ETC Contents

Destination Management Handbook A sustainable approach

Introduction Section 1 Destination audit Introduction

1A Surveying visitor satisfaction

1B Determining the local economic impact of tourism

1C Surveying local community attitudes to tourism

1D Determining local carrying capacities in an area

Section 2 Destination planning 2A Addressing tourism within local authorities

2B Developing tourism partnerships

2C Engaging tourism micro-businesses

2D Tourism and the planning system: gaining value locally

2E Developing visitor management plans

Section 3 Destination development Introduction: taking a quality approach

3A SME training and business support

3B Promoting e-business

3C Developing sustainable visitor transport

3D Setting up a visitor payback scheme

3E Ensuring access for all

3F Identifying and developing local distinctiveness

3G Biodiversity Action Plans for tourism

3H Assisting tourism businesses with waste management

3I Sustainability schemes and awards for businesses and destinations

3J Marketing

Section 4 Monitoring performance Measuring overall tourism performance

Section 5 References Where to go for help

Contents

Foreword

Contributors

Introduction

Strategy and service improvements plans

1 What is sustainable tourism?

2 Delivering real change at destination level

3 VICE: a model for sustainable destination management

4 Developing and implementing your destination management plan

5 What you will find on the CD-ROM

6 How the handbook will help you

7 Taking sustainable tourism forward

Case studies

Sources of information and help

Implementing a destination management plan (table)

Foreword

This handbook is designed for the use of tourism destination managers and their staff. The term destination refers to a significant land area managed for the development of tourism by Local Authorities, National Park Authorities, Public/Private Partnerships, AONB Management Teams or Private Sector Businesses.

It is being increasingly understood that destination managers have a very significant role to play in delivering successful and sustainable tourism solutions, both on the ground in each local destination and as a collective UK network of professionals. Furthermore, they are in the unique position of both being able to play the role of honest broker with visitors, tourism businesses and communities where tourism happens (the local destination) and at the same time are linked into the regional, national and international tourism picture.

Destination managers can therefore make a significant contribution in establishing the complex local and sub-regional relationships and networks that deliver consistent national/regional policy actions at the coalface, where they actually count. This is particularly pertinent in light of recent international tourism issues and the need to make solutions work quickly and effectively for the benefit of tourism throughout the UK.

A fundamental requirement for this vision will be the consistency of approach adopted by destination managers to establish a coherent national framework for destination management: a framework which at the same time creates the flexibility to respond to the different destination circumstances that make the UK such a hugely diverse international tourism product. We all have a piece of the jigsaw; the trick will be for us all to work together to create that bigger picture to benefit the tourism offer of the UK as a whole.

This is just a start. We hope that the evolving nature of the handbook will provide the catalyst to develop this common approach and by working together, identify and promote best practice in all aspects of destination management. We want this handbook to become the fundamental resource of every destination manager, so it will be developed and updated regularly. Each component will be ‘edited’ by a fellow destination manager listed in section 5, so keep them informed of things we’ve missed or any relevant developments in that subject. Together, destination managers can make a huge difference.

INTRODUCTION

Contributors

The following organisations and individuals have contributed to this handbook:

Tourism Management Institute/Local Authorities Su Beswick, South Hams District Council; Anthony Climpson, New Forest District Council; Peter Lane, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council; Sarah Osborne, Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead; Colin Potts, Chester City Council; Amanda Shepherd, Chair of TMI IT Panel.

English Tourism Council David Lunn, Board member; Andrew Daines; John Dent; Claire Dinan; Jane Fletcher; Helen Ford; Stuart Heath; Paul Jeffries; Chris Veitch.

Tourism for All Consortium Jenny Stephenson

Regional Tourist Boards Christopher Howard, East of England; Neil Warren, East of England; Peter Colling, Southern; Liz Craven, South East England; Jo Jury, Heart of England.

Disability Rights Commission Marie Pye

Resource – The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries Marcus Weisen

Other contributors Graham Barrow, Independent consultant; Tamsyn Butler, English Nature; Becky Collier, Island 2000 Trust; Annabel Grant, SBS; Rebecca Hawkins, independent consultant; Jeremy Roberts, independent consultant; Matt Todd, independent consultant

Published by the English Tourism Council, Thames Tower, Black’s Road, London W6 9EL in partnership with the Tourism Management Institute, c/o Anthony Climpson, New Forest District Council, Leisure Services Department, Appletree Court, Lyndhurst, Hampshire SO43 7PA, tel 023 8028 5102; fax 023 8028 5457; email [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

The English Tourism Council (ETC) and the Tourism Management Institute (TMI) have worked together to create this handbook. We hope that it will help provide destination managers with the tools for implementing a sustainable approach to tourism and thereby secure a successful future for tourism at a destination level throughout the UK. We also hope that the approach taken in this handbook will form an enduring framework for the ongoing development of destination management, recognising that inevitably this work will need to evolve further to achieve a fully comprehensive approach. In order for this to happen, we would be grateful for your participation in helping shape its future.

Strategy and service improvement plans

The handbook seeks to deal with enhancing professional development in destination management as a whole. It is important to draw a distinction between each of the elements of a sustainable and integrated destination management plan. The primary component is the strategy itself, which encompasses drawing individual stakeholders together and creating a framework for their interaction and collective animation. Integral to this is the management process and the arrangements put in place to deliver and monitor the service and its performance. This service delivery process forms a key part of an authority’s approach towards performance management and the process of continuous improvement required as part of the Best Value and Comprehensive Performance Assessment initiatives.

We have included some work of the National Tourism Best Value Group in the following components, and in future editions of the handbook we hope to join all the performance and service delivery outputs in one publication. Best value is covered in more detail in Section 4 Monitoring performance.

