| There's no business like show business |
 The Exmoor Tourist Association has taken the lead in attending a number of shows and travel fairs to promote Exmoor. Additional financial support has been provided by West Somerset Council land Exmoor National Park Authority through the Exmoor Tourism Partnership as well as from some specific organisations and destinations operating in the area.
To date shows attended have included the Excursions Show, Manchester Travel Show, Outdoor Show (London), Outdoor Leisure Show (B'ham) and will include in the next month Great Days Out and the Best of Britain and Ireland with more to follow later on in the year. Antony Brunt (Chairman of the Exmoor Tourist Association) said "In these difficult financial times the Industry must be very pro-active in promoting Exmoor Tourism." |
| Web makeover |
Visit-exmoor.co.uk is set for a redesign in a bid to not only provide the look and functionality required for today's consumers but also to sustain the site over the coming years. The new site will include a stunning new design, increased functionality and lots more to help boost tourism in the area. The area benefits from a huge number of repeat visits but relying on these alone is not enough and a recent Visitor Survey carried out by the National Park authority revealed that 69% of first time visitors use the internet to obtain holiday information.
The new site will be launched in June and is made possible owing to funding from West Somerset Council and Exmoor National Park Authority with additional grant support secured from the Western Somerset Local Action for Rural Communities scheme (part of the Rural Development Programme for England). Once established it is intended that the new site will be managed for and by the local tourism industry through the Exmoor Tourist Association. Our thanks to those advertisers that responded to our request for feedback whilst setting the brief for the new site. |
| Exmoor Exchange |
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 This year's leaflet exchange takes place on Thursday March 10 at Raleghs Cross from 11am to 3pm. The event, hosted by the Exmoor & Porlock Tourist Associations, is a great opportunity to distribute promotional literature to bring the businesses of Exmoor and the surrounding area to the attention of a large number of accommodation providers and their guests throughout the year. Click here for full details.
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| Visit England |
.jpg) Visit England has recently launched a new industry website at www.visitengland.org. The site is currently hosting consultations on 8 new action plans drawn up to help deliver the strategic framework for tourism over the coming years - of particular interest locally will be the action plans on rural tourism and coastal tourism. Do have a look and feed any comments you have back to Visit England.
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| South West Tourism Consortium |
South West Tourism will be closing at the end of March following withdrawal of support from the Coalition Government for Regional Development Agencies. The National Park Authority along with other stakeholders across the South West has been engaged in translational work which has resulted in the creation of a new consortium for tourism in the South West.
The overriding principle of the emerging consortium is to support the tourism industry to improve the visitor experience in a cost effective and sustainable manner. This will mean a shared voice for the tourism industry; a clear direction for the sustainable and balanced development of the visitor economy; and the collection of data and intelligence to underpin the competitive performance of the industry. Importantly, the consortium aims to safeguard the intellectual property built up since the tourist board was formed over 40 years ago. For full details please click here. |
| Energy Marketplace |
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If you are concerned with increasing energy prices and want to start producing your own, taking advantage of new government Clean Energy Cashback schemes head to the Westpoint arena at Exeter on the 22 March for Regen South West's 'Renewable Energy Market Place'.
In addition to workshops on renewable energy, different technologies, how to make the most of incentives, and other forms of funding, you'll get the chance to meet with experts and suppliers that could provide you with the right solution. The day will cover all types of technologies, from biomass, heat pumps and hydro to solar PV, solar thermal and wind. Click here for further details. |
| TrailBlaze - coming soon! |
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 Making the most of a rise in popularity for trail running Endurance Life, who organise the Coastal Marathon each year are bringing to Exmoor a new year round concept for competitive trail running.
TrailBlaze will be a unique challenge based on the South West Coast Path allowing entrants to take part 365 days a year utilising electronic chips to record their times and pit them against other competing on the course throughout the year. The scheme will be available by early summer and is supported by the Exmoor National Park Sustainable Development Fund. For more details please click here. |
