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Exmoor Tourism Partnership

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Exmoor Tourism Partnership

The Exmoor Tourism Partnership is not a body in itself but a collaboration between the 4 core partners (Exmoor Tourist Association, Active Exmoor, West Somerset Council and Exmoor National Park Authority) along with key organisations such as North Devon + and the Somerset Tourism Partnership. In addition a fundamental element of the partnership is the wider network of trade organisations working across the area.

It is widely recognised that each organisation has different priorities, different geographical areas of remit, different activities and different approaches to tourism support. However, it also recognises that there is a huge amount of commonality and benefits from coordinating the work between each organisation.

www.exmoortourismpartnership.co.uk

Core Partners

Key Organisations

Exmoor Tourist Association
The Exmoor Tourist Association was set up in 1982 to help maximise the benefits of sustainable tourism for its members and to bring members' businesses, and Exmoor, to the attention of people considering visiting Exmoor for holidays and short breaks. Its activities aim to benefit its members, local Exmoor communities and the wellbeing of the Greater Exmoor region (Exmoor and its surrounding areas), by promoting the benefits of Exmoor to potential visitors. It is a non-profit organisation, using their subscriptions for the promotion of their members and Greater Exmoor. Activities include regular newsletters, business offers for members, an annual literature exchange, member's helpline and newsletters. The ETA currently has over 200 members which equates to approximately half of the known tourism businesses within Exmoor and beyond.

Active Exmoor
Active Exmoor is a sports tourism project focusing on supporting Exmoor's outdoor activity industry. It began as a community sports project and widened its remit to include sports tourism in 2006.

The work of Active Exmoor is varied and in the recent past has included:

  • co-ordination of a network for outdoor activity providers
  • facilitation of active events such as the Exmoor and North Devon Walking Festival and the Exmoor Perambulation,
  • Attracting, supporting and promoting event organisers to hold events within the area such as the Iron man 70.3 contest, the Tour f Britain cycle race and many more.
  • Promotion of active opportunities to the public through brochures, website and e-newsletters.
  • Providing opportunities for public participation through taster days and support for local organisations such as the Exmoor Canoe Club.
  • Wider tourism support and promotion of the area in partnership with others.


West Somerset Council
West Somerset Council has played a key role in the establishment of the Exmoor Tourism Partnership, and provided funding for the area tourism brochure. West Somerset Council's Economic Strategy (2009) identifies tourism as a key economic driver for the area, and therefore a strategic priority. West Somerset Council host and manage the Visit Exmoor portal site and support a wide range of events and festivals in the area. In addition to support for the Tourist Information Centres at Watchet, and Porlock the council has recently opened its new Tourist Information Centre on the promenade at Minehead.

Exmoor National Park Authority
The principal role of the Exmoor National Park Authority in relation to tourism can be described within 4 key areas:

  • Taking a lead role in the conservation and enhancement of the special qualities of the National Park on which the tourism economy is wholly dependent upon.
  • Taking a lead in maintaining the recreational and tourism infrastructure such as the Public Rights of Way Network access to areas of open access, and promotion and maintenance of regional and national trails.
  • Visitor information and guidance on places to visit, and things to do through National Park Centres, Local Information Points, support for local information centres, publication of the Exmoor Visitor, provision of ranger services etc.
  • Support and development of Sustainable Tourism activities through training sessions, information briefings, research and monitoring of trends, providing energy efficiency advice to tourism businesses, facilitating improved transport links and co-ordinating with other tourism bodies.

In addition to ongoing support for tourism, with a related expenditure of approximately £200,000 per annum, a specific tourism support fund of £25,000 per annum has been allocated for the next three years to support partnership work.

In September 2007 Exmoor National Park Authority was granted the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas - becoming the first National Park in England to gain the award. The Charter seeks to recognise protected areas which are following the right approach in developing and managing sustainable tourism. It is concerned with structures, objectives and actions, including their comprehensiveness and sustainability. This action plan forms part of the ongoing validation of the Charter.

Somerset Tourism Partnership
The Somerset Tourism Partnership (STP) is working to improve destination management and marketing in Somerset for the benefit of tourism businesses, residents and visitors. Following the production of a 5-Year Delivery Plan for tourism in Somerset, the partnership was established to move forward several key activities identified within the Plan.

STP is made up of tourism officers from across the Somerset area and representatives from tourism industry. The partnership has the ultimate objective of making tourism delivery more effective in the future and is working towards setting up a Destination Management Partnership for the whole of Somerset.

STP consists of 6 working groups delivering the work programme and outputs from the 5 Year Delivery Plan: Promotions (Marketing & Public Relations), Communications (private sector engagement and conference), Research, Sustainability, Information, and Quality & Training.

Making the most of Exmoor while recognising its special position is a strategic priority within the STP Delivery Plan stating 'Exmoor's brand strength, national park status • and existing level of coordination of tourism mean that it needs to retain its identity while linking into the new Somerset programme'.

The structure and operation of the Somerset Tourism Partnership is currently under review.

North Devon +
North Devon+ is a not-for-profit membership organisation which was formed in May 2007. It saw the amalgamation of 3 great local organisations; North Devon Marketing Bureau, North Devon & Exmoor Regeneration Company, and North Devon Enterprise Agency. Its aim is to develop the North Devon area with the aim of building the economy, increasing tourism and regenerating the area.

North Devon+ is the economic delivery agency for the area, working with Torridge District Council, North Devon Council, Devon County Council, the South West of England Regional Development Agency and the private sector to deliver projects and initiatives that encourage and support business growth, improve quality of life, and address social and economic inequalities.

Tourism is a key business sector for the area and for North Devon +. With a private sector membership of over 500 businesses, they act as the Area Tourism Partnership (within the Devon destination management framework) for North Devon and Torridge (including 1/3 of Exmoor), marketing the area as a year-round high quality destination, providing a wide range of membership services for local businesses, and representing and driving forward the interests of the sector. North Devon + represent the North Devon area within Visit Devon which co-ordinates promotion for the whole of Devon as a tourism destination through the six Area Tourism Partnerships.

Exmoor Tourism Network

In addition to the above named organisations there is a wider Exmoor Tourism Network which comprises of the numerous thematic and geographic based industry groups including (but not limited to):

  • Minehead Hoteliers Association / Chamber of Commerce
  • Lynmouth Association for Commerce and Tourism
  • Porlock Tourism Association
  • Exmoor (Farm and Country) Holiday Group
  • Combe Martin Tourism Association
  • South Molton Tourism Association
  • Watchet Town Council
  • Exmoor to Sea (attractions)
  • Visit Dunster
  • Quantocks AONB
     

Contributed by:  Robert

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