VisitBrighton signs 500th business partner

Brighton council’s tourism arm, VisitBrighton, signed its 500th Partner business just last week.

The business is Rendezvous Cafe, a new cafe and art gallery on Duke St, which run by couple Ivan Dong and Shawn Zhang from China. The pair first came to Brighton & Hove for an afternoon in October 2012 and fell so much in love with the city decided to open a business here.

Established in 2005, the VisitBrighton Partnership scheme offers a range of benefits to businesses that pay a yearly subscription fee dependent on the size and type of business.

Benefits include PR and marketing support, a dedicated page on the VisitBrighton website, a listing on the VisitBrighton mobile app and official printed city map, as well as invitations to networking events and launches throughout the year.

Ivan said: €œBrighton is such a vibrant and fascinating city, we were completely bowled over by the warmth of the people we met. It draws such an interesting mix of visitors and residents that we instantly felt at home and didn€™t want to leave.

€œWe’re delighted to be joining VisitBrighton as the 500th business Partner. As a new business our budgets are tight, so it’s great that the partnership scheme offers a collection of distinct benefits for a relatively small single fee.“

Alan Robins, Lead Member for Tourism, added: “€œDespite the challenging trading conditions, particularly the UK Pound / Euro exchange rates, Brighton & Hove is still performing well in tourism terms. The city has seen a rise in the number of overseas staying visitors for the fifth consecutive year, making Brighton & Hove the most popular UK seaside destination for international tourists.”

VisitBrighton promotes the whole city and surrounding area as a visitor destination, both nationally and internationally, and its Partnership scheme costs from £120 per year.

The partnership money is reinvested into marketing Brighton & Hove to visitors

Last year, VisitBrighton organised over 100 press trips which resulted in in almost £5m worth of media coverage. Titles such as Conde Nast, the Huffington Post, Sunday Times, Irish Independent, Telegraph, Guardian Online, Daily Express, and Times of India have featured Brighton & Hove as a result of work undertaken by VisitBrighton.