What would attract visitors to our city long term?

It's about all this city has to offer tourists, a bombed out church with a grotty tourists centre. Or perhaps drop in the more recent cathedral that may hold the interest of a visitor for about ten minutes after paying about £20 for a small family. Then what? Perhaps a walk around Wilko's, followed by a stroll down the ghastly precinct area. Can any forumite suggest anything in Coventry that may capture the interest of visitors for more than a few fleeting moments? Keep in mind that most of the tourist buses don't stay here very long.

For a start, if you want to see the medieval fragments of the city there is a trail you can do. Might I suggest the Cathedral and Guildhall are well worth a visit, and the new Cathedral is worth more than ten minutes - there are pieces of work in there by world famous artists and the chapels with the stained glass can be enjoyed even by a hardcore atheist like myself. A trip up the tower (which might be a bit too grotty for you) plus a look in Holy Trinity at the doom painting. Maybe spend some time in the motor museum followed by an exploration of the city wall remains. If you're that interested, you can hunt down the remaining fragments. It's a shame the old Grammar school isn't open as it's quite a nice little place to look around. Anyway, maybe head to Spon Street and visit Saint John's, which is quite spectacular inside (and look out for the Imps) and also have a look around Bond's Hospital. While in the area have a drink somewhere, a bite to eat at Belgrade Plaza or on Spon Street (or maybe head up to the new restaurants on Broadgate?). Or maybe get a drink/bite to eat in the bar inside Greyfriars spire? You could also check out some hidden away bits and pieces like Fords Hospital and Cheylesmore Manor House. What is probably the city's biggest unknown jewel is Charterhouse, which contains nationally important paintings, although it may not be open. House and grounds are fantastic. This is also near Fargo Village, which the more independent minded will enjoy for a bit of retail therapy, far more interesting than the precinct. The precinct isn't ghastly. I don't like it much, I would much prefer the city to be based around streets (even if they are pedestrianised) with varied styles, but the Upper Precinct is quite decent even if cluttered up with some failed experiments - materials are good and apart from the canopies have aged well. Visitors may also come to watch shows at the Belgrade theatre or Warwick University Arts Centre. All this may be a bit spread out and many of the city's old buildings are in poor locations, but there are few nationally important things to see. How many industrial cities have something like the Guildhall?

What doesn't get marketed doesn't get sold. While the council seem busy trying to attract new businesses to Coventry they seem to forget that tourism is an industry too. Most of the coaches coming to Coventry are on a whistle stop tour of Warwickshire including Warwick and Stratford - all in a day.

As an outsider, it's not my place to add things about what should be done to your city so feel free to delete this photo I made. I would like to see this memorial in London Road Cemetery move to a place where every visitor plus the people of Coventry could see it and remember the blitz and the price that was paid by the people, 1,200 in all. How many of the 320,000 people living in Coventry will have seen it let alone visitors to your city, it should stand forever for all to see so people will remember the price Coventry paid in WW2

The old cathedral serves that purpose, I believe, dougie, and stands as a symbol of reconciliation - I'm not sure it would be right to remove a memorial which stands at the place where those people are buried

The ruins of the "old" and the spectacle of the "new" cathedrals continue to play their part as the major attractions, as does the Road Transport Museum - but there is nothing else of any great consequence, now that the centre of the city is becoming largely a student dormitory area, and as Flapdoodle comments, it's "bits and pieces".

The Coventry Music Museum is also rapidly gaining a reputation, and has a great cafe too. When you visit a new city what do you do? I normally wander round the city centre, have a bite to eat or a pint, perhaps pop in the church, or castle if they have one, or perhaps their museum. We have all these in Coventry, though I would like to see a museum called the Coventry Story, telling the tale of the city through the years, something like The Oxford Story, or The Yorvik Museum.

There is a whole gallery doing that at The Herbert. It's generally stuff in glass cases but I do prefer that to the Transport Museum, which is now full of audio visual displays. At one point I could hear five separate recorded voices which is horrible.

