Unmissable North Kesteven: “Shining example of business collaboration and innovation”

Twenty five businesses and visitor attractions in North Kesteven benefitted from the Unmissable England project last year which “created new connections and welcome space for peer-to-peer support”.

Nine sessions were held at different venues in the district by Unmissable England’s Director & Experiential Tourism Advisor Chris Brant as part of the project facilitated by Destination Lincolnshire, which covered crucial content for Visitor Economy businesses. The venues included The Natural World Centre at Whisby Nature Park and the International Bomber Command Centre.

The topics covered ranged from accessibility and sustainability, through to marketing. This included face-to-face workshops, online webinars, and one-to-one sessions, with 32 people receiving expert help from Chris. Chris also produced evergreen content for businesses unable to attend the sessions.

The project supported businesses in developing experiential tourism products that would attract higher-spend visitors through new online distribution channels. In turn, this supports local prosperity through enhanced visitor spend.

Brilliant and positive success stories were seen at businesses in the district during the project.

Little Bumbles in Leasingham created a new Red Robin Experience which became fully booked after it was marketed. The proprietor Claire Burgess was able to change her business model to facilitate small group sessions while charging more per child.

Claire said: “I have been trialling this on clients who already use my business. With the support of Chris, encouragement from Holly, and interest of my peers, we were able to think through how different experience events would work, the pricing structure and began to think about the reach.

“During the block of networking and training sessions I delivered my experience and evaluated its effectiveness, adding a completely new stream of income to my business.

“The experience session I have designed was so valuable to my business; I have expanded my booking options and the last session I advertised booked up almost immediately.

“Next, I need to look at how to integrate my sessions into the wider context of tourism in Lincolnshire.”

The Cherry Tree in Harby had increased turnover from one of the social media training sessions with the #BookDirect campaign.

Clarke’s Farm in Heighington is adapting the way they work the business in the New Year, having taken inspiration from the project. Kay Warner from Clarke’s Farm, who also owns The Burrow Escape, said: “It’s definitely something that I wouldn’t have thought of if it hadn’t have been for the Unmissable sessions.”

North Kesteven District Council Leader Richard Wright said: “In partnership with Destination Lincolnshire and Unmissable England, a total of 25 local businesses and visitor attractions have explored and enhanced their knowledge on how to create one-of-a-kind experiences and bring in more residents and visitors as a result.

“Each of the nine sessions, held at different venues in North Kesteven, equipped attendees with various tools to grow their experiences in specific ways; for example, by looking at sustainability which also aligns with the Council’s ambition for the district to be net zero by 2030, and by making them more accessible.

“We’ve had some great feedback, and we know that the sessions also created new connections and welcome space for peer-to-peer support. That collaborative working between businesses is absolutely vital in growing the district’s offer, and meanwhile we continue to work with Destination Lincolnshire on further opportunities to promote our local area and encourage visitors.”

Destination Lincolnshire supported local businesses during the project and our Senior Relationship Executive Holly Christian said: “Experiential tourism is a key type of travel tourism which goes beyond the traditional visitor experience.

“By immersing visitors in unique, often destination specific activities, they experience these places at a deeper level, creating long lasting memories whilst forging connections with local culture and stories.

“The Unmissable North Kesteven Project took businesses through experiential tourism step by step, guiding them through the creation of new experiences to the best way to market them.”

Chris Brant, Founder/Director at Unmissable England, said: “The Unmissable North Kesteven programme has been a shining example of business collaboration and innovation.

“Its success is not just measured in numbers, but in the stories of opportunity, growth, and connection it has fostered across the district.

“By supporting local businesses and driving tourism development, it has helped elevate North Kesteven as a vibrant destination, attracting visitors and enhancing the economy.”