The following points are covered in this introduction below:

1 What is sustainable tourism? 2 Delivering real change at destination level 3 VICE: a model for sustainable destination management 4 Developing and implementing your destination management plan 5 What you will find on the CD-ROM 6 How the handbook will help you 7 Taking sustainable tourism forward

1 What is sustainable tourism?

A logical starting-point for this handbook is to consider the meaning and importance of a sustainable approach to tourism. As a concept, sustainable tourism’s underlying principles are well understood: it is about managing visitor impacts on the local destination’s economy, communities and environment to benefit all stakeholders both in the present and the future. The principles of sustainable tourism apply to all tourism destinations, wherever they are, and to all forms of tourism, whether niche or mainstream. Indeed, sustainability is necessary for the successful future of tourism itself.

INTRODUCTION

The key importance of this approach has been recognised for some time. In 1999, the Government published Tomorrow’s Tourism, which identified the pursuit of sustainable tourism as a priority, and gave the ETC lead responsibility for developing policy in this area. With the help of a sustainability taskforce, the ETC developed its Time for Action strategy, which identified three objectives for sustainable tourism:

• to benefit the economy of tourism destinations • to support local communities and culture • to protect and enhance the built and natural environment.

The challenge for developing tourism sustainably is to find the optimum balance between these interrelated objectives, whereby no one objective is disproportionately favoured to the detriment of the others. If this can be achieved, the benefits will be significant, as a sustainable approach to tourism will help create:

• Economic growth Tourism is the fifth largest industry by employment and accounts for 7.6% of employment in England. Between 1995 and 2000 tourism was in the top five job-creating sectors, responsible for nearly 10% of all new jobs. Tourism uses more locally-produced goods and services than other industries and brings revenue into remote or peripheral regions where there are few alternatives. • Better facilities Tourism can be a good reason to preserve and protect the built and physical environment. It relies on clean beaches, attractive natural environments, beautiful landscapes, well-preserved historic sites and interesting buildings for its success; moreover many of these assets are maintained by visitor income. • An engine for regeneration Tourism is an increasingly important element in driving social, economic and environmental regeneration. Related developments can provide a new lease of life for disused buildings and help to regenerate neglected areas.

These factors will lead to an improved visitor experience, a higher quality tourism product and benefits for the local community in terms of an enhanced local economy, employment, amenity and environment. The value of this approach is further illustrated by the research findings summarised below, showing that visitors themselves are becoming increasingly aware of sustainability and the benefits it brings by influencing their behaviour.

The ETC recently carried out research to investigate domestic tourists’ attitudes to sustainable tourism. The results suggest that UK residents have a positive attitude and awareness of the issues.

Almost two-thirds (63%) of consumers stated that a well-managed environment was an important feature in choosing the destination of their last holiday or short break in England; 76% thought it important that their holidays in England should benefit local residents at the holiday destination.

Interestingly, the respondents backed up these attitudes by stating that they would be willing to pay more for accommodation providers that followed sustainable tourism practices:

• 63% of consumers said they would be willing to pay extra to stay with a provider which Visitor attitudes to sustainable tourism Visitor tries to buy local products.

continued

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continued

• 63% of consumers said they would be willing to pay extra to stay with a provider that tries to employ local staff and pays them good wages. • 65% of consumers said they would be willing to pay extra to stay with a provider that was committed to good environmental practices.

The potential marketing advantage that sustainability offers is just one of many good reasons why destinations should address the issues presented within this handbook. The challenge for us all will be to initiate and maintain the real changes that are necessary to adopt a more sustainable approach.

2 Delivering real change at destination level

In order to develop a national approach to sustainability that will promote real change at a local level, we need to recognise that destinations collectively represent a hugely diverse grouping. The challenges and solutions for tourism may differ from one destination to the next, although there will be common factors. For example, seaside resorts may face individual problems such as the maintenance of sea defences, which would not be a problem for landlocked spa towns. However, they may share the same problems in terms of declining visitor numbers and capitalising on local distinctiveness. Meanwhile, areas of outstanding natural beauty and historic towns and cities may be more concerned with reducing visitor numbers whilst increasing economic benefits.

National policies, strategies and targets will therefore be vital to establish common priorities and create a consistent policy framework and infrastructure that will support national sustainable development. However, it is only at the local destination level that real change can be brought about. Local destination managers will be the drivers of this change but it is important to remember that these changes cannot be brought about by them alone. To be successful, destination managers must work with a wide variety of stakeholders including local land managers, businesses, communities and the visitors themselves. The importance of these partnerships in bringing about a sustainable tourism future is stressed throughout the handbook.

Trying to address these many interrelationships makes destination management about as complicated a management activity as there is. We all know how difficult a subject it is to communicate and resource – this is at the heart of destination tourism’s main problem: a lack of understanding of what it actually is. TMI have therefore developed a destination management model, which is simple, comprehensive, consistent but flexible and provides both the simple explanation and the means of integrating the many stakeholders, which will benefit from local, regional and national sustainable management solutions.

INTRODUCTION

3 VICE: a model for sustainable destination management

The VICE Model identifies destination tourism as the interaction between Visitors, the Industry that serves them, the Community that hosts them and their collective impact on, and response to the Environment where it all takes place:

Visitor

Environment

Industry Community

It is the job of the sustainable destination manager to make sense of their own specific set of local VICE circumstances and through an array of collective partnerships create a destination management plan which:

• welcomes, involves and satisfies Visitors • achieves a profitable and prosperous Industry • engages and benefits host Communities • protects and enhances the local Environment

The VICE equation can also be applied as a simple check against the future viability (sustainability) of any tourism decision. How will this issue/decision affect the visitor? What are the implications for industry? What is the impact on the community and what is the environmental effect? If you cannot find a positive answer to all four questions, the proposition is likely to be unsustainable.

It is the aim of TMI to develop the VICE concept locally and sub-regionally as a means of making tourism a catalyst for regeneration everywhere and recapturing a sense of local community control, financial independence and pride that will improve both the local quality of life and the visitor experience in every destination throughout the UK. However, sustainability is a complex mission that takes a long time to achieve and a lot of organising.

