Kenilworth set to improve visitor experience thanks to county council grant

When the Kenilworth Town Centre Partnership (KTCP) identified an opportunity to investigate how to improve the town's appeal to visitors and tourists, Warwickshire County Council backed the project with a £5,000 grant.

KTCP brings together key stakeholders from the public and private sector to work collaboratively with a view to preserve and enhance the character of the town and make it a great place to live, work, shop and enjoy leisure time.

Kenilworth attracts visitors all year round and they come for many reasons; to experience a day at Kenilworth Castle, enjoy an afternoon at Abbey Fields or spend time shopping in the town or dining in one of the many restaurants and cafes. The Town Partnership felt, however, that there was a need to look at whether the visitor experience could be improved further to ensure that visitors get the most from their visit to the town - and to ensure the local economy is benefiting from tourism.

To obtain a fresh perspective of the town’s visitor experience, the Town Centre Partnership commissioned a consultant to undertake an independent visitor audit of Kenilworth. Funded by the £5,000 grant, the audit will include an assessment of the town’s online presence as well as an assessment of the town’s daytime and evening offer for visitors.

A facilitated half-day workshop will give the KTCP the opportunity to discuss a report identifying opportunities to further improve the town for the benefit of visitors and local businesses. The funding will also support the KTCP's implementation of a number of the actions arising from the consultation.

The project is due to be completed by the end of March 2016. It is hoped that key benefits will include improved visitor-satisfaction, increased visitor-spend, longer stays, more repeat visits and positive word-of-mouth recommendations - which altogether will drive greater visitor expenditure and jobs in the local economy.