Issue - meetings

1.      That the Winchester District Tourism Strategy 2026-2031 be approved, which will be led and delivered by Winchester City Council in collaboration with partners and businesses operating within the visitor economy.

2.      That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director responsible for Economy and Tourism to revise the strategy, at an appropriate time, to reflect the new operating landscape as a result of LGR and the mayoral combined county authority.

Councillor Thompson introduced the report as a practical framework for achieving sustainable and ambitious growth in the district’s visitor economy, highlighting its vital role in supporting nearly 6,000 local jobs and generating over £292 million in annual spending.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Lee and Bolton addressed Cabinet as summarised below.

Councillor Lee

Councillor Lee welcomed the broad ambition of the tourism strategy and its alignment with the council’s carbon neutral goals, but questioned whether the underlying evidence base and stakeholder engagement sufficiently represented rural communities compared to urban areas. He queried the actual annual cost of delivery and sought reassurance on viability if unsecured external grant funding were not forthcoming.  He requested further clarity on the future of destination promotion with the expected changes due to LGR and how sustainable certification schemes could provide practical support for small businesses. Finally, he requested more specific themed itineraries for areas like the Central Meon Valley and called for robust mechanisms to monitor visitor pressures to protect residents and sensitive landscapes.

Councillor Bolton

Councillor Bolton acknowledged the vital role of tourism in supporting the local economy but expressed concern that the strategy appeared to focus on the city rather than the whole district.  He highlighted that significant assets outside the city, such as market towns and other major attractions, seemed secondary in the strategy and that concentrating tourism in the city risked missing economic opportunities for rural communities and placed unnecessary pressure on urban infrastructure.  He requested a clearer commitment to spread the benefits of the visitor economy across the entire district.

Councillor Thompson, together with the Tourism Marketing and Development Manager responded to the comments made, including emphasising the district-wide nature of the strategy and emphasising the number of different partner organisations involved in its formation. 

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out in the report and outlined above.

RESOLVED:

1.              That the Winchester District Tourism Strategy 2026-2031 be approved, which will be led and delivered by Winchester City Council in collaboration with partners and businesses operating within the visitor economy.

2.              That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director responsible for Economy and Tourism to revise the strategy, at an appropriate time, to reflect the new operating landscape as a result of LGR and the mayoral combined county authority.