Coast to coast success for Cornish tourism

Cornwall is celebrating British Tourism Week (March 23-29) in style after Falmouth design agency, Gendall Design bagged a coveted Media Innovation Award for its creation of visitnewquay.org, the town’s official tourism web site.

Newquay has been working hard to broaden visitor’s perception of it as more than just a destination for surfers and stag parties, and Gendall Design has successfully captured this essence, bringing the town to life online as a destination for surfers and families, as well as those looking for a more upmarket experience.

“The challenge for us was to help Newquay reposition itself as a destination that has something to offer several very diverse audiences, and to communicate this in a fresh and engaging way,” said Paul Davies, Digital Design Director at Gendall Design. “The innovation includes a ‘virtual’ high street; a surf blog; downloadable cycle routes; interactive maps and video clips of past events such as the RipCurl Boardmasters. We aimed to deliver a wealth of information in a very imaginative but easily accessible way.”

Richard Wilcox, Business Development Manager at Tourism Newquay added: “I'm delighted that www.visitnewquay.org has won this Award. A lot of work has gone into the website to make sure it captures the essence of Newquay and appeals to both advertisers on the site and visitors to the site. The fact that the site has won this prestigious award is testament to the design skills of the team at Gendall combining with the ambition of Tourism Newquay.

“visitnewquay.org is the first step in putting Newquay back on the map. I firmly believe that Newquay deserves a better reputation than it has had and the look and feel of the website really reflects the type of image we want to portray.”

The South West Media Innovation Awards, which celebrate excellence in screen-based media and design, included media experts from ITV.com and Channel 4 on the judging panel, and the accolade reinforces Gendall Design’s expertise in the tourism sector. Its tourism portfolio includes seven years working with luxury eco-timeshare and historic estate, Trelowarren – winner of The Times Green Spaces Travel Award last year – for whom it will launch a new web site in April; and ten years working with the iconic Eden Project. Gendall Design has also just completed a new web site for the Duchy of Cornwall, including a custom-made search and booking system for its luxury holiday cottages.

Tess Gendall, Managing Director at Gendall Design added, “We are thrilled to be recognised for our innovative work in this field. Not only has the Visit Newquay site attracted more than 40,000 hits since it launched, but it has also become an attractive destination for businesses to advertise, with over 100 companies taking out enhanced entries on the web site. It is a great example of how excellent design can achieve a direct impact on a business’s bottom line.”