Tourism Strategy for Morecambe, Lancaster and the Lune Valley DRAFT 2006

Tourism Strategy for Morecambe, Lancaster and the Lune Valley

DRAFT

2006 - 2010

Promoting City, Coast and Countryside

June 2006

1 1. INTRODUCTION

This document sets out the priorities for action by Lancaster City Council and partner organisations in the development of Tourism in the district. The strategy has been written in consultation with local industry stakeholders and tourism organisations. Its development has taken over one year due to changes taking place within the tourism industry at all levels. The national, regional and local tourism context is set out in Appendix 1.

This strategy supersedes the ‘Strategy for Tourism in Lancaster District 2001-2006’, published in February 2001. Since that document was produced there have been major changes in the way that tourism is delivered at national and regional level. The national structure has seen the establishment of VisitBritain as the national tourism body since 2003. Regional Tourist Boards have been replaced by County level organisations, which are now funded through the Regional Development Agencies. For our area, the relevant body is the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board, which came into existence in April 2004.

The Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board (LBTB) prepared its own visitor economy strategy for the county during 2005/06 along with annual Destination Management Plans. The final version of this document was not finalised until the LBTB strategy had been completed, in order to ensure that the correct linkages had been formed. In addition, the North West Development Agency’s Visitor Information Strategy for the North West was completed at the same time and has helped to clarify the local strategy for visitor information provision.

2. LANCASTER CITY COUNCIL TOURISM SERVICE - FACTS AND FIGURES

The Tourism Service is funded by Lancaster City Council and operates as part of the Economic Development and Tourism Service. The remit is to promote the district as a tourist destination and provide services to visitors in Morecambe and Lancaster. This conforms to the Corporate Plan of the City Council.

In 2004, the total Tourism section’s net budget (revised) was £572,000, made up of £260,000 for all salary-related costs, a marketing and development budget of £86,000 and a balance of £226,000 made up of recharges and operational costs. Expenditure on marketing and publicity totalled £50,000 and this contributed to partnership marketing and publicity campaigns worth at least £486,000. Income from sales and marketing totalled £81,000. This income came primarily through the Tourist Information Centres, i.e., commission on ticket sales, on accommodation bookings including business tourism, and from the sale of gifts and maps, etc. Due to the introduction of the accommodation booking hotline throughout the summer in 2005, income is increasing and during the main season in 2005, an additional £60k worth of business was placed with accommodation providers.

The Tourism Service produces the Morecambe, Lancaster and Lune Valley Holiday Guide, which is the only publication with comprehensive (inspected) accommodation, attraction and events listings for the district. Holiday Guides, plus other tourism related brochures are produced each year and are distributed through the national network of Tourist Information Centres and other promotional activities according to demand. The numbers produced each year depend on demand and increasing use of websites. Successful tourism visit websites have also been launched promoting Morecambe, Lancaster and the Lune Valley (www.citycoastcountryside.co.uk).

The TICs in the district (Morecambe and Lancaster) are run by Lancaster City Council (in Morecambe it is also in partnership with Lancashire County Council). Total enquiries at the Tourist Information Centres have risen steadily from 187,459 back in 1994 to over 320,000 in 2003. Accommodation bookings alone made through the TICs generated over £80,000 worth of business for district accommodation establishments in 2004. Lancaster TIC received Silver in the TIC of the Year Awards for the whole of the North West in 2003 and in 2004, Morecambe TIC won TIC of the Year in the annual Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board competition.

2 Lancaster City Council has been reviewing the way it provides tourist information as part of a wider review of frontline services and also as part of the national and regional reviews of visitor information provision. An “in principle” decision has been taken to seek funding for development of an enhanced TIC on Castle Hill in Lancaster, as part of the Storey Institute Creative Industries Centre project. This will function as a gateway to north Lancashire and surrounding areas as well as being a gateway to the heritage of the city. In Morecambe, funding has also been agreed in the Capital Programme for refurbishment of the TIC during 2006.

In addition to the work of the Tourism Section, the City Council also supports tourism in the district through the management and maintenance of the beaches, promenade, parks and gardens and the local cycleways. It also supports the provision of events and festivals as well as sports and leisure facilities. Car parks and public toilets also have an impact on tourism along with the cleanliness of the all public facilities. Some steps have been taken towards integrated destination management in Lancaster City, but this needs to be extended across the district. Flood defences and the final phases of coastal defence works are being undertaken and will result in better beaches within a couple of years. The overall visitor experience, including transport, arrival points, information provision and quality of accommodation/attractions is increasingly important in retaining visitors and attracting return visits.

The strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities for tourism in the area are set out in Appendix 2 along with details of the stakeholder consultation.

3 3) THE VISION

The tourism vision has been developed from Lancaster City Council’s Corporate Plan.

Morecambe Corporate Vision: “Morecambe will be recognised as a vital and vibrant seaside town in an exceptional natural setting with a sustainable economy and a stable resident community”.

Tourism Vision for Morecambe: “From a tourism point of view, Morecambe will be a vibrant resort providing facilities needed in the 21st century. Much of the traditional B & B product will have been replaced by quality graded hotels, guest accommodation and self-catering accommodation. With young families, over 50’s and special interest holidays forming the majority of visitors, the attractions and infrastructure will be suited to their tastes and needs and the resort will not be in competition with other larger resorts which attract different markets. Morecambe will continue to cater to both the day visitor market and to the short break staying market. Morecambe will be recognised for the quality of its environment, its infrastructure including public art, its accommodation and its proximity to the historic city of Lancaster, the national parks and AONBs.”

