Brown Tourist Signs in Essex

Brown and white tourism signs have long guided visitors across Essex, helping them find their way to popular attractions and leisure destinations. These signs are designed to assist non-locals with the final leg of their journey and not for advertising purposes.

What You Need to Know

Tourism signs are non-mandatory, and all associated costs - including design, feasibility assessments, and installation - must be covered by the applicant. Prices vary depending on location, size, and materials, but a single sign typically costs around £8,000.

With the rise of SatNavs and digital mapping, the need for physical signage has reduced. We encourage all businesses to ensure their website and Google Business profile include clear directions and an accurate postcode before applying.

The initial application for brown and white tourism signposting in Essex is assessed by Visit Essex and then, if approved, designed and implemented by Essex Highways.

Eligibility 

To qualify your tourist destination must be a permanently established attraction or facility that attracts or is used by visitors in an area, and which is open to the public without prior booking during its normal opening hours.

Tourist attractions - These include places of interest, which are open to the public, offering recreation, education, or historical interest such as theme parks, historic houses, museums, gardens, zoos, leisure complexes and golf courses with overnight quality-assessed serviced accommodation. They must attract a minimum of 5,000 visitors per year and be open for a minimum of 50 days (100 days if a tourist attraction) with the majority in the normal tourism season.

Tourist facilities - These include establishments providing services to visitors within an area, such as, inspected hotels, guesthouses and other serviced accommodation, public houses, restaurants, holiday, touring and camping parks, picnic sites, Tourist Information Centres, sport/leisure facilities and golf courses which have no overnight quality assessed serviced accommodation.

Note: The following retail establishments are not eligible for tourism signing: retail parks, shopping centres, garden centres, and out of town supermarkets and superstores. Public houses not offering either food or/and serviced accommodation are also not eligible. They must be of either recognised historical importance or culinary significance to draw visitors from outside the area.

Eligibility does not automatically guarantee entitlement to tourism signs. All applications will be judged on considerations of visual impact, road safety and traffic management needs, in addition to the appropriateness and quality of the establishment

If you would like to discuss an application or recieve further information please contact the Visit Essex team.