Tourism & Leisure

The value of Visitors to Plymouth is currently estimated to be in excess of £350m per annum and incureasing annually.  This is unique in the South West where the level of visitors has stalled or is slowly declining.  The Visitor Sector in Plymouth is however multi-faceted and not seasonal to the same extend as the rural region that surrounds it.  The current regeneation programme of the City is looking toward the development of this sector a one of the key drivers of the economy over the next 15 years as it seeks to increase the population from 250,000 to over 300,000.

The Visitor Sector is complex and its co-ordination and development require structures.  Historically the sector was represented by the Plymouth Marketing Bureau, which effectively represented the Accommodation, Attractions and Conference Sectors and helped establish the City as a popular destination for Short Breaks and Major Events in the 1980's and 1990's.  After extensive reviews the PMB was seen as not fulfilling the needs of the sector going forward and ceased trading in May 2004.  External consultants employed by the Plymouth City council to review the Visitor Sector reported in October 2004 and principally recommended that te Tourism Sector was marketed as part of a City Wide Marketing Company.  This principle was accepted by the sector and it is has contributed to the current process of establishing The Plymouth Marketing Company as a viable entity.

Sector Group

Whilst the principle of City Wide Marketing was accepted it was deemed essential that the sector had its own structure to co-ordinate and communicate.  The Plymouth Visitor Development Group (PDVG) was established in early 2005 and featured all of the Plymouth Associations with prime interests in the Visitor Sector as well as Plymouth City Council and Plymouth College of Further Education.  The PDVG meets on a bi-monthly basis and operates at a strategic level and has invested considerable time in this strategy to identify the priorities for the sector in the future.

Member of PDVG

Barbican Business Association  

British Institute of Innkeepers

Conference Plymouth

Federation of Small Businesses

Maritime Plymouth

Plymouth Attractions Group

Plymouth Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Plymouth City Centre Company

Plymouth City Council

Plymouth College of Further Education

Plymouth Hotels, Guesthouses & Restaurants

Plymouth Personal Services

Plymouth Premier Hotels

Action Plan

The Plymouth Visitor Development Group has produced The Visitor Strategy for Plymouth 2006-2011.