Information and news for Arun District tourism businesses
Tourism is vital to Sussex by the Sea, the tourism 'brand' of Arun District Council.
Many businesses rely on the thousands of visitors who visit the district every year, either first-hand or indirectly.
A - Z Useful Information for Tourism Businesses
If you own or work in a local tourism business why not bookmark this page and keep checking back for updates.
Click on the A - Z links below for helpful information.
If you can't find the answer to your particular question here please contact us. Here to help!
- 2018 Diary Dates! Tourism Business events and useful dates
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Advertising Promote your tourism business with Arun Times and Sussex by the Sea
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Business advice including Arun Business Partnership, Green Tourism and Useful Information for Visitor Accommodation Providers
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) UK plus Fire Safety and Ban on Card Charges Latest legislation news.
- Skills and training for tourism businesses including: 'Google Analytics', 'Digital Dilemmas' and 'Welcome Host' workshops
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Visitor economy How much is it worth to the Arun District and Sussex by the Sea?
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Accessible Sussex by the Sea
Appeal to a wider range of visitors and attract more business. Visit England say "Many tourism businesses are realising that catering for disabled and older customers is now a necessity and a win-win situation that brings a host of business benefits".
Find out more from VisitEngland and provide an access statement to assist your guests and customers.
TIP: Why not add this Sussex by the Sea accessible travel link in a prominent place on your business website and in your email 'signature'.
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Advertise your business with Sussex by the Sea
Showcase your tourism business to the thousands of residents and visitors
Annual Visitor Guide
Promote your tourism business in the annual Sussex by the Sea Visitor Guide from just £295 + VAT
Website advertising with sussexbythesea.com
Standard business listings are FREE for Arun District tourism businesses (£50 + VAT for businesses from neighbouring districts)
We try to include ALL Arun District Tourism businesses. If you can't see yours email Sussex by the Sea
Gain even more impact with a choice of:
- Enhanced listings; searchable by category, include links to your website and social media, images and more text for just £50 + VAT per year (£100 + VAT for businesses from neighbouring districts)
See the difference between standard and enhanced listings
- Banner advertising, with direct links to your website, on the most relevant page(s)for your business, with the chance to share in well over 500,000 page views per year (2015/2016 figures) from just £116 + VAT per year.
See an example of banner advert location here
Advertise your business with Arun Times
The Arun District Council resident magazine, sent by Royal Mail direct to the doorsteps of every household in the Arun district, with a total circulation of around 70,000. Produced twice a year in full colour, Arun Times is a free quality magazine packed full of news, interesting and timely articles, and a handy ‘What’s On’ guide too. Please click this link if you are interested in advertising in future editions (subject to availability)
Current Deadlines:
Booking: Now closed
Winter 2018:
Booking: 5 September 2018 Artwork: 5 September 2018 Distribution: 12 November 2018
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Business advice
Do you run a business in the Arun District?
The Business and Regeneration Team at Arun District Council can advise on a whole range of subjects, including town centre management; regeneration plans; planning and general business advice for any type of business. Read more here
Join your LOCAL business organisation
The Arun Business Partnership offers many benefits from regular informal networking , B2B opportunities, annual Business of the Year Awards and the knowledge that we are all working together to make Sussex by the Sea and the Arun District a vibrant and successful place for businesses and visitors. Read more here
The regional partnership organisation
Tourism South East provides services and expertise to support the performance and growth of local tourism businesses and destinations. Sign up as a TSE member for a range of benefits for your business. Read more here
Accommodation businesses, useful information
If you are thinking about starting up or manage an existing business and need a useful reference tool, please read and download the latest: Useful information for Arun District Visitor Accommodation Providers [pdf] 270KB here.
General Online Marketing opportunities
We've discovered this great toolkit from Visit England which may also help you make the best of all the latest Online Marketing opportunities for your tourism business. Read more here
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Green Tourism in Sussex by the Sea
Being green makes good business sense and helps make Sussex by the Sea sustainable.
VisitEngland has lots of information on sustainable tourism. Visitors to Sussex by the Sea are also encouraged to engage in green tourism activity where possible.
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Diary Dates! - Tourism Business events and useful dates
Several networking and special interest events are organised by different organisations and occur in the region throughout the year.
Please click on the links provided below and contact the organiser direct to register, book or for more information.
Sussex by the Sea and Arun District Council are not responsible for events organised by external providers.
Wednesday 07 March 2018 Organised by Visit Chichester in partnership with Butlin's, who provide the venue at Upper Bognor Road, Bognor Regis PO21 1JJ
Sussex Top Attraction Leaflet Exchange at Michelham Priory 15 March 2018
English Tourism Week, 17 - 25 March 2018 is a week long nationwide opportunity to celebrate the wealth and breadth of the English tourism offer, helping to raise its profile and kick start the coming season. Everyone’s invited to be a part of the week, whether you are a local business, destination organisation, TIC or national trade association. Read more here
Turning the Tide in Bognor Regis
This Conference was hosted jointly by Arun District Council, West Sussex County Council and Bognor Regis Town Centre Management at Butlin's Bognor Regis in September 2017
The Conference showcased the regeneration investments being made in the town and explained why it’s the place to be planning your next big investment. If you'd like to know more about regeneration and oppoortunities in Bognor Regis, take a look at:arun.gov.uk/regeneration-in-bognor-regis
Sussex Day - Friday 16 June every year. The annual celebration of all things Sussex - what will you do to celebrate?
