12 Government funded tourism projects. 1 goal. 3 simple ways to get involved
There are 12 projects across England, busy working to drive the bookability of local tourism businesses. Funded by Government, these projects have the distinct goal of bringing more of England’s tourism products to market – for improved distribution, both domestically and (post-Covid) internationally.
These are the Discover England Fund (DEF) projects.
VisitEngland supports these projects by managing the fund – providing support and ensuring that actions support the overall aims and goals of DEF.
You may wonder what this has to do with your tourism business. Well, actually, everything.
The DEF projects are funded to develop bookable product and facilitate its distribution. If you’re not bookable (e.g. online or via a 3rd party distributor) then you’ll find business both more profitable and friction-free if you are. And if you are bookable, then there’s everything to gain from being part of a collective marketing and distribution approach for your area. There is no cost to be associated with the DEF projects and many of them will be selling tourism products on their own website, or working with the travel trade to get local tourism products into distributor programmes (e.g. tour operator brochures). We’ve included a full list below so you can see which ones are the closest match for you.
TXGB is working closely with each and every DEF project to develop this bookability. Developed as part of the Discover England Fund, this B2B platform is designed to help get products to market and to bring together England’s fragmented tourism distribution landscape. If your tourism business is already bookable, then you can connect to TXGB with your existing booking system (if it’s one to which TXGB is already connected). Or if it isn’t yet connected, or you don’t have a booking system, then TX Load allows manual upload of prices and information. There’s a solution for businesses of all shapes and sizes, so it’s easy for you to get involved. Connection to TXGB is free, and you only pay commission (which varies by distribution channel), and a 2.5% booking fee when you make a sale.
Uncover the Cotswolds, is one such DEF project – already working with local businesses to grow their distribution. With the aim of showcasing the lesser known attractions & experiences of the area, while also driving shoulder season sales for The Cotswolds as a whole, businesses across the accommodation, attractions and experiences sector are already on board. Sally Graff, Project Lead, adds “We are so delighted that our local tourism sector recognises this valuable opportunity to join together for mutual benefit. At a time when driving tourism to the regions of England is more important than ever, we hope to bring large and small tourism suppliers from The Cotswolds together for collective recovery and growth”.
The Discover England Fund currently covers activity up until the end of March 2021, so here are 3 simple steps to get involved and start benefitting from the exposure these projects can bring:
1.Find out which project (or projects) are closest to you. They are all listed below, with links so that you can find out more.
England’s Great Walking Trails
English National Park Experience Collection
Growing Manchester as an International Gateway to the North
North of England City Experience
The Outdoor City Adventure Breaks
2.Connect to TXGB to ensure that you are bookable – and opt in to the DEF project’s distribution channel (as applicable) as soon as it goes live to start taking bookings on this channel.
TXGB also offers a wide range of other distribution channels, so there are plenty of opportunities to diversify your distribution and grow your sales.
3.Get in touch with your closest DEF project to find out more about current plans, and how to benefit from scheduled activity
Visit Discover England Fund to learn more and for more information email our support team on hello@txgb.co.uk.