The extra support is fantastic to help the whole of the county to reach its potential, but there is so much to do in the city to help make the most of what we have to offer and ensure that we keep visitors coming back repeatedly - and staying for longer!
Portsmouth needs improving and diversifying its tourism offerings, with high-quality accommodation, more to do and ensuring we have cleaner seas that we can make the most of to attract more visitors.
Here we look at 11 things we think our city needs to focus on to help it reach its tourism potential.
9. Making the most of the city's food and drink
You cannot walk around a street corner without tripping over a fantastic eatery or pub - and so many of them are independent. And these really need to be celebrated but unfortunately there is very little to promote Portsmouth as a culinary treat. Yes we do have the brilliant Southsea Food Festival. But that is once a year and many of the stall holders are independent producers rather than our local pubs, restaurants and cafes. We pretty much have an A-Z of eateries from around the world in Portsmouth as well as the traditional British-fayre. We just need to make the most of promoting them, or else tourists will never venture further than Gunwharf - and they will be missing out on so much! | TripAdvisor
10. Getting Southsea connected
We all know there has been a few years of disruption in Southsea, and there will be a few more years of it too with the ongoing sea defence works. But this also presents a golden opportunity to better link and connect our seafront areas which we know attract tourists as well as local residents. Hopefully the improvements to the drainage on Southsea Common will ensure it is useable all year round which will help. But better 'signposting' along the seafront would help visitors (and residents) know where the barbecue areas are, where the skatepark is and areas where people can use their scooters or just sit and relax. Making it easier for visitors to find the quiet areas such as the Rock Gardens and the Rose Gardens would also be useful. And making sure basics like the toilets are always clean is also needed (as anyone who has used the ladies at Canoe Lake in the summer can attest to). And having a dedicated bus or land train up and down the entire seafront would help bring better connectivity to the area. Families with young children are never going to go from one end to the other unless we make it easier for them! | PCC
11. Making the most of our empty buildings and derelict areas
Portsmouth, like most cities, has an image problem which is only made worse by the empty buildings and abandoned sites which are littered across it. Many have planning permission for another use which the developer has never then taken forward. Others are just pretty derelict while someone decides what to do with it. Predictably, much of it will go to housing or part housing which is needed for future generations. But is essential that the plans include leisure, hotel and retail - as well as essential community services. The council has the power to compulsory purchase of some of these such sites as a last resort - so let's seriously think about using that. Leaving key areas of our city to just rot is doing absolutely nothing for anyone. Large projects such as the development of the old Pounds Yard at Tipner and the long talked about city centre regeneration must succeed. They are essential not only for our residents but also to ensure that Portsmouth looks welcoming. We need to create a good first impression so that we can make a good lasting impression. Photo: PCC