New national ‘Visit Telford’ campaign aims to boost tourism

A national ‘Visit Telford’ promotional campaign has been launched encouraging visitors from far and wide to discover and explore Telford’s towns, countryside and attractions.

The exciting UK wide campaign aims to support the growth of the visitor and culture sector in Telford and beyond.

Each year, over 6 million visitors come to explore and enjoy Telford and its major towns, injecting over £600million into the local economy.  

The town has become a major destination for international and domestic tourism, welcoming visitors from London and Liverpool to Canada and New Zealand

Visitors can mix great days out at museums, parklands and adventure attractions, with trips to hidden gems, magical rivers and mystical landscapes - as well as exploring the area’s history and heritage. 

They can also explore places such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ironbridge Gorge and The Wrekin – an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Visit Telford’s launch coincides with the peak summer season and builds on the hugely successful Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which drew to a close this week.

The Visit Telford concept has been developed by Telford & Wrekin Council’s tourism team and the launch of a new digital platform www.visittelford.co.uk marks the start of the campaign.

It provides the ultimate one stop portal for UK and international visitors as well as a hive of information about what to do, where to stay, where to eat and what’s on.    

This platform is just one of the exciting new initiatives that Visit Telford is rolling out to grow the hospitality and tourism sector. 

With the launch of the new portal and the roll out of local and national marketing campaigns and promotions, the Visit Telford team are aiming for big growth in the sector, targeting new and existing markets to welcome new visitors to experience Telford 365 days of the year.    

Working closely with local tourism, culture and hospitality businesses, Visit Telford will develop a collaborative tourism partnership for all and deliver activities that support sustainable growth within the tourism and cultural economy.   

The website has been developed by leading digital tourism experts Simpleview who have worked with other major UK city destinations to transform their tourism appeal. And over the coming months Visit Telford will introduce new features and benefits on the website  including online booking for attractions, events, great days out and even table bookings at restaurants and eateries.  

Visit Telford also hope the platform will inspire local people to explore the area, be a tourist in their own town and discover new places to visit, eat, drink and try new things.

Nick Ralls, Chief Executive of The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: "It's fantastic to see Telford & Wrekin Council supporting the tourism sector by launching the Visit Telford promotional campaign and helping to boost the regional visitor economy.

There are so many fantastic reasons to visit Telford & Wrekin and we are extremely proud that our 10 museum sites, situated in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are a major draw for both local people and tourists travelling from further afield.

Councillor Eileen Callear (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’ Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Employment and Skills said: “Following the pandemic, we felt we needed to invest in a new platform that would support our tourism, retail and hospitality businesses, help them get back on their feet and provide new employment opportunities in these sectors.

“Telford’s major heritage destinations are a hotspot for international visitors and our top class attractions, museums and outdoor centres and landscapes are a major pull for domestic, short stay and weekend visitors.

“This new portal will provide the perfect route to welcoming our out of area visitors back and inspire local people to see more of what’s on their doorstep.

“We’d like to encourage all businesses within the tourism, retail and hospitality sectors to register on Visit Telford for free and be fully represented as we showcase Telford as a wonderful tourist destination.”

Residents and visitors can find inspiration on great days out and shorts breaks on www.visittelford.co.uk 

Tourism, retail, and hospitality businesses are encouraged to register their business free of charge online here to benefit from free listings on the new website – email your interest to hello@visittelford.co.uk