What would attract visitors to our city long term?

How about our nature walks that surround us, bird watching, etc.

Hi Morgana I've been disappointed to see no-one taking up this issue, which seems to me a very important one for the future of the city. So I thought I'd give it a kick along........ I'd love to think that Coventry could attract visitors on the basis of its nature walks, but I can't see it happening, unless they are promoted as part of something more specific. Sadly, every time I see Coventry (which is usually in the winter months) the city centre seems greyer and less attractive (much like myself, actually!). But when I stay with my sister, I can go jogging in the woodlands around Berkswell and see the small birds, the pheasants and waterbirds, the foxes and squirrels, and the woodland colours and flowers etc and I love it. The potential is there, but how to make it work?? Visitors come in all shapes and sizes. Some stay only a day (football crowds), some stay a week visiting relatives (like me). Some come once a year, some only come once ever. Historically, I guess that Coventry's industrial past has ensured that lots of people came to Coventry to learn things like technologies, and this sort of travel probably disappeared with the internet and long-distance learning. The cathedral attracted tourists when it was a novelty, but that is no longer the case. Religious tourism would need a vision of Mary to appear in Broadgate - don't hold your breath! Sports tourism would need a Formula One, or something of that importance, to be shifted to Coventry - again, don't hold your breath. Festivals??? Maybe. We have a very nice annual month-long hot air balloon festival here in Canberra. It doesn't bring millions of extra visitors, but it is very pretty, very photogenic, and does a good job entertaining the tourists already here. Music festivals?? That concrete square that used to be Broadgate might actually be a good venue for a week-long music convention. What sort of music makes people travel to a festival? I guess it is music that has "loyal" fans, who don't get to hear "their" sort of music 24/7 on the radio, and that could include country, folk, jazz and blues, and even classical. It depends on what other attractions are available, but if you picked the right market, and the right week, and attracted the right performers it could attract tourists from Europe and all around the world. And THEN you can take them to the nice parts around Coventry. Let's say woodwind lessons from the world's best, at the Canal Basin. Jazz drumming classes in the Library (wouldn't that be a hoot!). Guitar making demonstrations at the Cheylesmore Manor House. And so on........ We have occasional "jazz trains" here, taking the old steam engines and carriages out into the countryside, inviting people to dress up in 1920s style, and ending up with a barbecue somewhere nice. They are fun and might attract a few of the HC Forum regulars! And just imagine an evening of gypsy jazz under the moonlight, floating in convoy from pub to pub along the cut! And I'm sure that some of the hoteliers at the pubs in the prettier villages around Coventry would host a jam session or two. I find that poetry is making a come-back around where I live in Australia - in fact it looks like I have found a new vocation (though I don't write "proper" poetry - closer to the Pam Ayres variety!)! An international poetry convention week could work just as well as music if properly promoted. It's only an idea............ Maybe the City Council has tried these sorts of things - I don't get to hear if it if they do. Congratulations for posing the question!!

What a good question! - although, as JohnnieWalker suggests, I'm afraid I don't think nature walks would draw huge crowds (I mean that in the nicest way) Going back four or five years ago there were LOTS of city events, mostly taking place in the centre itself, and mainly organised by the demised CV1 (for those "out of the area" this was a City Centre Management company set up to promote the city in general to businesses and the wider public) To list a few of the events that have taken place in recent years (apart from the last 12 months or so).... :: An annual Chinese New Year celebration in the Lower Precinct. :: A twice yearly "Lifestyle" event with local business and organisations displaying what they have to offer (and no, I don't mean another "foreign" market!) and colleges putting on fashion shows, with local groups, like the Kombat Breakers showing us their routines. :: Cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs making an appearance. The last one ran a competition for chefs from local restaurants and hotels competing for a "Best Chef" trophy. This drew huge crowds. :: St George's Day re-enactment - the last one, about three or four years ago, was organised by the Council and was a magnificent event. :: Jazz Festival - not my cup of tea but it drew some good names. :: Godiva Festival (Carnival) - Held at the War Memorial Park, although rumour has it next year this will be a "charged for" event! :: Christmas "Switching on of the lights" - with celeb acts, like Peter Andre and The Saturdays performing on stage attracting a crowd of 20,000+, this year the "big" event was cancelled and I think they had a Robbie Williams look-alike! I guess the reason that we no longer have these is money! The powers-that-be tend to blame the government for cutbacks, yet, with the changes taking place around the city centre at the moment, I just don't see anything changing. To get more people into the city, I know its stating the obvious, but you have to give them a reason to come. By and large they've either got to be attracted by good shops or a major event - both of which need to be well publicised. They certainly won't come to aimlessly wander around the streets admiring the concrete. Some of JW's suggestions are very good, but without some sort of "headline" attraction - and these days, sadly, that appears to be some sort of shopping complex (like Birmingham's Bull Ring, Solihull's Touchwood Centre or Merry Hill), until we can offer the same, I just can't see it happening. I sincerely hope I'm wrong

