Leading travel commentator Simon Calder will reveal his five-star plan charting how tourism businesses can tap the potential of 'England's Golden Triangle' at Visit Peak District & Derbyshire's (VPD&D) annual conference next Tuesday (November 17).

And David Thornton, Head of Marketing and Deputy Chief Executive at VPD&D, will unveil the official tourist board's strategy to help the area build on 2009's 'stay-cation' success - both next year and beyond - to around 200 delegates at the Palace Hotel, Buxton.

Simon - well-travelled Senior Travel Editor of the Independent and regular television and radio broadcaster - will explain how tourism businesses in the Peak District & Derbyshire can learn from enterprising ventures in other parts of the UK and beyond.

He will also highlight:

• The area's excellent rail links to central London - which he says have the potential to bring visitors to enjoy a range of superb landscapes in less time than it takes to reach Paris - the benchmark for weekenders from the capital

• 'England's Golden Triangle' linking Edale, Bakewell and Buxton - which he says offer 'fascinating journeys' and encompass 'some of the finest landscapes in the nation'

• The Seven Wonders of the Peak - taking in everything from subterranean spectaculars to country churches

• The opportunity to learn skills ranging from caving to windsurfing in superb countryside with expert instruction

• The need to develop strong links with the media to put the Peak District & Derbyshire firmly on the map

"We are delighted that Simon is able to share his extensive experience and expertise with us at our annual Tourism Conference - and I'm sure our delegates are just as keen as us to share his inside knowledge of the travel business," said David Thornton.

"We're particularly pleased to see that he will be highlighting some of the key areas we are already working on to promote the Peak District & Derbyshire as a world-class destination.

"Demand for places has been so high that the conference is now completely sold out - no doubt a sign of Simon's popularity, but also of widespread support for the positive strategy we've adopted this year to help tourism businesses turn the recession into a time full of challenge and opportunity.

"And we'll be unveiling our own game plan for 2010 - including a greater emphasis on short breaks and significant improvements to our website - to help the area achieve even greater success, both next year and beyond." 

Keynote speaker Simon will be joined on the day by Nottingham-based marketing consultant Susan Hallam, whose keynote presentation will focus on '30 Ways to Promote Your Business on the Internet'.

During a fun, fast-paced session, Susan will offer easy-to-understand advice on how to promote tourism businesses on-line, attract more visitors to websites and clinch more internet sales.