Initiative encourages locals to explore Bradford this summer

“Keeping the sparkle going” is the theme of a new campaign which aims to encourage local people to start exploring Bradford’s hospitality, retail and attractions this summer.

Sparkling Bradford is a bi-annual initiative delivered by partners The Broadway Bradford, Bradford Council, Visit Bradford and the Bradford Business Improvement District (BID). It works to boost the visitor economy by showcasing the visitor experience on offer across the district during the summer and the winter seasons.

Launched for 2020 it is considered a “crucial” initiative for July to September by partners who have pledged to support local trade and the visitor economy as the district carefully emerges from lockdown.

Coun Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “We are so proud of how our businesses have embraced change and adapted to an incredibly challenging situation navigating through the restrictions of Covid-19. Sparkling Bradford is a crucial initiative for summer 2020 as it will support the district’s broad offering such as our amazing countryside, parks, heritage and cultural destinations.”

She added: “New for 2020 is our ‘Your Bradford’ feature where we’re asking local people to share their experiences of Bradford’s gems through photographs, videos, poetry and reviews on our website and through our social media channels. We will keep our website updated with visitor recommendations so we can share, visit and support Bradford’s cultural, heritage and recreational activities together.”

Sparkling Bradford was first launched in 2018 and has consistently boosted footfall across the district through its summer and winter attraction and events campaigns.

Ian Ward, general manager of The Broadway and chair of Bradford BID, said: “This is the fourth season for Sparkling Bradford which has a track record of improving footfall by keeping people informed of what the district has to offer.

“We know many people have had to cancel their summer holidays due to Covid-19 and will be looking at safe ways to entertain their families during the school break. Our role is to highlight what is available, encourage people to share their experiences and help us to help our local businesses bounce back after a very tough first half of the year.”

Sparkling Bradford’s summer inspiration is showcased on the new website which includes highlights from each area of the district under the titles of Be Inspired, Eat Local, Shop Local, The Great Outdoors and Your Bradford. Local businesses can also access new Sparkling Bradford communications toolkits which give top tips and guidance about getting the most from the campaign.

Patricia Tillotson, Visitor and Business Development Manager, VisitBradford, added: “Our summer initiative goes live this week and our website is packed with ideas to make your summer in Bradford sparkle.

“Sparkling Bradford makes it easy to decide what to do over the coming weeks by sharing the leisure stars of the district alongside our residents’ own entertainment favourites to help us all safely and responsibly start exploring and supporting Bradford again.”