Visit Dorset activity to support the Dorset visitor economy 2025

Dorset Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP)

In response to the government’s 2021 review of Destination Management Organisations, a new national framework was introduced: Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs). These partnerships are designed to strengthen collaboration, champion local destinations, and drive sustainable growth in the visitor economy.

Visit Dorset led the successful application for Dorset to achieve LVEP status on behalf of the entire county, including Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole, with Dorset Council acting as the accountable body. In April, Dorset was officially accredited by VisitEngland, joining an exclusive network of just 38 LVEPs across England. The application was supported by over 40 letters of endorsement, including those from the Chief Executives and Leaders of Dorset and BCP Councils, a collective response from Dorset MPs, and backing from key stakeholders and industry leaders across the county including BIDs, Town Councils, Dorset Chamber of Trade, the National Trust, Bournemouth Airport and Portland Port.

This accreditation is a significant milestone for Dorset. It gives us:

• A stronger voice at national level to influence policy and priorities, ensuring our local initiatives are closely aligned with VisitEngland’s national ambitions
• Closer collaboration across the industry, uniting businesses, councils, and stakeholders.
• Access to support and potential resources from VisitEngland, enabling us to innovate, grow, and enhance Dorset’s visitor economy.

The formation of the Dorset LVEP was a key achievement for Visit Dorset in 2025 following 2 years of hard work, overcoming several challenges to make it happen. It marks a new era of partnership and ambition, working together to ensure Dorset remains a leading destination for visitors, businesses and communities.

Dorset Destination Management Plan

In July 2025, as part of Dorset’s LVEP accreditation, we began to develop a comprehensive Destination Management Plan (DMP) covering the entire county. Commissioned by the Dorset Tourism Association and funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, this plan will serve as Dorset’s tourism strategy for the next five years. It will outline the current state of tourism, define clear ambitions, and set priorities for growing the visitor economy. Recognised by all stakeholders, the DMP will be the guiding framework for tourism development across Dorset.

During summer 2025, we focused on aligning the plan with local, regional, and national plans and strategies. This was followed by an extensive consultation period in autumn, engaging key stakeholders and businesses through surveys and workshops to identify and agree on the priority areas for action.

The plan is scheduled for completion in spring 2026 and an annual action plan will be developed to drive its implementation through coordinated delivery.

Website Development

• Delivering a programme of ongoing development on our visit-dorset.com website.  Managing a schedule of content creation and contract management to ensure that best use is made of all the site functionality available to us.
• Successful procurement of a new 3 + 1 year contract for the visit-dorset.com website with Granicus via G-Cloud-14.
• Continued management of Lyme Regis, Swanage and Sherborne websites in partnership with town councils.
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) development strategy in place providing in depth reports, structured guidance on content development and monthly health checks to ensure the site’s continued growth and success.
• Annual web users of nearly 1.6 million (December 2024 to November 2025) and almost 5 million pageviews. Marketing plans in place to continue to raise the profile of Visit Dorset in 2026.The Visit Dorset website remains one of the higher performing destination sites across Simpleview’s European clients. The site attracted traffic from sources that train AI models, which highlights its reputation as a trusted, authoritative, and up-to-date resource.
• Effective use of ‘Crowdriff’ a software platform which sources Dorset imagery directly from social media, keeping the website authentic and engaging.   

Marketing & Promotional Campaigns

• In 2025 Visit Dorset received a further one year allocation of £110,000 under the UK Shared Prosperity Funding government allocation for Dorset Council. The funding was divided into four projects and used to:
   
  • support a Destination Management Plan for the newly formed Dorset Local Visitor Economy Partnership via a grant to the Dorset Tourism Association
  • support year round tourism and increase visitor spend with new video content and an autumn/winter marketing campaign
  • support the Dorset Tourism Awards and assist businesses with training, knowledge and product development via a grant to Tourism Services Ltd
  • support and promote Dorset Food & Drink activity to increase engagement and promote out of season via a grant to the National Landscape team
     
