VisitEngland leads English Tourism Week which takes place from 22-31 May and celebrates the diverse, exciting and vibrant sector, and showcases the quality, range and value of English tourism to stakeholders.
We spoke to Madeleine Coupe, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, England Midlands and East, National Lottery Heritage Fund about the sector’s role in Covid recovery.
As we begin to reopen the economy, this year’s English Tourism Week is all about celebrating our diverse, exciting and above all resilient tourism sector. Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire has a thriving tourism sector, with pre-pandemic visitor numbers at 3.1 million per year. The sector contributed £1.78 billion to the D2N2 economy and accounted for 91,000 jobs.
Like D2N2, at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we know the significant contribution heritage makes to the visitor offer and have been proud to play our part in supporting the sector. By the end of April 2021, we provided more than £500 million of National Lottery and Government funding for England and the devolved nations – around double our usual amount – to support more than 1,500 heritage organisations though the pandemic.
An exciting future
Thanks to National Lottery players, the National Lottery Heritage Fund is proud to have played our part alongside our regional partners in making these projects happen. The tourism sector in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire is resilient and has an exciting future to look forward to in the coming months.
Looking ahead
As we look ahead, a number of exciting projects in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are opening their doors, driving visitors to the region, supporting jobs and helping the region to recover from Covid-19.
On 21 May, the new Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill opened to visitors for the first time. The Museum sits at the gateway to the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site on the site of what is widely regarded as the world’s first modern factory, giving it international significance.
Celebrating the area’s rich history of innovation and making, it is hoped that the new site will attract more than 140,000 visitors per year to the area and supporting 150 jobs in Derby and putting heritage at the heart of recovery plans for Derby. The project was made possible through £10.6m funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, £3.7m from D2N2 and £2.7m from Arts Council England.
Next month, the widely-anticipated reopening of Nottingham Castle is to take place on 21 June following a £30m redevelopment with investment from National Heritage Lottery Fund, D2N2, Nottingham City Council and Arts Council England, plus fundraising by the Nottingham Castle Trust.
Having stood, in part, for over 400 years, Nottingham Castle is a true symbol of resilience for the region. It is wonderful news that, thanks to players of the National Lottery, it will soon re-open as a beacon of pride and optimism as we move forward from the challenges of the past year.
The Castle project sits within a wider context of strategic developments in the city which includes the Broadmarsh centre development, the railway station refurbishment, and the Carrington St Townscape Heritage scheme, demonstrating the impact of heritage-led regeneration and placemaking.
Also opening this year is Buxton Crescent in Derbyshire. The Grade 1 listed building has undergone a £70m transformation, including £24.350m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £2m from D2N2.The redevelopment and restoration has creating an 81 bedroom, luxury hotel and spa business as well as visitor attraction. The restoration has created 350 jobs through the construction phase, with 140 jobs expected permanently. This magnificent heritage building will be a jewel in the crown of Derbyshire’s tourism economy.
