In a bid to encourage Nottingham locals and visitors to make more use of the city’s quieter, greener and more cultural side, the City Council will be issuing reward cards that their owners can get stamped once they visit any participating attraction. Each visit will earn a stamp and four stamps can be redeemed for a free activity.
Participating sites include the serene and picturesque Newstead Abbey, the impressive medieval might of Nottingham Castle as well as Colwick and Wollaton parks. The free activities include boat hire, free car entry, fishing trip permits and many more.
David Trimble, portfolio holder for leisure, culture and tourism, said "This is a great offer to all our loyal visitors, rewarding them for their loyalty towards Nottingham's parks, open spaces and heritage sites.
"We hope that the Nottingham Parks and Open Spaces Loyalty Card offer will encourage more visitors to come along to the attractions on offer."
Nottingham City Council’s scheme reflects a growing awareness in government and council institutions that the need to provide value for money doesn’t just apply to commercial organisations. Like supermarket chains and major retailers who make use of plastic card printing for their loyalty schemes, councils like Nottingham are waking up to the potential of reward cards.
As a low-cost alternative to holidays abroad, the British stay at home holiday – or “staycation” has become increasingly popular. Brits are taking the time to discover the more scenic and exciting attractions that are all around them in their home cities, towns and counties. This often saves on travel costs and means holidaymakers have more time to spend relaxing and less time stuck in airports or on long drives.
However, just because the staycation may be a cheaper option, it still requires some forward thinking from British councils and tourism institutions to provide that all-important value for money. The Nottingham City Council has ordered new ID card printers to make sure that it can offer the new reward cards this summer. Schemes like the Nottingham Parks and Open Spaces Loyalty Card should encourage families and larger groups of friends to enjoy the great green open spaces together in order to make the most of the free activities.
images: © Duncan Harris, © Duncan Harris