Lancaster Corporate Vision: “Lancaster will be recognised as a nationally and internationally important learning city with an envied quality of life, rich heritage, strong economic opportunity and social cohesion”.

Tourism Vision for Lancaster: For tourists, Lancaster will be recognised as an historic city focussing on its built heritage, attracting higher spend visitors interested in history, culture and education. Lancaster will be seen as one of the major historic cities of the north west. More accommodation will be provided to accommodate growing visitor numbers linked to cultural events, expanding nightlife, business tourism and students/visitors to the higher education establishments. Lancaster will have growing numbers of overseas visitors supplementing the domestic market for heritage and culture. The cultural history of Lancaster will be the main growth area for visitors to the district and to north Lancashire.

Rural Areas Corporate Vision: “The rural areas will have a sustainable quality of life that protects communities and precious landscapes whilst providing the economic opportunity to flourish”.

Tourism Vision for Rural Areas. The rural areas will emphasise sustainable tourism for higher value and special interest tourists based around the countryside including walking, painting, riding, cycling, bird watching, golf and the canal and railway heritage. Rural centres such as Carnforth, Glasson Dock and other settlements will be seen as centres for exploring the varied and attractive valleys, moors and undeveloped coast line as well as their own industrial heritage. Close contact with the Arnside-Silverdale and Bowland Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and with the Morecambe Bay Partnership will ensure that appropriate levels of tourism are maintained for those areas. The proposed re-opening of the Lancaster Canal to Kendal will enhance rural tourism.

Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board

In a separate but parallel exercise to the production of this Tourism Strategy, a Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board has been meeting over the past 12 months to develop an economic vision for Lancaster District.

The Vision Board is a public/private partnership which is associated with the Lancaster LSP (Local Strategic Partnership). It comprises 26 senior individuals from major private and public sector bodies in the Lancaster & Morecambe community.

The Vision Board has been able to take a “blank sheet of paper” approach to the development of a vision for the economic future of the whole District. It is intended that this will feed into the LSP’s Community Strategy and amongst other things, act as a framework for future public intervention by agencies such as North West Development Agency.

This economic vision for the District is now complete and provides an independent and “fresh” view of the economic future of this District and potentially has important implications for the future development and delivery of the Tourism Strategy.

Most significantly, the Vision Board see “Tourism, heritage, culture, and quality of life” as playing a major role in the future economic prosperity of the District. The heritage offering of Lancaster, and the potential role of the Castle in particular, are seen as a key opportunity.

Some extracts from the Vision Board’s work are included as Appendix 2 to this document. Many of these reinforce the Tourism Vision outlined above, and are also reflected in the action plan in the following section of this document. Other matters may need to be incorporated into a revised action plan of this strategy once implementation of the Vision Board’s work has been decided.

4. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND ACTION PLAN

To achieve the tourism vision, we have identified the following four strategic objectives:

Strategic Objectives:

1. “ To develop the local tourism product and adapt to changing markets”

2. “To actively market the district to our identified target segments in order to attract both staying and day visitors to the district.”

3. “To provide high quality visitor services which exceed customer expectations.”

4. “To integrate local destination management in order to improve the total visitor experience and the ‘look and feel’ of the district”.

Action Plan

These objectives have been developed into an Action Plan which follows overleaf. The plan includes indicative timescales as follows:

Short term – implementation in the first two years, 2006-2007 Medium term - implementation in years three to five, 2008-2010 Long term – implementation likely to fall beyond 2010

Where appropriate, more specific target dates are also specified. These may however be affected by availability of funding, or other external factors, and will need to be reviewed as the strategy progresses.

TOURISM STRATEGY FOR MORECAMBE, LANCASTER AND THE LUNE VALLEY 2006-2010 – ACTION PLAN

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1 (Product Development): “To develop the local tourism product and adapt to changing markets”

LEAD BODY & KEY ACTION TIMESCALE PARTNERS TARGETS Develop and implement plans to enhance Lancaster’s heritage offering City Council Action plan agreed mid-2006 through the opportunities presented by NWDA’s Historic Towns and Cities Short term NWDA initiative and the Vision Board LBTB Vision Board Work with the Lancaster & Morecambe Vision Board to develop plans for Vision Board Feasibility research completed the relocation of the courts and (longer term) the prison from Lancaster Long term City Council end of 2006 Castle, and its development as a tourist attraction of national importance LBTB NWDA Progress plans for development of the Storey Institute Creative Industries City Council (ED&T) Construction works to have Centre as a new cultural tourist attraction, incorporating a new hub TIC, Medium term Heritage Lottery commenced by end of 2006 acting as a focus for interpretation of Lancaster’s heritage offering and Arts Council acting as a gateway to the castle Hill Conservation Area. LBTB NWDA Through the Council’s Access to Services review and accommodation City Council Feasibility studies completed end review, undertake feasibility studies for the development of Lancaster Town Medium term County Museums Service 2006 Hall as a cultural facility for the region and including a museum. Heritage Lottery Implementation 2009-2010 Restoration of Morecambe’s Midland Hotel and development of plans for Urban Splash Midland Hotel opens 2007 regeneration of the adjacent Central Promenade area Medium term City Council (P&BC) Central Prom plans approved mid 2006 Implementation 2007-2010

Support for potential future development of Williamson Park Medium City Council/ Williamson Park Studies currently being Term undertaken Support the development of a strategy for restoration of the Morecambe Friends of the Winter Gardens Winter Gardens (Victoria Pavilion) as a multi-use building, linked to the Medium term Vision Board ?? Midland Hotel’s restoration. City Council

