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Friday 23 May 2014

Sidmouth Hospitality Association .......... merges with ............. Chamber of Commerce

After over sixty years of serving the hotel and tourism, the SDHA
Sidmouth & District Hospitality Association | Facebook
is closing - but its members will join the Chamber of Commerce:

Welcome to Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce

Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce works to promote, represent and lobby on behalf of the local business community.
Close contacts with the town and district councils and many other bodies allows the collective voice and views of Sidmouth businesses to be heard.
All businesses are welcome irrespective of size.
At their AGM held on 1 May 2014, Sidmouth & District Hospitality Association decided to disband and voted to join Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce to work together.  We warmly welcome members of the Association and look forward to combining our efforts to promote Sidmouth.
Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce - Home

Already a year ago, there had been considerable cooperation and cross-over from the two groups:


‘Sidmouth hotels and businesses should work together’


Stephen Sumner Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Collaboration was the order of the day as Sidmouth tourism leaders met with businesses and organisations on Monday.

Representatives of the chamber of commerce, town council and the hospitality association agreed that cross-promotion of events would benefit everyone.

Guests at the Sidmouth and District Hospitality Association’s annual general meeting heard that spreading the word about fashion shows, science festivals and jubilee celebrations in and around the town will boost the whole area.

Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce chairman Steven Kendall-Torry said: “We need to work more closely together – there are so many events that nobody ever heard of.” He said the Tour of Britain would bring international interest that hotels and businesses alike should capitalise on.

The businessman added that smaller events like Budleigh Salterton’s literary festival could also bring tourists to Sidmouth, and vice versa. “Tourists aren’t going to stay here all week – we should be encouraging them to go to other local towns,” he said.

Hospitality association president James Sharp agreed, saying: “We need to make the most of all these events on our doorstep.”

Town councillor John Dyson thanked the hotels and restaurants for supporting the Hopper Bus, which brings visitors to the town for free. The vehicle has gone from strength to strength and is now self-sufficient, carrying 13,500 people in 100 days last year. “I don’t think any other minibus in the country can boast that many passengers,” he said.

Town clerk Christopher Holland said he had welcomed a project to create a leaflet on the Jurassic Coast, because it meant the towns and villages worked together. “We’re normally friendly rivals, but we have a shared unique selling point,” he said.

The brochure utilised Government funding to promote the World Heritage Site, and required cooperation between councils along the coast.

‘Sidmouth hotels and businesses should work together’ - News - Sidmouth Herald

The excellent website for the tourist business was set up a couple of years ago:

Seafront hotels

About Us

OUR HISTORY

Since its inception in 1951 and until 2004 the organisation was known as the Sidmouth & District Hotel and Caterers Association
The first President of the Sidmouth and District Hotels and Caterer's Association was Mr M J Roberts
The association was formed so that all hotels and guesthouses could operate to an agreed standard.
In order to join members had to agree to their establishment being inspected by two members of the Committee. They could also gain a grading by joining the A.A or RAC star rating system. All establishments were therefore always inspected before being allowed to join. The Association consisted of a President, Vice President or Presidents, plus 6 committee members, including one from a self-catering section.
In 2004 It was agreed by consensus that the association rules and set up required an overhaul.
It was decided that a wider membership should be encouraged to join from all areas involved in hospitality. Thus Caravan Parks, self-catering companies and Restaurants were actively encouraged to join our newly named organisation, Sidmouth and District Hospitality Association.
In 2012 the Executive committee agreed to develop a website to promote Sidmouth and the surrounding areas. In July 2012 saw the launch of this website; selectsidmouth.com.








About Us - Sidmouth

See also:
Futures Forum: Jobs and services: the hospitality industry
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