The TMI destination management model builds on this concept to create a simple, flexible matrix for the engagement, construction and delivery cycle of collective tourism solutions in any local setting.

The model integrates the basic work areas of destination management (eg research and quality) with the four basic stakeholder groups, Visitors, Industry, Community and Environment. The consistency comes from the overall approach (VICE) and the common method of measuring the performance outputs/indicators of the overall plan. Flexibility develops through the various means employed to integrate destination management and the four stakeholder groups and in the detail of the objectives which come out of this process.

INTRODUCTION

Local Destination Management Model

Destination management services

Each destination management service will have its own approach to the way it organises its work and in the way it engages its own stakeholder groups. The local model lists the broad areas of responsibility likely to be of significance to the work of any destination management service. The problem for most tourism officers is that resources and/or organisational structures normally make it difficult for them to coordinate this wide range of activities.

It is likely that initially you won’t be able to engage in all the work areas listed in the model, so fit in what you’ve got, or, if you are responsible for them, add new work areas such as event management/public buildings/museums. The important thing is to integrate all your areas of work with your four stakeholder groups in delivering your destination management plan.

Stakeholder groups

The model identifies four distinct groups of stakeholders: Visitors; Industry; Community; Environment. The main problem is that they cannot all be engaged in the same way. There is also the confusion of some people being in more than one group; for instance, visitors can include large numbers of local residents. Overall, however, the public sector and industry will directly benefit by encouraging community and environmental interests to help influence the overall visitor experience and the way in which the destination area is managed.

In making any destination plan work, the stakeholders therefore divide into two types:

• Public sector, agencies, landowners and industry, who must lead and set an example by taking co-ordinated action and facilitating the participation of the remaining stakeholders. • Visitors and local residents, who should not be expected to initiate action of their own, but whose engagement and participation is still essential for the success and sustainability of any plan.

INTRODUCTION

Stakeholder engagement

There are many ways to organise stakeholders into the four VICE groups and this will depend on the nature of the destination, the level of commitment/resource provided by the local authority/agency/landowner and the current state of local tourism.

If you are starting from scratch it’s important to begin with your local industry. The most effective means is to establish a single cross-sectoral industry partnership/association. This will take a huge effort for a couple of years but the benefits are enormous if you are successful. If this isn’t possible, then at the very least create an annual cross-sectoral forum to act as a collective sounding post and for industry to feed into your management plan process.

With the industry on board and working with you, you can start to set about establishing the four programmes which are most likely to engage the interest and input of each stakeholder group.

• Visitors: visitor stewardship programme This is the means by which you engage your visitors in the destination strategy. It can be as simple as a set of key messages in a leaflet or as complex as a comprehensive package of visitor media, interpretation, information, payback and accreditation, linked to every aspect of your destination strategy.

It doesn’t really matter what approach you adopt as long as it is owned and consistently delivered to visitors by all appropriate destination stakeholders. A visitor stewardship programme will reflect and interpret the destination’s values, cultural heritage and landscape in a way that communicates your local distinctiveness and fits with the policies and actions of your overall strategy.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure you consistently replicate the messages/themes of the programme in all your visitor communications and in your promotional and product activities; eg visitor information centres, public buildings, industry sites or bedroom browser. If you operate a local distinctiveness/LA2I/sustainability scheme and logo, the visitor stewardship programme is a powerful tool to incentivise industry take-up. However, the main benefit is to get the visitor to actively play their part in making the destination a better place to live and visit by having a more personal involvement through an improved welcome and a greater understanding. To achieve this, the programme needs to be developed by getting ownership and input from your industry and community groups, with overall leadership coming from the environment group.

• Industry: destination marketing and product development programme There are many aspects of destination management that provide you with the opportunity to engage with your local industry. However, there is nothing more effective than a successful joint public sector/industry destination marketing programme. This approach has the added bonus of potentially being totally inclusive of all your local visitor-related businesses and a major source of investment and product development that’s in keeping with the wider needs of the destination.

If you follow the VICE model you will be able to develop that total ownership by feeding in all four stakeholder groups’ needs to the destination’s marketing programme. Such a programme then becomes a tool to promote, sell and reinforce the values, culture and

INTRODUCTION

heritage of your destination to both your stakeholders and your visitors. This can be very powerful, particularly if you tap into those local residents who are regular visitors.

The marketing programme can also be used as an incentive for the industry to sign up to quality/local distinctiveness/LA21/sustainability schemes. If you can provide successful returns from your marketing programme, it will become the glue which holds your industry and your destination strategy together. The levels of success from your marketing programme will be hugely improved if you have a cross-sector tourism partnership/association or forum to represent the industry group and help devise and deliver it.

Time hasn’t allowed us to pull together a comprehensive marketing component for this first edition of the handbook. Section 3J is a summary of how to construct and promote a sustainable marketing plan.

• Community: local tourism plans If you want to operate a sustainable destination, then you need to fully involve your different communities. Some destinations already have well-established tourism networks, linking community interests into the VICE model via community tourism groups (CTGs) or forums. An effective way to get the ball rolling is to bring any community’s local industry group reps, parish/town council, chamber of trade and resident groups together to devise a local tourism action plan for that community area. These can simply be a list of prioritised issues to tackle, or a more comprehensive community tourism development plan. There are many ways these can be created using the Four-stage Plan from the handbook; the important thing is that they add value and link into all the principles and actions of the destination strategy.

The Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) is an ideal vehicle for destination managers to link in community support with their own work. The best way to do this is to use the LSP to form a Community Action Network for tourism, made up of CTGs representing each community. Each group could undertake their own Four-stage Plan and be linked in to your destination strategy process via a community action team for tourism, itself linked to the LSP Board. Local members of your industry partnership/association can often provide the initial leadership to get a CTG going and it’s surprising how often residents eventually take over the role in the long term.

