Welcome to the 2017 English Tourism Social Media Index

An annual league table of the 133 tourism bodies in England, ranked according to the best use of social media by their official social media channels. #ETSMI

Winner Visit Lincoln

Runner-up Visit Blackpool

Introduction

The English Tourism Social Media Index is an annual league table of the 133 tourism bodies in England, ranked according to the best use of social media by their official social media channels.

Of the 133 tourism bodies analysed, 33 are counties and 100 are towns and cities within nine regions of England. This year's index includes five new tourist organisations compared to the last edition.

The English Tourism Social Media Index – part of a wider Social Media Index which was launched in 2013 – is compiled by measuring the social media performance of each tourism body based, not just on an algorithm, but also qualitative analysis by a panel of three judges.

Produced by PR and social media agency Umpf in association with TripAdvisor Rentals, the Index includes an overall table of all 133 English tourism bodies ranked first to last, a counties table, plus nine additional tables showing rankings based on bodies within Visit England's nine regions*.

This year, Visit Lincoln claimed the top spot with an impressive climb from 57th position last time round. In fact, seven of this year's top ten show notable rises up the table. Second place Visit Blackpool finished 74th in 2016, whilst Visit Exmoor has improved 78 places to finish seventh this year.

Visit Cornwall, last year's winner, has maintained a respectable top 10 finish, and Visit Thanet has improved one place to finish in the top three.

In the counties table, Visit Isle of Wight is awarded the top spot, followed closely by last year's winner Visit Cornwall.

Congratulations to the tourist bodies who topped the nine regional tables for best social media performance: North East – Visit Northumberland; North West – Visit Blackpool; Yorkshire & The Humber – Visit Leeds; East Midlands – Visit Lincoln; West Midlands –Destination Staffordshire; East of England – Visit Norfolk; London – VisitLondon; South West – North Devon Plus; South East – Visit Thanet.

*The 133 tourist boards were taken from the VisitEngland website. Organisations that didn't have dedicated social channels to tourism were discounted from the list. This index is not produced in association with VisitEngland.

Methodology

There are three elements to our methodology – with a maximum score of 100 being attainable. Watch the video below to get a better understanding of how it all works or click on the link below for a full description.

League Tables

See the latest rankings from the tables within the dropdown below. (Tables based on standings at 11th June 2017)

All scores have been rounded to two decimal places.

  • Overall League
  • County League
  • Yorkshire & Humber
  • North East
  • North West
  • West Midlands
  • East Midlands
  • East of England
  • London
  • South East
  • South West

