On July 1st 2016 a majority YES vote was secured in an independent ballot to establish a new English Riviera Tourism Business Improvement District (BID) from 1st January 2017 for 5 years. The YES vote means that £600,000 per annum can now be raised through the collective payment of the BID levy to invest in professionally coordinated Destination Marketing.
A new not-for-profit company, the English Riviera BID Company Ltd, will take over from the English Riviera Tourism Company from 1st January 2017 and oversee the successful delivery of the 5 Year Business Plan, which will focus on driving up year round footfall and occupancy.
Destination Marketing has a vital part to play in influencing where people visit, with research confirming that is the ‘destination’ that is decided upon first, followed by decisions relating to where to stay, what to do and where to eat.
BID’s (Business Improvement Districts) provide a very effective way for businesses to work together in partnership and to share the costs of a service they value including National Advertising, which most individual businesses cannot afford.
With over 1000 tourism businesses included in the English Riviera Business Improvement District (ERBID), the ERBID is one of the biggest BID’s in the UK.
Great Yarmouth, Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight have also made the decision to develop Tourism BID’s to secure sustainable funds for Destination Marketing.
Eligible Businesses
The following eligible businesses as listed below are included in the English Riviera Tourism BID (Business Improvement District) and will be required to pay the annual mandatory levy of 1.95% of your businesses rateable value, with a minimum charge of £150 per annum to apply.
- Activity Centre
- Amusement Arcade
- Aquarium
- Beach Hut
- Bingo Hall
- Botanical garden
- Bowling Alley/Rink
- Bus Station
- Café
- Camping Site
- Casino
- Bus/Coach Company
- Coach Park
- Car park & Public Convenience
- Caravan Park
- Chalet Park
- Cinema
- Communications
- Crazy Golf
- Conference Centre
- Entertainment & Leisure
- Exhibition Hall
- Farm Park
- Festival Site
- Garden centre
- Go Kart Track
- Guest Accommodation
- Guest House
- Historic Property/Monument
- Holiday Park/Centre
- Hostel
- Hotel
- Inn
- Language School
- Leisure centre
- Licensed restaurant
- Marian
- Model Village
- Mooring
- Museum
- Nature Reserve
- Nightclub
- Pleasure Pier
- Public Boat Operator
- Public Golf Course
- Public House
- Public Tennis Courts
- Public Swimming Pool
- Public Yacht Club
- Restaurant/Takeaway
- Self Catering Unit
- Steam Railway
- Taxi Company
- Tourist Office
- Water Sport
- Wine Bar
- Zoo
The annual levy will be collected by Torbay Council on behalf of the English Riviera BID Company.