• Environment: LA21/Sustainable Tourism Programme Whatever setting your destination enjoys, urban, coastal, rural, or a combination, its environment is without doubt its most important asset. Managing the impact of tourism and visitors on this fundamental asset is a key responsibility of any destination manager. The environment is a huge management subject and there are many interests, agencies, landowners and individuals involved, some of whom can be somewhat ‘anti-tourism’.

So how do you get the environment working for tourism and tourism working for the environment? As this handbook demonstrates, the answer is that we are only just starting to find out. Without doubt the best way a destination manager can make a start is by getting all the many interests together in an LA21 tourism group or similar and go through the Four-stage Plan to produce an LA21/sustainable tourism programme input into your destination strategy. Using the VICE model this would include the creation of a local distinctiveness programme or participation in the proposed national sustainability accreditation scheme. Other key roles could include overseeing the visitor stewardship

INTRODUCTION

programme, the tourism input to: local produce, biodiversity, planning/development, transport and the environmental elements of tourism research, quality, training, marketing, information and ICT.

The creation of an LA21 tourism group brings together a myriad of cross-cutting issues usually out of the direct control of a destination manager both within the local authority itself and throughout the destination. Ideally, because of the large number of people involved, an LA21 tourism group would only meet occasionally maybe once or twice a year but keep in regular contact through sub-group action and email. Members of the group should be drawn from within the council: eg Corporate Planning, Environmental Health, Public Services, Public Relations, Planning, Development Control, and from outside organisations: industry representatives, community representatives, Highway Authority, transport operators, National Parks/ AONBs, RTBs, environmental agencies, landowners. This process provides the means to get an environmental stakeholder input into the destination strategy and action plan whilst engaging those interests which might otherwise work against you either by chance or design.

The above programmes should be linked with all the other elements of the local model to form your overall destination management strategy and action plan along with agreed performance indicators and identified responsibilities for delivery. The outputs of the plan and P/Is are reviewed and fed back to the stakeholder groups to start the next cycle/modification of the strategy/plan and its process. Wise growth, like best value, is about continuous improvement.

Sub-regional model No destination is an ‘island’ and we all have much to gain by working with neighbouring or like-branded destinations. So the local model links to a sub-regional model, which in turn can link into the regions and beyond. Assuming the destinations that make up the sub- region are all using the VICE model, then each destination plan’s output is collectively fed into the policies and actions of the sub-regional steering/strategy group providing the continuity of the VICE (sustainability) concept in all sub-regional tourism management and development activity.

INTRODUCTION

This is just an example of a sub-regional structure. There are many ways to organise your approach as long as you remember to feed up, down and across to create benefit for all destinations in the partnership and link with your neighbours. There is no doubt, from the experience of destinations that already work in this way, that a collective sub-regional approach allows many of the bigger issues to be tackled far more effectively by using economies of scale and collective resources. This is particularly important for individual destinations given the new focus on regional government.

4 Developing and implementing your destination management plan

Having identified the national and local importance of a sustainable tourism approach and how it can work in practice, the next step is to make it happen by developing and delivering a destination management plan/strategy.

In principle this plan should aim to incorporate the national actions identified from the Time for Action strategy, where they are relevant, whilst addressing the destination’s own priorities through stakeholder engagement achieved through the VICE approach. Flexibility is required here in order to successfully meet the needs of each specific destination, whilst allowing them to interact with national programmes and initiatives. The planning process should aim to identify and effectively address any conflicts that may exist between national and local priorities, and seek to benefit from common issues.

In line with all effective managerial systems, destination management should be viewed as a process of continuous improvement to increase the quality of the overall product, following the key steps of the business planning cycle; ie audit, plan, develop and monitor/evaluate. Not only is this necessary for the overall approach, but the same principles also apply to the individual components within this handbook. As a result, these four stages are a common theme throughout this handbook as they provide the structure to aid development and implementation. The following table illustrates the key aspects of each stage. It is important to remember that each of these stages must be carried out in partnership with the relevant Visitor, Industry, Community and Environmental stakeholder group.

Beyond this process, there are many ways to consider the actual activities and elements that make up the overall management plan. This handbook identifies a suggested framework of activities that can be used as the building blocks for your plan; it is your task to fit them to address your own circumstances. The many case studies included will provide good examples of how this can be achieved.

INTRODUCTION

Stage

Audit and research • Where are we now? – demand, the product, impacts and perceptions. Research and analysis are fundamentally important in order to identify the key issues and find the right approach.

Destination • The ‘partnership’ develops a mutually owned strategy and action management plan. Starts with a shared vision, in order that all stakeholders planning and understand and agree the desired outcome. The strategy will be partnership guided by the agreed vision and will work around issues and opportunities identified. The strategy must incorporate action points with deadlines that are allocated to specific individuals or organisations.

Development • Partners deliver elements of the action plan and work is co-ordinated and delivery by the destination manager. This is where the concept of partnership is particularly important. Those involved in the delivery of the plan must have ‘bought in’ to the vision in order to have the necessary commitment to achieve the strategy.

Monitoring • Once the strategy has been implemented, the work does not stop and evaluation there. It is essential to keep monitoring the work throughout to ensure that it continues to achieve what it set out to achieve. Performance is measured against mutually agreed targets and fed back into the cycle by adjusting future plans.

5 What you will find on the CD-ROM

The CD-ROM inside the back cover of this handbook contains all the components for sections 1 to 5 in pdf format. These can be browsed in Adobe Acrobat Reader on PC or Apple Mac, and printed out as and when needed and inserted into the handbook binder. This means that components not currently within your plans can be left on CD, and components which are used more often can be reprinted if necessary.

There are quick links to individual components from the Contents page, and you can navigate easily around the documents by using the clickable buttons on each page. There are live links to websites for references and case studies to enable you to follow them up easily. If you don’t already have Adobe Acrobat Reader, the CD-ROM also contains a facility to install Acrobat Reader. (Please note that Acrobat Reader can be downloaded or installed free of charge.)

