Greater Yarmouth Tourism
David Marsh, Interim Chairman GYTBIA with the Mayor of Great Yarmouth, Councillor Marlene Fairhead

The new Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area (GYTBIA) launched its 2015 campaign on Tuesday, December 9 2014 at The Boathouse, Ormesby St Margaret, to an audience of more than 200 local tourism & business professionals. 

An initial 21 projects will be funded from GYTBIA’s £304,000 marketing and events budget, financed through the Business Improvement Area (BIA) levy.

Over the five years of the BIA, more than £2 million will be generated through the levy. The aim is to grow Greater Yarmouth’s £530 million industry by 12%, achieving an additional £63 million a year and 1200 more jobs by 2020. Currently 29% of the working population in the borough is supported by tourism, comprising more than 10,000 equivalent full time jobs.

David Marsh, Interim Chairman said: “The new GYTBIA provides a fantastic opportunity for the local tourism industry. The Borough Council has done a great job promoting tourism and developing infrastructure over the years in the face of increasing cuts and growing competition for the UK holiday pound. But, with the advent of the BIA, the private sector is now bringing vital funding to the table which, in partnership with the Borough Council, will make a sea change in the way we promote the resort.”

“Tourism is a key sector in the borough’s economy; some £130 million, or 24.5% of the annual tourism spend, is contributed by tourism businesses spending with other businesses. We all benefit from the tourism pound. We look forward to working with partners across the industry to make a real difference over the next five years.”

Twenty-nine projects, submitted by BIA levy payers, were considered at GYTBIA’s first full board meeting on November 26. The total cost of the projects was £525,000. The BIA marketing and events budget is £304,000. Twenty-one priority projects were identified. The other projects remain under consideration and more ideas are very welcome.

These key marketing and events projects are only possible thanks to the BIA levy.

 More Great Yarmouth Fireworks evenings

 Hemsby Summer Fireworks

 Gorleston Christmas Lights fireworks

 Sky TV advertising campaign

 Day trippers radio campaign

 Customer research

 Visit England Summer campaign

 PR / Social Media and Email Marketing

​Other events and projects identified as high priority include: Beach Volleyball, Martham Scarecrow Festival, Soccer on the Sands, Brush with the Broads (bringing artists to the Broads for a painting festival), an Eating Out campaign, a Heritage promotion, new Hemsby roadside welcome sign, Planet Norfolk TV in Hemsby, support for VisitNorfolk’s marketing work, coaches & group marketing activity, TV advert and website video production and investment in the GYTBIA business support website.

In particular, the GYTBIA has identified that May and June are months in which the Business Improvement Area has capacity for more tourism visitors and so projects and events which animate these months, for example, the Martham Scarecrow Festival, an Eating out campaign or a campaign with a focus on heritage, will help bring more visitors to the area. Free fireworks displays have been proven to boost visitor numbers and additional displays in both Hemsby and Great Yarmouth at key holiday times of year will encourage more staying visitors as well as day trippers. Television advertising has worked extremely well for the resort over the past few years using Sky TV’s new technology, the Greater Yarmouth area’s television advert will be shown to a new audience in a specific area. All priority projects identified at the November board meeting are being worked up now for final approval in January.

The Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area, whose 24 directors are all volunteers from across the tourism industry, is a not for profit company with these aims:

 To increase the number of people visiting and staying in Greater Yarmouth

 To improve the visitor experience and increase repeat visits

 To encourage people to stay longer and visit more attractions

 To provide incentives and opportunities for local businesses

GYTBIA is the first tourism business improvement area in East Anglia.

With 65,000 bed spaces across the Borough, nearly a third of all holiday nights spent in Norfolk are tourists staying in Greater Yarmouth. Nearly 25% of all holidays nights spent in Norfolk and Suffolk combined are taken in the Borough of Great Yarmouth.

Greater Yarmouth Tourism

www.great-yarmouth.co.uk

 

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