Tourism providers from across 1066 country attended a workshop in Rye last Thursday to hear about new initiatives for promoting themselves, their towns and the whole of 1066 Country.

More than 50 people attended the event and heard how they can get their hands on a  ‘toolkit’ to market themselves and ensure that the value of their business is maximised which will in turn bring greater benefit to the local economy.  Included is a ‘1066 Country of Origin’ marque, which can be used to show that a product is truly authentic to the area.

The initiative is intended to encourage more visitors to spend more money in the towns and villages that make up 1066 country. It aims to inspire experiences, themes and itineraries with the nostalgic and familiar appeal of the coast, “while providing a consistent tone of voice and fresh visual imagery.”

Four themes have been highlighted; ‘people’, ‘places’, ‘texture’ and ‘talk’ will enable many more providers to use the 1066 country of Origin marque to enhance their events, products, attractions, accommodation and experiences.

Stewart Drew, chair of 1066 Country and Director and Chief Executive Officer of the De La Warr Pavilion says: “I continue to be excited about being chair of 1066 Country and the real potential of the fantastic public/private partnership. 1066 is a significant catalyst in the region, bringing both domestic and international visitors into the south east, creating a very attractive image of the region, and in turn creating jobs. It also has brilliant research and data to help build the case for investment. I’d like to thank the public funders – Hastings Borough Council, Rother and Wealden District Councils – for having faith in the development of new strategy and to the 1066 team for commissioning such a forward looking piece of work.

“Moving 1066 forward is critical to not only its own resilience, but also to that of the region in challenging economic times.”