Businesses in the Bradford district have reported an increase in footfall and customer enquiries, following the Sparkling Bradford winter campaign which has seen a 70% uplift in engagement this year.
The bi-annual initiative, which launched in 2018, has received 30 new business sign-ups and reached more than two million people online during the 2021-2022 winter campaign. Visits to the website also increased by almost double in comparison to the summer campaign.
New Sparkling Bradford member and owner of virtual reality venue VR City in Bradford, Hasan Khan said: “We have benefitted hugely from the support of Sparkling Bradford. We’ve had a noticeable increase in visits since partnering with the initiative, as well as some fantastic social media traction. It has also provided us with excellent networking opportunities, engaging with other businesses that are also signed up to the campaign.
Delivered by partners; VisitBradford, The Broadway Bradford, Bradford Business Improvement District (BID), Ilkley BID and Bradford Council, Sparkling Bradford aims to boost the region’s economy, as well as showcase visitor experiences across the district.
The Sparkling Bradford seasonal campaigns work to boost the visitor economy by showcasing the visitor experience on offer across the Bradford district during summer 2021 and winter 2021/22. Traffic is driven to www.sparklingbradford.info which details a huge and diverse range of events, activities, entertainment and performances to help plan days and trips locally.
Sachi Samanta, owner and head chef at Sachi’s restaurant in Ilkley, commented: “We were delighted to be showcased during the Sparkling Bradford campaign. Since we featured in the region’s press in print and online, we’ve experienced an influx of visits from people within and outside of the Bradford district who all stated that our new found fame in the media drove them to book at Sachi’s.”
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said “This is the seventh campaign for Sparkling Bradford which first launched in 2018 and has consistently boosted footfall across the district through its promotion of events, attractions and tourism, retail, and hospitality businesses. We’ve been absolutely thrilled by the engagement this year!
“Sparkling Bradford showcases everything that the Bradford district has to offer for both local residents and visitors – there is so much to embrace and enjoy whilst supporting the local economy. This year’s winter campaign has been by far the most successful. We’re delighted to see that the partners’ hard work and investment into the area has been worthwhile and it’s fantastic to see businesses in the district thrive after what has been an extremely challenging couple of years.”
For more information about Sparkling Bradford and more details on where to shop, eat, visit and enjoy, follow #SparklingBradford on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or visit www.sparklingbradford.info.
