in the weeks before Christmas.
SUFFOLK'S tourism promotion campaign is back on the road following the negative images of the county which dominated the news headlines in the weeks before Christmas.
A Suffolk Tourism Partnership team has just returned from promoting the county's groups offer at the London Excursions exhibition - the first public event the partnership has attended since the killing of five women in the town made Ipswich the focus of the national and international media in December.
The STP team used the event, aimed at coach operators and group travel organisers, to promote the second, enlarged, edition of the partnership's Suffolk Groups Guide, highlighting the range of excursion opportunities the county offers.
Supporting the STP were a number of its tourism partners, including Visit Ipswich, Visit Suffolk Attractions and Bury St Edmunds Tourism, each promoting their respective places to visit in addition representing the whole county.
Scott Dolling, the partnership's destination marketing manager, said: “It is vital that, despite the huge news agenda in December, we continue to press home all the positive elements of Suffolk.
“Groups is an important area for Suffolk's tourism industry to build upon, especially in attracting the out of season trade and from all our partners' perspective we were able to do this constructively at 'Excursions' and recent events didn't appear to be a factor.”
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Jim Brown, the STP's sustainable tourism project officer, who attended the exhibition on behalf of the partnership, said: “We were busy all day with enquiries from coach operators and group organisers and whilst a number knew of the county it was a great opportunity to reinforce what the county has to offer and also try to encourage more reasons for them to visit.”
David Stainer, manager of Ipswich Tourist Information Centre, added: “We were extremely reassured with the number of group organisers who came to find out more about Ipswich and the county as a whole and it seems as though public perception remains positive.”
