Coventry and Warwickshire Promotions, the city’s independent promotion and tourism agency, has won a grant of £274,500 from the European Regional Development Fund to back Cov-Web, an electronic gateway to the city region that will be launched next year.

The £610,000 project has partner support from Coventry University, Coventry-based marketing and design company Parenthesis and CWN, a city-based internet specialist.

It aims to give would-be visitors:

• a guide to the history, amenity and services of the city region
• up-to-the-minute information on weather, flight and rail times
• the ability to book accommodation and tickets and purchase goods and services

Cov-Web will also be used to promote a raft of initiatives from the new slogan, Coventry Inspires, to CWP’s conference and venue location business, and will connect up with other important sites, notably those operated by the British Tourist Authority, the project sponsors and key institutions in Coventry.

Tenders for the design and build of the site have gone out this week. It is expected to be fully on-line by December 2001.

Dr John Heeley, Chief Executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Promotions, said: 

"There is a revolution taking place in tourism, where there is a move away from print to web-based information. Cov-Web will place Coventry at the leading edge of that."

Cyrrhian Macrea, Coventry University’s Director of Corporate Affairs said:

"With location being of increasing importance to potential students and staff, this will provide just the showcase that we at Coventry University need to demonstrate what is on offer."

Chris Studman, owner of CWN, said: 

"We are delighted to be involved in a project that will build on the opportunities to promote Coventry on the Internet. Over the past four years CWN has shown that more and more people are using this medium to find out about the city and what it has to offer, both for visitors and local people alike."

Tim Holmes, Director of Parenthesis, said

"As one of the Midland regions leading design and marketing communications companies Parenthesis is wholly committed to Coventry and is therefore delighted to be able to offer its support to such a venture."