Suffolk's Visitor Economy
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What is Suffolk’s visitor economy
The visitor economy is more broadly defined than ‘tourism’.
The visitor economy in Suffolk is intrinsically linked to our arts and cultural venues, performance spaces and performers, heritage buildings and natural landscapes.
As well as holiday accommodation, visitor and leisure attractions, and travel businesses, it includes the wider hospitality sector that includes bars, coffee shops and restaurants and retail that are such a significant part of our local high street economy.
The demand and supply of the sector is therefore linked to the growth and development of so many other sectors, and this has become evident through the impact of the COVID – 19 pandemic.
The Women’s Tour 2022
Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds
What is our role?
There are so many parts of the jigsaw that support the sector. We are working with local authorities and key sector organisations, including national and regional partners, to support a strategic focus for the long-term development and sustainable growth of the sector.
Vision and strategic framework
Create a clear vision and strategic framework for enabling sector growth and articulating the Suffolk vision at the heart of national and regional sector plans.
Connection and coordination
Develop the connection and coordination across the visitor economy, including national and regional strategy.
Reset opportuntities
Facilitate sectoral ‘reset’ opportunities for skills, digital and tech tourism, clean growth and low carbon sustainable tourism, town centre and high street regeneration.
Improvement networking
Develop sector-wide improvement networking.
And underpinning all this, we are working with local authorities and partners to develop sector business support
STRATEGIC PROGRAMMES AND PRIORITIES
The Suffolk Growth Visitor Economy priorities are supported through Suffolk Growth investment programmes and specific sector projects highlighted here.
Towards a Carbon Net Zero Visitor Economy
Suffolk Growth is supporting the development of a coordinated sector approach to achieving Suffolk’s carbon net zero ambition while supporting sector growth and productivity.
Call for Carbon Charter Pathfinders from Suffolk’s Visitor Economy
Read the summary report
Read our summary of the Suffolk Visitor Economy Carbon Net Zero Assessment & Impact Study
Accessibility and inclusion: enabling growth in the visitor economy
One in five people in the UK have an impairment, which may affect where they choose to stay or visit. There is a compelling business case for making tourism destinations, venues and experiences inclusive. People with health conditions & impairments and their travelling companions spend around £15.3 billion on trips in England each year, and given our ageing population domestically, the value of the ‘purple pound’ is set to grow.
Suffolk Growth has undertaken a review and research programme to understand and support the economic case for sector investment in the improvement and development of this market – supporting the rationale for a focus on driving better sector accessibility and inclusion.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REVIEW REPORT
100 Visitor economy BUSINESSes to launch Accessible Destination Suffolk
Suffolk Inclusive Growth Investment Fund (SIGIF)
The Suffolk Inclusive Growth Investment Fund is a £2.4m fund allocated by Suffolk Public Sector Leaders and the New Anglia Local enterprise Partnership to support local, place based economic recovery across Suffolk.
Read more >>>
Control Outbreak Management Fund (COMF)
The 2022 ‘Living with COVID’ grant programme is investing £65,000 in 10 Suffolk town centre projects. Funding will support good practice and help enable the transition of communities and business to live with COVID within town centres.
Read more >>>
Visitor Economy Network Initiative (VENI)
VENI is the Visitor Economy Network Initiative that will bring educators and SMEs closer together and at the same time create opportunities for young people to develop work-ready skills and participate in, and learn more about, their local visitor economy.
Read more >>>
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
Suffolk’s Visitor Economy
2021-25
CLICK TO VIEW
SUFFOLK VISITOR ECONOMY FRAMEWORK
Outcomes and Workstream Focus
2023/24
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