A tourism organisation promoting Dartmouth has celebrated its 10th anniversary after a decade of helping raise the profile of the South Devon town and support its visitor economy.

Discover Dartmouth marked the milestone with a celebration at the Sail Loft on Wednesday, 1 July, bringing together local business owners, partners and supporters to reflect on the organisation's achievements over the past decade.

Since launching in 2015, the organisation has grown into one of Dartmouth's leading promotional platforms, showcasing the town's independent businesses, attractions, hospitality venues and events to visitors from across the UK and overseas.

Its website now attracts more than 250,000 visitors a year, providing information for people planning trips to Dartmouth, while more than 50 local businesses are members of the network.

The organisation's newsletter reaches more than 9,000 subscribers, and its social media channels continue to expand their audience, helping promote the town throughout the year.

Jo Butler, General Manager of Discover Dartmouth and Visit South Devon, said reaching the 10-year milestone reflected the commitment of the town's business community.

"Reaching ten years is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the commitment of the businesses and individuals who have supported Discover Dartmouth from the beginning," she said.

"We are proud of what has been achieved together and excited about the opportunities ahead as we continue promoting Dartmouth as one of the UK's most attractive visitor destinations."

Butler said tourism remained "the lifeblood" of many businesses in Dartmouth and that the town had continued to grow as one of South Devon's most popular destinations despite challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic, changing visitor habits and rising operating costs.

She said visitors were increasingly choosing to visit throughout the year rather than only during the summer months, helping to support independent shops, cafés, restaurants, accommodation providers and local attractions outside the traditional peak season.

"Dartmouth has a fantastic events programme throughout the year, which helps raise the profile of the town on both a national and international scale," she said.

As part of efforts to encourage year-round tourism, Discover Dartmouth has expanded its work with group travel operators and the travel trade, creating new visitor itineraries to promote the town at national trade fairs and through digital marketing campaigns.

The organisation has also increased its focus on attracting visitors from across Devon through its "Days Out on Your Doorstep" campaign, encouraging more local people to visit the town and surrounding areas during quieter periods.

Looking ahead, the organisation plans to continue expanding its digital marketing, develop new promotional opportunities for member businesses and build on its work encouraging visitors to explore Dartmouth throughout the year.

Representatives at the anniversary event thanked members, partners and the wider community for their support over the past decade, saying the organisation's success had been built on collaboration between local businesses working together to promote the town.