Support the potential retail redevelopment in central Lancaster. Medium City Council (P&BC) Term

Work with developers of the former Frontierland site to achieve a high Short term City Council (P&BC) Implementation 2007-2008 visual quality scheme which incorporates significant leisure and visitor attractions. Continue to help implement the Morecambe Bay Strategy and promote the Morecambe Bay Partnership Aim for decision on Regional Park possible designation of the Bay as a Regional Park Medium term City Council status by 2008 South Lakeland District Council NWDA LBTB Encourage the restoration of the Lancaster Canal to Kendal to enhance Long term Northern Reaches group Work at the Kendal end to sustainable tourism South Lakeland District Council commence by end of 2007 City Council (ED&T) British Waterways NWDA

To implement the final phases of coastal defence works including the Medium Lancaster City Council Summer 2007 for completion and provision of beaches and improved beach access. Term publicity

Work with the developers for Luneside East (CTP) to encourage the Medium term CTP Phase 1 development completed inclusion of hotel accommodation and appropriate heritage interpretation City Council (ED&T, P&BC) end of 2008 facilities

Conduct feasibility studies for increasing water sports activity on suitable Medium term Vision Board (To be identified) stretches of the River Lune and off the Morecambe/Heysham sea front City Council

Development and implementation of a Cycling Tourism Strategy and Short term City Council Marketing opportunities to be completion of tow path improvement works British Waterways identified during 2006/07 AONB Management Board Help to implement actions identified within the sustainable tourism Medium term City Council (ED&T, P&BC) strategies of the Arnside/Silverdale and Bowland AONBs South Lakeland District Council

8 Support the provision of expanded visitor information in Heysham and Carnforth & Area Carnforth, in consultation with the Heritage Trust for the North West and Medium term Regeneration Partnership CARP Heritage Trust NW City Council (ED&T)

Support the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership Company and Short term LMCRP Co Ltd, CRP Officer in post by summer its promotion of the route through the services of a CRP officer (County Rail User Groups, AcoRP 2006. Council) on a part time basis County Council Northern Rail

TOURISM STRATEGY FOR MORECAMBE, LANCASTER AND THE LUNE VALLEY 2006-2010 – ACTION PLAN

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2 (Marketing and Promotions): “To actively market the district to our identified target segments to attract both staying and day visitors

LEAD BODY & KEY ACTION TIMESCALE PARTNERS TARGETS Implement an annually revised and updated marketing plan, reviewing • Increase tourist spend by an success and tailoring activity according to needs of target market Continuous Lancaster City Council (ED&T) average of 5% annually segments. throughout Lancashire and Blackpool across all categories of visitor. the period of Tourist Board Sub-actions include: the strategy District tourism and • Increase the number of entertainment operators staying visitors by average an • Review general advertising campaign based on BRADA monitoring Lancashire County Council 3% annually through information. Increase emphasis on direct mail using data from previous RSPB increasing length of stay, campaigns. Identify media and PR activity in preference to paid British Resorts Association converting day into staying advertising. (BRA) visitors or attracting visitors British Association of from new markets. • Review potential for new partnerships and more cross-marketing Conference Destinations (BACD activity with tourism organisations. Involvement in Country Escapes, Transport providers/partnership • Increase enquiries by 5% Coastal Contrasts and Living Legends campaigns with LBTB and any average annually through new other relevant themed activity. Encourage greater group marketing. marketing activity.

• Further development of tourism web sites, e-marketing and on-line • Increase website hits by an booking to increase functionality. Introduce pay per click campaigns. average of 5% annually through further development • Increase the emphasis on the City’s cultural heritage as a focus in of website and functionality marketing campaigns.

• Evaluate the contribution of Business Tourism including development of the conference trade with the British Association of Conference Destinations, universities, hotels and venues.

• Greater co-ordination of events and entertainment promotional activity for all local venues and providers through improved cross departmental working

TOURISM STRATEGY FOR MORECAMBE, LANCASTER AND THE LUNE VALLEY 2006-2010 – ACTION PLAN

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3 (Information Provision): “To provide high quality visitor services which exceed customer expectations”

LEAD BODY & KEY ACTION TIMESCALE PARTNERS TARGETS In conjunction with the LBTB Visitor Economy Strategy and the NWDA City Council (ED&T) Strategy agreed early 2006 Visitor Information Strategy, develop a strategy for TIC provision which Short term LBTB meets current and future customer expectations, and is in accordance with NWDA Achieve annual increase in visitor national and regional standards. enquiries of 5%. This follows from the Cabinet decision to locate a Hub TIC in the Storey Institute and from the Capital Programme allocation to refurbish Maintain a target 85% satisfaction Morecambe TIC/CIC. level (excellent) in visitor surveys Develop plans for relocation and development of Lancaster TIC as a hub City Council (ED&T) New TIC opens 2008 TIC, maximising use of ICT and seeking to meet the aspirations of the Medium term LBTB Vision Board for a more “animated” visitor information service Vision Board NWDA Implement the refurbishment of the TIC/CIC in Morecambe during 2006 City Council (ED&T) Refurbishment completed by Short term LBTB 2007 County Council Further develop website accommodation booking and telephone hotline City Council (ED&T) Annual increase of 10% in income service and on-line merchandising possibilities Short term through on-line and hot-line bookings Through the annual TIC Business Plans, continuously review opportunities City Council (ED&T) (Targets for income generation to for improved income generation (eg researching the possibility of selling rail Continuous Lancashire County Council be set in TIC Business Plans) transport tickets as agents of a train operating company, streamlining merchandising, etc), and to extend partnership working with Lancashire County Council’s County Information Centres and Libraries networks Contribute to the operation of an information service in Carnforth in City Council (ED&T) partnership with the County Council and local stakeholders Continuous CARP County Council Implement the plan for replacing/removing information boards and City Council (ED&T) Completed for the summer of improving the network of local tourist information points (TIPs) Short term County Council 2006

