Initiative aims to boost region's economy by £1bn

The mayor of the East Midlands has launched a new website and initiative with the hope of boosting the region's visitor economy by £1bn.

Labour mayor Claire Ward's Visit East Midlands partnership is designed to raise the profile of the combined authority - which includes Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire - as well as to support businesses.

The initiative, alongside its new website, was unveiled at an event at Nottingham Castle on Wednesday night, where Ward outlined the programme's ambitions.

It is hoped the initiative will increase overnight stays and build on the success of the region's popular landmarks.

Ward said: "When I stood for mayor, I promised to put the East Midlands back on the map as a place to visit.

"From the Peak District and Sherwood Forest to our cities, market towns, heritage, culture and world-class sporting venues, we have an incredible story to tell and so much for people to discover.

"By working together, we can tell that story more effectively and make it easier for people to explore more of the East Midlands.

"We want visitors to stay longer, spend more and discover brilliant places they might not otherwise have considered."

The partnership is part of Ward's growth plan, which includes creating jobs, increasing visitor spending, attracting more investment and bringing more visitors to the region.

The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCAA) said the new platform would complement the pre-existing websites such as Visit Nottinghamshire, Visit Derby and Visit Peak District and Derbyshire, and provide a "central hub" for the region.

A focus of the plan is to attract more overnight visitors, with the aim of increasing overnight stays from about eight million to 12 million a year by 2035.

The initiative also aims to build on the region's film and television connections to attract fans to landmarks across the East Midlands.

Chatsworth House, near Bakewell in the Peak District, is well-known for featuring as Pemberley in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, while Nottingham's Wollaton Hall, was used as Wayne Manor in 2012 Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises.

Ade Andrews, who has spent 30 years playing the role of Robin Hood at events across the city, said more could be made of the region's connection to the folklore legend.

He said: "It's a global brand with no product here.

"That's what people want, they want to go to the town of their hero and it's a timeless and global good news story it is, Robin Hood.

"So we should be able to welcome international travellers here with plenty of Robin Hood-themed things here to do."

Andrews said he believed anything to help the "rejuvenation" of Nottingham had to be a good thing and said "more joined up thinking" was needed to help the growth of the region.

Additional reporting by Pete Saull

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