BUSINESSES across Herefordshire have voted decisively in favour of a further five-year Term for Visit Herefordshire, securing continued investment in the County's visitor economy from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032.

Following a successful ballot, Visit Herefordshire, the trading name of Herefordshire County BID, has received a mandate to continue leading the growth and development of the County's visitor economy for the next five years.

The result marks a major vote of confidence in the work delivered since 2022 and provides a platform to build on one of Herefordshire's most significant economic success stories.

Under the rules of the ballot, the majority of businesses voting were required to vote in favour, both by number and by aggregate rateable value. The independently verified result, administered by Civica Election Services, confirmed overwhelming support: 74.73 per cent of businesses voting said YES.

The successful ballot secures the second five-year term of Visit Herefordshire from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032, enabling delivery of the ambitious programme set out in the Visit Herefordshire Business Plan until 2032.

The result comes after a transformational first five years, which have seen Herefordshire's visitor economy grow from £470 million to a record £830 million, supporting almost 8,000 jobs and now accounting for 24.6% of the County's economy.

Looking ahead, Visit Herefordshire's new business plan is focused on four ambitious pillars: attracting Visitors and new audiences; working together for business growth; authentic Herefordshire as an economic engine for tourism, and investment in Tourism.

Together, these priorities will help deliver Visit Herefordshire's bold long-term ambition of creating a £1 billion visitor economy by 2035.

Joanna Hilditch and Glenn Jones, co-chairs of Visit Herefordshire, said: “This result is a powerful endorsement from businesses across Herefordshire and a clear vote of confidence in what we have achieved together over the past five years.”