Overall League
Tourism Board % Last Year
1. Visit Lincoln 73.00 57
2. Visit Blackpool 72.67 74
3. Visit Thanet 70.00 4
4. Visit Isle of Wight 68.67 56
5. North Devon Plus 68.33 51
6. Visit Manchester 68.00 33
7. Visit Exmoor 66.67 85
8. Visit Leeds 66.33 52
9. Visit Cornwall 66.00 1
10. Visit Peak District & Derbyshire 64.00 3
11. Cumbria Tourism 63.67 7
12. Visit Norfolk 63.67 42
13. Visit Northumberland 63.33 21
14. Visit Eastbourne 63.33 55
15. Visit Wiltshire 63.33 5
16. VisitLondon 62.67 2
17. Bath Tourism Plus 62.67 35
18. Visit County Durham 62.00 6
19. Dartmoor Partnership 62.00 10
20. Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead 61.67 50
21. Visit Liverpool 61.33 12
22. Welcome to Yorkshire 61.00 14
23. Visit Harrogate 60.33 16
24. Greater Yarmouth Tourism 60.00 41
25. Visit Southend-on-Sea 60.00 120
26. Destination Staffordshire 59.67 66
27. Visit Derby 59.67 37
28. Cotswolds Tourism 59.67 109
29. Visit Greenwich 59.33 60
30. Visit Brighton 59.33 77
31. Visit Lichfield 57.33 76
32. The Heart of Suffolk 57.00 82
33. Poole Tourism 56.00 11
34. Weston-Super-Mare (Love Weston) 55.33 19
35. Visit Stoke-on-Trent 54.67 64
36. Visit Portsmouth 54.67 72
37. Visit Devon 54.67 29
38. Shropshire Hills Tourism 54.33 99
39. Shakespeare's England 54.33 67
40. Visit Herts 54.00 N/A
41. Visit Colchester 53.00 125
42. Cotswolds Conservation Board 53.00 30
43. Visit Newbury 52.67 54
44. Visit Bristol 52.67 9
45. Visit South Devon 52.33 34
46. The Suffolk Coast 52.00 18
47. Visit York 51.67 40
48. Marketing Lancashire 51.67 20
49. Destination Milton Keynes 51.67 17
50. Visit Kent 51.67 24
51. Visit Winchester 51.67 38
52. Visit Cambridgeshire Fens 51.33 44
53. English Riviera Tourism Partnership 51.33 36
54. Visit North Norfolk 50.67 13
55. Visit Forest of Dean & Wye Valley 50.67 70
56. Visit Canterbury 50.00 81
57. Discover Yorkshire Coast 49.33 75
58. Experience Nottinghamshire 49.00 32
59. Visit Cambridge 49.00 63
60. Experience Wakefield 48.67 8
61. Visit Cheshire 48.67 22
62. Visit Calderdale 48.33 47
63. Visit Bradford 48.33 31
64. Middlesbrough Council (Love Middlesbrough) 48.00 23
65. Marketing Birmingham 48.00 98
66. Discover Southampton 47.67 46
67. Oxfordshire Cotswolds 47.33 15
68. Visit Guildford 47.00 N/A
69. Visit 1066 Country 47.00 83
70. Visit Peterborough 46.33 68
71. Visit Somerset 46.33 26
72. Leicester Shire Promotions 46.00 88
73. Visit East Lincolnshire 46.00 110
74. Ipswich Central 46.00 84
75. Discover Worthing 45.67 27
76. Visit Suffolk 45.33 80
77. Newcastle & Gateshead Initiative 45.33 79
78. Kingston First 45.00 92
79. New Forest Destination Partnership 44.67 59
80. St Albans City & District Council 44.67 39
81. Visit Norwich LTD 44.67 65
82. Visit Herefordshire 44.00 102
83. Reading UK CIC 44.00 N/A
84. Bournemouth Tourism 44.00 49
85. Visit Doncaster 43.67 58
86. Gosport Borough Council 43.33 94
87. Visit Essex 43.33 62
88. Visit Buckinghamshire 43.00 71
89. Visit Hampshire 42.67 69
90. Destination Colchester 42.67 25
91. Visit Barnsley 42.33 43
92. White Cliffs Country 42.33 48
93. Visit Hull & East Yorkshire 42.33 78
94. Discover Rutland 42.00 115
95. Visit Plymouth 42.00 108
96. Visit East Anglia 41.67 28
97. Visit Medway 41.67 93
98. Islands' Partnership 41.67 112
99. Visit Dorset 41.00 106
100. Destination Basingstoke 40.33 97
101. Shropshire Tourism 40.00 96
102. Marketing Sheffield 39.33 91
103. Visit Swale 39.33 53
104. Visit Ryedale 39.00 73
105. National Forest 38.33 87
106. East Hampshire District Council 37.33 105
107. Visit Surrey 37.33 116
108. Discover Telford 36.00 N/A
109. Visit Maidstone 35.67 61
110. Broads Authority 34.33 119
111. Experience Oxfordshire 34.33 45
112. Destination Hackney 33.67 86
113. Visit Lincolnshire 32.67 90
114. Visit Worcestershire 32.67 100
115. Visit Southport 32.33 104
116. Destination Hartlepool 31.33 122
117. Sussex by the Sea 30.67 89
118. Brighton & Hove Tourism Alliance 30.33 127
119. Tourism South East 30.00 107
120. Visit Chichester 29.67 101
121. Visit Sussex 29.00 113
122. This is Redcar & Cleveland 28.33 121
123. Visit Coventry and Warwickshire 28.33 95
124. Visit Ironbridge 26.00 111
125. Visit West Norfolk 25.67 118
126. South Oxfordshire 25.00 103
127. Discover Gosport 24.00 N/A
128. Visit Stockton 22.67 123
129. Experience Bedfordshire 22.33 126
130. Discover Folkstone, Hythe & Romney Marsh 17.33 117
131. Hertfordshire Tourism & Leisure Partnership 14.33 129
132. Ware Tourism 14.00 128
133. Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership 2.00 114

