CLLR: Stuart Hughes
Date: 28th March 2002
  

THE DEVON BRAND SPEECH

May I say how much I welcomed the report that went to the last Executive Committee on the promotion of the Devon Brand.

There is no doubt the Internet plays an enormous role in promoting and attracting visitors, to Devon and I am delighted that the County Council will be developing in partnership an umbrella tourism portal website, which it is said will be one of the best of its type and which will attract 10,000 visitors in its first year. With more than £27,000 being earmarked for its development it should be the BEST OF ITS TYPE.

To achieve this  the information must be kept up to date,and the work carried out in house, if it isn’t then those regular visitors to the website (and indeed there are many) will lose interest and look elsewhere.

At Executive I suggested setting up a network of web cameras around the County ………focussing on the quality landscape and environment, using the coast, countryside, moorland and heritage brands… this has been successfully done in other parts of the world.

We in Devon have two cameras linked to the internet already concentrating on the traffic heading down the M5 at Junction 30.

Lets give those web surfers a taste of what we really have to offer by setting up web camera’s for starters on Dartmoor, along the Tarka trail, Stover Park and The WHS Jurassic Coast……..SITED at Sidmouth.

When Visit was first of all mooted we were brainwashed by some  that this was the ultimate system which could stand alone and  which saw the demise of the manned TIC’s at Granada and Tiverton services.

Two years down the line and the partners have lost faith in the system, and stand alone the  Visit Kiosk  does outside the mother and baby changing rooms at the Granada Services….. with  much of its information sadly out of date….instead of celebrating the Queens Golden Jubilee were still celebrating the millennium as much of the information it carries is from the year 2000 and there’s even one reference to the Eclipse of 99.

WHAT A RELIEF TO SEE THAT THIS SYSTEM IS AT LAST GOING TO BE  REPLACED……..BUT WHY WAIT UNTIL 2003

Surely our accommodation providers and attractions deserve a manned presence at these two major gateways to give visitors to our wonderful county accurate information and also prevent the would be chance visitors from passing straight through Devon  to Cornwall….and the EDEN PROJECT……..HOW ABOUT THE JURASSIC COAST………I WONDER How many visitors heading down the  M5 have heard about the granting of WHS Status to the East Devon coastline.

The Interpretation boards that are dotted around the County also play an important tourism role sadly many of these are also in need of updating.

I’m pleased to see that our new Economic Development Officer has agreed to look at these suggestions along with those made by other members of the Executive.

There’s much to do….lets do it.