Cleethorpes Visitors' Association

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IMPORTANT: THERE IS A TOWN CALLED CLEETHORPES, BUT THE 'VISITORS ASSOCIATION' DOES NOT EXIST. You should not contact anyone in Cleethorpes for more information – everything you might need is here or available online.

If you wish, you could replace Cleethorpes with a resort local to you. 


 Cleethorpes Visitors' Association


Its name deriving from the old Scandinavian 'clee+thorp' meaning 'hamlets near Clee', Cleethorpes is located on the north-east coast of Lincolnshire where the River Humber enters the North Sea.


A traditional seaside resort – with three miles of excellent sandy beaches and a wide promenade – the town developed from being a tiny fishing village in the late 19th-century to attracting over a million visitors each year – with the arrival of the railways in 1845 being the turning point in its economy. After a number of years of decline through the 1970s and 80s the local council has striven to develop new visitor attractions more conducive to the contemporary holiday maker.


The downturn in the world economy during and immediately after the COVID pandemic and the subsequent issues raised by Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted the local authority to set up a bespoke Visitors' Association tasked with marketing the town to UK residents who might be looking to save money by holidaying in this country. There is an emphasis on attracting families with pre–teen children. Provision of tourist information was previously provided by an office within the local council.


Having grown up in the town, the association's director, Philip Ball, hopes to put his global travelling experiences to good use. Although he has a small advertising budget for UK print publications, the brief from the local authority and business leaders financing the venture is to use the Internet as the primary medium for promotion. As director of the Association, Phillip becomes a member of the town council's Economic Growth Forum – though he carries no great say in anything outside of marketing issues. Essential, he must promote what is given to him rather than having any input on product decisions.


Although the Association has now received the funding it needs to have any chance of being successful, the concept has been around for a while. Overcoming the legacy of a number of ill–judged (and ill–fated) projects is one of the first things Phillip and his team must overcome – including a very poor existing website.

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