The Herts Big Weekend 2021 will take place from 25th September, offering Hertfordshire residents the chance to win thousands of FREE tickets and days out to attractions across the county. The Big Weekend is all about giving residents in Hertfordshire the chance to discover – or rediscover – the array of fantastic things to see and do on their doorstep, and encouraging them to spread the word about their county. This word of mouth recommendation is priceless, and participants tell us that as a result of taking part in the Big Weekend they are highly likely to return with friends or relatives in the future and to explore more attractions in the area. Businesses also report an increase in secondary spend.
For 2021, Visit Herts is pleased to invite all attractions and tourism businesses across Hertfordshire to take part in this campaign by offering free entry to attractions or experiences (such as an afternoon tea or a guided tour), with opportunities for winners to redeem tickets into October 2021 in order to accommodate any remaining restrictions at venues, allowing businesses to safely manage capacity and offer tickets for off-peak hours.
As we reopen and relaunch our industry again, this major campaign comes at an ideal time to market your business at no cost, plus all involved will receive free GDPR-compliant opt-in data as well as feature in free marketing activity through our channels. With confidence in taking domestic trips increasing, it is expected that a quarter of all domestic overnight trips this year will be to visit friends and relatives, therefore this is the year to ensure your business is involved.
Free attractions will automatically be included in additional activity to encourage people to extend their stay in Hertfordshire for longer, increasing visitor spend and overnights stays within the county.
The 2019 event broke all previous records with 61 attractions donating more than 1,200 pairs of tickets, and there were over 59,000 applications for tickets. During the campaign, the website received more than 240,000 page views and our press coverage reached over 213,000 people, providing all participating businesses with fantastic free exposure. Research shows that following the event 87% of participant would visit more places in Hertfordshire as a result of Big Weekend while 99% would be proud to show their friends and family around the county. The Big Weekend plays an important role in helping to raise the profile of tourism as an important sector in the local economy and gain the support of the local community.
