East Tourism Strategy 2017 to 2022 The Bigger Picture

National context [2015] was record-breaking, with tourism generating over £62bn in GVA to the UK economy. Domestic overnight spend reached a new high of £19.6bn in , and the UK attracted more overseas visits than ever before, generating over £22bn of export earnings. Tourism Action Plan August 2016

Regional context Tourism and culture employ about 74,000 people. Tourism is worth £1.3bn in GVA to New Anglia. We have , the and Suffolk coast, and special attractions like Newmarket, Centre Parcs and Dedham Vale. Tourism is underpinned by a strong cultural offer including the and Latitude festivals. New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership Strategic Economic Plan

Local context Tourism is an important part of our economy valued at £590m and 13% of all employment in 2015. Visitors are attracted by the character, culture, festivals, music, art, food, drink, clean beaches and spectacular coastline, river valleys, and the outstanding countryside and wildlife. Capitalising on these strengths will also enable us to address some significant local challenges. Business Plan, Volume and Value Studies 2015

East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 2 The Visitor Economy in East Suffolk

Tourism is a key driver of This visitor economy strategy Tourism by numbers economic growth, will build on our strengths and employment and wellbeing in direct us to develop  Total day trips 10.3 million East Suffolk. Our visitor compelling offers for visitors economy offers a diverse and inward investors and that  Total staying nights 2.6 million range of tourism experiences combine our unique natural  Average length of stay 3.9 nights to satisfy all tastes. Our assets and way of life with strengths include beaches, new and innovative visitor  Total spend £474 million family attractions, landscapes, experiences, a well maintained  Total value of tourism £605 million culture and heritage. infrastructure, and excellent destination marketing.  Tourism related jobs 12,871 Our weaknesses include low pay and productivity in the Our key aims are to increase  Percentage of all jobs 13.4% sector along with gaps and the volume and value of Economic Impact of Tourism Reports for inconsistencies in the overall tourism, to extend the tourist and Waveney 2016 offer we make to visitors. At season, to create compelling the same time we face strong destinations and to link competition from other areas visitors more to experiences. who are busy capturing high value/high spending customers all year round.

From 788 interviews completed across 22 survey points throughout the coast, it was found that visiting a pub/ cafe (43%), short walks (30%), shopping (24%) and relaxing/enjoying the view (22%) are the main activities undertaken The Suffolk Coast Tourism Strategy 2013—2023

East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 3 Above: Snape Maltings Concert Hall Top right: Scallop shell on Aldeburgh beach Bottom right: Pier

East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 4 Making our Visitor Economy Work

Ensure the foundations What do we underpinning the visitor economy are in place for need to do? the long term: accommodation, public realm, signage, car Develop and support our parking, aesthetics of the key tourism assets, area, services including including seaside resorts, mobile/broadband beaches, family coverage, facilities such attractions, heritage, as public toilets, links to natural landscapes, planning policy and local market towns, and plans. culture. E xcel at destination I m p r o v e the Visitor marketing by exploiting Experience by having a a digital technologies and clear vision of the unique filming to attract and offer our key destinations engage visitors before need to make. Developing and during their stay our key ‘products’ in and thereby boosting the out of season including Volume & Value of walking and cycling, tourism. active tourism, health and wellbeing, food & drink, Work effectively with our cultural, festivals. partners in the visitor economy, which will be Rowing on key to our success.

East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 5 How We Will Achieve This

To deliver the desired results we have to focus on the following key enabling actions:

Develop our unique and Innovate destination varied all year round marketing visitor offer Use digital marketing and Understand the unique offer filming our key destinations need to Well informed visitors will make to visitors. stay longer and spend more Effective partnership Market research working Up-to-date consumer market Developing the cultural and research to inform business heritage offer decision-making Boosting family experience Protect and enhance Active tourism—walking and Natural and built cycling, the Broads, environment – East Suffolk, waterways our communities, AONB, Greater engagement Natural England between the visitor and the Enable a joined-up approach destination — w a r m welcome, customer service East Suffolk Council, and high standards businesses, NALEP, strategic bodies, other industry ‘House in the Clouds’ in partners

East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 6 Priorities Actions Impacts Outcomes Develop tourism assets Develop our unique and varied visitor offer

