Photo: Alan Mak MP with Rosemary Satchwell, owner of Eastoke’s Terracotta Pot Shop and Chair of the South Hayling Island Coastal Community Team (CCT)
Havant MP Alan Mak gained the heavyweight backing of Communities Minister Mark Francois for a Hayling tourism group in Parliament. South Hayling Island’s Coastal Community Team (CCT) were awarded a £10,000 grant last year to strengthen the area’s visitor economy, and were praised by both Mak and the Minister for their excellent work boosting tourist experiences with signage.
Tourism is one of the main industries on Hayling Island, which boasts retail hubs at Beachlands and Eastoke Corner, and which plays host to a range of national and international water sports events.
In 2015, the Island received a £10,000 grant from the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund, which was used by the South Hayling Coastal Community Team to improve and increase the number of signs and maps for visitors to the Island.
Using the grant, new and large beach maps have been erected at all public pay car parks along the Seafront, with facilities and amenities pinpointed with a colour-coding system. The maps will be used in conjunction with an interactive website and app that will help to bring visitor tourism on Hayling into the 21st century, slowly replacing outdated methods such as The Brown Signs.
The Coastal Community Team work closely in partnership with Havant Borough Council’s planning office to push forward the regeneration of local seafronts and beach areas. With a tourism industry worth over £160 million annually, Havant authorities are keen to keep areas such as Hayling Island an attractive destination for a new generation of visitors.
Alan Mak said: “I am delighted to gain the Minister’s support for the South Hayling Coastal Community Team, who have used their Government grant to great effect. Visitors to Hayling will now have a better experience because of new signage, and this is vital if we want to boost the tourist industry which is so ingrained in the fabric of the Island.”
Rosemary Satchwell, owner of Eastoke’s Terracotta Pot Shop and Chair of the CCT, said: “It is great to see Hayling Island mentioned in Parliament and recognised as a real destination for tourists across the country. We are delighted to see Alan helping to put Hayling on the map, and we hope that our new signage – made possible by last year’s government grant – will make the most of this new publicity to give visitors to the Island the best experience possible.”
Local MP Alan Mak has been a key champion of Hayling as a tourist hotspot since his election in 2015. Mak recently met Marshall Hill, co-owner of Funland Amusement Park and Chairman of the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA), to showcase the Island’s on a national stage.
Mak has also lent his support to the proposed England Coast Path as a prime initiative to get more visitors to the Island.
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