NEW! Tourism Business Networking Events for North Devon and Torridge

Two new tourism networking events will take place across North Devon and Torridge later this year, with the aim to promote more collaborative working and introduce businesses to the latest, county wide developments within the industry.

The events are being organised by North Devon UNESCO Biosphere's Nature Tourism Officer, Sarah Jordan, whose role is funded by local government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Sarah told us: "We've been working closely with the Economic Development Teams at North Devon and Torridge District Councils for several years, with one of the aims being to get tourism businesses to work more collaboratively. These events come at the perfect time, with the recent launch of the South West Visitor Economy Data Hub and the newly accredited Devon and Partners Local Visitor Economy Partnership. I'd encourage all tourism businesses to drop in to one of the events and learn more about what's happening locally and across the county."

The events will showcase the diverse range of activities and experiences available across North Devon and Torridge. This will allow other tourism providers to drop in and broaden their knowledge of what’s available in the area, enabling them to use this knowledge to entice guests to stay longer and spend more.

The Visitor Economy Hub team will be in attendance, to demonstrate their recently launched online software tool, which has which has been created specifically for tourism businesses and organisations and is the first product of its kind to bring much needed, real time data and insight to all. Plus, it’s free for all visitor economy businesses in Devon and Somerset!

“We’ve been providing our data tracking system to tourism marketing organisations and the businesses they represent for over 10 years but this new project for Devon and Somerset is really something to be proud of! A great deal of inspiring collaboration has facilitated the development of this tool, and the outcome of this insight will only foster further collaboration.
 
The system has an unprecedented amount of analytics relating to all aspects of the visitor economy; from visitor volume (footfall, car parks, visits to attractions) to accommodation occupancy, to ongoing surveys providing an understanding of the consumer demographics. Even more importantly, this data is accessible in real-time, with trackers updated within a month of the occurrence.”
Jess Watkins
Director, Acorn T-Stats Ltd

The event will also be the first opportunity for businesses across North Devon and Torridge to speak with a representative from the newly accredited ‘Devon and Partners Local Visitor Economy Partnership’ (LVEP). Launched by VisitEngland, the LVEP Programme aims to transform England’s visitor economy landscape through a new and robust structure that involves sharing priorities, resources, and targets.

"We are excited to join everyone at these events in North Devon and Torridge, as they offer a valuable opportunity to connect with local businesses and showcase the work that Visit Devon and our partners are doing to support tourism and advance the development of the new Devon & Partners LVEP.
 
Securing LVEP status paves the way for national development and marketing opportunities with Visit England, potentially unlocking future funding for key initiatives. Most importantly, it positions us as a trusted leader in the visitor economy, aligning efforts for sustained regional growth.”
Vince Flower
Chair of Visit Devon / Chair of Devon & partners LVEP
 
Event Dates and Venues
Tuesday 22nd October 2024                   RHS Gardens Rosemoor, Torrington  
Wednesday 13th November 2024           North Devon Resort, Ilfracombe             
Both events will be open 1.30am – 7.30pm for businesses to drop in at a convenient time.
 
To register your interest in these events, please complete this short web form: https://wkf.ms/3W8tLAQ or email: [email protected]