Develop and support our key tourism Ensure our key destinations understand and are Less seasonal Clear offer in key destinations to assets; our resort beaches, family making a clear and unique offer to visitors. Map and attract and retain visitors. Extend Increase visitor spend attractions, heritage, natural landscapes, develop key assets. Ensure high quality public realm, the season, more cultural, active market towns and culture beaches, coastal paths, heritage, wildlife, museums, More staying nights and family offers, more staying festivals and events, cultural assets, visitor services visitors, increase volume in re- Improve the Visitor Experience Improve sector employment and facilities sorts out of season, generally in- Maintain Suffolk brand Continually improve, as well as deepen Innovate destination marketing crease value of spend, increase and broaden, the quality of the visitor Increase Heritage and tourism employment experience; cultural tourism, outdoor Focus on cultural and active tourism development; Resilient visitor economy that cap- leisure, food and drink, events. Ensure arts, museums, film and TV production liaison and Culture segment market italises on the varied offer to visi- destinations are clear on the unique offer support. AONB SSSI, food and drink, sports and active share tors, sustains its value and in- they are making leisure, cycling, walking, health and wellbeing, creases the number of high value festivals and events. Ensure excellent PR, media More sector businesses visitors and spend across all of Ensure foundations are in place relations integrated with leading edge website, accessing funding streams East Suffolk Get the basics right to ensure we meet, if effective and innovative use of digital and social (EU/national) not exceed, the expectations of our media channels More cultural activity and Being flexible and sensitive to returning and new visitors; changing visitor trends/ consumer Carry out market research participation accommodation, public realm, visitor behaviour services and facilities Ensure up to date research is effectively combined Improve family offer Visitor economy increases its con- with market/business insights. Use existing research, at destination marketing Develop active tourism and tribution to GVA and economic Volume and Value studies, Visit England, NCTA, local health and wellbeing offer well being in East Suffolk, trans- Continue to support and work with our tourism surveys, LEP economic research, competitor forming businesses and their destination management partner the analysis More inward investment communities and delivering well Suffolk Coast DMO. Deliver excellent Sustainable communities paid, secure jobs destination marketing by exploiting new Protect and enhance digital technologies and communication Destination marketing that builds on the special channels to secure the volume and value natural environment in East Suffolk (AONB, SSSI) whilst of tourism. Work closely with key local ensuring that the local environment is protected and partners such as Visit , continues to preserve its own unique characteristics Lowestoft CCT etc. and communities. Note: These high-level action areas will be achieved through Enable a joined-up approach a set of delivery plans which Working with partners (Councils, DMOs, AONB, VEA, detail specific activity together Visit England, NCTA, local CCTs) to develop initiatives with primary/lead and access funding streams across the public and organisations, delivery private sector. Provide sector specific business partners and funding sources. support, skills and help with careers development

East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 7 Above: Tide Mill on the River Deben Right: Lowestoft beach

East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 8 Measuring Success

We need to baseline and set This monitoring will be enhanced targets for the number of staying visitors, bed nights, by a range of indicators: total visitor spend, sector employment, seasonal trends, participation in  Total day trips cultural activity, and businesses accessing  Total staying nights funding streams.  Average length of stay

We will review recent trends  Total spend over the last 5 to 10 years, including how the visitor  Total value of tourism economy is changing, how  Tourism related jobs visitor behaviour and  Percentage of all jobs expectations have evolved, and how the tourism sector has adapted and the challenges it faces in the future. Measures include GVA, sector employment, sector earnings, and funding Felixstowe Pierhead secured.

East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 9 Evidence

Documents 1. Coastal Community Teams Economic Plans 2. Economic Impact of Tourism Reports for Suffolk Coastal and Waveney 2015 3. Waveney Visitor Survey 2015 4. Felixstowe Visitor Economy Events Reports 5. Economic Impact Evaluation 6. The Suffolk Coast Tourism Strategy 2013—2023 7. Rural Tourism Action Plan 2013 8. Visit Suffolk Compendium of Tourism Statistics 2014 9. Visit England research 10. NCTA research

Lowestoft South Pier

East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 10 Working Together

Partners The Suffolk Coast DMO Visit Suffolk

Waveney Valley Group Lowestoft CCT

Southwold CCT Deben Peninsula CCT

Leiston Together Felixstowe Forward

Suffolk Coast Business

Waveney Business Forum

Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB

East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 11 www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk

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East Suffolk Tourism Strategy 12