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Visit Exeter runs themed marketing campaigns throughout the year, focusing on seasonal content and events. We also have a series of 'always-on' campaigns, in which content is continually updated to ensure it is fresh and relevant. The always-on campaigns have search engine optimised landing pages, and content is promoted where possible through relevant external channels.
Current always-on campaigns include:
We post regular blog articles on our website, which are promoted through our social media channels. Visit Exeter members are included in relevant campaign content, and can also get involved with hosting press trips. Find out more about becoming a member here.
Marketing
Throughout 2024 we have focused on content marketing. This has included hosting seasonal landing pages on the Visit Exeter website, and publishing regular blog posts. The infographic below shows an insight into how the website has performed over the past 12 months.
Content was promoted through our social channels, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, plus through our monthly consumer newsletters to 13k subscribers. The infographic below shows an insight into how the Visit Exeter social media channels have performed over the past 12 months.
We also ran an Autumn photo competition to build our seasonal image library, and received over 300 entries.
25k copies of the Visit Exeter Map & Guide were printed and distributed in early 2024.
Paid marketing campaigns were run in collaboration with partners including GWR, Exeter City of Literature and InExeter. These included:
Scroll down to view results of these campaigns.
We hosted press and social media influencer visits from the following, with the help of our members:
We placed adverts in the following regional holiday guides:
We hosted member listings on the Visit Exeter App.
Business support
We kept our members up to date with news and opportunities through a monthly members newsletter
We held two members networking events.
We continued to fund an integration through DataThistle, whereby events from venues across the city and beyond are automatically published on the Visit Exeter website, and promoted through our channels.
Partnership activity
The South West Visitor Economy Hub launched earlier in 2024, giving us access to valuable data for marketing and business insights. The South West Visitor Economy Hub is funded by the former Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership as part of the Government’s Local Growth Fund. It is led by Destination Plymouth and Visit Exeter is on the steering group.
In May 2024, Visit England announced that Devon and Partners had achieved a new Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) accreditation for the county. The status supports a collaboration of local authorities and organisations to promote and manage the growth of Devon’s local visitor economy.
The new LVEP became part of the national programme managed by Visit England. This portfolio of nationally supported, strategic, and high-performing organisations provides local leadership in tourism destinations all over the country.
Tourism and the wider visitor economy is worth £1.6 billion annually to the Devon economy supporting over 50,000 jobs (9% of employment). It is estimated that the new structure will enable additional growth in the sector of over £300 million annually going forward.
Visit Exeter is part of the LVEP Advisory Group. The next step is to produce a Growth Plan, which captures all the work partners are doing in one place. The aim is to identify shared activity and inform how VisitEngland can support us. It will be a document that can be revisited in a year to review progress and measure success in future.
We attended the British Tourism & Travel Show and the Devon County Show, as part of a stand share with Devon’s Top Attractions.
We continued our annual partnerships with SW660, Devon’s Top Attractions and the Coach Tourism Association.
We’re currently working on our 2025 marketing plan for the city and an updated Visitor Strategy, which we will share with you at a later date. As always we appreciate members’ input into our plans.
We are working with the Business Improvement District (InExeter) on this year's Experience the Magic of Christmas in Exeter campaign.
The aim of the campaign is to create a unified and vibrant message that showcases all Exeter has to offer—from its stunning Christmas lights and lively markets to its unbeatable shopping, dining, and entertainment options, putting it on the map as the must-visit destination in the South West this festive season.
Activity will include:
The call-to-action for all activity will be www.visitexeter.com/Christmas.
This campaign aimed to highlight things to see and do in Exeter over the summer months.
Activitie included:
Co-funded by GWR, the aim of this campaign was to highlight the ease of travelling by train to Exeter, and onwards within the surrounding region.
Suggested themed itineraries were created and published on a website landing page: www.visitexeter.com/GWR. A series of videos were also created, highlighting things to see and do in Exeter when arriving by train.
Content was promoted through a digital campaign, including email, social media, and targeted adverts on the Google Display Network - see examples below.
Results
Over the past 12 month campaign period, the landing page has had 22,000 views. The digital advertising campaign reached in excess of 2.6 million people.
In 2024, Exeter celebrated its 5 year anniversary as a UNESCO City of Literature. We worked with the Exeter City of Literature team on a campaign co-funded by South Western Railway's Customer & Communities Fund, to promote Exeter as a destination for literary tourism.
Marketing activities included the creation of a website landing page, a reprint and digitisation of the Exeter Literary Map, a digital advertising campaign through the Google Display Network and social media, and a collaboration with three content creators in London and the West Midlands.
Results
The campaign has to date reached over one million people, with 24,000 visits to the website landing page.
Copyright 2024 Visit Exeter. All Rights Reserved
Experience the magic of Christmas in Exeter. Our historic city is the perfect place to celebrate the festive season. The festivities start on the 15th November with the opening of the Cathedral Christmas Market, and new for 2024 is the free Countdown to Christmas Trail!
The city is divided into distinct areas, or quarters, each with its own individual identity and something different to offer.
Exeter became the only UK destination in 2019 to be awarded UNESCO City of Literature status, recognised for its 1,000 year unbroken history of making books and popularising reading since the early 13th century.
Read the latest blogs here, including guest articles and top tips from locals!
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