Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Growth partnership launch new Initiative to promote car-free travel to county visitor attractions.

Suffolk County Council (SCC) and Suffolk Growth Partnership have today launched a new, two-year initiative to encourage visitors to explore more of the county’s cultural and leisure destinations on foot, by bike or using public transport.

Working in collaboration with Good Journey, the UK experts in car-free leisure, the initiative will offer incentives and discounts to residents and visitors who leave the car at home and travel sustainably to the county’s visitor attractions including museums, theatres, wildlife/nature parks and galleries such as Christchurch Manor in Ipswich, the Gainsborough Museum in Sudbury and RSPB Minsmere.

Nat Taplin, CEO of Good Journey said:

“Suffolk is a wonderful county to explore car-free – whether your spotting birds at Minsmere, uncovering treasure at Sutton Hoo or following in the footsteps of Gainsborough. When you leave the car behind you can step right into Suffolk’s landscape, history and nature. You’ll meet people along the way and discover villages and hidden gems instead of speeding past on the main road. Enjoy the view, a picnic, a snooze and a pint in a country pub, without worrying about driving. Exploring by train, bus, bike and foot turns a day out into a real adventure. And with most single bus tickets costing just £2 however far you travel, plus discounts at top attractions, it’s a great value day out too.”

All of the participating destinations and associated discounts will be featured prominently on the Good Journey website which also includes a selection of curated itineraries suitable for all ages and tastes including:

• Exploring the Suffolk coast without a car: from Lowestoft in the north to the Shotley peninsula in the south.
• Car-free accessible Suffolk: visiting the county’s access-friendly attractions.
• Film and tv Suffolk locations: from David Copperfield to Harry Potter, Masters of the Air to Magpie Murders, fascinating locations which can be reached without a car.

The website and journey-planning pages for each attraction will also feature an easy-to-use journey-planning tool.

The new initiative is part of Suffolk’s Greenest County ambition and demonstrates the county’s commitment to having a carbon net zero visitor economy by 2030.

Cllr Alexander Nicoll, Deputy Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy at Suffolk County Council, said:

“I welcome the launch of this new initiative in time for the Easter holidays, just as many of our visitor attractions open their doors for the first time this year. By creating easier access to local attractions by foot, bicycle and public transport, we are strengthening and supporting our local visitor economy, helping residents to live independent and healthy lives, and helping Suffolk on its journey to creating the Greenest County.”

Christopher Grover, Behaviour Change Team Manager at Suffolk County Council, said:

“We’re delighted to be working with Good Journey on this exciting initiative. For the visitor, it means that they can enjoy the Suffolk landscape on foot, on their bike or from the comfort of a bus or train. For the visitor attraction, we hope it will boost numbers and spend. And for us as a county, our hope is it will contribute to a cut in carbon emissions as well as widening access to our leisure, culture and nature for more people.”