Worcestershire Council has unveiled a new plan to bolster the county's billion-pound visitor economy.

The new Destination Management Plan announced by Visit Worcestershire sets out ambitious targets to boost visitor numbers and provide support to more than 400 local hospitality businesses.

The plan identifies several key markets for growth, including international tourism, and establishes a 'delivery through partnerships' model, which assigns responsibility to stakeholders for the implementation of the strategy.

The strategy was identified based on in-depth market analysis, a review of prevailing tourism trends, and input from stakeholders including the business community, District Councils, and public sector agencies such as Visit England.

Currently, the tourism sector in Worcestershire amasses more than £939 million and boasts a workforce of approximately 19,500 individuals, attributing to 6.8 per cent of jobs in the county.

This is the first plan since Visit Worcestershire transitioned to Worcestershire County Council in April 2020.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, cabinet member for Economy, Infrastructure and Skills at Worcestershire County Council, said: "This Plan provides a framework to continue and develop a thriving visitor economy in Worcestershire, targeting sectors of growth which will benefit all those who visit, live and work here.

"The strategy will help to improve our current visitor offering, raise awareness of the county’s potential and ensure our infrastructure is ready for growth."

Sustainability and accessibility are key parts of the new plan, in order to ensure all-round access and the preservation of resources for future generations.

Lorna Robinson, visitor economy manager for Visit Worcestershire, said: "This new plan for growth shows Worcestershire’s ambitions to become a destination of choice for both regional visitors and international guests.

"The launch of this new plan is the culmination of 12 months hard work."

In conjunction with the Destination Management Plan, a Local Visitor Economy Advisory Group has been established to oversee and review the strategy’s progress over the next five years.

The group includes knowledgeable tourism professionals representing various sectors in the county’s visitor economy.

It will be chaired by Mark Bevan from Gemini Hospitality Group with Beverley Haywood from Astley Vineyard as the vice-chair.

For more information, go to visitworcestershire.org/trade/destination-management-plan.