East Sussex is on a mission to boost the number of tourists coming to the area and they are doing this by promoting the very best that East Sussex culture has to offer. East Sussex has many events that attract tourists to the area including Glyndebourne, the Rye International Jazz Festival, Brighton’s Pride and Eastbourne’s Airbourne among others.
The Newhaven to Dieppe ferry service has resulted in a larger number of tourists coming to the area and the East Sussex County Council is keen to keep the tourists in the area for as long as possible. The Transmanche Operational Partnership (TOP) has published a programme of events. The TOP is a group with a mutual interest in securing the future of the line. They include the Newhaven Town Council, Lewes District Council and the East Sussex County Council.
Councillor Rupert Simmons, a lead member for economy stated that they are working closely with partners on either side of the channel so they can ensure that people who come to the port know everything that East Sussex has in store. He described the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry as a wonderful resource that was going to result in many tourists coming to the county and they were keen to ensure that East Sussex’s economy didn’t miss out on the potential benefits.
He added that the villages and towns in the county had a lot to offer the tourists from amazing sites to an interesting history. For this reason, it was important that East Sussex not just be a transit point for tourists but also a destination. Simmons also added that the attendance to cultural events would be increased by the partnership between the counties and that tourists would now be encouraged to come and see what East Sussex had to offer them as this would greatly boost the local tourism industry in the area.
Some of the events that were being advertised include the Glyndebourne Festival Opera which runs from May to August, Lewes Speakers Festival, Brighton Pride Festival, Airbourne, Eastbourne International Airshow, Artwave (a festival for makers and artists), the Rye International Jazz Festival, Heritage Open Days, Small Wonder Short Stay Festival, ROOT1066 Festival of Contemporary Arts, Lewes Octoberfeast, Brighton Comedy Festival and the Tudor Christmas at Michelham Priory. These events are spread out throughout the year so there’s always something to do.