English Riviera bucks national trend as visitor numbers increase

The English Riviera has bucked national trends with a surge in visitor numbers thanks to a slick TV advertising campaign - and drinking water bug.

The English Riviera BID Company, which looks after the marketing interests of more than 1,000 tourism and hospitality businesses across the resort, took on the might of South West Water after Brixham was brought to its knees and holiday trade decimated by an outbreak of cryptosporidium, a water parasite bug, in the port’s water supply in May, 2004.

The water company agreed to come up with a ‘recovery’ fund after Brixham and the English Riviera lost millions of pounds in business. 

And it was that cash which paid for a national TV ad campaign which has since helped to increase visitor numbers when other resorts in the West Country and throughout the UK have seen a reduction.

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The campaign, aimed at raising the profile of the English Riviera as a year-round holiday destination for both families and couples, led to a marked increase in domestic holidaymakers this summer.

Tourism across the English Riviera was up on this time last year with hotels, guest houses, and B&Bs achieving an occupancy rate of 83.2 per cent for July and August, up 16.5 per cent on last year, according to research carried out by the South West Visitor Economy Hub. The boost in visitor numbers to Torquay, Brixham and Paignton is largely thanks to the ERBID Company’s investment in the new national advertising campaign.

The campaign was delivered by Devon marketing agency, Chalk & Ward and focused on strategically targeted TV advertising.  The adverts were filmed and produced by Torquay-based Goya Productions.

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Will Ford, managing director of the Greenway Group Ltd who operate five hospitality and three retail outlets in Brixham  along with a leisure business in Galmpton and a nightclub in Torquay, said: “Our local business has seen an impressive nine per cent average growth when compared to a normal year. The cause of the surge is the winning combination of great weather, and most importantly, national TV coverage that has put Brixham firmly in the spotlight.”

The SWW money is paying for a two-year recovery destination marketing campaign.

Carolyn Custerson, chief executive officer of the English Riviera BID Company, said: “We felt it was imperative to attract tourists to the English Riviera following the devastating impact to the visitor economy of the cryptosporidium outbreak in Brixham last year.

“The ERBID Board recruited Chalk & Ward to help us to deliver this important campaign. We are extremely pleased with the results of the campaign, which has attracted more than 10 million views of the TV adverts and more than 40 million impressions across the campaign, ultimately leading to an increase in visitor numbers to the English Riviera this summer.”