Berwick 'Welcome Visitor' Project

Descriptions

PURPOSE To develop a 'brand' for Berwick-upon-Tweed, establishing the town as a 'visitor destination' and to support wider economic development and regeneration ambitions. BACKGROUND The Berwick 'Welcome Visitor' project aims to establish Berwick as a 'you must go there' visitor destination, increase visitor footfall, encourage extended visitor stay and extend the current visitor season to ensure that Berwick gains the maximum economic return from tourism and visitor markets. The project is a portfolio package of mutually supportive measures which will, collectively, help to redefine the town's visitor offer, promote new visitor product developments, enhance the town's current events programme and refresh visitor hospitality enabling Berwick to deliver a high quality and memorable visitor experience. The project will add to and develop the current events and activities programme in Berwick by creating a range of opportunities, events and products, developed by businesses and the local community, in celebration of Berwick's distinctive heritage, culture and environment. This will be achieved by working with and developing the tourism and associated business sectors. The project will promote training, skills development and attainment in the tourism and hospitality sectors and invest in visitor information provision. The Berwick 'Welcomes Visitor' package includes: Fresh Perceptions - The project will establish a Berwick destination management function and launch a new destination marketing approach with refreshed visitor information services, targeted advertising and campaigns to drive visitor numbers, footfall and spend to the town within the context of the wider strategic approach to Tourism marketing in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. A refreshed events programme - The project will develop an extended visitor season through centrally co-ordinated product development / trails celebrating the town's character, distinctiveness and location. Business development initiative - The project will deliver local training and skills attainment to support business and community enterprises to fully engage with and realise the economic benefits of the refreshed visitor economy. Wayfinding and Signage - The project will contribute to the delivery of a refreshed and enhanced visitor wayfinding scheme which will re-orientate and improve the way visitors experience the town upon arrival, connecting key tourism sites and the retail heart of the town to public transport hubs including the Railway Station. Branding Development - Recommendations should produce a simple and clear lead message which identifies and promotes the town's distinctive character. The development of a series of marketing and promotional guidelines, with recommendations for imagery, text stylisation, template copy, straplines etc, and a suite of refreshed marketing approaches should be developed utilising the promotional media identified.