Destination management


Destination management plays a vital role in helping businesses in the travel and tourism industry achieve their goals.

Destination White Cliffs Country

Building on past success, Dover District Council’s focus is about added value and stimulating market growth to the visitor economy in this area and promoting the district and our towns as great places to live, work, visit, learn and invest.

The district's current growth strategy for tourism and the visitor economy was launched in May 2021 by the then Minister for Sport and Tourism, Nigel Huddleston MP. The strategy is a framework for the development of tourism in White Cliffs Country until 2030 and can be read here. It is fully aligned to the objectives of Dover District Council’s Corporate Plan and the Local Plan, and reflects the priorities and aims of the British Tourist Authority (BTA), operating under the brand names VisitBritain and VisitEngland, which is funded by the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Our ambition for the district: To be a vibrant world-class destination valued for its outstanding heritage, landscape and pursuits, as well as its ease of access, warmth of welcome and wealth of opportunity. 

Our ambition for the tourism and visitor economy: By 2030, the tourism and visitor economy within White Cliffs Country will be a year-round sustainable, accessible and productive industry, where businesses and organisations are growing, and visitors return year after year.

Tourism is everyone's business. 

The strategy sets out an ambitious, yet realistic, challenge for the tourism sector to achieve stronger economic and employment growth.

We want to:

  • Encourage investment in the tourism industry
  • Attract new providers and increase the number of visitors coming to the district
  • Encourage visitors to stay longer and to spend more when they are here
  • Encourage residents and visitors to help us spread the word about the fantastic visitor opportunities in the district.

Our objectives, all with the visitor economy, accessibility and sustainability at their heart:

  • Ideas - to build an innovative economy with tourism.
  • People - to generate good jobs and greater earning power for people living in the district.
  • Place - to develop prosperous communities throughout the district.
  • Business environment - to be ‘open for business’ and the best place to start and grow a business.
  • Infrastructure - to see an upgrade in infrastructure.
A group of people in winter coats walking on Deal Pier.
Working together for the benefit of the district's visitor economy.

Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) Programme

VisitEngland is creating a portfolio of nationally supported, strategic and high-performing Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs). These LVEPs will provide strong local leadership and governance in tourism destinations all over the country and will work in collaboration locally, regionally and nationally on shared priorities and targets. Their mission is to support and grow the visitor economy through robust destination management, strong stakeholder relationships and clear planning.

Visit Kent is recognised by VisitEngland as the official Destination Management Organisation for Kent and Medway. VK is a public/private partnership with an industry-led board working closely with private and public sector partners, including Kent County Council and Medway Council and the Kent district councils - including Dover District Council (White Cliffs Country).

Working together

White Cliffs Country prides itself on collaboration and forming meaningful connections, working with partners wherever possible, for the benefit of Dover district visitors, residents, businesses and organisations. Our partners include:

Deal

Dover

Sandwich

District

East Kent

Kent

South East England

England

Britain

United Kingdom