5 January 2009
Greater Morpeth Development Trust
PRESS RELEASE
Let's give visitors an even warmer welcome to Morpeth !
How can Morpeth offer an even warmer welcome to visitors right throughout the year is the question local businesses, traders and residents will be asked over the next few weeks.
With its rich heritage, a town centre full of character and charm, niche shops, picturesque parks, countryside and riverside walks Morpeth has long been one of the most popular destinations on Northumberland's tourist trail both for day trippers and short-break holidaymakers.
However, in the face of increasing competition from cheap flights coaxing greater numbers of short-stay travellers abroad and with people tightening their belts in the current economic climate, towns like Morpeth have to closely examine just what they can do in the future to coax even more visitors to the town.
Over the next few weeks Morpeth and Hexham will be collaborating in a Market Town Welcome initiative to look at new ways of boosting their visitor economy and attracting fresh investment into their towns.
Hexham like Morpeth has a proud heritage, interesting and historic places to visit both in the town and the surrounding countryside, and relies heavily on tourism to support its local economy.
With funding from regional development agency One NorthEast and working with the local Market Town Partnerships, Northumberland Tourism, business, heritage and culture groups the two towns will be looking carefully at what sort of packages they are offering visitors to see how they can be improved.
Greater Morpeth Development Trust will locally lead the initiative which is being co-ordinated by a team from Miller Research, to bring together business people, traders, heritage and culture groups to develop a tourism vision for the town over the next decade.
Together over the next five months they will examine among other issues, what makes Morpeth distinctive as a visitor attraction; what stories about the town that would interest visitors; and what can be done to make it even more alive as a visitor attraction.
An initial workshop will be held later this month to launch the process of improving the town's overall visitor welcome, but before that a business survey and further information about the initiative, is already available on a www.markettownwelcome.co.uk website.
David Lodge, Chief Executive Officer of Greater Morpeth Development Trust, which is working in partnership on the initiative with Morpeth Chamber of Trade, Morpeth Town Council and Castle Morpeth Borough Council commented: "Both Morpeth and Hexham already have distinctive identities as attractive Northumberland market town.
"Through this initiative we will be focussing on developing our strengths to bring more visitors into our towns as well as encouraging them to stay longer which, in our case, will aid the post-flood economic recovery.
"Tourism is a crucial part of our local economy and there is a market that can be tapped by supporting and encouraging businesses to deliver top quality products in their specialist fields whether they are catering and hospitality, heritage attractions or retailing.
"Over the next few months we will be asking local people, groups, organisations and businesses to think about whether there are hidden business opportunities that can be explored; are we making the most of what we have on offer; what investment can we bring into the town; and what they consider would attract more people to Morpeth.
"It is a fantastic opportunity for everyone not just those who are in daily contact with visitors, to work together by getting involved in an initiative that will ensure Morpeth retains its rightful place on the regional tourism map."
One way everyone can get involved is to send photos of Morpeth picking out both its good and bad features to sam@miller-research.co.uk or by uploading them directly to the www.martkettown.welcome.co.uk website to help the researchers focus on its special qualities as well as its strengths and weaknesses as a visitor destination.
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