As mentioned in this introduction, sustainable destination management is a developing and growing area. The Tourism Management Institute’s website, www.tmi.org.uk, will contain updates on the existing components and information on further areas in sustainable destination management for you to download in the future. Live links to the TMI website are also included on the CD-ROM.

INTRODUCTION

6 How the handbook will help you

This handbook is designed to take you through the key stages in the process of creating a sustainable destination management plan, from initial audit to performance monitoring and evaluation.

In doing so, it also makes the connections with the work of the National Tourism Best Value Group and the Time for Action strategy, in which a range of sustainable tourism issues were identified as benefiting from clear guidelines for destination managers. These issues have been developed as components, with reference to the VICE approach to local engagement.

The handbook is therefore a collection of practical components/tools to help destination managers tackle common national issues in line with their own circumstances. Each component has been designed to be read individually or as part of the wider planning process and the interactions between them have been illustrated throughout. Extra components will be added in time as the handbook develops. The overall relationship between the planning process, the activities covered by the handbook components and the interrelationship with stakeholders is demonstrated in the two-page table which follows this introduction.

Some of the components also provide information specifically relevant to others, particularly tourism businesses, thus recognising the need for a joined-up approach in every aspect of sustainable tourism. We hope that destination managers will use this information to help local enterprises develop sustainable tourism practices in all aspects of their business.

In terms of their structure, the components themselves provide a background explanation, a ‘how to’ practical section and lists the key determinants of success and failure. Case studies are provided to illustrate possible approaches. Finally, each section ends with a collection of references and contacts to help you to find further information on that subject. Section 5 is a comprehensive list of reference and contacts found througout the handbook. We hope that those who become familiar with the contents of the handbook will find the final references and contacts section a useful resource that can be referred to quickly and easily.

7 Taking sustainable tourism forward

We hope that this handbook won’t stay on your shelf but will be a valuable and practical tool in helping you employ and encourage more sustainable tourism at your destination. This work has been, and will continue to be, a collaborative effort and we would like to thank those who have helped so far in its development and those yet to get involved.

Sustainable tourism is a responsibility shared by government departments, national and regional agencies, local authorities, destination management groups, not-for-profit organisations, tourism businesses and ultimately everybody. The future of tourism in the UK depends on our collective ability to manage and develop it responsibly. The English Tourism Council and the Tourism Management Institute are committed to a sustainable approach to tourism and believe that only by implementing its principles today – through this handbook and many other initiatives – will we all have an environment that can be enjoyed tomorrow.

INTRODUCTION

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continued

For further information, please see: Our Future Together II 2003-08 – A Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy and/or Sustainable tourism management in the New Forest: A Countryside Agency case study. Leisure Services, New Forest District Council, Appletree Court, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, SO43 7PA Tel: 023 8028 5102; email: [email protected]

Sources of information and help

British Tourist Authority. Sustainable Tourism Strategy: A Strategy for the Sustainable Growth of Tourism to Britain, 2002. www.tourismtrade.org.uk/pdf/sustainable_tourism.pdf

Countryside Agency. South Hams Tourism and Marketing Strategy 2000-2005. Please contact The Countryside Agency, John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, GL50 3RA www.countryside.gov.uk

Countryside Agency. The Green Audit Kit. Countryside Agency, Cheltenham, 2001. Details can be found above.

Denman J and Denman R. Big Apple ’89: An Initiative in Green Tourism, Insights, Vol. 11(3). English Tourism Council, 1990, p.263-264.

English Tourism Council. Green Labels for the Travel and Tourism Industry: A Beginner’s Guide. Insights, Vol. 9. English Tourism Council, A11-19.

English Tourism Council. The National Accessible Scheme, 2002. www.accessibletourism.org.uk

English Tourism Council. www.englishtourism.org.uk

Exmoor National Authority Park. The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism. www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/Projects/Euro_Charter/Report_Evaluation.htm

Fieldfare Trust, 67a The Wicker, Sheffield, S3 8HT. Tel: 0114 270 1668, Fax: 0114 276 7900. www.fieldfare.org.uk The Fieldfare Trust works with people with disabilities and countryside managers to improve access to the countryside for everyone.

Holiday Care Service, Holiday Care, 7th Floor, Sunley House, 4 Bedford Park, Croydon CR0 2AP www.holidaycare.org.uk Holiday Care Service is a source of travel and holiday information and support for disabled and elder people, families, friends and carers.

Tourism Management Institute Regional Network. Contact details about regional representatives may be found at www.tmi.org.uk

INTRODUCTION

Implementing a destination management plan

The table below demonstrates the process for developing and implementing a destination management plan in partnership with key stakeholder groups. The activities making up the destination management plan are also identified, as covered by the handbook components. For each activity/component, a key action is suggested and the involvement of each stakeholder group identified.

Process Component Key actions and stakeholder relationships

Visitor Industry Community Environment Undertake visitor satisfaction survey 1A Visitor Take note of results Take note of results Take note of results Take part in visitor satisfaction and implement changes and implement changes and implement changes satisfaction survey accordingly accordingly accordingly Develop local economic model for tourism Relate model outputs Relate model outputs 1B Local Relate model outputs Return information on to community to environmental economic to visitor management visitor spend and development, thus management, thus impact plan, thus informing occupancy levels informing overall informing overall overall strategy strategy strategy Undertake community attitudes survey Address community 1C Community Take note of results Take note of results Destination audit attitudes within visitor Take part in attitudes and implement changes and implement changes management plans the survey accordingly accordingly where relevant Incorporate study within visitor management plan 1D Carrying capacities Take part in Take part in survey work Take part in Take part in survey and survey work and take note of results the survey take note of results

