Tourism in Staffordshire Moorlands gets a boost with new microsite

Following a 35 per cent increase in visitor numbers since the pandemic, Staffordshire Moorlands is developing its tourism offer with the launch of a new microsite for visitors.

The district has seen some of the highest growth figures for visitors in all of Staffordshire since 2019, partly as a result of more people enjoying the countryside for walking, cycling and visiting rural attractions - in addition to visiting the hugely popular Alton Towers Resort near Cheadle.

Working with the Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Local Visitor and Economy Partnership (LVEP) and the team at Visit Staffordshire, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has created: 

www.discoverstaffordshiremoorlands.co.uk

It is the first microsite produced by a Staffordshire district to sit alongside the new county tourism website: 

www.visitstaffordshire.com

The new microsite provides information which is available 24/7. The opening page is a short video showcasing the area and features Alton Towers, the Churnet Valley Railway, Peak Wildlife Park, The Roaches, and `Pugin’s Gem` in Cheadle, the town’s magnificent catholic church.

There are sections on the three towns of Leek, Biddulph and Cheadle, attractions, accommodation, food and drink, the outdoors, events, and planning your visit including using public transport. Leek photographer Cathy Bowers has supplied many of the pictures, while the introductory video was produced by Inspired from Stoke-on-Trent.  

Welcoming the new microsite, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, Councillor Matt Swindlehurst - who also represents the districts of Staffordshire as an LVEP board member said:

“We are delighted that more and more people are discovering the gems we have in our district.

“Tourism is important to the local economy and promoting what we have here is crucial. But at the same time we want to ensure that the natural assets we have, which includes a third of the district lying within the Peak District National Park, can be enjoyed in a sustainable way.

“The microsite has comprehensive information to enable visitors to stay longer with us, promotes sustainable walking and cycling routes including details for public transport, and will eventually have itineraries to follow.

“The site is a key asset for the whole tourism community in the Moorlands, so we encourage tourism businesses to work with us, including letting us know about their events by contacting the tourism team at the Council.”

Charlotte Cain, Local Visitor Economy Partnership Manager said:

“The Moorlands is an important part of Staffordshire’s £2.9 billion visitor economy as the content in the new microsite shows.

“You could put this down to a few things - that this County has a lot going for it and that is especially so in the Moorlands including the great outdoors, a rich heritage with links to the arts and crafts movement, and having national product that rivals other UK destinations, namely the UK’s biggest theme park in Alton Towers Resort.”

The new microsite was unveiled at Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent LVEP’s Big Tourism Conference held last Thursday at Keele University.

Pictured - Councillor Matt Swindlehurst and Laura Gerrard, Strategic Development Director, Alton Towers Resort beside a projection of the new Staffordshire Moorlands visitor microsite.