Bath Rugby and Bath Tourism Plus (BTP) have kicked off their joint marketing scheme which aims to boost ticket sales by selling them to visitors at the Visitor Information Centre by Bath Abbey.
Players Mark McMillan, Dan Hipkiss, Guy Mercer and Nick Koster were in the recently-revamped Visitor Information Centre on Saturday to meet fans, sign autographs and officially launch scheme.
As part of the partnership deal, staff in the Information Centre will help promote the team by donning Bath Rugby shirts on days when there is a home game. As well as selling tickets for home matches, rugby shirts, caps, key rings and souvenirs will also be on sale.
Bath Rugby sales and marketing director Vicki Smith said: “Bath Rugby are at the heart of this historic city, and so is the tourism it attracts. Partnering with Bath Tourism will benefit the city by bringing world famous rugby and a calendar of exciting events to our many thousands of visitors for a long time to come. We are looking forward to an innovative, strategic partnership.”
In addition, BTP will provide an accommodation booking widget on Bath Rugby’s website which allows visitors to search for and book accommodation with Bath Tourism as an added extra when they search for tickets.
BTP chief executive Nick Brooks-Sykes added: “The impact of Bath Rugby on the city’s tourism economy cannot be understated. Not only do retailers, restaurants and bars feel the financial impact on match days, but the city also benefits from great TV coverage as broadcasters delight in the beautiful city backdrop to the Rec.
“I am therefore pleased that BTP is forging an even stronger working relationship with Bath Rugby Club and that our new, strategic partnership is beginning to deliver results for both parties. Clearly, we hope this to be a winning formula!”
The partnership continues support by Bath Rugby for BTP – last month the club recently hosted a familiarisation visit from VisitEngland’s overseas business representatives. It will also continue in the form of competitions for in marketing activity to promote the city.
