Tourism Workshop Plans For Future Growth In District's Visitor Economy

Representatives of the district’s tourism industry have pledged to work together to develop further the visitor offer at a tourism workshop organised by Dover District Council.  Over 80 local businesses, including visitor attractions, hospitality providers, transport operators, along with town councils, and civic and voluntary tour/greeter groups were represented at the event.   

Opening the workshop, Cllr Keith Morris, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “As we look to encourage more investment and jobs into the district, Dover District Council has increased its tourism budget to put the district on the national and international map as a destination of choice.”

Tourism contributed over £282 million to the local economy in 2017 and accounts for 17% of local employment (5,796 jobs).

Cllr MJ Holloway, Portfolio Holder for Community Services & Tourism, said: “Today’s workshop marked the start of an exciting journey, helping us to work together to create the product, and to start to test how we sell the district as a world class destination. 

“It was great to see so many of the district’s tourism businesses and organisations engaged with the workshop and sharing their ideas for how we could do things differently to raise our game.  I am hugely encouraged about the potential for our tourism industry.”

The district’s visitor economy is expecting a further boost in 2019/2020 with major new visitor attractions and events, including:

• £26m Dover District Leisure Centre (opened 25 February)
• New café extension at Kearsney Abbey and Thomas Mawson landscape restoration at Russell Gardens
• New Port of Dover Marina and third berth for port-of-call cruise visits (131 cruise ships will be calling at Dover in 2019)
• Celebrations to mark the naming and inaugural cruise of Saga’s new-build cruise ship, Spirit of Discovery
• Completion of Deal Pier refurbishment
• Visitor Centre and Kent Mining Museum at Betteshanger Country Park
• The return of The Open to Royal St George’s Golf Club in July 2020.

Note to Editors:

To conclude the workshop, attendees were invited to sign ‘The Crabble Declaration’, a commitment to working with others to cultivate a dynamic future for tourism across the district.