Read the report of the Destination Management Plan (2026-2036) consultation.
A public consultation was run by Torbay Council asking for feedback and views on Torbay’s draft Destination Management Plan (DMP) for 2026-2036. The plan sets out a long-term approach to supporting the visitor economy, improving visitor experiences and ensuring that tourism benefits residents, businesses and local communities. The consultation ran from 22 July to 2 September 2026.
Respondents broadly supported the overall direction of the draft Destination Management Plan and its ambition for a sustainable, year-round visitor economy. The Vision Statement received the highest level of support, with 86% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing, while 78% supported the Plan’s key priorities. Support for the proposed governance arrangements was also positive, with 65% agreeing or strongly agreeing, although a significant proportion of respondents sought further detail on how the Plan would be delivered.
A total of 261 responses to the survey were received. Of the people who responded to the consultation:
The survey asked respondents four key questions about the Destination Management Plan. These questions and their responses are detailed below:
143 respondents strongly agreed
81 agreed
24 neither agreed nor disagreed
6 disagreed
7 strongly disagreed
102 respondents strongly agreed
102 agreed
37 neither agreed nor disagreed
14 disagreed
6 strongly disagreed
65 respondents strongly agreed
104 agreed
68 neither agreed nor disagreed
16 disagreed
8 strongly disagreed
This question was optional and in a free text format that allowed people to give their personalised feedback. This question received 166 responses, of which 160 contained substantive feedback. The five most common themes and concerns are detailed below:
The demographics of the people who took part in the consultation are shown below. Please note that most demographic questions were optional and therefore totals may not equal the overall number of survey respondents.
TQ 1 and 2 (Torquay): 126 respondents
TQ 3 and 4 (Paignton): 69 respondents
TQ5 (Brixham): 28 respondents
Other TQ areas: 12
Male: 123
Female: 129
Prefer not to say: 9
0-15: 0
16-24: 0
25-34: 5
35-44: 15
45-54: 39
55-64: 76
65-74: 76
75+: 30
Prefer not to say: 20
White: 227
Mixed ethnic background: 3
Asian or Asian British: 0
Black or Black British: 0
Chinese: 0
Other: 27
Working full time in Torbay: 43
Working full time elsewhere in Devon: 10
Working part time in Torbay: 28
Working part time elsewhere in Devon: 6
Self-employed: 33
Looking after family/home: 3
Temporary sick: 0
Long term sick: 4
Retired: 109
Unemployed: 1
Prefer not to say: 20
Yes: 27
No: 205
Prefer not to say: 24
Yes: 37
No: 202
Prefer not to say: 16
Yes: 5
No: 236
Prefer not to say: 15
Microsoft Copilot was used to support the analysis and summarisation of feedback collected via the online consultation. The AI‑powered tool reviewed the consultation responses within the dataset and, when prompted, identified key positive and negative themes to inform the findings presented.
A copy of the raw dataset was submitted to the economy team alongside this report to ensure transparency and accuracy in the information presented. All responses were submitted anonymously, and no data was gathered that could be used to identify individual participants.
The consultation generated a wide range of valuable feedback from residents, businesses and stakeholders. This feedback has been thoroughly reviewed and used to inform revisions to the draft Destination Management Plan.
These changes include:
Some feedback related to matters that influence the resident and visitor experience but sit outside the direct scope of the Destination Management Plan. These included issues such as anti-social behaviour, graffiti and parking. The relevant feedback has been shared with Council services and partner organisations so it can inform service planning, wider place-based activity and future delivery discussions.
To help ensure as many voices were heard as possible, the consultation was promoted on numerous channels and stakeholders were contacted directly encouraging them to share the consultation with their networks and members.
It is worth noting that the consultation on the previous Destination Management Plan, undertaken in 2022, received 109 responses. In comparison, this year's consultation attracted 261 responses, representing an increase of 152 responses or approximately 139%. This demonstrates a significant improvement in engagement.
A press release was issued on 22 July 2026, a copy of which is published on our website
The release generated coverage from the following outlets and their associated platforms.
The consultation was promoted through several council-led newsletters including One Torbay, Staff News (internal awareness), Food Safety and Health newsletter and Torbay Business News.
The consultation was promoted through the One Torbay e‑newsletter on Friday 24 July, Friday 7 August, Friday 28 August. The newsletter reached approximately 12,200 subscribers on all occasions, with an approximate 50% open rate each week. The first edition generated 101 click‑throughs to the consultation information, indicating strong initial engagement.
The consultation was promoted across the Council’s corporate social media channels, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Nextdoor and Instagram. Facebook generated the highest levels of engagement in terms of reach, likes, clicks, comments and shares. Across all promotional posts, there were a total of 69 likes and comments and a total reach of just under 10k. There was a total of 186 link clicks from the social posts directly to the consultation webpage.
The consultation was also promoted directly to key stakeholders with a strong interest in Torbay’s visitor economy. This included the English Riviera BID Company and its member businesses, as well as the Torbay Business Forum, helping to ensure that businesses, tourism operators and other sector stakeholders had the opportunity to review and comment on the draft Plan.
Following the close of the consultation, all feedback has been reviewed and incorporated into the final Destination Management Plan where appropriate.
The report will be presented to Cabinet at the end of October. Subject to Cabinet approval, a recommendation will be made to Full Council to adopt the Plan.
The final stage of the process will be consideration by Full Council in December 2026, where members will be asked to formally approve and adopt the Destination Management Plan 2026-2036.