Lynton & Lynmouth is a place people feel—salt air, steep valleys, the thrum of the sea—and a proud, independent spirit that sets us apart.
Tourism isn’t just visitors arriving; it’s livelihoods, apprenticeships, winter stability, and the confidence to keep improving our high street, our harbour, and our public spaces. Done well, it sustains what we love about living here and deepens what visitors love about coming back.
Our focus is Better, not Busier: attracting the right trips at the right times, growing value over volume, and protecting the character that makes Little Switzerland unique. That means leaning into what we do best—independence, authenticity, and genuine hospitality—while removing small frictions that get in the way of great experiences.
The Pillars of Tourism give us a simple, circular model for everyday decisions—Attraction, Proposition, Experience, Referral. Together they keep our marketing honest, our information current, our welcome warmer, and our stories travelling further. They also help us balance three outcomes at once: thriving businesses, happy residents, and a cared-for environment.
Key objectives
Increase high-value staying and day visits.
Broaden and strengthen our business mix.
Create year-round opportunities, especially for young people.
Boost joint working and shared projects.
Enhance and protect our natural, environmental and key assets.
Underpinning the pillars is a mindset: Striving for Excellence. Not perfection—progress. Small, visible improvements that visitors can feel: a clearer sign, a brighter window, a more helpful “What to expect” note. Excellence builds trust, lifts reviews, and turns first-time guests into loyal fans.
We use the PIE lens to check our direction and keep improving our Critical Mass:
- (P)lenty to do
- (I)nteresting variety
- (E)veryone benefits.
And we bring it to life in person with GLOW—Greet, Lift, Open, Wow—so the first moment feels welcoming and the last moment lingers.
This page turns that philosophy into practice. Use the pillars to shape campaigns and pages. Use the checklists to tune shopfronts and service. And use the mindset—excellence, every week—to keep Lynton & Lynmouth quietly outstanding, season after season.
Attraction — Inspire the right trips
Reach new markets, re-ignite fond memories, and motivate longer stays and repeat visits. Track whether reach and intent are improving and which stories genuinely move people to book.
How to act
Seasonal storytelling that leads with our exmoor coast drama + independent character.
Clear travel planning: parking, EV options, public transport, “what to expect” by season.
Use social proof (recent reviews, media quotes) to lower friction.
Proposition — Present a compelling offer
Show the best of Lynton & Lynmouth and Exmoor: places to stay, eat and drink; activities and events; our heritage and landscapes. Keep it relevant, current, and easy to browse.
How to act
Build itineraries (day trips, cosy weekends, dark skies nights).
Keep opening times and menus accurate and seasonal.
Curate member pages only (per VLL policy) and cross-link logically (Stay → Eat → Do).
Experience — Deliver a warmer welcome
Reinforce the visitor’s decision with a genuinely great time here: memorable service, tidy public realm, easy wayfinding, and visible care for sustainability, inclusivity and accessibility.
How to act
GLOW: Greet, Lift, Open, Wow—from first hello to fond farewell.
Small fixes fast: lighting, paint, signage, printed menus, toilet checks.
Add access notes (gradients, dog-friendly tips), and simple rain/wind plans.
Referral — Turn smiles into signal
Encourage visitors to share their story: reviews, social posts, recommendations to friends and family—so tomorrow’s bookings are easier than today’s. Track review quality and website/social growth.
How to act
Nudge for reviews at the right moment; make QR or short links obvious.
Repost UGC with permission; thank people publicly.
Close the loop with a post-visit note and a reason to return (off-peak ideas).
Striving for Excellence
More than a pillar—Excellence is our engine that drives everything we do.
Of course excellence isn’t perfection; it’s steady, visible improvement that visitors can feel. It keeps morale high, reviews strong, and repeat stays flowing.
What it looks like
One micro-improvement a week: a clearer sign, a warmer lamp, a better map, a sharper menu line.
Clarity beats cleverness: prices, policies, parking and dog rules in plain English.
Consistency: the small things (clean windows, smiling eyes, open doors) done every day.
How we measure it
Better review language (“warm”, “helpful”, “clean”, “welcoming”).
Fewer frictions reported (queues, confusion, closed-when-open).
Higher conversion on key pages (stays, what’s on, things to do).
How this ties to “Better, not Busier” and improving the size of the 'pie'
Our goal isn’t more for the sake of more—it’s better value, better balance, better stories.
(P)lenty to do: Itineraries and seasonal depth (Attraction → Proposition).
(I)nteresting variety: Independent flavour, not sameness (Proposition → Experience).
(E)veryone benefits: Visitors, residents, businesses, and the environment (Experience → Referral).