TOURISM STRATEGY FOR MORECAMBE, LANCASTER AND THE LUNE VALLEY 2006-2010 – ACTION PLAN

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4: Destination Management “To integrate local destination management in order to improve the total visitor experience and the ‘look and feel’ of the district”

LEAD BODY & KEY ACTION TIMESCALE PARTNERS TARGETS Report on the feasibility and appropriate format for establishment of a co- Lancaster City Council (ED&T) Group to be established by end of ordinating group, to extend inter-service communications and co-operation Short term Lancaster & District Tourist 2006 on tourism related issues including leisure facilities, parking, toilets, Association cleansing, gardening, etc Morecambe Hotels Association Vision Board?? Work with existing local partnerships such as CARP (Carnforth) and GAP City Council (ED&T) (Glasson Dock) and local chambers of commerce/trade or parish councils Continuous Carnforth & Area Regeneration to manage small visitor destinations in ways that meet the needs of Partnership residents and visitors. Glasson Action Partnership?? Encourage the provision of small scale events to animate the district to Lancaster City Council (A&E) (Target to be set) increase the length of the season through the Innovations Fund Short term Identify and develop further interpretative events/walks/displays for visitors Lancaster City Council (A&E (Target to be set) to the district Short term County Council Services including Museums, Libraries, Highways and Education Improve standards of accommodation and attractions quality through City Council (ED&T) (Target to be set) promotion of national quality grading schemes and offering related Continuous LBTB business advice Quality In Tourism Local tourism operators

5. MONITORING AND REVIEW

Targets set within the action plan will require monitoring on a regular basis to assess progress. Tourism data has been notoriously difficult to obtain in the past, but Lancaster City Council’s participation in the STEAM model data collection process and national benchmarking schemes, in particular, have helped to secure good baseline data.

• The volume and value of tourism is measured through the STEAM district reports and the annual tourism occupancy survey.

• Visitor satisfaction is assessed using the Morecambe and Lancaster Benchmarking Survey (this is a bi-annual survey administered by the Mersey Partnership). The district also contributes to an annual national benchmarking survey which indicates how the area is performing in relation to a group of coastal based destinations.

• Regular visitor surveys are also conducted at Lancaster and Morecambe Tourist Information Centres which provide feedback on the level of service received.

• An annual industry satisfaction survey is conducted to gauge the tourism operators’ perception of the service and its activities

• Marketing effectiveness is evaluated through advertising monitoring (ie Cost per response) and an incentivised questionnaire through the holiday guide.

The Strategy will be kept under annual review as part of the City Council Business planning and performance management processes. It will also be formally reviewed at its mid point in 2008.

6. IMPACT AND OUTCOMES

The following are desirable outcomes (long term) which could be achieved by addressing the actions identified in the plan:

• Increase tourist spend by an average of 5% annually across all categories of visitor.

• Increase the number of staying visitors by average of 3% annually through increasing length of stay, converting day into staying visitors or attracting visitors from new markets.

• Improve satisfaction levels from average to good across all sectors in the bi-annual destination benchmarking survey.

These outcomes will also be subject to the influence of external factors and achieving them within set timescales may be dependent on resources available. APPENDIX 1

The National, Regional and Local Tourism context is summarised below.

Government and National Context At the central government level the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) “Tomorrow’s Tourism Today” prospectus, launched in 2004, set an ambitious target of achieving a £100 billion industry by 2010. It identifies four key drivers to achieve this:

• Marketing and e-tourism. • The quality of the product. • The skills of the workforce. • The data on which decisions are based.

Furthermore, the National Strategy highlights:

• Domestic and international visitors now expect high quality accommodation, good food and quality attractions. • Visitors want clean and safe streets, convenient and reliable transport links and good access to information. • Growth areas for the domestic market include day trips, short breaks and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) with potential growth in business tourism, higher education establishments and outdoor activities and rural tourism.

VisitBritain, the organisation that promotes Britain Overseas and England within Britain, has strategies on Customer Contact and The Quality Strategy which promotes the vision of world beating quality that anticipates the customer needs.

Regional Context In turn, the strategy for Tourism in England’s Northwest focuses on five principal objectives: -

• Enhancing the way we communicate with consumers • Improving the primary product • Improving the secondary product and the ways in which we organise our region to make visitors welcome • Boosting the performance of tourism businesses • Maximising the potential of the people who work in the tourism sector

It is likely that the regional tourism strategy will be reviewed in light of the new Regional Economic Strategy (RES).

The North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has set up five sub-regional tourist boards, with the Lancaster District falling under the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board. Lancashire County Council also retains a role in tourism provision and is expected to channel this through the new LBTB.

The NWDA and English Heritage have identified five towns in the North West (one in each County sub-region) as strategic priorities for long-term heritage related tourism infrastructure and product development. Lancaster is one of the towns selected. The main aim is to create a destination of the highest quality and provide a vision as to how its heritage assets could be developed. This initiative is still at an early stage but offers a significant opportunity for the district to enhance its heritage tourism offer.

Lancaster is also one of five “cycling demonstration” towns and will receive funding from the Department of Transport for three years. This will assist with the provision of infrastructure for use by residents and visitors.

14 For the past decade, this district has been marketed using the “City, Country and Coast” message, emphasising the variety of the local tourism product. With Lancaster’s designation as a Historic City, greater emphasis may now need to be placed on the cultural heritage of the district, surrounded by beautiful countryside and coastline.

The NWDA is also currently developing a Visitor Information Strategy for the region which is expected to be finalised in mid 2006. The NWDA is also currently producing a Business Tourism Strategy.

Locally, the NWDA is funding the Regeneration Vision Board for Lancaster (encompassing the whole District) and the Board’s vision in relation to tourism is included in section 3 and Appendix 2.

Sub-regional context The newly formed Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board has produced a marketing branding strategy called “Five Winning Ways to Promote Lancashire and Blackpool”.

These include:

• Family fun – from city nightlife to old fashioned family fun. • Country escapes – aimed at the high spending visitor to experience and explore the unspoilt countryside. • Night-time Buzz – the theatres, live entertainment, comedy and fine dining for adults and families. • Coastal Contrasts – the contrasts along the coastline from our major resorts to golf courses, to abundant wildlife and sea life. • Living Legends – the people of Lancashire and the legends and myths that are part of the heritage.

The lead product groups correlate with the Regional Tourism Strategy brands and themes. The delivery of action against these product themes aims to reflect the particular strengths and opportunities of the Lancashire and Blackpool sub-region and to ensure that development and marketing activity plays to the specific strengths of the sub-region.

Much joint marketing has taken place between the City and County Councils in recent years and will continue with LBTB, as some of these new themes are relevant to this district, e.g. Country Escapes, Coastal Contrasts and Living Legends. Joint working can also continue on customer care and training issues.

The LBTB marketing strategy recognises that the majority of domestic visitors to Lancashire, as well as this district, come from Yorkshire, the North Midlands, the North East and central Scotland. A visitor economy strategy for the whole of Lancashire is being written by the LBTB and will be launched in 2006. The annual Destination Management Plans produced by the LBTB will be based on this new strategy.

Local context

Major changes have also taken place within Lancaster City Council and as a result of the Best Value Review of the Council’s Cultural Services, the Tourism Service merged with the Economic Development Service in 2002. The same review saw the management of Lancaster City Council’s Museums (inc. Lancaster Castle, Maritime Museum, Cottage Museum and the Judges Lodgings) transferred to Lancashire County Museums Service.

This Tourism Strategy also takes into account a number of local strategies, including:

• Lancaster City Council’s Corporate Plan • Community Strategy “Lancaster District - A Vision for 2020” • Local Agenda 21 strategy “Agenda for Action – A Strategy for Sustainable Development in Lancaster District”

15 • Morecambe Action Plan • Morecambe Bay Strategy • Arnside/Silverdale and Bowland AONB Management Plans • Arnside/Silverdale AONB Sustainable Tourism and Recreation Strategy. • Forest of Bowland AONB Sustainable Tourism Strategy • Various Transport Strategic Documents including the Community Rail Strategy.

The tourism strategy provides direct support to priority number 1 in the Corporate Plan which relates to economic regeneration.

Product Profile

The district, which encompasses the seaside resort of Morecambe, the historic city of Lancaster, and rural areas including the Lune Valley, has over 3,600 serviced bed spaces, a growing self catering sector and a range of tourism attractions and events.

Economic Benefits

Until recently, accurate information on the economic value of tourism has been difficult to obtain. This is now changing because the Council has recently adopted an industry-recognised methodology known as ‘STEAM’. This model approaches the measurement of tourism at the local level from the supply side with data collected by Economic Development & Tourism Services annually.

Retail is of importance to tourism as a reason to visit and in Lancaster, the major shopping attraction of the district, the value of shopping is now estimated at £46.31 million.

The STEAM Report (revised) for Lancaster District for 2004 (inc. staying visitors, day visits, and those visiting friends and relatives) indicates:

• £210 million annual visitor spend. • 1.85 million visitor nights. • 4.2 million day visits. • 4,000 jobs supported by tourism of which 3,200 are supported directly.

In total visitor spend increased by 3% from 2003 to 2004, with 1% change in spend by visitors staying in serviced accommodation (£42 million). There was a decrease of 7% in the number of tourists staying in non serviced accommodation (i.e. self-catering). However, day visitor numbers increased by 6%. (See appendix 3 – Full STEAM Report 2003-2004)

The City Council also measures the quality of the local tourism product through a process called “Destination Benchmarking”. This is based on interview surveys carried out locally and allows comparisons of customer satisfaction to be made with other coastal and historic towns. The main conclusions of the survey are as follows:

Accommodation in Lancaster scored well above average for both ‘quality of service’ and ‘value for money’. This is higher than the average scores for other historic destinations. Accommodation in Morecambe scored well above average for both ‘quality of service’ and ‘value for money’, and higher than the comparable results for other coastal resorts. Attractions in Lancaster scored above average for all categories: ‘value for money’, ‘quality of service’ and ‘range’. Nonetheless, the range of attractions was thought slightly less satisfying than the average for other historic destinations, although the value for money was thought to be around the same. Attractions in Morecambe scored above average by respondents for ‘value for money’ and ‘quality of service’ but ‘range’ scored only average. All of these ratings were significantly lower than the coastal resorts' average. The vast majority of visitors to Morecambe are on a leisure trip or holiday (90%).

16 Lancaster has a more mixed blend of visitors. Nearly three quarters of visitors are on a leisure trip or holiday (74%), whilst there were people on VFR trips (11%), special shopping trips (6%) and business/conference trips (3%). There is a distinct difference between the social grades of visitors to Lancaster and Morecambe on the basis of the respondents to the questionnaire. Whilst Lancaster attracts almost a quarter of its visitors from the AB social group, just over a tenth of respondents to Morecambe are from this social group. Instead, well over a fifth of visitors to Morecambe are in the lowest social group (22%). • Morecambe receives a relatively high proportion of visitors on organised trips compared to Lancaster (18% and 9% respectively). This compares with an average of 13% for other coastal resorts, and 9% for other historic destinations. Two fifths of visitors to Lancaster were there for the first time (40%), compared to under a third of Morecambe’s visitors (28%), emphasising the importance of repeat visits for Morecambe. Just under two thirds of visitors to Morecambe stayed overnight (61%), compared with 44% in other coastal resorts. Just under a third of visitors to Lancaster stayed overnight (30%), compared with a quarter of visitors to other historic destinations (23%). Overall enjoyment and likelihood of recommending Lancaster as a tourism destination both scored above average by respondents. The score for ‘likelihood of recommending‘ Lancaster was particularly good, but slightly lower than the historic destinations average. Overall enjoyment and likelihood of recommending Morecambe as a tourism destination both scored above average, although respondents were less likely to recommend Morecambe than respondents in other coastal resorts.

Destination Performance

The tourism section is in membership of Destination Performance UK (DPUK) which grew out of the Best Value Benchmarking Group. This is an association of approximately 140 authorities and aims to extend best practice through benchmarking. Membership is divided into groups of similar destinations and this authority is a member of the Coastal 2 group, comprised of 24 destinations with a resort, historic town and large rural area. Current activity is focussed on visitor information provision and brochure/website evaluation.

Customer satisfaction

In addition to obtaining the value and volume of tourism to the district, the tourism section also carries out customer satisfaction surveys, using independent survey staff from the University for external work and tourist information staff within the TICs. In addition, close contact is made with local tourism operators and associations in order to keep abreast of local trends.

17 APPENDIX 2

Extracts from vision statement by Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board

1) From the introduction

• Tourism and leisure was an essential part of the district's past and it will be integral to its future. Morecambe will be reinvented as the place for quality leisure, entertainment and living and Lancaster will be widely recognised as an important historic visitor destination with its diverse heritage and fine architecture.

• High profile projects will be the Vision's beacons; a new integrated transport solution to get the district moving again, Lancaster Castle’s transformation into a major tourist attraction, developing a sustainable energy industry and leading the way in IT and new media.

2) From the overall Vision statement:

Our vision:

A district which lives, breathes and functions as a single coherent whole, which is greater than the sum of its parts and within which geographical boundaries are broken down -

• known for and is proud of its distinctive world-class assets: the historical and attractive city centre of Lancaster, at its pinnacle a major tourist attraction, the castle; the magnificent seafront, views and leisure opportunities of Morecambe and Heysham; a contrasting landscape of lush valleys and moorland dotted with attractive village communities; and the educational and research prowess of Lancaster University

• with Morecambe and Heysham completely reinvented into prestigious and contemporary leisure, tourism and residential areas within the City

• well and truly on the map as a quality and enjoyable visitor destination, for both day-trippers and short break tourists, capitalising upon the district’s heritage, natural beauty and leisure assets

• adept at promoting itself, both to its own population and to the world outside Lancaster & Morecambe, generating pride, respect and admiration. Success in this respect emanates from leadership, inspiration and a successfully executed ongoing promotional campaign

3) From the Tourism, Heritage, Culture, and Quality of Life chapter:

Our Vision is for a district which is considered to be one of the most attractive and pleasant places to live and work in the North of England, in order to be a source of pride for the people of Lancaster & Morecambe, to be appealing to business and to attract new talented and creative individuals and families to live. Many of us indeed already believe this to be the case. But we still have some way to go for it to be a universal belief. It is also clear that our desirability as a place to live is inextricably linked to our attractiveness as a tourism destination, as many of the facilities and entertainments on offer are shared by locals and visitors alike.

What we need to achieve is an attractive environment, a diverse range of quality leisure, dining, retail and cultural establishments and people with the wealth to enjoy them – locals and visitors.

With a diverse architectural heritage, from Roman through Norman, Mediæval, Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco to the contemporary, Lancaster & Morecambe has a quality canvas on which to paint a very attractive district. And of course this is all set against the backdrop of the Bay, the Lake

18 District and Bowland fells and the green valleys and countryside to the north and south. However not all of our heritage is shown off in its best light, whether that be through the grime of acid rain, the fumes of cars, the persistent problems of litter and gum, inappropriately placed signage, poor entry points to some of our conurbations or sixties architectural monstrosities next door.

• Implement an ongoing action plan to improve aesthetics and address the district’s grot spots and improve community safety

• Encourage cafes and restaurants to spill-out onto squares and pavements, European style

• Pedestrianise Marine Road Central, creating a new dining, shopping and leisure centre for Morecambe

• Revitalise the promenade with cafes and kiosks at intervals along its length and much improved lighting

• Review Lancaster centre boundaries through retail extension and road changes

• Improve the quality and relevance of museums through investment in commercial activities

• Combine Tourist Information offices with Visitor Centres

• Transform the castle into a major tourist attraction by identifying a new and improved location for the prison, relocating the courts and developing a range of visitor facilities within its walls

• Seek designation of the castle as a World Heritage Site

• Implement joint promotion of all of the district’s cultural venues and events

• Work with the Friends of the Victoria Pavilion to find a new and viable use for the Winter Gardens

• Expand and modernise the Dukes in Lancaster

• Lobby for an improved evening rail service between Manchester and Lancaster

• Implement a level of high quality animation through music, performance and street markets to our commercial areas throughout the year

• Enhance the events and festivals calendar through innovative methods of private sector funding

• Encourage more and larger quality hotels to be built throughout the district, but especially in Lancaster centre

• Explore the possibility of enhancing watersports provision through the creation of a marina or boating lagoon for Morecambe and a means of retaining water in front of St George’s Quay in Lancaster

• Identify and promote new sports activities and national sporting events to enhance rural tourism

• Implement food trails and develop more farmers markets to link the rural economy to the appetites of locals and visitors

4) Additional extracts from other sections in the Vision which are relevant to tourism

• Implement the Heysham – M6 link

• Design and implement a combined and integrated transport solution to congestion and intra-city access and movement

• Rebrand Lancaster & Morecambe and the wider district as a coherent collection of quality diverse communities

• Support the development of a flagship Creative Industries Centre in the City.

20 APPENDIX 3 Summary of STEAM report for DISTRICT 2003 and 2004

Numeric Executive Summary All £’s 2003 indexed (RPI Factor 02/03 + 1.0294)

DISTRICT WIDE REPORT Total Revenue by District (£'s millions) 2004 2003 % change Lancaster City 68.75 67.16 2 Morecambe 109.03 106.45 2 Lancaster Remainder 32.53 31.36 4 TOTAL 210.32 204.97 3

Analysis by Sector of Expenditure (£'s millions) 2004 2003 % change Accommodation 22.26 22.49 -1 Food and drink 35.04 33.98 3 Recreation 13.04 12.63 3 Shopping 46.31 44.72 4 Transport 18.10 17.56 3 Indirect Expenditure 51.99 50.59 3 VAT 23.58 22.99 3 TOTAL 210.32 204.97 3

Revenue by Category of Visitor (£'s millions) 2004 2003 % change Serviced Accommodation 42.52 42.24 1 Non-Serviced Accommodation 44.40 45.32 -2 SFR 16.59 16.32 2 Day Visitors 106.80 101.09 6 TOTAL 210.32 204.97 3

Tourist Days (Thousands) 2004 2003 % change Serviced Accommodation 590.35 576.61 2 Non-Serviced Accommodation 1257.82 1280.55 -2 SFR 499.32 491.23 2 Day Visitors 4243.13 4016.19 6 TOTAL 6590.62 6364.57 4

Tourist Numbers (Thousands) 2004 2003 % change Serviced Accommodation 280.69 294.82 -5 Non-Serviced Accommodation 213.85 230.63 -7 SFR 209.74 206.34 2 Day Visitors 4243.13 4016.19 6 TOTAL 4947.41 4747.97 4

21 Sectors in which Employment is supported (FTE's) 2004 2003 % change Direct Employment Accommodation 919 895 3 Food & Drink 813 796 2 Recreation 367 359 2 Shopping 980 956 3 Transport 188 184 2 Total Direct Employment 3,267 3,190 2 Indirect Employment 796 783 2 TOTAL 4,064 3,973 2

22 APPENDIX 4

4A) SWOT ANALYSIS

The following SWOT table (an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the district as a tourism destination) was developed as a result of a consultation exercise with the local industry stakeholders:

SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths Opportunities • The historic City of Lancaster including fine Georgian structures, City life, café • To market the district using LBTB ‘Winning Themes’. culture, attractions. • To work more closely with the Tourist Board to attract external funding in • The regenerating resort of Morecambe with its fine views across Morecambe partnership with other organisations. Bay to the Lake District, • Regeneration of the Art Deco Midland Hotel in Morecambe which has now • Fine Art Deco, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian architectural heritage. commenced. • Attractive rural areas including parts of two Areas of Outstanding Natural • New sources of funding and expertise can be accessed for activity breaks, Beauty and within sight of two National Parks. package holidays, and joint marketing initiatives. These can be further • Improved image of resort due to award- winning public art scheme. developed with transport operators and providers of special interest holidays. • Prestigious higher education establishments. • Groups with disabilities can be attracted to the area to use the flat promenade • Festivals attracting national and international audiences. in Morecambe and 40km of off-road cycle ways. • Award-winning Tourist Information Centres. • Promotion of Cycling Demonstration Town status. • Critical mass of historic attractions in Lancaster. • Re-opening of the Lancaster Canal as far as Kendal will encourage rural • Proximity to the M6 motorway, to main line and branch line railway routes. tourism and regeneration. • A population of over 10 million people within two hours driving distance. • Accommodation booking hotlines, tourism websites, and “One-Stop” tourism • Heysham’s cultural heritage and port access to the Isle of Man. services can be expanded, based on guidelines set out in VisitBritain’s • Over 50% of visitor accommodation meets national inspection standards. “Customer Contact Services” Framework for Action paper. • An increase in the provision of self-catering accommodation and holiday • Closer co-ordination between Lancashire and Cumbria as highlighted in the parks. Morecambe Bay Strategy. • Morecambe Bay is nationally and internationally important for its wildlife. • Increased profile of the Forest of Bowland and Arnside/Silverdale AONBs. • Morecambe can continue to improve through the implementation of new regeneration strategies and as a result of beach improvements. • Increase initiatives to promote to Lancaster University and St Martin’s College Weaknesses student population. • Both Lancashire and Morecambe suffer from negative images. • Lancaster has been selected for a North West Heritage Towns' initiative • Morecambe’s seaside attractions and properties in need of complete which will look at strengthening its heritage assets. refurbishment or demolition, with pockets of high unemployment and • Increase the retail offer in central Lancaster. deprivation in some urban wards. Some high profile sites in Morecambe and Lancaster remain derelict at present. Threats • Morecambe is often seen only as an accommodation base for touring places • Tourism remains a discretionary service for local authorities and with outside the district. increasing pressure on budgets, financial constraints remain a real threat to • There is a shortage of high quality visitor accommodation in both Lancaster maintaining or developing the local tourism product. Adequate resources and Morecambe. needed to be maintained to promote the destinations effectively and to • Access to Morecambe by road and rail is poor. Road signs to coach parks participate in broader regional publicity and signs to attractions require improvement. • Continuing reliance on the car could adversely affect Areas of Outstanding • Provision and cost of visitor parking in Lancaster including evening charges. Natural Beauty (AONB6s) and other rural areas. • Rail services to West Yorkshire are inadequate. • The British weather remains a threat to day visitors in particular who require • There is no Youth Hostel accommodation in the area. additional all-weather/all-season attractions. • Diminishing toilet provision in the district. 24• Car parking charges, including overnight in Lancaster, perceived to be high.

