Lincoln BIG Bid Business Plan 2015-20

Lincoln BIG operates the Visitor Information
Centre under a service level agreement with
the City of Lincoln Council and plans to
continue to do so, subject to the City
of Lincoln Council’s tendering processes.
Since taking on the operation in 2010 we
have significantly increased opening hours
from five to eight, increased retail turnover by
150% and secured an increase in visitors by
50% from 93,000 to 176,000 per annum.
However our support in terms of the development of tourism in
the City goes well beyond the Information Centre. In recognition of
the importance of tourism to the City, Lincoln BIG was one of the
founders of the Visit Lincoln Partnership, which we formed with
Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, the City of Lincoln Council
and other stakeholders in 2011.
During the past two years, Lincoln BIG has provided investment
of over £100,000 in the development of the City’s official visitor
website – VisitLincoln.com. This includes the secondment of a
full-time digital marketing co-ordinator who ensures the content is
up to date, interesting and informative. Social media channels are
also fully utilised in the promotion and marketing of the City.
We have also invested in the visitor experience with the
reintroduction of an open top tour bus service which we now run
successfully with Stagecoach Lincolnshire – one of our investor
members. Through our tourism activities we now employ two
full-time staff and up to twenty part-time and casual staff
including City guides.
visitlincoln.com
Case Study
Communications
and Signage
In 2014, we achieved one of our
important strategic aims – better signage
to Lincoln. In May this year, three new
Brown Signs were installed on the A1 to
direct visitors to the city. This is something
that Lincoln BIG and partners have lobbied
for over ten years and worked closely with
Karl McCartney, Lincoln’s MP to achieve.
The new Brown Signs are set to be
complemented by an investment of over
£150,000 in new High Street signage,
including 3 digital ‘What’s On’ signs.
Looking Forward...
The City has a massive opportunity to realise
its tourism potential, and we see this as a vital
component of our business plan, we need to
place Lincoln firmly on the map as a ‘must see’
City and our challenge will be to seize these
opportunities and establish Lincoln as a high
quality visitor destination.
This drive is not about Lincoln BIG alone, the City
and county councils and other stakeholders have
an important part to play – by spearheading
this campaign with Visit Lincoln we hope to get
everyone on board.
Plans underway include the expansion of our
ambassador programme, utilising trained
volunteers to assist visitors to navigate the City
Centre at key events. We will also continue
to build on our core activities to enhance the
visitor experience, developing our programme
of customer care training and continuing to
operate the Tour Lincoln Open Top Bus – a firm
favourite with visitors to the City.
If businesses support our proposals we plan
to invest over £100,000 in the campaign to
put Lincoln on the map in 2015.
Lincoln Ghost Walks
Visitor Information Centre
6 Lincoln BIG Business Plan 2015-20 www.lincolnBIG.co.uk 01522 545233 7