• The first video targeting the Nature & Culture segment launched with a multi-channel campaign across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Google Search. It generated over 1.5 million views, delivered 2.5 million impressions, and reached more than 600,000 people on Facebook and Instagram
• Produced a 50,000-print run of a Dorset Days Out fold out map leaflet including adverts for 59 existing Visit Dorset attraction and activity businesses to encourage visits.
• December 2025: Instagram 47.8K followers (+11% on 2024) and 900k reach; Facebook 45.4k followers (+8% on 2024) and 2.9 million reach; TikTok 1473 followers (+22% on 2024) and 50k reach.
• 14 consumer e-newsletters with an average reach of 25,200 per newsletter (up 1200 on 2024) and an open rate of 38% (3% increase from 2024).
• Partnered with England’s Coast in a dedicated Spring campaign with a blog and landing page for Dorset and adverts across Facebook, Instagram and Google raising exposure and inspiring people to visit Dorset.  Supported the England’s Coast A5 brochure that was taken to the Vakantiebeurs exhibition with a half page advert for Dorset.
• Continued strengthening of our partnership with the North Dorset Tourism Group to promote hidden gems of Rural/North Dorset including an interactive map of the White Hart Link Trail, campaign pages on visit-dorset.com to promote businesses in the area and new video content for North Dorset, Shaftesbury and Blandford.Discover the Serene Beauty of Rural North Dorset (visit-dorset.com).
• 34 blogs written by the Visit Dorset team, as well as 15 guest blogs hosted on visit-dorset.com.
  
  
  Business Support 

• A successful networking event brought together over 50 businesses at Highlands End Holiday Park in November 2025. Highlights included an update on the Dorset LVEP from Robin Tjolle, Regional Development Lead for the South West, and a presentation from Sam Richardson of the National Coastal Tourism Academy outlining plans for Dorset’s new Destination Management Plan. The Visit Dorset team shared insights into 2026 marketing activity and practical ways members can maximise their partnership. Attendees also enjoyed a video showcasing the value of the Dorset Tourism Awards and the benefits for participants. The event was attended by Dorset Council’s new Chief Executive, Catherine Howe, who delivered a warm introduction and emphasised the vital role tourism plays in Dorset’s economy.
   
• Expanded our account management programme for Visit Dorset’s paying members, providing tailored support to help them maximise the value of their partnership with us. Throughout the year, we held positive, constructive meetings with members, ensuring businesses felt supported and gained a clear understanding of how to fully leverage their membership benefits
   
• Regular meetings with businesses and stakeholder organisations to encourage partnership working and continue to grow our Visit Dorset members across the County, including Hall & Woodhouse, Waterside Holiday Group and the National Trust.

• Regular e-newsletters to members and wider business groups across Dorset summarising training opportunities, business events, new legislation and business toolkits, awards schemes, Visit Dorset membership benefits, our marketing campaigns, survey participation and results.
• Increased focus on LinkedIn, generating an additional 106 followers who are actively interacting and reposting our LinkedIn news.  All new members are welcomed and promoted. Visit Dorset’s LinkedIn account now has 518 followers. We will continue to grow this in 2026.
• Welcomed several new members from the BCP Council area. As a team we will be looking to work with more businesses across Dorset in 2026.
• Promoting training, marketing and business networking opportunities for Dorset tourism businesses including business development, funding applications and digital skills, working with partners such as Dorset Business Mentors and Business Growth Dorset.
• Promotion of Dorset’s late availability, special offers and additional feature advertising opportunities. Development of the event marketing bundle available to organisers looking to increase reach using the Visit Dorset platforms.
• Sponsored the ‘New Tourism Business’ category for the 2025 Dorset Tourism Awards and presented the ‘Winner of Winners’ prize at the Awards Celebration Event hosted by Weymouth Pavilion. Supported promotion of the awards scheme throughout the year. Delighted to see Dorset recognised nationally, winning awards at the VisitEngland Excellence Awards. Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth – Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award (Silver). Summer Lodge Hotel, Evershot – Small Hotel of the Year (Gold). Sculpture by the Lakes, Dorchester – Small Visitor Attraction of the Year (Bronze).
• Promoted English Tourism Week, Small Business Saturday and other national initiatives to help drive awareness and increase local visitor spend.
• Attended tourism forums, Chamber and BID meetings to understand the difficulties facing sectors of the economy linked to tourism and feedback to government via the Great South West Tourism Partnership

