When the city of Birmingham was selected to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the West Midlands Growth Company identified a major opportunity to raise the whole region’s profile and strengthen its appeal as a cultural tourism destination.
Despite being home to internationally recognised places like Birmingham, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick, the West Midlands wasn’t perceived as a cultural hotspot. The narrative wasn’t punching through and cultural content was fragmented across multiple websites, inconsistent in quality, and difficult for visitors—and residents—to discover. The challenge was clear: to increase awareness and dwell time, making promotion of the region’s cultural offer more effective and efficient by sharing quality content across the region.
To support this ambition, we launched Culture and Tourism Connected, powered by our digital listings platform CultureHosts—a shared infrastructure for distributing cultural content, creating joined-up visitor journeys, encouraging regional exploration—equipping DMOs and cultural partners with the tools to collaborate digitally.
API integrations between CultureHosts and local destination websites enabled content to flow across the region. Each DMO could share its own listings, while also drawing on events and venue data from other destinations.
This allows for genuine partnership between cultural organisations and DMOs—equipping all destinations with tools to surface events and community-led experiences. It ensures that all content, whether a city-wide festival or a small neighbourhood craft workshop, is discoverable, bookable, and promoted with equal visibility— helping visitors to find the small, distinctive and authentic place experiences alongside the region’s big-hitters.
Crucially, this wasn’t just about technology. It was about creating the conditions for long-term collaboration, consistent content, and a connected visitor experience.
Paul Marshall, Digital Marketing Manager, West Midlands Growth Company
From the outset, the project was designed to be future-facing. Digital strategies don’t stand still—and neither should the infrastructure that supports them.
By working closely with the West Midlands Growth Company, we ensured that the tools and knowledge to manage and grow the platform were embedded locally. CultureHosts’ discovery panel now enables the team to onboard new partners independently, expanding the network and supporting more joined-up cultural promotion.
From integrated bookings to creating cross-region itineraries, we are working together to build on the momentum and unlock even more potential for connected cultural discovery.
Strengthening West Midlands appeal as a cultural tourism destination
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