update from the working group 22 may
Working Groups in Accommodation, Food and Drink, Safety, Sustainability, and Accessibility
We met at The Redcliffe in Paignton to really get to the heart of each of these sectors. What do we need to be successful? What are our messages to the UK's Paddleboarding Community? What measures can be taken to make paddleboarding safe and accessible for all, while preserving the natural environment and iconic beauty of our bay?
This is a community-led group, focussed on the economic development of the visitor economy all year round. Our purpose is to listen to the voices of our sector, and promote these messages to increase the paddleboarding tourist economy.
torbay is on a mission!
We have the ingredients to make The English Riviera the Home of Standup Paddleboarding
With a motivated and engaged business community, featuring global leaders in the SUP community, all set against the natural geology of the Bay, Torbay is poised to be recognised as the undisputed Home of Standup Paddleboarding.
Our Approach
This March, we engaged local business leaders along the coast in a "hackathon" setting to develop our positioning and our compelling reasons why this initiative makes sense for Torbay and the English Riviera. The output is astonishing - with over 30 local businesses engaged and devoted to making this happen.
We now have a working group set up to bring this vision to life.
What's next?
The outputs from the hackathon follow distinct themes, all created independently in groups, yet all drawing the same conclusions:
- An Economic Impact Study is essential to measure the economic value of paddleboarding tourism and local engagement.
- Leaders in business, sport and government need to engage with the new body for all paddle watersports, Paddle UK.
- Location-based communications: The need for maps, routes, signs, an app - made in print, digital and outdoor formats is essential to spread the word about our offer to UK paddleboarders.
- Inflation is seen as a barrier to participation and the need for "inflation stations" in various launch points is a vital first step to the mapping described above.
Many more ideas were generated during the hackathon; creative, accessible and "do-able" for every single coastal business.
Now with over 70 businesses and individuals signed up to make a difference, we'd love you to join the conversation.
Just look at the resources
- UNESCO Geopark Status
- Brendon Prince, 9-time World Record Holder
- Coastal lifestyle business, Soak, co-founded by a world leader and influencer in SUP, Sean White
- 10 prominent beaches with facilities, launch points and at least 18 beach cafes and bars.
- Countless coves and caves for exploration, including London Bridge natural rock formation.
- Safety stations at RNLI, NCI and Coastguard.
- Existing infrastructure for destination marketing through ER Bid Co., including the council-approved Destination Management Plan through 2030 with a mission to attract "young active people".
- Full support of Torbay Council, Tor Bay Harbourmasters, TDA and ER Bid Co.
- Vibrant coastal culture, calling out for a unified vision.