Go New Forest is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company established to manage, develop and promote the visitor economy across the New Forest National Park and wider district. Our purpose is to support a thriving, sustainable visitor economy that benefits local businesses, residents, visitors and the special qualities of the New Forest. Working with New Forest District Council, the New Forest National Park Authority, Forestry England, local councils, towns and villages, tourism organisations and businesses, we coordinate destination marketing, business support and visitor information while promoting responsible tourism. Our Business Plan is founded on the VERB model of destination management, recognising the interdependence of Visitors, Environment, Residents and Businesses. This is supported by three core business objectives: 1. Inspire people to make memories and spend money in the New Forest 2. Increase value for money for visitors and our Members 3. Grow revenue Membership remains at the heart of Go New Forest. We provide collaborative marketing opportunities, destination intelligence, networking and business support, while quarterly sector meetings bring businesses together to share best practice, discuss challenges and identify opportunities. Organisational Structure During 2025, Go New Forest reviewed its organisational structure to ensure the CIC remained efficient, sustainable and equipped to deliver its objectives. As part of this, Nic Carass was promoted from Business & Membership Manager to Chief Executive Officer, taking responsibility for strategic and operational leadership. Go New Forest continues to operate with a small core team of three, supported by its Board of Directors and working closely with Members and destination partners. Membership Membership continued to grow during the year, with 32 businesses joining and 15 leaving, resulting in net growth of 17 Members. This strengthens the collective network of visitor economy businesses represented and supported by Go New Forest. Main achievements Rebranding Go New Forest Early in 2025, Go New Forest launched a complete rebrand developed with Studio Glass. Inspired by the New Forest’s landscape, heritage, folklore and communities, the identity was informed by engagement with local voices and created a distinctive destination brand reflecting the area’s character and sense of place. The rebrand extended across the organisation’s public-facing work, including the destination website, Discover Guide, New Forest Card, visitor information, marketing campaigns and promotional materials. It has created a stronger and more consistent identity for the destination and Member businesses while supporting the long-term reputation of the New Forest as a distinctive, high-quality and sustainable place to visit. Destination Website and Digital Visitor Information Throughout 2025, Go New Forest continued to invest in its destination website, one of the organisation’s most important tools for supporting local businesses and providing trusted visitor information. Page templates, navigation, accessibility and user experience were improved, alongside new destination content, seasonal inspiration, itineraries and business listings. Content was continually refined for traditional search engines and emerging AI-powered search platforms. Most importantly, the website continued to connect visitors directly with local businesses, generating referrals to accommodation providers, attractions, restaurants, retailers and activity providers and helping convert visitor inspiration into bookings and enquiries. Performance highlights: - Website users: 1,106,916 - Website sessions: 1,659,693 - Page views: 3,992,063 - Average engagement time: 00:03:59 - Average engagement rate: 68.92% - Referrals to Member businesses: 241,731 - Business listing views: 821,021 - Accommodation landing page views: 82,141 - Things to Do landing page views: 77,590 - What’s On landing page views: 66,768 Email Marketing and Visitor Engagement During 2025, Go New Forest introduced a new email marketing platform and completely redesigned its newsletters in line with the new brand. Improved reporting and audience insight enabled campaigns to be better tailored to visitor interests. Our subscriber base remains one of Go New Forest’s most valuable marketing assets, allowing us to promote local accommodation, attractions, events, food and drink, activities and experiences directly to audiences planning visits. Email also plays an important role in responsible tourism, regularly communicating the New Forest Code and encouraging visitors to respect the landscape, wildlife and communities. Destination Enewsletter - Subscribers: 58,226 - Emails sent: 54 - Average open rate: 14.86% - Average click-through rate: 3.48% Weekly What’s On Enewsletter - Subscribers: 30,655 - Emails sent: 52 - Average open rate: 19.46% - Average click-through rate: 4.85% Social Media and Community Engagement Go New Forest continued to grow its social media presence during 2025, using authentic storytelling, seasonal campaigns and local recommendations to inspire visitors and provide exposure for Member businesses. A significant development was the introduction of social media takeovers, enabling Member businesses and local organisations to share their own stories directly with Go New Forest’s audience. Social media also remained an important platform for visitor advice, responsible tourism messaging and promotion of the New Forest Code. Performance highlights: - Instagram followers: 34,813 - Instagram growth: 14.69% - Facebook followers: 41,380 - Facebook growth: 9.74% - Facebook & Instagram reach: 3,704,073 - Facebook & Instagram engagement: 123,826 - Social media takeovers delivered: 10 Printed Marketing and Visitor Information During 2025, Go New Forest continued to invest in high-quality printed visitor information. Following the rebrand, the annual Discover Guide was completely redesigned with greater emphasis on the New Forest’s landscapes, heritage, businesses and communities. The guide encourages visitors to stay longer, explore more widely and visit throughout the year, helping spread the economic benefits of tourism while reinforcing responsible visitor behaviour. Go New Forest also completed the first phase of improvements to the destination’s Visitor Information Panels. Refreshed designs introduced the new visual identity and clearer visitor information while providing promotional opportunities for local businesses. Discover Guide - 115,000 copies printed - Distributed to 250+ locations - 24 businesses featured - Completely redesigned following the Go New Forest rebrand Visitor Information Panels - 20 locations refreshed - 17 businesses promoted - New branding and improved visitor information introduced New Forest Card The New Forest Card encourages residents and visitors to support local businesses through exclusive Member offers and discounts, helping retain spending within the local economy. During 2025, the scheme underwent its most significant transformation since launch. The standalone website was replaced with an integrated presence on thenewforest.co.uk and Bandwango was introduced as a new digital platform for managing and redeeming offers. Go New Forest also expanded its network of onsite Card sellers, increasing the scheme’s visibility and accessibility. Performance highlights: - Cards in circulation: 1,270 - Digital cards: 199 - Physical cards: 1,071 - New Bandwango digital platform launched - New integrated website launched Strengthening Financial Sustainability In March 2025, Go New Forest relocated to new office premises, removing annual rental costs of approximately £7,000. This reduction in overheads allows a greater proportion of income to be invested in activities that directly benefit the New Forest visitor economy, including destination marketing, business support, visitor information and community initiatives. This reflects Go New Forest’s commitment to using its resources effectively while maintaining a resilient and sustainable organisation. Promoting Responsible Tourism Responsible tourism remains central to Go New Forest’s work. Throughout 2025, the principles of the New Forest Code were embedded across marketing and visitor communications, helping visitors understand how to enjoy the New Forest while protecting its internationally important landscapes, wildlife and communities. The Code was communicated across the destination website, email marketing, social media, printed publications, visitor information and Member communications, supported by joint messaging with partners including the New Forest National Park Authority and Forestry England. Performance highlights: - New Forest Code promoted 72 times on social media - 2,779,684 emails sent featuring the New Forest Code - Code featured across the destination website, newsletters, Discover Guide, Visitor Information Panels, Member communications and visitor campaigns - Joint responsible tourism messaging delivered with key destination partners Together, these activities demonstrate Go New Forest’s commitment to creating a visitor economy that benefits local businesses, residents and visitors while protecting the New Forest. Through destination marketing, business support, improved visitor information and responsible tourism, the CIC continues to ensure the economic benefits of tourism are balanced with the long-term protection of the area’s landscapes, communities and wildlife.