Sorry Flap, but I agree with Dutchman from what I have observed on the forum. My view is limited I know but in my humble opinion I think Coventry is losing its appeal, particularly in the history department. The heritage buildings are being overshadowed by concrete and glass. Just how far are they going to go with student accommodation. It's happening here and there are some standing empty, not all for students I must add, but rents are way over the top for most. Did someone mention the prospect of noise and 'no' they are not all noisy but they are not all going to be perfect tenants either. Mods note: This post, and subsequent conversations, were moved here from their original location (Belgrade Plaza Phase 3), as they widened discussions away from the original topic

Coventry's never really had much appeal in the 'history department' (and anyway, visitor numbers have been increasing over the years). If anything, the old fragments are anachronisms and the 'odd buildings out' in what is mainly a product of the 20th century. In many cases it's pure luck they survived as the city had plans to destroy most of it in the past - your generation had its chance with Coventry and made a terrible mess of it already. If you want to talk about 'Historical Appeal' being lost, let's start with the wholesale destruction of complete streets, eh? Coventry is playing catch up. The city has a large central university and there's been a shortage of student housing for decades (even in the 1980s when students were sleeping in the sports hall because they'd run out of rooms). These areas of land have been empty for decades and the ground floors are being built with restaurant units - the Far Gosford Street development, in particular, has actually done a brilliant job of reconstructing a proper city street scene. And more ground floor units which will bring life to dead streets. There's a lack of realism in this city.

Mr/Mrs Flapdoodle. I do not have much input on this site but I am an avid reader. As this is a place of appreciation for the city of Coventry and much lamenting of what has been lost, I do find it frustrating when negative opinions are written which cast a wide net over the people of Coventry. This is not a political forum or a place to make clipped comments on others opinions. Enjoyment of this group which share wide spread opinion and amazing knowledge of so many things is first and foremost the point of being on here. I have no intention of being negative here but proof reading before posting can make so much difference.

Yes, I am with you there Flapdoodle, sacrifices are made in the name of progress. I have always said you should have been a town planner as I can see you have the city well in your sights more so foreseeing the future. I always enjoy reading your views.

Flap pointed out that Dutchman was offering their opinion on the situation, which they were, and has every right to do so. Just as those who find it a good development have as well. Neither is right nor wrong - beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Yes, they are big rectangular boxes but look at most of the older buildings - so are they, just on a smaller scale. While seeing such a plethora of high rise student accommodation going up in the city isn't ideal, it is far from the worse that could happen to our CITY. That is what it is, not a living museum, and the tourist trade is only a part of what it can offer. It can form a part of the economy of this city, but so can (and must) the students. But to rely just on either one would be foolhardy. In response to Dreamtime, it can also be argued for many that Coventry is losing/has lost its appeal due to it feeling like a small town rather than a vibrant city. Looking at the practicalities of the situation many of these sites have been touted for other uses over a long period of time and have received no interest. Student accommodation is, whether we like it or not, an underprovided growth sector in this area and thus it can get funding, hence why these are being constructed so quickly. It is providing accommodation for students in an efficient manner whilst curtailing the use and conversion of housing stock for multiple occupancy. There may come a time when the student bubble bursts and this amount of student accommodation isn't needed. But it can be converted for social housing much more easily and cost efficiently than turning all the houses back. It is also providing protection for the students from unscrupulous landlords and protecting the housing which they invariably do not maintain. There will have been a time in the past when people bemoaned the replacement of wooden structures with brick, but for reasons of longevity, economy, safety etc. it had to happen. Just as building taller buildings and the need for materials better suited for that task have now.

Why do people equate 'tourism' with 'looking at old buildings'? Most people aren't actually interested in that sort of thing, and Coventry will never be able to compete with historic towns/cities that don't look like the centre of a grim council estate - it's far more lucrative and sustainable to get people to the city centre for business, leisure and cultural reasons. Maybe the previous generations should have thought about this before they destroyed the city centre! Bit rich to complain now because city-scale developments are taking place in a city centre that's effectively been flattened and rendered an economic basket case!