City needs heritage trail (From Salisbury Journal)

City needs heritage trail

6:00am Thursday 6th September 2012 in News By Morwenna Blake

A HERITAGE trail could help make the most of everything Salisbury has to offer, according to one of the city’s community leaders.

Wiltshire councillor and Salisbury Area Board chairman Richard Clewer is calling for a Heritage Trail Development Group to be put together to promote the city and to encourage visitors to stay longer.

“The cathedral is already a major draw for tourists but we are only drawing them to the city for a morning, or a day, not for a weekend or short break,” he said.

“Cities such as York and Bath, which have comparable historical assets to Salisbury - I would argue if you add in Stonehenge then they are lesser assets - have made a great deal out of their heritage and the way they have sold it to visitors. Both attract large numbers of visitors and wealth to them.

“If we are going to improve the attraction of Salisbury to visitors then we need to tell the story of our city in a more joined up and compelling way.

“We already have the attractions, what we need is something to join them together. To give people a story to learn, enjoy and tell other people about, a story that in the internet age can be told and used as a marketing tool.”

The development group will initially look at the market place and may need to adapt to continue to deliver tourism improvements for the city. Its initial aim will be to improve the way the city greets and informs tourists and to link together existing attractions and provide tourists with an informative and interesting story of Salisbury.

“I firmly believe it should not be run by politicians although it would need to include both a Wiltshire and city councillor,” added cllr Clewer.

“Politicians will, however, be needed to help fund the process as will the business community through sponsorship.

“If this is to succeed this will need to be a long term plan. It will need support from politicians of all sides and will have to continue no matter what changes there are in the political make up of councils.”

Cllr Clewer can be contacted on 01794 884550 or at richard.clewer@wiltshire.gov.uk .