Mayor's View: Let’s put Peterborough firmly on the tourism map

Tourism is a massive industry. It creates jobs and grows our economy. In Peterborough and Cambridgeshire alone it employs 40,000 people and is valued at £2 billion, writes Combined Authority Mayor Paul Bristow.  

But I want a bigger share, and as we head into the holiday season, there’s good news. 

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has been awarded Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) status by VisitEngland, following a successful bid led by the Combined Authority and supported by eight partners across the region. 

It’s positive for Peterborough because we need to give this city a lift. An LVEP for this city and region shows we’re serious about tourism, and gives us a direct line to Government support, including its wider plans for the growth of our national visitor economy which we will be a part of.  

Our city has loads of things to see and do, and we need to shout about it. Our fine, Norman cathedral has stood for 900 years, and aside from its history, offers a great variety of family, cultural and arts events. When I became Mayor I put forward a plan to renew its lighting system, with its first switch-on taking place this spring, alongside the fantastic titanosaur display.  

And pair a visit to the cathedral with Flag Fen, and you have a day of history that would rival anywhere in the country. 

Then there’s our countryside and nature including John Clare country, Ferry Meadows and the Nene Valley, as well as its fantastic heritage railway. And then there’s a visit to our city centre, which has plenty of things to do from food and drink, shopping and leisure.  

But what Peterborough hasn’t done well is join all that up in an attractive offer for visitors. That’s what an LVEP will do, and working with Discover Peterborough, and other partners like Discover Huntingdon, Visit Ely and many more, we can create a tourism offer that really brings the visitors in. I will chair the LVEP and by sharing expertise, pooling resources, speaking with a clear voice to Government, we can make Peterborough and the region more of a destination.  

Alongside this, a deal has been reached on free parking in four council-run car parks after 3pm. That was a key pledge of mine exactly because I felt the city centre needed a boost. Free parking matters to visitors too and by saving at the meter, they will be more ready to spend on our high street. 

When I became Mayor I felt tourism was an area that needed a push. I felt passionate about all the attractions we have and how a steady stream of visitors is key to their survival.  A visitor who comes for Flag Fen or a steam train ride goes to a café, a restaurant, a pub or local accommodation. They walk through the city centre and spend money. The more people do that, the more jobs are created, the more our city and its special places thrive, and the more we all benefit from a thriving tourist economy. 

A growing tourist economy is how we keep our city buzzing, so let's get on with it.