Nine Derbyshire market towns inlcuding Buxton now have a new ally to help them swell and share visitor numbers, realise their full tourism potential and boost their vibrancy. Jessica Grocutt, who has been appointed Market Towns Project Officer by official tourist board Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, will be working closely with town teams, councils, local businesses and other organisations to make the county’s tourism-focused market towns even more attractive to visitors.
“We’re working with towns that have been identified as having potential to develop further as thriving tourist attractions, and my job will be to act as a catalyst to help them fulfil that potential – organising everything from workshops and seminars to business support and advice,” said Jessica. “The aim is to attract visitors to come and see what our varied market towns have to offer, to stay and spend money in Derbyshire, and we’ll be developing itineraries to persuade them to visit more than one of our towns while they are here.”
“We’ll also concentrate on promoting Derbyshire-made products, with the main focus on food and drink, to encourage local businesses to use local products, and to make it clear to visitors that they are. So there’ll be workshops and advice on branding, and we’ll also be linking in with food fairs, farmers’ markets and other events.”
She would like to hear from businesses in Buxton to discuss what type of support they need to help their communities flourish and prosper in the future. Businesses and organisations who would like to get involved in the Market Towns project are invited to contact Jessica at jessica.grocutt@marketingpdd.com or on 01246 212924 ext. 2008.
