Visitor Economy - Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, UK

The Lincolnshire Visitor Economy is worth just under £1billion to the county, supporting 17,000 jobs and attracting 17m visitors a year.

The Visitor Economy is the second largest sector in the county after Food and Farming. The East Coast accounts for nearly half of all visitor spend, with visitor numbers and employment peaking in the summer months.

There are approximately 1,500 accommodation providers in the county from hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses to self catering and camping and caravan parks in addition to a wide range of attractions, market towns and a unique retail offer. Lincolnshire offers a strong short break product, from city breaks to rural escapes and coastal holidays, with strengths in aviation heritage and food and drink among others. Lincolnshire is an authentic destination.

The Visitor Economy encompasses not only traditional tourism but also business visitors, culture and heritage, events and festivals, and education. The visiting friends and relatives (VFR) market is significant as are day visitors who demonstrate the importance of instilling pride and an understanding of Lincolnshire’s offer to residents, stakeholders and business leaders in addition to an external audience.

The Visitor Economy is a sector that requires a framework for support and to facilitate growth. The Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce are championing this sector, working with public and private sector stakeholders to establish such a framework.

A sustainable Visitor Economy is essential in the creation of a vibrant, prosperous community and is core to creating a sense of place where people want to live, work, visit and invest. Lincolnshire’s Visitor Economy already considerable in size has the potential to grow.

We are developing support for this sector using a private sector led approach and working with geographical business clusters that resonate with the visitor through the following forums:

The Tourism and Hospitality Chamber is the glue that holds the sector together through a membership base offering industry focused networking and business support opportunities.

The Visit Lincoln Partnership is working to realise Lincoln’s potential as a city destination focusing on themes of trade, travel and tourism with key stakeholders from Lincoln and its hinterland.

Emerging partnerships include Beside the Seaside, focusing on the East Coast and the Wolds, and a southern partnership bringing together South Holland and the Fens. A Knowledge Transfer Partnership studying Boston's Visitor Economy is also underway.

For further information on the Tourism and Hospitality Chamber, please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to email Helen Tomkinson, or call 01522 846929.