Collaboration is a state of happy harmony, especially in destination marketing. Here, the act of working together can be viewed as a kind of celebration, a move that empowers multiple places and spaces with the opportunity to tell a story that is bigger, deeper, and wider than any single destination.
This is a timely thought because — behind every celebration — there’s a story, and this one is no different; after all, earlier this spring, we marked World Book Day with a Jane Austen-themed blog to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the author’s birth. Now, we’re going one step further to explore how three separate Simpleview clients — Visit Hampshire, Great West Way, and Visit Bath — have worked together to celebrate Jane Austen, collaborating to create a comprehensive experience that brings her story to life for a diverse audience of visitors across a wide range of destinations.
A multi-destination narrative
Back in 2017, Visit Hampshire commemorated the 200th anniversary of the death of Austen by highlighting the places within the county — from Chawton to Steventon to Winchester to Southampton — that can claim a deep connection to this much-loved author. But in an interview with Simpleview earlier this year, Andrew Bateman, tourism manager for Visit Hampshire, explained that, if 2017 was the start of Austen’s story, then 2025 is a continuation of that same tale. As Andrew phrased it, the county of Hampshire is “the original location for Jane Austen,” but it’s equally true that the author’s narrative is one that truly transcends the bounds of geography.
That is why Visit Hampshire has connected with Visit Bath and Great West Way to tell Austen’s story in a more balanced way. As Andrew clarifies, the idea behind this initiative — dubbed Jane Austen 250 — is to present a more cohesive and joined-up offering, making it easier for both the travel trade and international visitors to connect with the wider Jane Austen story.
Embracing global interest and regional collaboration
In practice, celebrating the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth meant that these destinations worked together to create a comprehensive offering — a range of experiences, ideas, itineraries, and products — intended to spark the imagination of a global audience. Andrew adds that while public interest is assumed to be on par with that shown in 2017 — with the bulk coming from the US, Australia, and New Zealand — the translation of Austen’s books into multiple languages means that there are widespread opportunities to engage with potential visitors from China, Spain, Italy, and Brazil.
While Visit Hampshire has been working collectively with stakeholders for more than three years to develop its plans for Jane Austen 250, this year’s celebrations are built on the foundation of its 2017 commemorations. As such, Visit Hampshire has used their existing digital infrastructure — powered by the Simpleview CMS — to create a calendar of events and attractions to appeal to audiences across the whole of 2025. “It’s a full year of activity to drive tourism,” says Andrew, adding that the overall goal is to help spread visitor numbers and provide more sustainable visits during quieter months.
For Visit Hampshire, the opening of 8 College Street in Winchester — where Austen spent her last days — is the jewel in the Jane Austen 250 crown. Owned by Winchester College, it will be opened as a new visitor attraction later this year, offering guided tours from June through to August. In addition to on-the-ground visitor initiatives, Hampshire is capitalising on 2025’s celebrations by actively engaging with international media interest, offering multiple press and fam trips to make the most of this opportunity. By working in tandem with both the media and Visit Britain’s international press office, the goal is to generate more positive publicity for the Jane Austen 250 programme.
But as is evidenced by Winchester’s collaboration with Great West Way and Visit Bath, Andrew highlights that Jane Austen 250 provides an excellent vehicle for any destination with any kind of Austen connection to shine. What’s more — from Hampshire’s rural setting to the genteel town of Bath and the vibrant vibes of Reading — the celebrations of Jane Austen 250 are diverse in their appeal, offering up something to a wide range of visitors, whether they are diehard fiction fans, film buffs, or simply following in the footsteps of this famous author.
The ultimate tale of collaboration and celebration, Jane Austen 250 is the happy coming together of diverse places and destinations, all united to bring the story of this much-loved author to life.
