A working group to promote St Ives as the UK’s premier educational trip destination has been set up with the support of the town’s Business Improvement District group (BID), St Ives Town Council, and St Ives Tourism Association.
The group, which includes St Ives School of Painting, St Ives Surf School, Leach Pottery, Barnoon Workshop, Cohort Hostel, and St Ives Society of Artists, met in early March to discuss ideas about how this aim could be achieved.
There’s no argument that St Ives is a phenomenal destination for school trips (especially art-focused and activity trips); it’s safe, secure and there’s a huge variety of things to dom all within walking distance. Teachers and trip organisers love the town’s inspirational and invigorating atmosphere, and once a school visits they will very often come back year on year.
Fifty students plus staff, spending money on food, accommodation, activities, and souvenirs, is not insignificant, and a school visit can often be worth upwards of £15,000 to the town. Not only that, but schools rarely visit during the school holidays, and so bring business to St Ives outside of the key busy holiday period.
Despite the pandemic hitting just a couple of weeks after the working group’s initial meeting, momentum has not been lost, and the group is running remotely. All participants are committed to ensuring this opportunity to promote St Ives — just at the point when future educational travel will be focusing on domestic destinationsm as international trips are going to be increasingly unpopular — is not missed.
This is a town initiative, the groups stress, not directed at or focused upon any one sector. To that end, the group is inviting
businesses and individuals who have a specific offer for educational groups to get in touch. This is to ensure that:
- the working group is aware of everything the town has to offer
- everyone who can be promoted under this umbrella will get the appropriate opportunities to do so
In order to be part of this promotional campaign, services must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- allow group bookings / offer group booking discounts
- offer services specific to educational groups
- demonstrate an understanding of the needs of educational groups with the relevant policies in place.
If this is you and you would like to be included in this initiative, email Helen Tripconey at BID (helen@stivesbid.co.uk) with your details.
