Lancashire and Blackpool Visitor Economy Strategy 2006-2016 Prepared by Forewords
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Lancashire and Blackpool Visitor Economy Strategy 2006-2016 Prepared By Forewords Lesley Lloyd Chair, Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board Mention Lancashire and Blackpool as a visitor destination and there is little doubt that there will be a nod of recognition.The Blackpool Tower, the Golden Mile, Britain’s biggest resort, the historic city of Lancaster, Morecambe Bay and the classic resort of Lytham St Annes, and Preston as England’s newest city.They will probably all come In association with quickly to mind. For this is an area of the UK where mass seaside tourism was invented and where the UK’s most popular visitor attraction, the Pleasure Beach, can be found, not to mention a rich and proud industrial history, world famous foods including Lancashire Hot Pot and Morecambe Bay shrimps, a sporting pedigree that includes the birthplace of professional football, a place where legends of witchcraft and strong royal connections survive today, and an area where a surprising 80 per cent of the landscape is rural including stunning parts like the relatively undiscovered Forest of Bowland. In fact if you take away `visitors` and Lancashire and Blackpool’s astounding variety of places to visit, then suddenly the area becomes anything but awash with `Living Legends, Family Fun, Nightime Buzz, Coastal Contrasts or Country Escapes` – the very themes that encapsulate the visitor products promoted here. L&R CONSULTING SOLUTIONS LTD UNIT 252 Furthermore, without visitors the sub regional economy of Lancashire and Blackpool would be £2.5 billion poorer 5-9 SLATER STREET and 52,000 jobs light. And which economies could afford to lose that level of spending or employment? LIVERPOOL L1 4BW In this, the first ever Visitor Economy Strategy for Lancashire and Blackpool, we describe and quantify the current visitor assets, the reasons why 64 million visits are made to this area every year, the challenges that lie ahead, the Tel: 0151 707 2255 strategic directions we wish to take by working in partnership, and those all important actions we will be pursuing Fax: 0151 707 2577 to turn the visions in to reality over the next 10 years. Email: [email protected] The task will not be an easy one and there will inevitably be obstacles to overcome – as well as new opportunities to embrace. But this is a journey we are all committed to pursuing and by 2016 we anticipate that visiting A member of L&R Consulting Lancashire and Blackpool will be not only a great visitor experience but a real destination of choice. Offices in Liverpool, Malvern, Sussex and Paris I commend this strategy to you and thank you for your interest. Felicity Goodey Chair, NorthWest Tourism Forum England’s Northwest is a thriving region. It is home to a £7 billion tourism industry supporting an estimated 400,000 jobs, and a visitor economy of even wider reaching proportions.With 18 million visits a year based on Mirrorball and South Promenade, Blackpool distinctive assets such as the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Britain’s top seaside resort St Annes and an impressive heritage, this is a serious business for England’s Northwest. Blackburn Cathedral The visitor economy is one of the few areas of real growth potential to the wider economy. It is our job to ensure that its potential is realised sensitively and to the benefit of the entire community. As consumers we are becoming richer and more demanding and as an industry we are operating in a highly competitive, rapidly changing global market.We must therefore continue to invest to raise quality or lose out. Cobble Hey Gardens, nr East Lancashire Investment in skills is a key issue. I very much welcome Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board (LBTB) taking the Garstang Railway Samlesbury Hall, nr Preston lead on skills for the region, which is challenging the industry to perform to world standards in this vital area.The Haworth Art future of the visitor economy depends on highly trained and motivated people and we cannot rely only on an Hoghton Tower, nr Gallery, Kitcham Hill, Chorley Accrington Forest of Bowland influx of bright young people from Eastern Europe. Blackpool is a key regional and national tourism asset with the potential to be a world-class resort.The implementation of the Blackpool Masterplan, including Blackpool’s bid to host the UK’s only regional casino, will not only transform the town’s fortunes, but will have a huge effect on the regional economy. Regeneration is needed if it is to compete in the international market place for visitors and investment. Lancashire could perhaps be described as a relatively undiscovered gem. But it has the potential to play a much View from Parbold Hill, Parbold bigger role in both the sub-region and the wider visitor economy of the Northwest.This really is the home of the industrial