Tourism 2016

Latest figures released by Tourism South East show the city attracted a total of 11,234,000 visitors in 2016, an increase of 6.4% on 2015.

On a regional and national level, the overall picture shows that Brighton & Hove is performing well, while England saw visitor numbers increase by 4%, the South East, overall, recorded a decrease of 2%.

Total expenditure by visitors to Brighton & Hove is estimated to have been in the region of £885.9 million in 2016, an increase of 3.2% compared to 2015.

The data also shows the city had  9,627,000 day trippers,  a 5.8% upturn on 2015, while the amount of money spent during their trip increased by 6.2% to £353 million.

The number of overnight stays in the city showed the biggest increase at 1,607,000, just over 10% up on 2015.  Domestic visitors were shown to be the group that had contributed most to this growth with almost 15% more overnight trips made by UK travellers compared with 2015 figures. 

The only figure to have dipped slightly is the number of overnight trips made by overseas visitors, which was down marginally, by 2.1%, though both the length and value of each trip has increased.

About Tourism South East (TSE)
TSE is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to provide services and expertise that supports the performance and growth of tourism businesses and destinations. Services provided include:  domestic and international marketing campaigns, PR and web promotions, training courses, research and visitor information services, networking opportunities and advocacy.

Read more about the Economic Impact of Tourism Study, Brighton & Hove

Stanmer Woods Plan

BHCC Parks Projects Team have put out a draft Stanmer Woodland Management Plan for consultation. The plan will strive to bring the woodland in the Stanmer estate back into active economic management with the aim of sustainable production of timber and woodfuel through the application of sound woodland management practices. This plan will also aim to ensure that the nature conservation, landscape and historic features of the woodland are protected and where practical enhanced. Public access provision will be maintained and the woodland will continue to provide a peaceful and pleasant setting for informal recreational activities.

The draft plan sets out how the woodland can be managed over the next 10 years to:

• Maintain and preserve open access.
• Build resilience against Ash Dieback and other diseases and ensure existing woodland cover is maintained.
• Increase biodiversity and protect nationally and locally rare flora and fauna.
• Produce semi commercial timber extraction of coppice products, wood fuel and timber. 

The plan is also supporting the Stanmer Restoration Project HLF application by:

• Protecting historical, archaeological, and environmental elements on the estate.
• Providing related activities such as rural skills, forest schools and wood based produce.
• Increase the city’s offer for volunteering work such as coppicing, pollarding, scrub clearing and general woodland management practices.

The Stanmer Park Restoration project is a joint initiative between Brighton & Hove City Council, Plumpton College and South Downs National Park Authority and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) .

Ancient woodland

Find out more and make comments.

Public information sessions will be held on Thursday February 1 and Saturday 3 February 2018 at Stanmer Tea Rooms from 9am to midday.

The plan can also be viewed in full on request at Hollingdean Depot Learning and Resource Centre (please contact the parks projects team 01273 294737 to arrange) and will be available at the Stanmer Tea rooms sessions.

The consultation closes on 12th February 2018.

The Graffiti scourge.

From the Brighton & Hove Heritage Commission:-

In the past twelve months Brighton and Hove has become the victim of an epidemic of graffiti, artlessly and indiscriminately scrawled across every unguarded wall and render, or so it seems. No building is safe. Even security shutters are not safe. Property owners hardly dare put up scaffolding for fear of enabling access to these talentless vandals.
It is a well known fact that graffiti, if not removed immediately, quickly leads to even more graffiti which in turn leads to defacement of the whole neighbourhood, like a cancer, bringing the area down both aesthetically and economically as it increasingly resembles a ghetto. Our city already suffers from a large number of empty commercial premises and these are even less likely to be re-let if graffiti is allowed to proliferate. Read on.

The Quaker Burial site. - 1

Would you litter-pick?