County League
County Name % Last Year
1. Visit Isle of Wight 68.67 16
2. Visit Cornwall 66.00 1
3. Visit Peak District & Derbyshire 64.00 2
4. Cumbria Tourism 63.67 5
5. Visit Norfolk 63.67 14
6. Visit Wiltshire 63.33 3
7. Visit Northumberland 63.33 8
8. Visit County Durham 62.00 4
9. Welcome to Yorkshire 61.00 6
10. Destination Staffordshire 59.67 18
11. Visit Devon 54.67 12
12. Visit Herts 54.00 32
13. Marketing Lancashire 51.67 7
14. Visit Kent 51.67 10
15. Experience Nottinghamshire 49.00 13
16. Visit Cheshire 48.67 9
17. Visit Somerset 46.33 11
18. Leicester Shire Promotions 46.00 22
19. Visit Suffolk 45.33 21
20. Visit Herefordshire 44.00 26
21. Visit Essex 43.33 17
22. Visit Buckinghamshire 43.00 20
23. Visit Hampshire 42.67 19
24. Discover Rutland 42.00 N/A
25. Visit Dorset 41.00 27
26. Shropshire Tourism 40.00 24
27. Visit Surrey 37.33 30
28. Experience Oxfordshire 34.33 15
29. Visit Lincolnshire 32.67 23
30. Visit Worcestershire 32.67 25
31. Visit Sussex 29.00 28
32. Experience Bedfordshire 22.33 31
33. Hertfordshire Tourism & Leisure Partnership 14.33 N/A
34. Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership 2.00 29

Yorkshire & Humber
Tourism Board % Last Year
1. Visit Leeds 66.33 8
2. Welcome to Yorkshire 61.00 2
3. Visit Harrogate 60.33 3
4. Visit York 51.67 5
5. Discover Yorkshire Coast 49.33 11
6. Experience Wakefield 48.67 1
7. Visit Calderdale 48.33 7
8. Visit Bradford 48.33 4
9. Love Middlesbrough 48.00 N/A
10. Visit Doncaster 43.67 9
11. Visit Barnsley 42.33 6
12. Visit Hull & East Yorkshire 42.33 12
13. Marketing Sheffield 39.33 13
14. Visit Ryedale 39.00 10
15. This is Redcar & Cleveland 28.33 N/A

North East
Tourism Board % Last Year
1. Visit Northumberland 63.33 2
2. Visit County Durham 62.00 1
3. Newcastle & Gateshead Initiative 45.33 4
4. Destination Hartlepool 31.33 6
5. Visit Stockton 22.67 7

North West
Tourism Board % Last Year
1. Visit Blackpool 72.67 6
2. Visit Manchester 68.00 5
3. Cumbria Tourism 63.67 1
4. Visit Liverpool 61.33 2
5. Marketing Lancashire 51.67 3
6. Visit Cheshire 48.67 4
7. Visit Southport 32.33 7

West Midlands
Tourism Board % Last Year
1. Destination Staffordshire 59.67 2
2. Visit Lichfield 57.33 5
3. Visit Stoke-on-Trent 54.67 1
4. Shropshire Hills Tourism 54.33 9
5. Shakespeare's England 54.33 3
6. Marketing Birmingham 48.00 8
7. Visit Herefordshire 44.00 11
8. Shropshire Tourism 40.00 7
9. Discover Telford 36.00 N/A
10. Visit Worcestershire 32.67 10
11. Visit Coventry and Warwickshire 28.33 6
12. Visit Ironbridge 26.00 12

East Midlands
Tourism Board % Last Year
1. Visit Lincoln 73.00 4
2. Visit Peak District & Derbyshire 64.00 1
3. Visit Derby 59.67 3
4. Experience Nottinghamshire 49.00 2
5. Leicester Shire Promotions 46.00 6
6. Visit East Lincolnshire 46.00 8
7. Discover Rutland 42.00 10
8. National Forest 38.33 5
9. Visit Lincolnshire 32.67 7
10. Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership 2.00 9

East of England
Tourism Board % Last Year
1. Visit Norfolk 63.67 7
2. Greater Yarmouth Tourism 60.00 6
3. Visit Southend-on-Sea 60.00 18
4. The Heart of Suffolk 57.00 14
5. Visit Herts 54.00 N/A
6. Visit Colchester 53.00 3
7. The Suffolk Coast 52.00 2
8. Visit Cambridgeshire Fens 51.33 8
9. Visit North Norfolk 50.67 1
10. Visit Cambridge 49.00 10
11. Visit Peterborough 46.33 12
12. Ipswich Central 46.00 15
14. St Albans City & District Council 44.67 5
15. Visit Norwich LTD 44.67 11
16. Visit Essex 43.33 9
17. Destination Colchester 42.67 20
18. Visit East Anglia 41.67 4
19. Broads Authority 34.33 17
20. Broads Authority 25.67 16
21. Experience Bedfordshire 22.33 21
22. Hertfordshire Tourism & Leisure Partnership 14.33 22
23. Ware Tourism 14.00 N/A

