Tourism - support for business

The council works with tourism businesses to help bring together all the elements that are needed to provide a high quality tourism product which can operate in the market place, ensuring that Maidstone, as a destination, is an attractive choice for someone wanting to stay in the area or even to make a day trip. 

Most tourism businesses are very small frequently run by one or two people and even attractions can run on a team of less then 10 staff.  As individuals these micro businesses could not make an impact in the market to attract visitors because the competition and the choice of where to go and what to see and do in any county of England is so massive.

The council encourages accommodation businesses to be assessed into the national grading scheme, ensuring that visitors can expect certain levels of cleanliness, services and hospitality.  It also helps business by letting them know about training courses which helps them to provide better services such as those in customer care, e-marketing, website design, energy efficiency and many other aspects of running a business.

To improve efficiency Maidstone markets itself within a partnership between Ashford, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council's to make a region known as the Heart of Kent. 

This improves Maidstone’s power to reach larger numbers of potential visitors and in consequence these visitors bring with them a term known as visitor spend.  Visitor spend is what they spend in our local economy on accommodation, food, drink and at attractions and indeed in our shops and services.  Maidstone looks well beyond the holidaying visitors by running the Kent Conference Bureau and familiarisation visits for group organisers, all who spend money and play a crucial part in adding to our economic prosperity.