Portsmouth tourist leaders aim to make city ‘the place to be for 23’ in English Tourism Week campaign

Council chiefs have met with representatives from some of the city’s key tourism players including Spinnaker Tower, Gunwharf Quays, The Historic Dockyard, Ibis Hotel and Victorious Festival to launch the new VisitPortsmouth campaign which they hope will help to entice visitors back to the city again this year.Ahead of English Tourism Week, the push has already seen Portsmouth promoted with posters in London and online, and the city council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure and economic development Steve Pitt expressed his optimism for 2023 following recent figures released by tourism body ALVA which showed Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as one of the top 40 most visited attractions in 2022.

NOW READ: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car leaves fans stunned on flying visit to city

Cllr Pitt said: ‘The future of Portsmouth is our destination of tourism economy. Ever since I took this role on in 2018, I’ve tried to focus on “what have other places got that we haven’t?” The answer that I’ve come to is “absolutely nothing”. You can stay in Portsmouth or just outside and within an hours drive time, you could fill a fortnight without any problem at all.’

Several of Portsmouth’s most popular attractions are offering discounts to celebrate tourism week including D-Day Story, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Spinnaker Tower and Blue Reef Aquarium. The Mary Rose Museum is also promoting the launch of its new 4D experience which opens later this month.

Mary Rose Museum chief executive Dominic Jones said: ‘We’re all looking for a really positive summer. Yes, it’s not going to be back to the amazing days of all the international tourists, but it is starting to recover and I think this summer is going to be brilliant.’

Spinnaker Tower general manager Tony Sammut said: ‘Although we obviously have other amazing tourist attractions, I think the Spinnaker is the icon for the city and that is a draw. When you think of the Spinnaker, you think of Portsmouth and vice versa.

NOW READ: 12 of the city's best tourist attractions

‘If the beginning part of the year is anything to go by, this week is just going to help that and drive it forwards. Last year was very strong and although visitor numbers aren’t quite what they were, actually everything else is and we’re about twenty per cent up on 2019.

Gunwharf Quays senior marketing and planning manager Laura Blake said: ‘It's really exciting to meet with all of our tourism partners in the city today. We always work really closely together and for us at Gunwharf Quays, having our beautiful waterfront home and outlet shopping, it's a great opportunity to work together to promote the city.’

NOW READ: Popular waterside markets return to Port Solent which also prepares for a series of live music events

National Museum of The Royal Navy executive director of operations Mathew Sheldon added: ‘It’s a really nice kickstart for the year. I’m really looking forward to a good Easter and onwards. One of the things we’ve noticed in the last three or four weeks is a real sense of a return to normal times. Some of our foreign school groups are coming back – a lot more French visitors and German visitors than we’ve had for the last couple of years. These are not the busiest parts of the year so if we can attract them then, it’s a really positive sign.’