Johnnie & Tony No our nature walks wouldn't draw large crowds but I know it would attract a steady flow, it might not be everyone's cup of tea but there are people out there that do love rambling and bird watching, and nature walks, when I have on garden sites placed some of our nature walks on their sites with our wild life they say they would love to come and visit and envious of where I live when showing the nature reserve on the Red Hills, Wyken Slough, also the canal walk in Longford, then we have Brandon bird sanctuary, our fishing at Coombe Abbey if it's still there, even a friend of mine name Linda loved it and she works for the One Show she done a programme on Nuneaton Riversley Park with their history, why not ours. Yet I never see these being advertised for Coventry I fully agree with you on the music venue Johnnie some great ideas there and Tony who needs money to promote a music festival, wasn't it you who mentioned charity, did Bob Geldof need to pay nooooo lol, they all came for free for charity, so the only cost would be the time to invite the musicians to do a gig for charity, we have the Memorial Park, Coundon Park and yes even the town centre would be great for a festival for music acts like Edinburgh which every one seems to flock to. I recall living in Longford in the 70s, we used to have the canal boat fair at Sutton Stop where the boats would tug o war, between the bridges outside the Greyhound pub, at the rear of the pub was a fair brought crowds in then the council moved it to the canal basin which was never a success like at the Greyhound so yes little villages with their canals could bring the people in if things were done like this on a regular basis, and more live bands for the kids which we had but with Simon Cowell all gone out of the window, as our footy isn't going well is it. You could have stalls on a Sunday in the town for locals selling their hand made wares, arts and crafts which I don't see here like other towns have. All just a suggestion to you. for both of your replies which I didn't think I would get hehe. ps to Johnny we all go grey Johnnie as Jimmy Savile once said age is just a collection of numbers after your name hehe you're as old as you feel. good luck with your poetry too.

You could always try a large WWII-themed open air re-enactment like Pickering in Yorks. Using Broadgate and the Spon St. Wouldn't cost the council anything other than a bit of policing, traffic management. 40,000 people go to the Pickering WWII weekend (link); with Coventry's history, what about it?

That sounds like someone volunteering to me!

Now there's the point, Morgana, it does cost money, it's just that the organisers have to persuade some poor soul to donate that cost too! Whether its them putting their hands in their pockets and stumping up physical cash, or a printer donating their time and running costs - it all costs money - in one way or another. Ive organised charity events, and it's never as easy as it appears! Actually K, thats a very good idea - as I said, it sounds to me like you are volunteering your services!! Sorry, but these areas are some of THE most expensive aspects of these so-called "charity events". You simply cannot persuade the local Chief Superintendant to waive their policing fees - can't be done. They will only take hard cash, anything else could be considered a bribe (I am joking!)

I think that Morgana's question was the very important one of "what would" attract visitors to Coventry. The ideas have to come first! It's easy to say "too hard", "too expensive" etc - this is why nothing happens! If an idea is good enough, and it is blessed with determined and resourceful promoters, then problems can be overcome. I'm a bottle half full person myself! It would be nice to see some more positive responses to the topic. K's re-enactment idea might work. Maybe someone will have an idea that will just "click".

Quite often a way of encouraging people to places is by organising events for children. These may have all been tried I don't know??? What about a 'Teddy Bears Picnic Day' at the Memorial Park in the summertime with prizes for the biggest, smallest, funniest bear etc. Face painting in town on a Saturday? A childrens talent show? Does Coventry have a brass band? People always stop to listen and bands use this time as their practise session. Would they play in town for an hour or so? Do you have buskers in Coventry? (Philip?) Historical walks of the city centre? Ghost tours? A merry-go-round in the precinct? A jazz festival in the park? Just a few suggestions. Gilly

Maybe we need to think about why we visit other towns and Cities. Where do we go for a day out - and why?

Hello. To visit anywhere, we must have the following: The means of getting there. The reason for going there. Getting there means we either take ourselves or someone else takes us. The reason for going there is either we know about it, or someone else tells us about it. They are the elements that go into producing a holiday or venue brochure. That maybe the statement of the obvious but basically they are the two essential elements. What then follows is what there is to be seen.

Sometimes we cannot see the wood for the trees. Last year, I posted on here some of my out & about adventures. To think that one of our most rural city areas stretches across Coundon Wedge, where loads of local people use it, even if only for walking their dogs, but most people in our city have not much idea about it. It even gets more convenient as good pubs are at either end. I am surprised that the the two pubs have not used it as an aid to trade. Coundon Wedge is not our only area of interest, I know, but I have just used it as an example to show that if people do not know that it is there, they are not going to go. Food for thought?

Coventry is to me, my place of birth and one of the most interesting historical sites anywhere. Having said that, I visit because of those special interests. I think if I were an 'ordinary' tourist, by that I mean someone doing a bit of sightseeing and having a nice meal somewhere, I would find the place a bit of a disappointment. It is a fairly unappealing city centre, in which hardly anybody lives, the museum and art gallery are good, and the Transport Museum is excellent. But where is the motor industry heritage trail? Why no CCG open topped bus, a two tone museum? As far as I know, there is no heritage week, or anything similar. Maybe Coventry people don't want the place to become a tourist trap, which I fully understand, but surely some of their money would not go amiss. I heard recently that the General Wolfe had closed. This was a mecca for sixties rock music, with bands like Move, Moody Blues, Small Faces, and many others having played there. The Matrix was allowed to fade away, where the Bonzos and many others played. I realise Coventry is much more diverse and bigger, but maybe a look at Blists Hill, Saltaire and the Lanarkshire Mills would be a good idea. Living heritage is fun, educational and great entertainment if done properly. This is meant in a positive spirit, not as criticism, but I live near Clay Cross, where George Stephenson lived and worked. There is not a mention of him any where in the town, and it is a shame. Coventry has a vast rich heritage covering industries such as weaving, bicycles, motor cars, aero engines, music, literature, and goodness knows what else.

You make some very good points. BTW, Coventry does have a "Heritage Weekend", the last one being 8th - 11th Sept last year. Details can be found in the thread here Heritage Weekend, although it's hardly scratching the surface of what we need.

Spot on Tony And it would help if some money could be found to refurbish and open up The Old Grammar School and Whitefriars Monastery for starters