Destination Management Plan

Download the Cotswolds Tourism Destination Management Plan

Our vision for tourism in the Cotswolds is:

"To ensure that the Cotswolds is a vibrant year-round destination where visitors enjoy high quality, authentic experiences and tourism makes an increasing contribution to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the local economy."

Under this sit six key areas, each with a number of priorities within them:

  1. Sustainability
    ● To increase usage of sustainable transport by visitors when travelling to and around the Cotswolds.
    ● To encourage businesses to adopt sustainable practices and to develop sustainable tourism messaging to all stakeholders and visitors.
    ● To encourage the use of local produce and suppliers to support the development of better local supply chains.
    ● To improve information provision to encourage visitors to travel more responsibly when in destination.
    ● To encourage visitors to respect the unique Cotswolds landscape and local communities, and encourage participation in the Caring for the Cotswolds payback scheme.
    ● To encourage a better geographical and seasonal spread of visitors to lessen the impact on the landscape and its residents.
    ● To promote the co-benefits of active travel (walking and cycling) on health and wellbeing - as well as reducing carbon emissions.
  2. Partnerships
    ● To maintain and improve the tourism partnerships across the Cotswolds to coordinate delivery of the destination management plan.
    ● To work with and support businesses and organisations in achieving their objectives.
    ● To identify opportunities for external funding to implement elements of the Destination Management Plan.
    ● To maintain an effective partnership mechanism between Cotswolds Tourism and the wider visitor economy stakeholders. 
  3. Product
    ● To develop a sense of place by encouraging enjoyment and understanding of the natural, historic and cultural heritage of the Cotswolds.
    ● To advocate for investment and improvements to the wider destination infrastructure
    ● To ensure all visitors receive high quality service and experiences throughout their destination journey.
    ● To maximise visitor distribution across the Cotswolds and throughout the year
    ● To work with businesses and organisations to develop engaging new experiences, particularly those available year round.
    ● Ensuring visitors can easily access reliable up-to-date information to simplify planning and maximise enjoyment of their visit.
    ● To improve information provision for those with access needs and to encourage better accessibility within businesses 
  4. Marketing
    ● To strengthen the Cotswolds brand and profile as a leading year-round destination.
    ● To keep abreast of new technologies and ensure that Cotswolds Tourism maximises the opportunities these offer for cost effective marketing.
    ● To develop innovative marketing plans that achieve maximum exposure.
    ● To investigate new opportunities for enhancing and supporting year-round products, events and activities.
    ● To ensure marketing works to spread visitors geographically and seasonally.
    ● To showcase new products and developments to counter potential misconceptions of the Cotswolds. 
  5. Knowledge and data
    ● To commission annual economic impact studies for the Cotswolds.
    ● To explore and develop systems for monitoring visitor satisfaction, marketing effectiveness and business performance.
    ● To investigate ways of tracking visitor footfall numbers and trends across the Cotswolds, particularly in areas prone to high visitor numbers.
    ● Continued analysis of traffic and sentiment on the Cotswolds.com website and social media channels.
    ● Track local business activity and sentiment. 
  6. Performance
    ● To increase B2B connections encouraging greater use of local produce and suppliers.
    ● To offer opportunities for B2B communication and sharing of best practice.
    ● To encourage the development of sustainable business practices that deliver economic, environmental and social benefits for the wider visitor economy.
    ● To provide regular business updates on developments, opportunities and training available to local visitor economy businesses.
    ● Supporting businesses to adopt and best utilise new technologies and to continually improve their online presence.