STC-PR’s Support for Black Country Tourism: Enhancing Regional Profile and Driving Visitor Footfall

STC-PR played a pivotal role for over 12 years in enhancing the profile of Black Country Tourism through a strategic, integrated communications campaign aimed at boosting visitor numbers and footfall to the region’s tourism attractions. We worked closely with the tourism body to position the Black Country as a leading leisure and business tourism destination, helping to showcase the area’s rich heritage, diverse attractions, and unique visitor experiences.

Strategic Communications and Brand Positioning

Our first step was to position the Black Country as an exciting, competitive destination for both leisure and business tourism. STC-PR developed a comprehensive communications strategy that highlighted the region’s cultural heritage, industrial history, and tourist attractions. The campaign focused on promoting Black Country as a place that offers both history and modern-day innovation, appealing to a diverse audience of tourists.

• Targeting Consumer and Business Audiences: STC-PR implemented a multi-channel approach, targeting both consumer audiences looking for leisure experiences and business-to-business (B2B) audiences focused on conferences, meetings, and events.
• Highlighting Unique Visitor Experiences: We emphasised Black Country’s unique visitor offerings, such as its historic industrial sites, interactive museums, and local dining experiences, making it stand out as a must-visit destination in the UK.

Launching the Black Country Hotel & Tourism Awards

One of STC-PR’s most significant achievements for Black Country Tourism was the successful launch of the inaugural Black Country Hotel & Tourism Awards. This event was created to celebrate and highlight the region’s tourism achievements, from exceptional hotel service to unique visitor attractions. The awards helped to further raise the profile of Black Country’s tourism sector, recognizing the best in hospitality, visitor experiences, and industry practices.

• Brand Development & Event Strategy: STC-PR worked closely with Black Country Tourism to develop the awards brand, create event materials, and establish clear categories to showcase excellence across the hotel, restaurant, and attraction sectors.
• Event Promotion: We developed an integrated communications campaign to generate excitement around the awards. This included press releases, social media campaigns, and targeted outreach to industry leaders, hotels, and visitor attractions to encourage them to participate.
• Sponsorship and Partnerships: STC-PR assisted with securing sponsorship and partnerships for the event, ensuring the awards had strong backing from local businesses and national brands.
• Publicity & Media Coverage: Our team worked to secure extensive media coverage of the awards, both in the lead-up to the event and after it concluded. The coverage helped raise awareness of the Black Country’s tourism sector, celebrate achievements, and showcase the region’s competitive offerings.

Business-to-Business Communications & Stakeholder Engagement

In addition to promoting the region to tourists, STC-PR helped facilitate business engagement by fostering relationships with local businesses, hotel owners, and tourism providers. We worked to strengthen the tourism sector’s overall network, ensuring that the Black Country’s businesses were aligned and working together to promote the region as a competitive tourism destination.

• Partnerships & Collaborations: STC-PR helped facilitate partnerships between hotels, attractions, and local businesses, ensuring they leveraged the tourism awards to promote their own services and the broader regional offering.
• Networking Events & Workshops: We supported Black Country Tourism in hosting networking events and workshops for local tourism providers, helping them connect with industry experts and learn best practices in hospitality and visitor engagement.

Ongoing Campaigns to Drive Footfall

Following the launch of the Black Country Hotel & Tourism Awards, STC-PR continued working to increase visitor footfall across the region by building on the success of the event and maintaining consistent visibility in the media.

• Seasonal Campaigns: STC-PR helped design seasonal marketing campaigns that highlighted the best attractions and events for each time of year, including Christmas markets, summer festivals, and heritage walks.
• Visitor Testimonials: We gathered testimonials and case studies from satisfied visitors to share on social media and in promotional materials, leveraging word-of-mouth marketing to boost trust and engagement.
• Sustaining Media Outreach: We maintained relationships with key media outlets to ensure ongoing coverage of the region’s tourism activities, helping Black Country Tourism stay top-of-mind for potential visitors.

PR and Media Outreach

Media relations played a crucial part in raising awareness of Black Country Tourism and encouraging visitors to explore the region. STC-PR engaged with both national and regional media outlets to secure coverage that showcased the area’s attractions, upcoming events, and its suitability for a wide range of tourists.

• Press Releases & Storytelling: We developed compelling press releases and feature stories, pitched to national lifestyle, travel, and regional press. These stories highlighted the Black Country's heritage, local attractions, and special events.
• Media Tours & Press Trips: STC-PR organised media tours and press trips for key journalists allowing them to experience Black Country’s attractions first-hand. This helped generate organic media coverage across travel publications and regional outlets.
• Event Promotion: We used targeted media outreach to promote key events such as festivals, exhibitions, and seasonal activities, which contributed to driving seasonal tourism.

The Impact of STC-PR’s Work for Black Country Tourism

The results of STC-PR’s comprehensive communications strategy for Black Country Tourism were highly successful, with significant outcomes including:

• Increased Visitor Footfall: Through a combination of media outreach, social media promotion, and strategic events, we successfully drove more visitors to the region’s attractions.
• Elevated Regional Profile: The Black Country Hotel & Tourism Awards became a key annual event, celebrating the region’s unique offerings and boosting its tourism credentials both locally and nationally.
• Stronger Industry Relationships: The event and ongoing campaigns helped foster stronger partnerships and collaboration among local tourism businesses, supporting the growth of the region’s tourism industry.

STC-PR’s efforts helped position the Black Country as a vibrant and diverse destination for both leisure tourists and business travellers, driving long-term growth in the region’s tourism sector.