PLANS for the Grimsby area to play a major role in marking the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s historic journey from our shores to America is one of the main aims of a group of visitor experts.
PLANS for the Grimsby area to play a major role in marking the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s historic journey from our shores to America is one of the main aims of a group of visitor experts.
Flora Bennett, a partner at Wilkin Chapman solicitors, is one of 20 people from across the county who came together earlier this month for the first meeting of the Lincolnshire Visitor Economy Board.
Created by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, those on the board include senior figures from Butlins, Lincoln Cathedral and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Representatives from North East Lincolnshire also include Bob Callison, of Cleethorpes’ Adelaide Hotel and Liz Parry of Abbys Group, which runs Tale of Two in Cleethorpes, and Abbys and the Curious Cat in Grimsby.
One of the top items on the group’s agenda as it moves forward is ensuring that the county plays an integral part in the Mayflower 400 celebrations.
In 1620, Immingham, Gainsborough and Boston played a key role in the journey of the Pilgrim Fathers from Britain to Cape Cod on America’s East Coast. The 102 passengers and crew on board the Mayflower landed to start a new life away from religious persecution 66 days after setting sail.
In three years’ time major celebrations will take place across the globe to mark this historic journey, and the Lincolnshire Visitor Economy Board, which will report into the LEP, will be discussing how it can best be marked in the county.
Meanwhile overarching aims of the new board, which will meet several times a year, include identifying skills shortages and working with business to tackle them, while producing a more in-depth knowledge of the visitor economy and its future. In doing so, it recognises that tourism and visitors contribute around £2-billion to the county’s economy every year.
Ms Bennett, whose expertise as a solicitor for Wilkin Chapman covers tourism, leisure and high-value agricultural property transactions, is delighted to be a part of the Board and is looking forward to helping to guide the Mayflower celebrations, as well as contributing to its wider aims.
“Greater Lincolnshire has a wealth of great businesses that already attract tourists to the area. The inception of a Board, specifically to help the visitor economy, enables us to build on the fantastic work that’s already being done and give a boost to businesses across the region with the support network we can now provide,” she said.
Chair of the new Board, Chris Baron, Resort Director at Butlins in Ingoldmells, added: “The visitor economy is one of the top three priority sectors in Greater Lincolnshire and the LEP has set itself the challenge of doubling the value of the visitor economy by 2020.”
Wilkin Chapman LLP, with its headquarters in Grimsby, is ideally placed to play a part on the Board – with offices also in Lincoln, Louth, Horncastle and Alford, its team has a wide knowledge of the whole county and its communities.