Press and PR

Attended VisitEngland’s Meet the Media Event - London, March 25

• Networking event to promote Dorset’s 2025 destination news and stories to over 60 travel and lifestyle media including travel editors, international correspondents, content creators and a number of prolific freelance travel writers.
• Opportunity to connect with VE Press Team and national LVEP representatives.

Supported press and media enquiries throughout the year including:

• Press trips and support/images offered for articles in National Geographic, The Telegraph, Women’s Weekly, Luxury Travel Mag, The iPaper, and Yeah Lifestyle.

The team promoted a range of national film and TV productions throughout 2025:

• Ocean by Sir David Attenborough (screened in cinemas) featured Old Harry Rocks.
• The Salt Path (a Black Bear Pictures production) - filming took place at Durlston Country Park.
• The Woman in Cabin 10 (a Netflix production) was filmed on the coast at Portland.
• Josie Gibson’s Taste of the West Country (ITVX) featuring Dorset artisan makers and growers.
• Robson Green: World’s Most Amazing Walks (UKTV) filmed along the Jurassic Coast.

Social Media Collaborations and Competitions

Hosted 11 website competitions in partnership with members, delivering excellent exposure for their businesses and generating strong results in entries and opt-in data. The most successful competition attracted over 10,000 entries. All competitions were promoted through our social channels and e-newsletters, driving impressive engagement with our audience.

• Luxury Dorset Weekend Getaway with Dorchester TC (5,890 entrants)
• 4 tickets on a ‘Thrill & Chill’ ride with Lyme Bay RIB Rides (1,423 entrants)
• Tickets to see John Boys Welsh Male Choir (236 entrants)
• Short break to Newlands Holidays (5,264 entrants)
• 2 night stay at The Front Rows (9,937 entrants)
• Glamping Break at Stock Gaylard (8,496 entrants)
• Jurassic Coast Cruise for 5 people x 2 (3,313 entrants)
• Weekend Break at Burnbake Forest Lodges (7,783 entrants)
• Break for 2 to Upton Grange (7,071 entrants)
• Car free weekend escape to Dorchester (5,307 entrants)
• 2 night stay with Lyme Regis Stays (10,000 + entrants)

Working with social media influencers

To support our marketing campaigns, Visit Dorset hosted a series of high profile social media influencers on our Instagram account:

• In February, we worked with Adventures of Alice to support our Dorset Unplugged campaign. Alice stayed at Loose Reins with tickets to Kingston Lacy. The itinerary also featured Shaftesbury Snowdrops & Gold Hill, North Dorset Trailway & Shillingstone Station and hiking on Hambledon Hill.
• In March, Alice also worked with us with our Spring in Dorset campaign. Visit Dorset arranged 2 nights at Honeysuckle Cottage, Kingston (Dorset Cottage Holidays) with tickets to Kings View Corfe Castle, kayaking with Fore Adventure, tickets to Swanage Railway Steam Gala & the Etches Collection. The itinerary also featured Swanage, Arne, Chapman's Pool, Kimmeridge and  Sandbanks.
• In May, we worked in partnership with Lyme Regis Stays to host Amy en Voyage to promote Lyme Regis and tie in with the #Austen250 celebrations. Amy stayed at Austen's Garret, explored the town, ate at the Town Mill Bakery & Kiosk and visited Charmouth.
• In October, we worked with Living Our Memories who showcased autumn in Dorset as part of our Naturally Inspiring campaign. We organised a 1 night stay in a Stargazer Yurt with South Lytchett Manor plus media passes to RSPB Arne, Jurassic Coast Cruise with Coastal Cruises, Saltwater Sauna session, coastal foraging with Fore Adventure and lunch at the Scott Arms in Kingston.

