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A Shared Story for Thanet

 

 

Isle of Thanet Shared Story - The Promise to Visitors 

The Shared Story – developed with the industry for the original Destination Management Plan, captures and articulates the essence of the Isle of Thanet as a visitor destination. It informs promotional messages and content but more importantly it is an agreement about the promise Thanet makes to visitors. It acts as a kind of checklist against which to measure performance, and it should inspire and direct development and investment to make sure visitors experience the promise.

The Isle of Thanet Shared Story has been reviewed and updated for the Framework (see the coloured box below) – tweaking some of the language and adding references to the offer being year-round, to the friendly, welcoming vibe and creative scene, and including a few more famous names associated with the place.

These “storylines” are the key things that Thanet wants to promise to visitors, and this Framework recommends ways in which everyone involved in Thanet’s visitor economy can help to deliver that promise:  

  • A place to escape to, year round: “Londoners have been escaping to the Isle of Thanet for more than 200 years … for the laid back seaside vibe … breathtaking sandy beaches … fresh sea air… and romantic Turner skies …”  

  • A place with history: Georgian & Victorian resorts, 18th/19th century architecture, classic seaside heritage, historic landing place – Romans, St Augustine  

  • A friendly creative place: “quirky and convivial feel … friendly creative scene … classic seaside heritage … eclectic attractions and events … galleries & music venues … special one-off places to shop, eat, drink and stay, year round.”  

  • A place with natural beauty: “a string of secluded, unspoilt sandy bays … closest surfing beaches to London … rockpools, rare chalk reefs, teem with wildlife.” 

  • A place that inspires: “Artists, writers and musicians have long been inspired by this almost-island … and continue to be drawn here.”  

  • A place that’s ‘happening’: “And now with the Turner Contemporary gallery and high-speed trains from the capital … a new generation is discovering this original seaside escape.” 

The Thanet Shared Story  

Londoners have been escaping to the Isle of Thanet for more than 200 years … for the laidback seaside vibe … breathtaking sandy beaches … fresh sea air… and romantic Turner skies …

Here at the very edge of the Garden of England, three Georgian and Victorian resorts, each with its own distinctive character – Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate – cluster around the bays at the far end of a peninsula.

There’s a quirky and convivial feel to these harbour towns, with their friendly creative scene, their remarkable 18th and 19th century architecture, their classic seaside heritage, their eclectic attractions and events, their galleries and music venues large and small, and their special one-off places to eat, drink, shop and stay year round.

Miles of low chalk cliffs edge the peninsula, sheltering a string of secluded, unspoilt sandy bays. Chalk rockpools, chalk stacks and rare chalk reefs teem with wildlife. These are the closest surfing beaches to the capital city: a popular choice with south-east boarders.

Artists, writers and musicians - from Van Gogh and TS Eliot to Bob & Roberta Smith and The Libertines - have long been inspired by this almost-island and continue to be drawn here. Turner said Thanet had “the loveliest skies in all Europe” … for Dickens Broadstairs was “the freshest, freest place” … and Tracey Emin declares in pink neon on Margate seafront: “I never stopped loving you”.

The Isle’s a historic landing place steeped in symbolism for the story of Britain … the first Saxons Hengist and Horsa arrived and settled here … and St Augustine first stepped onto these shores on his way to nearby Canterbury.

For this is the furthest south east you can go in Britain … almost touching mainland Europe … yet these days only 75 minutes from central London …

And now with the Turner Contemporary and Dreamland and high-speed trains from the capital,… a new generation is discovering this original seaside escape