Consultation and collaboration remain fundamental to the way Go New Forest operates. As a Community Interest Company, we recognise that a successful and sustainable visitor economy can only be achieved by working closely with businesses, local communities, public bodies and partner organisations. Throughout the year, Go New Forest continued to strengthen relationships with key stakeholders including New Forest District Council, the New Forest National Park Authority, Forestry England, the New Forest Association, the Verderers of the New Forest and local town and parish councils. Regular meetings and presentations provided opportunities to share updates, discuss emerging opportunities and challenges, and ensure that visitor messaging and destination management activities remained aligned across the New Forest. Business engagement also remained a priority. Quarterly sector group meetings brought together Member businesses from across the visitor economy to share knowledge, discuss industry trends, identify common challenges and explore collaborative marketing opportunities. These meetings continue to provide an important forum for consultation, helping Go New Forest understand the needs of businesses while ensuring Members have a voice in shaping future priorities. During 2025, Go New Forest also introduced a new programme of Hotelier Dinners, creating an opportunity for senior leaders from the local hospitality sector to meet, exchange ideas and strengthen relationships. These informal discussions encouraged greater collaboration between businesses while enabling Go New Forest to better understand the opportunities and challenges facing one of the destination's most important sectors. Go New Forest also continued to engage with wider community stakeholders through presentations to local organisations, including the Verderers' Court and parish councils, helping to increase understanding of the organisation's work while encouraging open dialogue on tourism, responsible visitor management and the future of the visitor economy. Throughout the year, feedback gathered through meetings, consultations and partnership working directly informed Go New Forest's marketing activity, visitor communications and business support programmes. By listening to stakeholders and working collaboratively, the organisation continues to strengthen partnerships, support informed decision-making and deliver initiatives that benefit businesses, visitors, residents and the wider New Forest community. By bringing together businesses, public sector partners, conservation organisations and local communities, Go New Forest continues to act as a trusted convenor for the visitor economy, helping build stronger partnerships, encourage shared understanding and support a more sustainable future for the New Forest. Partnership Highlights Stakeholder Engagement - Partnership meetings with: - New Forest District Council - New Forest National Park Authority - Forestry England - Town and Parish Councils - Commercial chambers - Presentations delivered to community and stakeholder groups. Business Engagement - Quarterly sector group meetings. - Introduction of Hotelier Dinners. - Ongoing Member consultation and feedback. - Collaborative destination planning and marketing initiatives.

During the year, remuneration of £44,000 per annum (pro rata from a full-time equivalent salary of £55,000) was paid to Nicola Carass in respect of her employed executive role within Go New Forest CIC, initially as Business & Membership Manager and subsequently as Chief Executive Officer. This remuneration relates to the operational and executive responsibilities of these roles rather than her duties solely as a Director.

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