Berwick Community Trust takes on key role in driving town's tourism recovery

Berwick Community Trust has taken on responsibility for the town’s main tourism marketing platform.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Visitberwick.com was previously owned by Berwick Town Council and has undergone significant redevelopment in recent years.

Much of the improvement has been down to the Berwick Welcome Visitor Project, funded by a £304,000 grant from the Government’s Coastal Community Fund.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Welcome Visitor project officer, Jenna Shields, will continue to promote the town through her role as the Trust’s tourism officer.

Tourism officer Jenna Shields with Ann Turner of Berwick Community Trust.Tourism officer Jenna Shields with Ann Turner of Berwick Community Trust.
Tourism officer Jenna Shields with Ann Turner of Berwick Community Trust.

Ann Turner, operations director of Berwick Community Trust, said: “We have been pleased to be the lead partner for the Welcome Visitor Project.

"The Trust recognises the economic importance of tourism, in particular the local jobs supported.

"We are committed to supporting the rebuilding of the tourism sector and this new post for the Trust will be dedicated to that task ensuring the town's visitor offer is fresh and engaging.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jenna said: “The Welcome Visitor Project has been grateful for the support of partners, local businesses and the 220 local people who have become Berwick ambassadors and have helped our visitors to make the most of their visit.

"As we look forward to welcoming tourists and visitors in 2021 we are developing new promotional materials.

"There will be a new Berwick Guide 2021, available in print and online.

"Visitberwick.com will be the go to place for the latest visitor information, helping visitors make the most of Berwick and helping Berwick businesses make the most of tourism.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Berwick Town Council clerk, Gareth Davies, added: "The town council's role is to support innovation, to enable change and to help bring projects to fruition.

"The decision of the Trust to take on VisitBerwick is a vindication of that approach, and we're delighted that we will continue to support them as they work to build Berwick's visitor offer and to grow tourism's contribution to our economy."

Economic impact data previously published by the Berwick Welcome Visitor Project includes the statistic that 478,450 people visited the town in 2019 – up by 1.1 per cent on 2018.

Visitor expenditure rose 2.1 per cent to £55.88million, with the town welcoming 110,870 overnight visitors and 367,580 day trippers.

Read More
Lowry painting of Berwick to go on display in Northumberland town for the first ...

The dramatic events of the pandemic are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on your support through buying our newspaper. If you can, please pick up a copy of the newspaper when you are at the shops. Thank you.

Related topics: