It aims to make the county a more welcoming, vibrant and year-round destination

Out-of-season visitors, increased international arrivals and efforts to enhance Dorset’s image are central to a new 10-year strategy aimed at boosting the county’s tourism economy, reportedly worth £1.6bn a year. The report emerges as some attraction operators indicate they are considering scaling back operations, or even shutting down entirely.

A survey revealed that while 60 per cent of tourism businesses are “committed to growing and investing in their business”; 25 per cent say they are “maintaining the current level of performance” and 11 per cent are either “planning to downsize” or “planning to sell/retire in next 3 years”.

Dorset Council’s Cabinet will examine the strategy when it convenes later this week (Tuesday 28).

The conclusions are unlikely to surprise many, given that for half a century or more, Dorset has been attempting to draw more visitors during the so-called ‘shoulder months’, either side of the main summer season.

What differs this time is that Dorset now forms part of the “Local Visitor Economy Partnership” (LVEP), a designation established by VisitEngland. Membership of an LVEP grants Dorset access to VisitEngland resources including data, expertise, and marketing opportunities.

Amongst the principal objectives of the report is attracting more overseas visitors who, on average, spend considerably more than UK visitors overall and substantially more than day trippers.

The Dorset Local Visitor Economy Partnership Destination Management Plan 2026-2035 outlines ambitions to transform Dorset into a more welcoming, dynamic and year-round destination, with particular emphasis on addressing seasonality, boosting visitor expenditure, enhancing perceptions of the county and fostering more sustainable tourism development.

The report highlights that Dorset’s visitor economy continues to be a significant economic contributor, drawing more than 22 million visitors annually and generating £1.66bn in direct spending. Tourism is estimated to sustain nearly 30,000 jobs, equivalent to roughly 23,000 full-time positions and approximately eight per cent of all employment across Dorset.

However, the draft plan underscores the persistent dependence on the peak summer season, with 36 per cent of domestic overnight visits concentrated in July and August. It notes that almost a third of tourism enterprises derive more than half their revenue during those two months alone.

The strategy puts forward the development of off-peak visitor offerings, focused marketing campaigns, enhanced data utilisation, experience mapping and increased cultural programming during quieter periods.

Growth prospects are anticipated to centre on two year-round markets identified through government-funded market research – visitors drawn to nature and culture, and those pursuing active and mindful experiences. The strategy outlines how Dorset can leverage its natural scenery, historic sites, cultural attractions, outdoor pursuits and culinary sector to draw more tourists, extend their visits and boost expenditure with local enterprises.

Priority markets for attracting international visitors include the Netherlands, Germany, other neighbouring European nations and long-haul English-speaking destinations.

Dorset secured accreditation as a Local Visitor Economy Partnership with VisitEngland in May 2025 following Dorset Council Cabinet’s approval of the initiative in July 2024.

A report due before councillors in the coming days warns that without a widely endorsed strategy, Dorset risks forfeiting its accreditation and the accompanying support.

No extra Dorset Council resources are understood to be required for the plan, though no government funding has yet been allocated to the partnership.

The destination management plan is set to be released and circulated amongst the tourism sector, with workshops and engagement sessions planned across the county to inform a three-year action plan. Annual progress reviews will be conducted via the LVEP advisory board.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made an appearance at the team’s opening training camp practice Sunday, watching from the sideline for roughly 30 minutes as he continues recovering from significant injuries sustained in a car crash near his Northern California home earlier this month.

A serious accident with a long list of injuries

Shanahan suffered a broken nose, three broken ribs, a broken hand and a severe concussion, along with more than 40 stitches to his face, in a two-car collision on the evening of July 14 near Palo Alto’s Stanford Shopping Center, according to multiple reports. Shanahan collided with an SUV; the other driver was not injured, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Nick Wagoner. Drugs and alcohol were not involved in the crash, and no citations were issued to either driver.

Palo Alto police Lt. Nicholas Martinez confirmed both drivers were cooperative with responding officers, though the department declined to specify what caused the collision or assign fault. “We do not release information regarding the cause of the collision,” Martinez said, citing the department’s standard procedures for such cases. Paramedics transported Shanahan to a local hospital following the crash, where he remained for much of the night before being released.

The team confirms the injuries publicly

The 49ers publicly confirmed the crash and Shanahan’s injuries in a statement released Saturday morning, ahead of general manager John Lynch’s opening training camp press conference. The team said Shanahan sustained non-life-threatening injuries and would “participate in team activities on a limited basis” while he recovers, adding that both Shanahan and the organization wanted to thank the first responders involved in the incident. The statement confirmed that assistant head coach and offensive line coach Chris Foerster, along with the team’s coordinators, would assume head coaching responsibilities during Shanahan’s recovery.

Lynch addresses the recovery timeline

Speaking to reporters Saturday, Lynch confirmed Shanahan’s concussion and broken ribs and nose, though he did not initially mention the hand injury. He said the team expects Shanahan to be ready to coach the 49ers’ Week 1 opener against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10 in Melbourne, Australia, though Shanahan will remain in a concussion recovery process similar to the protocol used for players until doctors clear him for full coaching duties. “He did suffer a concussion in the accident, has some lingering effects from that concussion,” Lynch said, adding that while the team doesn’t have a formal concussion protocol specifically designed for coaching staff, using the player protocol as a model has proven helpful. Lynch expressed confidence that Shanahan’s recovery would progress well ahead of the season opener, telling reporters, “I think the expectation is that long before that, he’ll be better.”

A collective effort in Shanahan’s absence

With training camp underway, a four-person coaching group is sharing head coaching responsibilities in Shanahan’s absence. Foerster is expected to serve as the de facto sideline head coach during the team’s three preseason games, scheduled for Aug. 14 against the Tennessee Titans, Aug. 21 against the Los Angeles Chargers, and Aug. 28 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He will be supported by defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer as the group collectively leads the team through camp and the preseason schedule. Lynch expressed confidence in that arrangement during his press conference, saying the team’s internal culture would carry it through the transition and that Foerster was well equipped to handle the added responsibility, even as the effort remains a shared one among the coaching staff.

Shanahan shows up anyway

Despite being sidelined from full coaching duties, Shanahan couldn’t stay away from the team’s first camp practice Sunday. He stood alongside Lynch, positioned behind the secondary, and watched most of the team’s 11-on-11 drills before stepping away after about 30 minutes. Veteran left tackle Trent Williams said he wasn’t surprised to see his head coach on the field despite the recommendation to rest. “I knew it would be tough to keep him away from there,” Williams told reporters after practice, adding that Shanahan isn’t the type of person who finds it easy to sit out and let others handle things.

Star linebacker Fred Warner offered a similarly light-hearted reaction to Shanahan’s appearance, telling reporters simply, “I know he couldn’t stay away.” Williams also reflected on how he first learned about Shanahan’s accident, saying he found out through social media Saturday rather than receiving a more alarming phone call, which he said made processing the news somewhat easier once he understood Shanahan was going to be okay.

Support from around the league

Shanahan has also received well wishes from coaching colleagues around the NFL. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, who worked alongside Shanahan as an assistant coach in Washington earlier in both of their careers, said he had spoken with Shanahan directly since the accident. McVay praised his fellow NFC West coach’s outlook on the situation and expressed hope for a smooth recovery, while noting how relieved he was that the crash hadn’t resulted in a worse outcome.

With training camp now underway and the 49ers working through a three-game preseason slate in August, all eyes will remain on Shanahan’s recovery timeline heading into the team’s season opener against the Rams in Australia. Lynch has said the team will continue to prioritize a full and proper recovery over any specific date, following medical guidance similar to the protocol used for players who suffer concussions. Whether Shanahan is able to return to full coaching duties before the preseason games begin, during the preseason itself, or closer to the regular-season opener remains uncertain, though both Lynch and Shanahan’s teammates have expressed optimism that he will be ready when the 49ers open their season in Melbourne on Sept. 10.

Laurus Labs shares jumped 4.05% to Rs 1,666 in Monday’s trading session after the company reported a stellar performance for the June 2026 quarter. The rally was fueled by a 126% year-on-year surge in net profit and 29% revenue growth, driven by strong CDMO performance and steady demand for affordable medicines.

According to the company’s regulatory filing, consolidated net profit for Q1FY27 stood at Rs 368 crore, compared with Rs 163 crore in the same quarter last year, marking a sharp 126% YoY growth. Revenue from operations increased 29% year-on-year to Rs 2,026 crore from Rs 1,570 crore in the corresponding period.

Laurus Labs highlighted that growth during the quarter was led by increased commercial projects in its Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) segment, along with steady momentum in its affordable medicines portfolio.

The company reported EBITDA of Rs 644 crore, translating into a margin of 31.8%, an expansion of 7 percentage points compared with the previous year. The improvement was driven by higher CDMO contribution, better business mix, and operational efficiencies.

Gross margins also improved by more than 3 percentage points to 62.7%, reflecting stronger product mix and enhanced profitability.

Expansion plans remain on track

Laurus Labs continued to invest in expanding its manufacturing capabilities and developing niche technology platforms, with capital expenditure during the quarter accounting for 19% of sales.
The company said its planned capital expenditure for FY27 and FY28 remains on schedule and will support growth initiatives across key areas, including small molecules for human and animal health, fermentation, peptides, gene therapy, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

Management commentary

Dr Satyanarayana Chava, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Laurus Labs, said the company delivered record quarterly revenue along with improved profitability, driven by increasing commercial deliveries in CDMO and sustained performance in affordable medicines.
He added that the company continued to strengthen its integrated offerings and specialised capabilities, while achieving key milestones, including entering into agreements to in-license two antibody-drug conjugates and the final handover of a new land parcel to support future expansion.

Stock performance and technical outlook

Laurus Labs shares have delivered strong returns over the medium and long term. The stock has gained around 45% in the last three months and surged nearly 92% over the past year. The company currently commands a market capitalisation of approximately Rs 86,505 crore.

From a technical perspective, the stock’s 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 66.3, indicating strong momentum while remaining below the overbought zone of 70. The stock is trading above all eight key simple moving averages (SMAs), reflecting a positive trend.

Institutional interest rises

FIIs increased their stake in Laurus Labs during the June 2026 quarter, with holdings rising from 25.82% to 28%, indicating stronger institutional interest in the stock.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

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Shares of Vedanta-backed Sterlite Technologies rallied as much as 5% to their day’s high of Rs 592 on the BSE on Monday after international brokerage CLSA upgraded the stock to Outperform and assigned a target price of Rs 950, implying an upside of 68% from current market levels.

It’s been an unforgettable year for Sterlite Tech shareholders as the stock has rocketed 466% in 2026 alone.

What is CLSA saying?

The brokerage said Sterlite Technologies’ order book surged 155% QoQ to Rs 18,600 crore, pointing to a strong growth outlook. Factoring in the company’s recent Rs 1,500 crore QIP fundraising and the significant Q1 FY27 beat, CLSA raised its forecasts by 7-125% for FY27-29CL. The brokerage now sees Sterlite Technologies delivering a 62% EBITDA CAGR.
Sterlite Tech secured a multi-year contract worth $1.11 billion, or more than Rs 10,000 crore, to supply optical connectivity products for next-generation AI data centres. The company also received multiple hyperscaler orders worth more than $100 million for Neuralis, its integrated data centre solutions portfolio. It also won a strategic order to supply long-haul, dark-fibre high-density micro-cables to a major connectivity infrastructure provider.

Also read: Forget selling! FIIs doubled down on this AI multibagger stock that’s up 200% YTD

The order wins come as data centres require higher fibre density, faster data transmission and more efficient connectivity systems to handle AI workloads. STL has been positioning itself as a supplier of optical fibre, cables and integrated connectivity products for this buildout.

Sterlite Tech said it achieved a net debt-free balance sheet during the quarter after raising Rs 1,500 crore through a qualified institutional placement.
The company said the fundraise has strengthened its balance sheet and will help support the next phase of growth. Following the improvement in its financial position, CRISIL revised its rating outlook to “Stable”, while ICRA upgraded the company’s credit rating to “AA (Stable)”.The balance-sheet improvement is important for STL as it enters a larger order execution cycle. A stronger capital base gives the company more room to scale production, invest in products and manage working capital as orders rise.

Sterlite Tech Q1 results

Sterlite Technologies reported its strongest quarterly performance in Q1FY27, helped by higher demand for optical connectivity products, growth in its data centre business and a record order book linked to AI-ready digital infrastructure.

The company reported revenue of Rs 1,910 crore for the quarter ended June 30, up 87% from Rs 1,019 crore in the same quarter last year. Sequentially, revenue rose 33% from Rs 1,441 crore in Q4FY26. Profit after tax rose 870% to Rs 197 crore from Rs 10 crore a year earlier. In the March quarter, the company had reported PAT of Rs 59 crore.

Read more: AI, data centre boom powers these 9 stocks up to 477% in 2026. Can you still join the party?

EBITDA rose to Rs 397 crore, compared with Rs 140 crore in Q1 and Rs 218 crore in the previous quarter. EBITDA margin stood at 20.8%, the highest in nearly 20 quarters, helped by a better product mix, operating leverage and higher contribution from the data centre business.

STL Managing Director Ankit Agarwal said Q1 FY27 was the strongest quarter in the company’s history, with record revenue and profitability reflecting the strength of its AI-ready digital infrastructure portfolio and the trust placed by hyperscalers and telecom operators.
He said the rapid scale-up of the Data Center business shows how decisively STL has aligned itself with the AI infrastructure buildout. With a record order book and strong customer trust, the company expects to continue delivering innovative and reliable solutions to support its customers’ growth.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)