Produce local authority tourism strategy/destination management plan 2A Tourism within local Develop visitor authorities/ management plan as Participate in Participate in Participate in destinations key component of consultations consultations consultations overall strategy/plan Establish stakeholder meetings and public/private partnerships Participate in community Participate in trade tourism action network 2B Tourism associations/forum/ Participate in visitor (for all interests in each Participate in LA2I partnerships partnership (for stewardship programme destination community tourism group all sectors of the including industry/ tourism industry) residents/retailers/parish) Create development framework and incorporate within strategy/management plan Importance of Promote small Promote environmental 2C Micro- small businesses to business role Engage with tourism principles through businesses communities needs to and importance offi ce and local TIC guidance; eg Green be refl ected in tourism to visitors Audit Kit and certifi cation management plans Tourism guidance for planning department and agreed tourism/planning department relationship

Destination planning Participate in 2D Land Use consultations and planning for Liaise with ensure that the Take part in Participate in tourism planning authority bio-diversity action plan survey work consultations for applications is referred to when planning applications are consulted upon Develop visitor management plan Take part in Take part in 2E Visitor consultations and consultations and Take part in Participate in management implement the actions implement the actions survey work consultations stated in the visitor stated in the visitor management plan management plan

INTRODUCTION

Process Component Key actions and stakeholder relationships

Visitor Industry Community Environment Adoption and promotion of National Quality Schemes, and/or participation in relevant transitionary initiatives such as Stepping Stones or Fit For Purpose

Quality Raise awareness through Quality schemes should Quality schemes should through visitor information Participate in relevant incorporate community incorporate environmental material, marketing quality scheme relationship; eg through principles; eg through campaigns and e-business certiﬁ cation certiﬁ cation Business training and development programme 3A Business Visitor satisfaction survey Participate in all sector Participate in all sector Participate in all sector training and and other forms of destination training/ destination training/ destination training/ support visitor feedback to assess business development business development business development standards programme programme programme Create IT-based destination management system and website Encourage contributions Encourage contributions to and links with Consider community use to and links with 3B E-business Promote destination the destination website of and representation on the destination website website to visitors and destination destination website and destination management system management system Inclusion of tourism needs in local transport plan and or visitor transport intitiative Encourage visitors to use Encourage visitors to Encourage visitors to Encourage visitors to 3C Transport alternative forms or public use alternative forms or use alternative forms or use alternative forms or transport; liaison with public transport public transport public transport transport providers Promote and support visitor payback scheme/s

3D Visitor Encourage participation Encourage participation payback Encourage participation in Encourage participation in in visitor payback schemes in visitor payback schemes visitor payback schemes visitor payback schemes to enable funding of to enable funding of community schemes environmental schemes Develop local accessibility action plan Take part in consultations Take part in consultations Take part in survey work and implement the actions Action plans must and implement the actions 3E accessibility to ensure visitor needs stated in the accessibility incorporate community as stated in the accessibility fully reﬂ ected in plan, participate in the well as visitor needs plan; participate in the management plan National Accessible Scheme National Accessible Scheme Destination branding strategy and local producer group, events, festivals and programmes Encourage participation in Destination development visitor payback schemes, Encourage participation Encourage participation Encourage participation local events, and the 3F Local in visitor payback in visitor payback in visitor payback purchasing of local distinctiveness schemes, local events, schemes, local events, schemes, local events, produce. Ensure that new and the purchasing and the purchasing and the purchasing of developments are in line of local produce of local produce local produce with local distinctiveness guidelines Develop local Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for tourism Assess visitor impact Take part in consultations Take part in consultations 3G Biodiversity when developing BAP Address community and implement the actions and implement the actions and communicate plan needs within BAP stated in the BAP stated in the BAP to visitors

Waste management initiatives, certifi cation and incorporation of tourism 3H Waste business needs in LA waste management strategy management Promote visitor awareness Co-ordinate activity Engage through waste Engage through waste and tourism through campaigns, with community-based initiatives and certifi cation initiatives and certifi cation certifi cation initiatives Participate in destination awards and promote/develop industry certifi cation Work with environmental 3I Sustainability Promote industry Ensure community Market designations to groups and stakeholders awards and participation, supporting needs are identifi ed and visitor and assess response to maximise local schemes underlying activities addressed and benefi ts through surveys environmental benefi ts and training realised through schemes through schemes Develop destination marketing strategy Take part in and implement Take part in and implement Take part in and implement 3J Marketing Take part in marketing/product marketing/product marketing/product survey work development programme development programme development programme Develop local benchmarking programme Take part in consultations Take part in consultations Community interaction Take part in and implement the actions and implement the incorporated in survey work recommended in the actions recommended benchmarking approach 4 Measuring programme in the programme performance Best value audit programme and performance measures

evaluation Supply information for Supply views on Supply information for Take part in INTRODUCTION Monitoring and the industry-specifi c community-specifi c the environment-specifi c survey work © ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISMperformance MANAGEMENT measures INSTITUTEperformance 2003 measures performancePAGE 18 measures 1 DESTINATION AUDIT

Section 1 Destination audit

Introduction

However good perceived wisdom and experience are, before planning your destination management plan there is no firmer foundation to build on than an accurate audit of the four constituents of a destination: its visitors, local tourism industry/economy, community and environment. The value of such information, however basic, is essential to the success of any destination management plan and can be crucial in arguing for policy or resources at any level. The audit is a vital part of the overall business cycle.

The whole science of tourism destination research is still embryonic. But slowly the idea of collecting ‘real’ data at the coalface in a fully integrated fashion is being recognised as far more valuable than traditional methods. One of the main aims of this handbook’s development process is to create a viable model for destination research that provides consistency, economies of scale, reduced costs and perhaps even more importantly, accurate real time snapshots that are comparable across all destinations.

As with all components in the handbook, developments in policy and delivery will necessitate regular updates, and research is no exception. What is contained in the following four components/tools represents what we’ve found to date. If you are aware of any new information/approaches that are relevant and improve the content, please contact us.

It is also important to point out that elements of audit and monitoring are synonymous, and that the results of research can be used at both the beginning and the end of the business cycle. In this regard, section 4 Monitoring performance also contains examples of research techniques that should be borne in mind.

