New recovery plan for Essex tourism and hospitality industry

12th April 2021

A NEW recovery plan to help revitalise the county’s tourism and hospitality industry has been launched by Visit Essex.

The six-point plan sets out how Visit Essex will support businesses and prepare them for a sustainable future and help the county’s tourism and hospitality industry to recover - which prior to the pandemic was worth £3.5 billion to the Essex economy.

Coinciding with the recent government announcement, which will see restrictions eased from Monday 12 April, the six-point plan will provide tourism and hospitality businesses with the tools they need to ensure their longevity and growth. 

Visit Essex’s plan - which also aims to support businesses to help with adaptations to premises to enable a safe and sustainable reopening - will focus on digital infrastructure, deliver marketing campaigns to raise awareness of assets and attractions and to aid recovery, build links and celebrate collaboration and help business by ensuring that their product is consumer ready. 

Following the rise of staycations and domestic holidays, the plan will also re-position Essex as a destination of choice due to its leisure and retail facilities, its  family attractions, its county-wide ancient history and heritage sites as well as its countryside, beaches and 350-miles of coastline.

The plan is supported by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) Re-Building Confidence and Demand in the Visitor Economy project which features key tourism economy partners Visit Kent, Visit Essex, East Sussex County Council and Sussex Modern. 

Due to a successful joint application into the government’s Sector Support Fund, £200,000 has been allocated to help raise awareness and support sustainable tourism across the region, protect businesses and safeguard jobs by extending the season and showcase the diverse and high-quality domestic tourism market and much more.
Lisa Bone, Visit Essex Strategic Tourism Manager, said: “The plan is just the beginning of a fresh approach as the year ahead will be without doubt a challenging one. We aim to equip the county’s tourism and hospitality businesses with the tools they need to enable their successful reopening and ensure their longevity and growth.

“Over the past year COVID-19 has had a detrimental effect on the economy and tourism and hospitality having been amongst those hardest hit, which is why we want to help the industry and the county’s businesses recoup their losses by encouraging people to explore, experience and enjoy everything that our wonderful county has to offer." 

“While we are encouraging people to explore the county, we are urging all visitors to protect and respect the environment as well as the county’s green spaces and hidden gems so that everyone can enjoy them.”

Demetra Lindsay, Chatelaine at Hedingham Castle, said: “It is inspiring to see that Visit Essex has created an intelligent and understandable response to the last year, enabling tourism businesses and residents who work in Essex to share in this expertise. 
“The Visit Essex recovery plan emphasises the positive changes to the relationship Essex has with the rest of the country and world, building on the strengths of the county and highlighting its unique aspects, as well as creating a step by step marketing method to ensuring an economic recovery that will have a sustainable legacy.”

The plan also aims to build on last year’s highly successful marketing campaign, #ThisisEssex, which was backed by Essex Ambassadors - ranging from Michelin starred chefs, award-winning vintners, Paralympians and many more -  to promoting Essex as a tourist destination of choice and challenge the stereotypes about the people and the county. 
For more information or to view the recovery plan please Visit Essex.com. 
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Visit Essex is the official tourism organisation and the only body specifically marketing the whole of the county to the visitor market. Visit Essex works with visitor attractions, leisure and/or activity providers, accommodation establishments and other tourism related businesses (including the travel trade, media and wider partners), to ensure that the county remains a leading visitor destination. For more information please visit: http://www.visitessex.com/