During 2014/15 Cheltenham Borough Council commissioned a review of strategic and operational tourism which came up with an ambitious vision to take tourism forward to 2020. The Cheltenham Tourism Partnership is working together on this ambition towards delivering a much bigger and better solution to promoting Cheltenham to the world, and to attract a greater share of the tourism market, both within the UK and internationally.
In 2016 an experienced Destination Marketing Manager, Kelly Ballard, was recruited to lead on developing the tourism strategy and to bring it to life. The tourism strategy entitled The 5-year Strategy to Grow Cheltenham’s Visitor economy was agreed by Cheltenham Borough Council Cabinet in July 2017. Read more Cheltenham visitor economy strategy for growth 2017-22.
In November 2017 Marketing Cheltenham was launched and Kelly Ballard was responsible for delivering the Tourism Strategy in partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council along with apt marketing & PR, a Cheltenham based agency with extensive tourism experience.
Following the success of this period a five person full time Marketing Cheltenham team was recruited in 2019. Managed first by David Jackson (July 2019 to May 2022) and since August 2022 Helen Mole, previously Tourism and City Centre Manager for Worcester City Centre.
The first major task of the team in the spring of 2019 was to launch Cheltenham as The Festival Town.
Marketing Cheltenham 