Harrogate's visitor push and links abroad

Following a visit to Montecatini in Italy with the Harrogate International Partnership (HIP) last month the Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate, Anne Jones said there was a win-win opportunity to bolster the tourism sector through its trio of twinned towns.

The town has been linked with Luchon in France since 1953, Montecatini since 1962 and Barrie in Canada since 2017. 

Visit Harrogate, the district’s official tourism board set the visitor target at its March conference, which Mrs Jones attended. She hopes work between HIP and Visit Harrogate could generate larger numbers of visitors, alongside developing cultural and educational exchanges.

Mrs Jones said: “Being invited to the Visit Harrogate conference we heard (CEO of Visit Harrogate Richard Spencer) say that it is their goal to bring up visitor numbers, well it seems to me that there is a perfect link here.

“If we have a twinning committee, promoting and encouraging ties, it seems like a match made in heaven.”

Currently serving as Honorary President on HIP Mrs Jones was welcomed alongside other members by the Mayor of the Montecatini, Doctor Giuseppe Bellandi.

The self-funded trip was aimed at rekindling the link between the towns and saw the visitors taken on a tour, which highlighted the draw of its spas to famed musicians across the 19th century. This included composer Giuseppe Verdi who visited over 20 years on the advice of his doctor. 

Welcoming the chance to open discussions Mr Spencer suggested the similarities in the case of Montecatini could see an exchange of ideas.

He said: “I have done a lot of work in the past in different towns, many with multiple twinnings across the world. What is interesting is whether the twinned towns have similar or different economic conditions. 

“If we have two destinations talking to each other, which have patterns of similarity in what their attributes and marketing opportunities are there will be some synergy.

I welcome the idea of examining what we can do at the visitor level with our friends in Europe and I would like to have a conversation. It could be an exchange of both people and ideas and I welcome this as a tremendous opportunity.”

John Harris, a member of HIP, also flagged the similarities with Harrogate and Montecatini.

He said: "Montecatini is a perfect fit with Harrogate - a spa heritage, a conference centre, an arts and music venue, a tourist centre in its own right with good shopping, restaurants and hotels and a theatre as well as being a central location for rail access to Florence, Lucca and Pisa.

"During the holiday season there are direct flights from Leeds Bradford to Pisa Airport, just over an hour or so away.

"It has a cycling pedigree too, having hosted the UCI Road World Cycling Championships in 2013 which Harrogate hosts in September next year."

HIP is also aiming to generate future contacts, Mr Harris pointed out that community groups were identified over the course of the visit.

It is possible that events could be generated through these, he said, highlighting the potential for a Montecatini and Harrogate tennis tournament later this year.

Next month will see Mrs Jones hand back her chain of office, and also draw to a close more than 15 years of service as a councillor.

However her time with HIP is to continue after being invited to stay on as a member.

She said: "i am going to be standing down but I have been invited to stay on and focus on what I like to call the Italian Job, and I am really looking forward to working with like minded people."