The National Forest

National Forest & Beyond

The National Forest & Beyond campaign promotes the whole destination in and around The National Forest inspiring visitors to plan their holidays and explore this special place. Research into the campaign shows 80% of enquirers who receive the guide are influenced to visit and 70% use this guide to plan their stay.

The new 2012 National Forest & Beyond Visitor Guides have arrived - packed with ideas for things to see and do in and around the Forest. We are keen to get your views on the guides and would be really grateful if you could take 2 minutes to complete our quick survey to let us know what you think – so that we can keep improving it year on year! Click on the link below to complete the survey.

• Complete the survey

There may be opportunities to get involved in promotion of your business throughout the year. For more information, come along to one of our industry events or contact:

• North West Leicestershire District – Kathy Belfield -
• South Derbyshire – Kevin Mason -
• East Staffordshire – Pauline Pelech -
• National Forest Company – Penny Wilkinson -

The campaign launch and networking event will be held on Tuesday 10 January 2012. More details on this will follow.

The Visitor Campaign is produced by the National Forest & Beyond Partnership, which is the National Forest Company with East Staffordshire Borough Council, North West Leicestershire District Council and South Derbyshire District Council, to promote the tourism economy in the Forest and surrounding areas.

Research, reports and statistics

• National Forest Bedstock Analysis Report 2010
• Understanding Group Travel Organisers - The National Group Travel Report 2009
• National Forest STEAM Statistics at a Glance 2003-2010
• National Forest & Beyond 2009 Campaign Conversion Research
• Focus Group Research into Sustainable Tourism
• CAMEO market segmentation analysis
• National Forest Visitor Research
• The Vision for The National Forest as a Sustainable Tourism Destination
• The Vision for The National Forest as a Sustainable Tourism Destination - Appendices
• The Vision for The National Forest as a Sustainable Tourism Destination - Summary
• 'Out of Schools' Trips Research - A National Report from QA Research
• Information Boards and Interpretation Panels

The National Forest – a great destination for events

Its central location in the country and excellent road network makes The National Forest an ideal and easily accessible destination for events. And there is a real variety of facilities across the destination that can accommodate most events.

This 'Planning an event' guide will help potential organisers find the right site for their event and signpost to organisations who can help. It covers venues across the 200 square miles of The National Forest and those just outside its boundary in the area of The National Forest & Beyond.

• Planning an event

Tourism industry events

There are numerous familiarisation visits, leaflet swaps, training and business support events taking place through the year. Keep an eye on the website for forthcoming events and promotional opportunities.

Industry support

Destination Management Partnerships (DMP)/tourist boards

Each of the three counties that stretch across The National Forest has a DMP/tourist board. These are:

• Enjoy Staffordshire
• Leicester Shire Promotions
• Visit Peak District & Derbyshire

Their role is to support the tourism industry by:

• Destination leadership and coordination
• Attracting visitors
• Developing services for visitors
• Providing services to the tourism industry

The DMP websites provide information on quality inspection, grants available, research, forums, business support and useful contacts.