Norfolk tourism businesses are enjoying a bumper year with huge confidence about the school summer holidays to come, a recent survey has revealed.
The latest tourism business confidence monitor commissioned by Visit Norfolk reports that 82% of businesses are satisfied with their performance since Easter with 39% seeing an increase in their volume of visitors/guests since last year.
Nearly 90% of businesses are confident about their prospects for the critical school holiday period while six out of 10 are optimistic they will generate growth throughout the year.
More than two thirds of businesses describe their level of bookings to the end of August as “good or very good”
The survey compiled by Destination Research from data supplied by nearly 200 businesses, highlights the importance of refurbishment work and site improvements in driving performance. Businesses are also investing more in marketing reveals the monitor.
Visit Norfolk brand manager Pete Waters said the survey showed the county’s £2.8bn a year visitor economy was “in a good place”
“Our visitor attractions are currently investing over £7 million in improvements, particularly with weather-proofing and that will help drive the year-round visitor offering that we need to sustain full-time employment.”
Mr Waters said the “game-changer” would be the changing the mind-set that the Norfolk tourism season was 12 weeks of the year.
Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said “It is good to hear that our tourism businesses are optimistic about the next few months, however we need to be seen a year-round visitor destination Norfolk’s year-round visitor offering is probably better than any other county and we need to be seen.
“Improved infrastructure is needed to build on the current success. The proposed Northern Distributor Route around the east of Norwich will help unlock parts of our coast in particular, the unique Deep History Coast. Our rural businesses need improved Broadband speeds and reliable mobile signals to be able to increase their productivity levels”