Sustainability

• Signposting of resources, funding, and case studies on the Visit Dorset Industry site to help businesses become more sustainable.
• Promotion of green tourism section on the Visit Dorset website including travel, accommodation, local produce, electric vehicles etc, aimed at visitors to Dorset.
• Promotion of ‘out of season’ campaigns to encourage visitors to take holidays/short breaks out of the main holiday season to spread visitor numbers and tackle the issue of seasonality. Monthly blogs to promote the top reasons to visit Dorset in January, February, March etc showcasing Dorset as a year-round destination.
• Promotion of Visit Dorset sustainable website content on Facebook to tie in with national campaigns such as bike week, car free day and Small Business Saturday.

Partnership working

VisitEngland, Dept Media Culture and Sport (DCMS) and MPs

Regular meetings with the VisitEngland Regional Lead for the South West to develop our Dorset LVEP annual growth plan, share best practice, data, business support and national marketing campaign opportunities, to support the government agenda for England’s visitor economy.

Great South West Tourism Partnership (GSWTP)

Fortnightly meetings throughout 2025 with tourism leads across the south west, the Head of Tourism for DCMS and VisitEngland and key industry stakeholders. The partnership is key to co-ordinating regional marketing campaigns, collaborative impact surveys and effective lobbying to government for industry support.  Partners continued to work to their comprehensive plan ‘Towards 2030’ on key issues affecting the industry and used this to attract funding bids from government.
 

MP roundtable

Attended a special visitor economy stakeholder roundtable for West Dorset called by Edward Morello MP to discuss issues affecting the tourism industry Dorset. He will take comments back and have an annual catch up with the group. Importance of the Dorset LVEP status was highlighted and the need for government funding for LVEPs to work. Visit Dorset activity was praised by attendees.

Dorset Tourism Association (DTA) and Dorset LVEP Advisory Board

Having achieved LVEP status for Dorset, a new Dorset LVEP Board is being formed to guide the new partnership. It was agreed that the existing DTA would become the Dorset LVEP board with an additional executive sub group to manage activity. Regular board meetings take place to gain insight into issues affecting all sectors of Dorset’s visitor economy; feedback used to support businesses, lobby and feedback to the GSWTP.

Other key partnerships

• England’s Coast partnership, supporting coastal destinations. Working together on joint marketing opportunities and Dorset representation in international marketing activity as part of a national consortium.
   
• Working with town councils and BIDs in Swanage, Wimborne, Dorchester, Weymouth, Lyme Regis and Sherborne and Councillors in North Dorset towns to build mutually beneficial partnerships and to grow their local visitor economy.

• Continued partnership with the Dorset Museums Association on a joint package to enable museums in Dorset to feature on the Visit Dorset site whatever size or set up.
• Working with the Arts Development Company, Dorset Council’s appointed strategic development company for culture, to boost promotion of arts and culture through Visit Dorset’s marketing platforms.
• Simpleview Rural Focus Group & Simpleview Advisory Group – a handpicked group of destinations working together to share tips and ideas for best practice.
   

​​Research and consultation

• The Market Segmentation research carried out in 2024 identified 5 different markets for Dorset: Comfort and Convenience; Active and Mindful; Nature and Culture, Luxury and Learning; and Fun and Relaxation. This research helps inform our own marketing plans as well as being useful for Dorset businesses seeking to improve their offer to existing customers, and to break into new markets. Our 2025/26 videos created using SPF funding are aimed at Nature & Culture, Active & Mindful, and Fun & Relaxation.

• Assisted with data collection and funded the annual Dorset volume and value tourism research (economic value of Dorset’s tourism industry) via The South West Research Company. Offered opportunity for towns across Dorset to purchase specific tourism data reports for their town, and 5 towns opted in to receive their report.

Glossary of Terms

*Simpleview is the global website platform provider for tourism destinations

GSWTP: Great South West Tourism Partnership

LVEP: Local Visitor Economy Partnership

DTA: Dorset Tourism Association

BCP: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

DMCS: Dept of Media, Culture and Sport