. Your latest news update for local tourism providers |
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Shortlisted - Best UK Destination by Group Leisure & Travel Awards Leicester and Leicestershire has been shortlisted in the Best UK Destination category for the Group Leisure & Travel Awards. These annual awards recognize the best providers, attractions and destinations for groups as chosen by group travel organisers and the Group Leisure & Travel Award readers. Our region tells some of England's most unique and unusual stories. Groups are invited to uncover them by visiting some truly unique and remarkable attractions. Request your copy of the latest Group Travel Guide here to find out more. Winners will be selected through voting by Sunday 2 July 2023, so there's still time to vote and we really appreciate your support.
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| | | Scrumptious marketing of local food and drink!"Taste the Place", a new campaign that puts Leicester and Leicestershire’s regional food, drink and tourism on the map is ready to serve up a great menu. Thanks to our partners at Visit Leicester for creating this exciting marketing opportunity with amazing content with the focus on 4 key themes:- A taste of England The World on a Plate Food for Thought The Home of Veganism.
We are working on the development of this campaign to benefit local businesses with :- A new food and drink event calendar ‘Taste Adventures in Leicester & Leicestershire’ with itineraries, trails and interactive maps promoting the best food and drink independents Pub Walks for Foodies - curated 1 hour walks from some of the best independent local pubs Exciting video and social media to showcase our great local food and drink offers.
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Funding news | From 21 June 2023, tourism businesses located in rural areas of Harborough district can apply for funding support from the Rural Economy Prosperity Fund (REPF). Eligible businesses with less than 249 staff, and who meet the criteria, can apply for funds from £5000 to £20,000 towards capital works such as farm diversification by converting redundant barns to overnight accommodation for visitors or developing a site with glamping pods. Match funding towards the project costs will be required and funding cannot be applied retrospectively, after projects have started. The grant will close on Monday 11 September 2023 or before that, subject to demand - so act now!
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| | Funding for Small Independent Museums | A new round of funding to help small independent museums with projects seeking to tell a new story and attract a new audience to their organisation is now available. The Association of Independent Museums (AiM), in partnership with the Heritage Fund, is offering grants of up to £15,000 to increase and widen audiences, enhance sustainability, and increase participation from groups that are currently under-represented. The New Stories New Audiences Fund will support projects that result in a wider range of people being involved in heritage, as well as at least one or more of the following objectives: - Heritage will be better identified and better explained.
- People will have developed skills.
- People will have learnt about heritage leading to a change in ideas and actions.
- People will have greater well-being.
- The organisation will be more resilient.
- The local area will be a better place to live, work, or visit.
Funding can be used to cover direct project costs such as: - Volunteer expenses.
- Training costs.
- Events costs (including room hire, refreshments and equipment).
- Small capital works (including purchasing equipment, digitisation, and minor building work).
- Costs to improve access.
- Professional fees.
- Interpretation and display costs.
AIM members in the small museum category (up to 20,000 visitors) that seek to work with new partners and try new ideas can apply. This includes both not-for-profit organisations and private heritage collections. Examples of new partners include schools, local history groups, universities, local charities, communities, social or volunteer groups, or individuals such as artists. The deadline for applications is 31 October 2023. |
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| | Brook Meadow recognised at national awards | We're excited to see Brook Meadow holiday site, near Market Harborough made it through tough competition to the final of the Visit England Awards for Excellence. The tourism industry annual awards ceremony was held on 7 June. Brook Meadow, which is set in the heart of a working farm on the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire border, scooped the Silver Award in the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year. Very well deserved by them and well done! Claire Hart, owner commented "In business I’m never complacent and have strived for excellence. In the space of 5 years my business has been turned around through much effort and entering competitions has helped drive that change."
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Applications open for 2023 awards The Leicestershire Promotions Tourism and Hospitality Awards 2023 are now open with nominations invited across 16 core categories. It's time to shine the spotlight on the best of what Harborough District tourism has to offer and delight visitors. The winners of the regional awards will go forward to the National VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. Applications for these core categories must be submitted online by 31 August (except Small and Large Attraction category which must be submitted by 31 July, to give time for judges to visit during the summer). So grab yourself a good brew in a quiet space and get going on your application!
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Wistow maze gets set to reopen With a wonderful new green sea turtle design, the amazing Wistow Maze opens on Monday 17 July until Sunday 17 September. This year's theme at this popular visitor attraction in Harborough District raises awareness of the problems facing the world's marine wildlife. With over 3 miles of pathways to explore and get lost in, it's a great place for your visitors of all ages to enjoy and then follow with refreshments and relaxation in Wistow Rural Centre. It is also part of the inspirational local Fitcation campaign
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Market Harborough Classic Car Show is back
| We're getting so excited to see the streets of Market Harborough transformed and lined with vintage and classic vehicles of every kind for one day only on Sunday 9 July from 10am until 4pm. From lorries to Lambrettas, Ferraris to Fire engines, and motor bikes to Maybach, it really is a spectacle set to welcome thousands of visitors. With food and drink plus charity stalls, this promises to be a great day out and a boost for the local economy.
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Business Spotlight - Cotesbach Education Trust | Tucked away behind a walled garden just south of Lutterworth, you'll find the lovely Cotesbach Education Trust ; a registered charity hosting and providing learning opportunities focusing on heritage, the environment and the arts. Their core aim is reconnecting with place and land to develop skills for the future, using their extensive family archive as an ongoing point of reference. The list of amazing activities has included bread making, pork pie making, spoon bending, foraging, basket weaving and other traditional skills and crafts. We are delighted to hear that they celebrate their 10 year anniversary this year and send congratulations to site owner Sophy Newton and her team on this amazing achievement.
Do you want to see your tourism attraction or hospitality business featured here? Get in touch and share your story. Send us 2 images and a write up about what makes your tourism or hospitality business special, how you've developed and grown and we will be happy to share here and on social media. There's a great local offer and amazing businesses here. We want to help support, promote and showcase these.
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Heritage Open Days - get involved |
For ten days this September a host of fantastic historical and cultural events are being organised across Harborough District. This is all part of the exciting national Heritage Open Days celebration. If you run a heritage site or work at one, it’s your chance to get involved and open up too, attract new audiences and give visitors the chance to try out great new experiences. To be part of this campaign, you need to offer free entry and must include an exchange of information such as a tour, display, workshop or interactive event. Register your events by 1 August which must run anytime between 8 – 17 September.
Contact us and share your ideas. We're happy to support and help you.
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Free offer to green up your tourism business Do you need help working out your carbon footprint? Do you know the difference between net zero and low carbon? Leisure visitors are becoming more aware of their impact on the planet and making sustainable choices of where they choose to stay. Zellar Sustainability Platform gives small businesses the chance to measure, plan, activate, report and share your sustainability journey. Everything you need to tackle sustainability and reduce the cost of doing business, all in one place and wrapped up in one simple score. Harborough District Council is funding a limited number of licences and demand has been high from local businesses to experience this offer with no charge for 1 year. |
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| DATE: Tuesday 28 June 2023
TIME: 9:30am - 4.30pm
WHERE: tba
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| DATE: Tuesday 29 June 2023 TIME: 9.30am - 4.30pm
WHERE: Harborough Innovation Centre
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| DATE: Thursday 29 June 2023
TIME: 8.30am - 3.30pm
WHERE: Leicester Marriott Hotel |
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Do you have any news or articles you would like to share?
If so, please email and we will look to include it in future editions.
For more regular updates please join us on social media. | |
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