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Events - Advertising and Promotion
1. Complete the full event details online - by clicking this link to: Arun District Council’s What’s On Database
2. Details will be published (once approved) on the Arun District Council 'What’s On' page and also added to the District's Official Online Tourist Information Sussex by the Sea 'What's On' page.
3. Share your event details on Social Media. Contact sussexbythesea@arun.gov.uk and let us know that your organisation is on Facebook or Twitter and we will make sure Sussex by the Sea follows you. If you 'tag' "Sussex by the Sea" on either of these media, then we will automatically be notified of your message, so can view and share your latest news and information to around 1200 followers to the Sussex by the Sea Facebook page and over 6,000 followers on Twitter
Want help with Social Media? See the latest information on the Skills and Training section of the Sussex by the Sea Tourism Business Page.
4. Email a jpeg of your event poster to sussexbythesea@arun.gov.uk for inclusion on your Sussex by the Sea What's On listing and / or the Sussex by the Sea Social Media sites. If you have uploaded your event posters to your social media, again 'tag' Sussex by the Sea and we can share it with our followers
5. Print copies of your event poster(s) (A4 portrait) and / or DL or A5 size flyers and deliver to the Visitor Information Points at: Arundel, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. Click on the link to view addresses and opening times throughout the year. Each Visitor Information Point has limited display space, and so cannot always guarantee to display all event information. Preference is likely to be given to events in the very local town and area.
6. Tell us the dates of your major events for the year(s) ahead as early as possible so that details can be included in the following printed publications, subject to space availability:
Sussex by the Sea Visitor Guide (65,000 copies) One annual edition. Copy and event information deadline - 16 January 2018
Arun Times Two editions per year each delivered to over 72,000 Arun District households and businesses
Current Deadlines:
Spring 2018:
Booking: 31 January 2018 Artwork: 31 January 2018
Distribution: 16 April 2018
Winter 2018:
Booking: 5 September 2018 Artwork: 5 September 2018 Distribution: 12 November 2018
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General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) + other latest legislation news
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force on 25th May 2018, replacing the Data Protection Act (DPA).
Please see this helpful information from Visit England / Britain and make sure your business is ready and compliant.
These two pdfs; " GDPR presentation for Tourism South East March 2018. [pdf] 8MB " and Tourism South East GDPR FAQs March 2018 [pdf] 579KB both provided by Tourism South East after a recent workshop on the subject may also be helpful.
n.b.The same Visit Britain link will also provide latest legislative news on Fire Safety and the new Ban on Card Charges legislation.
Partnership opportunities
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Tourism Trends, Facts and Figures
Interested in Tourism Trends?
Visit England and Britain have some fascinating research and statistics looking forward to a healthy future for English tourism.
If you own a tourism business and have a query that the Tourism Business Development Officer can help with, please email and we'll do our best to help.
How much is the visitor economy worth to the Arun district and Sussex by the Sea?
Take a look at the latest figures compiled by Tourism South East, on behalf of Arun District Council. We hope this will give an idea of just how important tourism is to the Arun District and Sussex by the Sea. Just click on the links below to view the pdf files.
2016 Arun District Tourism Economic Impact [pdf] 185KB
2015 Arun District Tourism Economic Impact [pdf] 220KB
2014 Arun District Tourism Economic Impact [pdf] 158KB
2013 Arun District Tourism Economic Impact [pdf] 309KB
2012 Arun District Tourism Economic Impact [pdf] 154KB
To see the bigger picture, click on these further links for regional, Tourism South East and national Visit England and Visit Britain statistics and information.
Read a recent article in The Guardian on the perceived effect of 'Brexit' on tourism featuring information about the Sussex by the Sea area. Tourism South East also provide lots of information on any possible impact.
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Quality Accommodation Schemes
All visitor accommodation businesses promoted and supported by Sussex by the Sea participate in the National Quality Assurance Schemes operated by
- Visit England - with 1 - 5 stars awarded
- the AA - with 1 - 5 stars awarded
- the Sussex by the Sea Visitor Accredited Accommodation Scheme (administered by Visit England)
- Or are self-assessed by larger organisations (for example the Caravan Club)
Quality Attraction Schemes
More and more attractions are discovering the benefits of joining the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme.
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Skills and training for tourism businesses
We work with partners to deliver a range of skills and training courses periodically throughout the year.
Google Analytics
This powerful tool is far more useful than simply recording traffic to your websites, which are increasingly important as a marketing channel in this digital age. This half-day course will give insights into how content, navigation and search engine optimisation can be improved using data you may never knew existed. Bring along your laptop, use our free wi-fi and work alongside the instructor from your own website’s perspective. The workshop held in January 2016 was a great success with positive comments including
Find out more and register your interest for the next date planned in 2016/2017 - to be arranged.
Digital Dilemmas
Welcome Host Customer Skills Training
We work with our partners Tourism South East to deliver a range of training options for you and your staff so that your tourism business can offer the warmest of 'Sussex by the Sea welcomes'. Email now to arrange a FREE appointment to chat through how we can help your business.
Sign up for the latest Tourism Business News from Sussex by the Sea
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