London
Tourism Board % Last Year
1. VisitLondon 62.67 1
2. Visit Greenwich 59.33 2
3. Destination Hackney 33.67 3

South East
Tourism Board % Last Year
1. Visit Thanet 70.00 1
2. Visit Isle of Wight 68.67 14
3. Visit Eastbourne 63.33 13
4. Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead 61.67 10
5. Visit Brighton 59.33 20
6. Visit Portsmouth 54.67 19
7. Visit Newbury 52.67 12
8. Destination Milton Keynes 51.67 3
9. Visit Kent 51.67 4
10. Visit Winchester 51.67 6
11. Visit Canterbury 50.00 21
12. Discover Southampton 47.67 8
13. Oxfordshire Cotswolds 47.33 2
14. Visit Guildford 47.00 N/A
15. Visit 1066 Country 47.00 22
16. Discover Worthing 45.67 5
17. Kingston First 45.00 N/A
18. New Forest Destination Partnership 44.67 15
19. Reading UK CIC 44.00 N/A
20. Gosport Borough Council 43.33 25
21. Visit Buckinghamshire 43.00 18
22. Visit Hampshire 42.67 17
23. White Cliffs Country 42.33 N/A
24. Visit Medway 41.67 24
25. Destination Basingstoke 40.33 26
26. Visit Swale 39.33 11
27. East Hampshire District Council 37.33 29
28. Visit Surrey 37.33 33
29. Visit Maidstone 35.67 16
30. Experience Oxfordshire 34.33 7
31. Sussex by the Sea 30.67 23
32. Brighton & Hove Tourism Alliance 30.33 35
33. Tourism South East 30.00 30
34. Visit Chichester 29.67 27
35. Visit Sussex 29.00 32
36. South Oxfordshire 25.00 28
37. Discover Gosport 24.00 N/A
38. Discover Folkstone, Hythe & Romney Marsh 17.33 34

South West
Tourism Board % Last Year
1. North Devon Plus 68.33 14
2. Visit Exmoor 66.67 15
3. Visit Cornwall 66.00 1
4. Visit Wiltshire 63.33 2
5. Bath Tourism Plus 62.67 11
6. Dartmoor Partnership 62.00 4
7. Cotswolds Tourism 59.67 17
8. Poole Tourism 56.00 5
9. Weston-Super-Mare (Love Weston) 55.33 6
10. Visit Devon 54.67 8
11. Cotswolds Conservation Board 53.00 9
12. Visit Bristol 52.67 3
13. Visit South Devon 52.33 10
14. English Riviera Tourism Partnership 51.33 12
15. Visit Forest of Dean & Wye Valley 50.67 N/A
16. Visit Somerset 46.33 7
17. Bournemouth Tourism 44.00 13
18. Visit Plymouth 42.00 18
19. Islands' Partnership 41.67 N/A
20. Visit Dorset 41.00 16

Case Studies

We’ve picked out some of the top performers from this year’s English Tourism Social Media Index. Click on the links below to find out how they have been using social media.

Visit Lincoln

Overall Position: 1
Last Year: 57
Score: 73.00

Visit Southend-on-Sea

Overall Position: 25
Last Year: 120
Score: 60.00

Visit Thanet

Overall Position: 3
Last Year: 4
Score: 70.00

Judges

Judge 1

Rachel Clayton

Biddable Media Analyst, Umpf

Rachel Clayton is the Biddable Media Analyst at PR and social media agency, Umpf. With a background in digital marketing, she has experience in executing performance driven paid social media campaigns, as well as organic community engagement.

@RachClayton1
Judge 2

George Clode

Editor of TravelGBI

George Clode is the editor of TravelGBI, the domestic and inbound title from the Travel Weekly Group. He is passionate about travel and tourism and how experiences can be enhanced through social media. George is a member of the Tourism Society and UKinbound, and a frequent speaker and moderator and travel industry events.

@George_Clode
Judge 3

Saskia Welman

Senior Communications Manager for TripAdvisor

Saskia is Senior Communications Manager for global travel giant TripAdvisor. Saskia has worked in PR and communications for over ten years, specialising in online coverage.

@SaskiaW

Awards

All press enquiries, please email rachel@umpf.co.uk or call 0800 410 2010