Better Welcome

Through the work of Bewdley Development Trust and the Stourport Forward Market Towns Initiative Programme the sister towns of Stourport and Bewdley have gained acceptance onto an exciting new scheme to help market towns to improve their understanding of the needs and aspirations of tourists and to develop an even “Better Welcome” for visitors to both towns. The scheme provides a unique opportunity to take a fresh look at the local tourist market and to identify opportunities and potential improvements.

Known as the “Better Welcome For Market Towns Programme”, the initiative will help individual market towns, small businesses and local Councils to understand what needs to be done to enhance the experience of visitors and how to improve the marketing and promotion of the towns and the surrounding rural areas. It will also help to highlight the similarities and differences between towns such as Bewdley and Stourport and to identify areas where the towns may work together to boost the local tourism economy.

The local programmes will be delivered through Stourport Forward and Bewdley Development Trust. The Better Welcome Programme has been funded by Advantage West Midlands and is being managed by amt-i, Action For Market Towns’ consulting and research division. amt-i  will work in partnership with Heart of England Tourism and Quality At Heart to deliver a visitor survey in each town and provide free professional tourism business support through seminars and workshops. A team of local volunteers has already been recruited, in each town, to assist with the audit of tourist provision.  Professionals will then work with each town to create an action plan of potential improvements. Workshops will provide an opportunity for local tourism businesses to be actively involved in this process during Spring 2007.

Once an Action Plan has been established the scheme will culminate in an invitation to each town to apply for a development grant of up to £25,000 to help to “kick start” essential improvements to the public spaces within the town and implement some of the recommendations which have been identified through the audit, survey and development of the plan.

Jon Payne, Partnerships Team Leader at Advantage West Midlands said "I am delighted that Stourport and Bewdley have been successful in applying to be part of the Better Welcome for Market Towns programme.  Participation in this groundbreaking initiative will provide both towns with an opportunity to harness the enthusiasm of their communities and kick start tourism initiatives that are shaped and delivered by the towns themselves. 

The involvement of the Bewdley and Stourport business communities will be vital in the success of the project.  Through a series of workshops and seminars local businesses in the tourism sector - for example retailers, pubs, restaurants and hotels - will be helped to attract new customers and modernising business practices to become responsive to the needs of the visitor market."

Derek Fradgley, Chairman of Stourport Forward said “During the past two years we have been working to create a new, vibrant image for Stourport; one that will attract investment in tourism and leisure, creating new jobs and improving life for everyone in and around the town. This initiative will be of enormous help in ensuring that we are communicating our message to those people we want to attract, and to everyone who has plans to invest in Stourport. It is another example of the practical help we have received during our Market Towns Initiative programme, and we are extremely grateful for it”