Winning watersports business aims to increase overseas visitors to Dorset

22 January 2009

The winner of a unique business challenge to attract more overseas visitors to Dorset has been announced on 13 January by South West Tourism, in conjunction with Kwintessential, a regional language specialist.

From left to right: Neil Payne, Director of Kwintessential and Malcolm Bell, Director of South West Tourism, showing the Rockley Watersports website.

Rockley Watersports Ltd, the Dorset provider of dingy sailing, watersports training and family holidays, has won a multi-lingual website design package worth £500 to entice more overseas visitors to Poole to sample the delights of sailing and the area’s maritime heritage.

Launched in early December the competition aimed to encourage businesses to improve their marketing advantage and global reach by allowing potential overseas customers to research holiday and business information on the South West in their own language. Tourism operators were asked to say what they are doing already to attract foreign visitors and/or why they feel they would benefit most from a website translation.

Peter Gordon, who runs Rockley Watersports with his wife Lis, explained why the news has come at a good time. “Our vision has always been to encourage participation in watersports. We already attract young people on school trips from a number of countries around the world. The multi-lingual website package win means our training and courses will now be promoted to overseas adults as well and will assist in spreading awareness of our company and the services we offer.”

Neil Payne, Kwintessential managing director said: “We are pleased to draw attention to growth opportunities in using language and cultural understanding to attract overseas visitors to the South West. Multi-lingual website translations reach customers in their own language and improve search engine optimisation in chosen markets. We are delighted to help Rockley Watersports entice more overseas visitors to Dorset for watersports holidays and activity fun.”

The strategic importance of looking to overseas markets is emphasised by Malcolm Bell, South West Tourism director. “Now is the time to be investing in marketing to attract overseas visitors. With the fall of the Euro against the pound, more Europeans are likely to be thinking about visiting our shores. Reaching new customers in their own language both at the planning stage and on the move makes commercial sense and promises competitive edge.”