Ramsgate Regeneration Project toasts success by exceeding targets by 75%

A Ramsgate Town Council regeneration initiative entitled Active Ramsgate has brought in over £161,000 into the town’s economy in just one year – exceeding targets by 75%.

The initiative, project managed by Explore Kent, is designed to support economic regeneration by promoting the area through its outdoor activities, such as walking, cycling and geocaching trails.

Since its launch event at Ramsgate waterfront in June 2013, the project has attracted an additional 6,240 walkers into the area, 5,460 day visitors and 2,324 overnight stays, significantly boosting income to local tourism businesses in the town.

Activities throughout the year have included:
• Appointment of national sailing champion Sam Brearey as the face of Active Ramsgate
• Three new walks developed with corresponding online guides available on the Active Ramsgate website
• Promotion of local geocaching sites and trails and the Viking Coastal cycling trail
• Regular special offers from local businesses
• PR and marketing campaign including familiarisation trips for journalists.

Peter Campbell from Ramsgate Town Council said of the results: “We are thrilled with the success of the Active Ramsgate initiative to date; local businesses have reported an uplift in visitors and the whole area has benefitted immensely from the additional income. We’ve got a vibrant proposition to talk about, there’s so many outdoor activities available in the area that we’ve only managed to touch on a few so far. There’s a whole raft of activities planned over the next 12 months to build on the success of the first year”.

Forthcoming activities planned for the year include launch events for new activities and facilities alongside a regular programme of events for those looking for new and interesting outdoor activities.

For more information, visit www.ramsgatetown.org/activeramsgate, or search for Ramsgate Town on Facebook and Twitter.