WORCESTER needs greater "leadership" when it comes to boosting tourism in the city, according to a new report.
A panel of city councillors say too many would-be tourists struggle to obtain one focal point for finding out about all of Worcester's must-see assets.
It also says Worcester's "brand" needs to be much clearer, whether it is based around its heritage, sporting excellence or shopping.
Several weeks ago Worcester City Council set up an in-house panel to debate where the tourism market is going and how it can be tapped into further to boost the local economy.
It has now published its first report, which follows talks with the likes of the Chamber of Commerce, University of Worcester, the Business Improvement District (BID) which represents shops, and even the Canal and River Trust.
The dossier, which will be discussed at the Guildhall this week, says Worcester needs a more coherent approach to its tourism to really hit its potential.
It also says the city can learn a lot from the likes of Birmingham and Warwickshire in terms of encouraging tourists to make it a 'mainstay' Midlands destination.
It says: "There are lots of different festivals, events and work going on that contributes to the tourism offer within Worcester, however there seems to be an issue around coordination of such events across the city.
"(There is) no 'one point' that visitors can go to to get information about everything going on in the city.
"There is an issue about leadership and understanding what role each agency can play in improving tourism, and also in terms of deciding what the tourism strategy should be and how it will be coordinated across all stakeholders not just between the districts and county councils."
It also said a "recurring theme" from the people interviewed is that Worcester needs a stronger identity to outsiders, saying it can play a central role in why people decide to visit a particular city.
"Work is needed to determine what that brand should be," it says.
"Many people have said that Worcester’s real unique selling point is that it has a range of offers and assets in for example, sports, heritage, retail etc.
"It is clear that branding is an issue for the city and plays a central role in attracting people to a tourist destination."
The report also criticises the lack of detailed tourism data on Worcester, saying it is a struggle to get reliable facts on visitor numbers and the profile of those coming in.
Visit England says Worcester attracts around 183,000 yearly tourists, with the total spend worth around £18 million to the city.
The report is being discussed during a meeting of the city council's scrutiny committee this Wednesday.
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