revolution.Visitors from all over the world as well as other parts of the UK are forever asking where they The Stone Jetty, can see the places where it all began. And then there is the glorious natural environment, not to mention so many Morecambe Winning image connections with the turbulent royal history of England. from 2005 Lancashire County LBTB is a relatively new organisation but it is already making a major impact on the development of tourism in the Developments Ltd Harris Museum area.The publication of the first ever visitor economy strategy for Lancashire and Blackpool marks yet another Photographic and Art Gallery, important advance.This strategy will provide the strategic framework to ensure that one of the most beautiful and Towneley Hall, Burnley Competition Wycoller Country Park, nr Colne Eric Morecambe statue, Morecambe Preston interesting parts of the country is able to play a full and vital role in the development of the visitor economy in England’s Northwest. Contents The Need for a Visitor Economy Strategy The visitor economy is, by its nature, fragmented. Over 80% of businesses are small or micro businesses. The ‘visitor experience’ is usually provided by a range of different commercial operators plus the local authorities and other public-funded agencies. 1. The Need for a Visitor Economy Strategy pg 01 2. Putting the Visitor Economy in the Regional Picture pg 02 3. The Lancashire and Blackpool Visitor Economy Now pg 03 4. Drivers for Change pg 04 5. Where Do We Want to be in 10 years? pg 05 6. How are We Going to Get There? pg 06 Cobble Hey Gardens, nr Garstang The public sector plays a key role in • Commercial enterprises deliver the • The collective impact of the industry 7. Making it Happen: Market focus pg 07 the visitor economy because: services and products that are essential to through its networks, sharing best practice attracting visitors in the first place and in and investment in people makes an • 8. Making it Happen: Investing in the Visitor Experience pg 11 It delivers a significant proportion of the meeting the needs of those visitors important contribution to the local and visit or experience – from signs and during their stay. The creative flair and sub-regional economy. seafronts, lighting, street furniture and innovation of the industry is a key part of 9. Who Will Do What? pg 17 street cleaning to countryside the image of Lancashire and Blackpool. • A positive profile as a visitor destination management, cultural facilities and will boost the reputation of Lancashire conference halls. • The industry is an ambassador for and of Blackpool regionally, nationally and Lancashire and Blackpool.The marketing internationally, supporting other industry • It has a major impact on the visitor messages they use, their investment in the sectors – and therefore jobs – beyond experience through the decisions it business and the service and customer the visitor industry. makes – such as licensing, planning care they deliver is a crucial part of the decisions, conservation and image of the sub-region. So there is a vital need for community safety. partnership between the public, • Visitors generate demand for new facilities private and voluntary sectors when • There is a national, regional, subregional and activities and contribute to the planning, developing, promoting and and local network of public-funded viability and vitality of a place. managing the visitor economy. services to develop and promote Partnerships should be forged at a the industry. strategic and operational level; built around practical actions. As well as jobs in the visitor economy, the industry plays a key role in economic development and regeneration because: View from Parbold Hill, Parbold 01 Putting the Visitor Economy in the Regional Picture The Lancashire and Blackpool Visitor Economy Now This Visitor Economy Strategy has been developed to In 2005, 63.8 million visitors accounted for £2.49 billion uphold, reinforce and add value to the Regional spend per annum and supported nearly 52,000 jobs in Economic Strategy (RES) and the Regional Spatial thousands of businesses and organisations throughout Strategy (RSS) for the Northwest. Lancashire and Blackpool. It also signs up to the objectives of the • The realisation of Blackpool’s Masterplan, Exciting things are • The Forest of Bowland has achieved But the Lancashire and Blackpool Northern Way Growth Strategy which including Blackpool as the priority happening, including: Europarc status that affords opportunities sub region has challenges too: aims to establish the North of location for the regional casino to maximize sustainable tourism and the England as an area of exceptional development in the UK. • Blackpool has an impressive Masterplan potential of the rural visitor economy. • Perceptions of Lancashire as a visitor opportunity, with a world class and public money has been found to destination (especially outside the region) economy and a superb quality of life.