Patricia was joined by the West Midlands Growth Company’s Head of Tourism, Becky Frall, at Coventry Charterhouse where they revealed key travel trends – including a rise in inter-generational travel, through to key in-bound target markets such as USA, China and India, and ways of working with the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS).
The event attracted organisations from across the region including destination management organisations Destination Coventry and Shakespeare’s England, through to the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and the British Motor Museum, as well as the National Trust, Eden Hotel Collection, Bespoke Hotels and Coventry Building Society Arena.
Becky said: “One of the key takeaways from those in the room was a desire to build on the collaborative working between businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire to increase the dwell time of visitors in the region.
“The area itself is steeped in so much history – from Coventry’s automotive heritage to the Shakespearean pull of Stratford-upon-Avon, and medieval charm of castles in Warwick and Kenilworth – so all of the ingredients are in place for the region to go from strength-to-strength.”
Richard Harrison, Managing Director of No Ordinary Hospitality Management which operates Coombe Abbey Hotel and St Mary’s Guildhall, was among the attendees.
He added: “It was a really interesting discussion about what the future holds for tourism in general.
“As a sector we cannot ignore what I believe are the long-term impacts of the current cost of living issues that we are facing, and as an industry we must look at how we adapt for a future generation who are unlikely to have as much disposable income as their parents.”
Patricia, who attended the roundtable fresh from an appearance at the West Midlands Tourism Awards, also revealed her soft spot for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon when quizzed over her favourite short breaks in the UK.
She said: “My key takeaway from this event was the enthusiasm in the room to grasp the opportunity for future growth, with the range of great assets across the West Midlands.
“Our focus is on making sure that the regions, nations and government are all working together to help make that a reality.”
Adam Manning, Account Director at PLMR Midlands, chaired the roundtable, which was the first corporate event to be held at Coventry Charterhouse since the National Trust took over the running of the property.
He said: “Despite the difficult climate we are all facing, there was an overriding sense of cautious optimism in the room for what lies ahead for both inbound and domestic tourism.
“The challenge now is to implement further collaboration to help Coventry and Warwickshire build upon the millions of visitors they attract every year.”