4B) CONSULTATION

A consultation document was produced in 2005 and distributed to key stakeholders to seek views on the development of Tourism in Lancaster District. There was the opportunity to reply with comments and/or attend a consultation meeting, at which attendees formed a discussion group – views were invited on any of the issues raised within document, but in particular comments were welcomed on the following key questions…

Key Questions

SWOT Do you agree with the SWOT analysis? Is there anything missing? What do you see as the most important opportunities or threats?

There was general agreement regarding the SWOT analysis. It was thought that a key opportunity for Morecambe would be the restoration of the Midland Hotel and that in order to reduce many of the district’s weaknesses, greater product investment was required. The regeneration strategies for Morecambe should be accelerated in order to attract visitors.

The Vision for Tourism Do you agree with the vision for tourism in Lancaster District? Is it realistic? What do we need to give most priority to in order to achieve it?

It was felt to be realistic but it was questioned whether it would be achieved. They also believed it required to be driven efficiently and without procrastination in order for it to be realised.

Regional context and marketing Is it still relevant for this district to continue to be marketed as a destination in its own right? How strongly do visitors identify with constituent elements of City, Coast and Countryside (i.e. Morecambe, Lancaster and the Lune Valley)? Does Lancaster District need its own local tourism strategy?

To what extent could or should promotion of the District’s tourism offering be realigned to fit into the thematic approach being promoted by NWDA and Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board? For instance, is the seaside resort of Morecambe best promoted as a destination in its own right, or as part of the City, Coast and Countryside concept or as part of a thematic regional promotion of several coastal resorts including Blackpool?

How relevant to this District are the five winning themes set out by the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board? (Family Fun, Country Escapes, Night-time Buzz, Coastal Contrasts, and Living Legends).

What, if anything, is missing from these themes? Are there other thematic approaches that could be adopted, perhaps linking across County boundaries to connect with the wider Morecambe Bay area, southern lakes, and Yorkshire Dales?

It was felt that certain realignment was needed in order to fit the thematic approach adopted by the Tourist Board, but we should not lose the identity of City, Coast and Countryside in destination marketing. It was also felt that these themes are relevant to our district and that they should be linked across county boundaries and the wider Morecambe Bay area.

Tourist Information What are the prime locations for Tourist Information Centres in the District? Could some provision be reduced or should it be expanded?

What will be the impact of new technology on the ways in which visitors seek information and make bookings and travel plans? How much will it reduce the demand for face-to-face contact and printed literature?

How important is it for Tourist Information Centres to exist as visitor facilities in their own right? Do they add to the visitor experience, or could they be just as effective co-located in Council customer contact centres?

The stakeholder consensus was that TICs are required and that IT developments are additional rather than a substitute for a fully staffed professional information service. Certain market segments prefer to have access to conventional forms of visitor information.

It was felt they should be situated in areas giving best access for use by visitors and with strict monitoring to ensure they are being used and efficiently manned at all times.

Festivals & Events What is the most important role that festivals and events can play in supporting the local tourism product? Is it better to have a small number of large events that attract visitors in their own right, or a much wider spread of smaller scale events that “animate” and contribute to the vitality of the promenade and town centres on a regular basis? Should they aim to enhance the peak season, or to spread it into the “shoulder” months?

For the benefit of businesses and visitors it was felt to be necessary to promote festivals and events and it was suggested they should be spread into the shoulder months. It was generally realised that the larger events create more publicity to profile the district. The point was made that good lead-in times are required for accommodation business to gain maximum benefit from events.

Tourism Business Support Is sufficient business advice provided at present? Is it accessible and relevant to all types of tourism operators? In what ways might it be improved?

How important is it for local tourism businesses to have a local point of contact, rather than staff based at county or sub-regional offices? What benefits does this bring?

It was felt that availability of business advice is already quite extensive but is still important for tourism businesses to have a relevant local point of contact.

A second round of consultation with stakeholders took place in May and June 2006 prior to final consideration of this strategy by Cabinet.