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1A Surveying visitor satisfaction

Introduction

Why monitor satisfaction at your destination?

How to conduct a visitor satisfaction survey: the 14-point plan

1A Surveying visitor satisfaction

Introduction

It’s obvious that the most successful destinations and tourism enterprises are those which satisfy their visitors. However, many of us do not know enough about how and when we satisfy or dissatisfy our visitors or indeed how to go about finding this out. We may think we are delivering what our visitors want, yet research surveys can show that there is often a mis-match between what destinations think they are offering visitors and what the visitors think they are receiving.

This component sets out the basic principles of managing and conducting your own visitor satisfaction survey. It tries to highlight the common problems you come across when carrying out this type of research as well as giving examples of the kind of information you should be able to gather about your destination during the research.

Why monitor visitor satisfaction at your destination?

What exactly do we mean by ‘satisfaction’? Basically, satisfaction is concerned with how the visitor perceives the products or services we offer and whether or not they think this meets their needs effectively.

As well as highlighting your destination’s strengths and the areas requiring improvement, the visitor satisfaction survey can provide you with a sound basis for future marketing and business development. Some of the ways it can achieve this (depending on the questions you ask, the people you speak to and the type of research you carry out) are by:

• identifying the profile and origin of visitors • examining their behaviour once at the destination • evaluating the effectiveness of marketing activities • assessing the quality of service and levels of visitor satisfaction • testing reaction to new or proposed developments, services or promotional materials.

Carrying out visitor satisfaction surveys should not be seen as a one-off exercise. It’s important to carry out these surveys on a regular basis (ideally each year or every two years), to build up an ongoing and comparable picture of satisfaction with your destination. More importantly, this will allow you to monitor visitor reaction to any changes made at your destination as a result of carrying out visitor research.

The regional tourist boards (RTBs) in England offer a ‘Destination Benchmarking Service’ which enables destinations to carry out the standard RTB visitor satisfaction survey allowing them to compare their survey results over time, as well as with other destinations in on a local, regional or national basis.

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How to conduct a visitor satisfaction survey: the 14-point plan

The following section looks at ‘The14-point plan’ for conducting and managing your own visitor satisfaction survey. By following this plan and taking note of the advice and examples at each stage, you will hopefully be able to conduct your own survey to produce credible, usable and comparable research and avoid many of the common pitfalls that can occur when carrying out market research.

Before you start the project…

Depending on the budget available you may decide that you would prefer to commission a professional market research agency to carry out your survey.

The following may help you if you choose this option:

• You can get helpful advice and research services from your local Regional Tourist Board (RTB) (see section 5 Further information for contact details). • For a list of market research agencies registered with The Market Research Society search their online Research Buyers Guide at www.rbg.org.uk • For general information about market research, search The Market Research Society website www.mrs.org.uk

However, for many destinations, commissioning research from an agency is too expensive and they are faced with a choice of conducting the work themselves or not at all. This process will be made easier by thinking through each of the steps outlined below.

1 Creating a survey plan

Before embarking on a market research project it’s worth taking some time to think through what you want to achieve from the market research. At this stage you don’t need to think about the phrasing of the actual questions themselves – this will come later.

The survey plan is actually a list of answers you want to see coming from the research rather than a list of questions. Consider some of the following areas and think about the services and facilities in your own destination before you go any further with your research:

• Think about the type of information you need to gather and why you want to carry out the research. Is there a particular issue in your destination that you want to know more about; eg parking facilities, facilities for children, signage, shop opening times or standards of street cleanliness? • Surveys can measure both negative and positive visitor reactions; eg is there something you think works well in your destination? What do visitors think about this? You may have recently implemented a new bus service or opened a new shopping area in your destination – is this useful for visitors? • Who will be looking at this research? What are they expecting you to report on; eg are you trying to build a case for more budget, or perhaps gather evidence for a new facility, or a change to existing services?

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• Talk to your colleagues to gather their ideas. If you can, look at examples of visitor satisfaction surveys and reports from other destinations. • Do you want to be able to repeat this survey to build up visitor trends over time? • What basic information do you need to know about your visitor? Consider things like age, transport used, length of trip, frequency of visit to your destination, area of region or country lived in, number of people in the party.

Once you have thought about what you want to achieve with your research you are ready to go on to the next stage in the plan.

2 Deciding on the most appropriate survey type

It’s now time to think about the most appropriate survey type (or types) to use. There are two types of market research:

• Quantitative research - Collecting information from respondents via a set of questions on a questionnaire. Responses can be collected either through an interviewer talking directly to the respondents (either face to face or over the telephone). - By respondents being sent a questionnaire in the post or picking up a questionnaire themselves, then completing and returning the questionnaire to you.

• Qualitative research - Talking to an individual or group of people for about an hour to gather their opinions. This type of research is structured and may contain deliberate questions, but the overall pattern would be a discussion rather than gathering answers to a set questionnaire. The success of this method depends very much on the skill of the interviewer.

Generally, quantitative research is used for visitor satisfaction surveys – usually face to face interviews conducted by an interviewer. The advantages of this method of research are:

• Personal contact with the respondent increases the number of interviews achieved (response rate). • You are better able to control who the interviewer talks to, and therefore talk to a more representative group of people. • Verbal explanation can be given by the interviewer if necessary and the questions you ask can therefore be slightly more complex. • Misunderstandings can be reduced as the interviewer can gauge how the respondent has interpreted a question and clarify if necessary. • Unhelpful or inadequate replies from the respondent can be probed by the interviewer. • Missing answers (blanks) are generally avoided as few people refuse to answer questions put to them, but may have left them blank when filling in the questionnaire themselves. • You have control over when the respondent is approached, ie during their visit when their experience is still fresh in their memory rather than two weeks after a visit when they receive a questionnaire from you in the post. • This method allows a considerable amount of information to be collected quickly and accurately by well-trained staff.

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There are a couple of disadvantages that you should be aware of:

• This type of survey can be subject to interviewer bias, such as the interviewer not selecting the respondent randomly. Trained staff and strict sampling (see later) can minimise this problem. • This type of research can still be costly to implement.

3 The sampling method and size

When you organise a questionnaire survey you are involved in statistics and are dealing with samples of population. In this case the population are all the people who visit your destination and the sample are those who are selected for interview. The accuracy of the data you collect and therefore the conclusions you are able to draw from your research will depend on how you select your sample.

A basic knowledge of sample design will be necessary so that you can plan a survey and the following notes should help you do this. However, it may be useful to seek help on sample design from research experts in your area (for example your RTB).

Basically, sample design looks at WHO, WHEN and WHERE

• WHO you interview • WHEN the interview takes place • WHERE the interview takes place.

A sample framework needs to be created to ensure that a representative sample of visitors is interviewed during the survey. The size of your destination and the depth to which you want to analyse your data will determine the overall number of people you interview (the sample size). Generally, to get accurate results from your survey, you should aim to interview a minimum of 400 people.

To achieve a representative sample (by talking to a cross-section of visitors) you need to break down your visitors into groups according to:

• day visitors to your destination • overnight visitors to your destination • a good cross-section of age groups (this is usually controlled with bands of ages for example 16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64 and 65 years or more) • male or female visitors • area of residence; eg visitors living within a radius of 20 miles from your destination and visitors living more than 20 miles from your destination • method of transport used to travel to destination.

You will also need to interview a cross-section of visitors on each day of the week (including the weekend) to ensure that your sample is representative. Finally, you must make sure that you have interviewers positioned at a variety of places within your destination, ideally at places used or passed by visitors and that interviews are carried out throughout the day.

Once you have worked out the visitor sub-groups you want to interview and how many people you will interview in these sub-groups you will have constructed a ‘sample

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framework’ for your survey. Each interviewer working on your survey will be instructed to interview a number of people from each of the sub-groups. This is known as ‘quota sampling’. The interviewer’s aim is to fill each quota. Once a quota has been filled, any subsequent respondent from that sub-group can be thanked for their assistance but will not need to be interviewed at length.

4 Looking at the resources needed – financial, human and time

At this point in your plan it is important to look at the resources you have available to you in terms of finance, time and human resources to make sure that your plans are not too ambitious. If this exercise isn’t carried out, then the survey can quickly run out of control and take up more resources than you ever expected.

The main cost is likely to be staff time, not just in terms of interviewing, but also in planning and preparing the survey, in training and being trained and in carrying out the analysis work. You will need to calculate the total number of work hours needed to complete the project and how busy staff are on other projects. How much money you spend on the survey will, of course, depend on the amount and nature of the information you wish to collect.

Before finalising your calculations you should consider whether all the necessary skills for the project exist within your organisation or whether you will need to buy in expertise or additional help from outside. This will therefore add to the overall costs of the project.

5 Analysis methods

Before writing your questionnaire it’s important to think about the method you will use to analyse the results of the survey. Again, this is an area where it is useful to seek help from research experts in your area (for example your RTB).

Generally, surveys are analysed with the help of a computer software package. Analysing the survey data involves inputting the information collected on the questionnaires into the package so that the answers are aggregated together to produce a set of data.

There are two main types of software that can be used for this task:

• statistical packages; eg SPSS, SNAP • spreadsheet packages; eg Microsoft Excel.

Inputting the information from the questionnaire involves ‘coding’ the answers that the respondent has given. This simply means that answers are converted to a single digit code. Coding is often printed on the questionnaires and takes the form of a list of possible responses to a question with a number alongside each response. For example, the coding for a simple question which required either a ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ response would be YES=1 and NO=2. If the respondent answered ‘YES’ then the interviewer would tick box 1 and the person entering the data from the questionnaire into the software package would type ‘1’ into the computer.

Sometimes questions can bring more than one response. For example, if a respondent was asked which days of the week they usually visit the shopping centre at your destination they could answer anything from ‘never’ to ‘every day of the week’. In this case the interviewer may have to tick more than one box for this question. This is known as multicoding or multiple response.

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Similarly, questions where the respondent’s opinion or motives are being asked (known as open-ended questions) do not have a list of possible answers (pre-coded questions) and have to be coded very carefully.

Some software packages have a maximum amount of data or number of responses that can be handled and it’s important that you understand the capabilities of the package you choose for analysis before you start to design your questionnaire.

6 Questionnaire design (and coding)

This is the crucial part of the project and mistakes made here could cause serious problems at the analysis and reporting stages. It’s a good idea to look at some examples of other questionnaires and how they are worded before you start to design a questionnaire. If you have ever been interviewed for a survey think about how you felt. Were the questions easy to answer or too complicated and were there enough options to choose from?

Here are a few points to consider:

• The questionnaire needs to be well set out and the spaces and boxes for entering the answers should be of a good size and positioned well. • The questions should be phrased in a simple way which can easily be understood by the respondent. • Keep questions short and avoid jargon. • Read over the questions and check whether they can be misinterpreted. For example, the question ‘Have you visited the children’s play area recently?’ doesn’t mention a specific time period so it is up to each respondent to interpret the word ‘recently’. This could be a visit made in the last week, month or year. • Open-ended questions (where the opinions or motives of the respondent are being sought) are difficult to answer and difficult to code and analyse. It’s a good idea to limit the number of open-ended questions to about two or three per survey. • If you would like to assess attitudes or views on a certain topic and don’t want to use an open-ended question consider using a scale. An example of this would be, ‘How would you rate the cleanliness of the public toilets?’ with the possible options being ‘very good/good/average/poor/very poor’. • Take care when wording personal or sensitive questions; it’s better to say, ‘Please could you tell me your age on your last birthday?’ and allow the respondent to point to an age band printed on the questionnaire than to ask them directly, ‘How old are you?’ • During a face to face interview it’s possible to show the respondents pictures or maps if it will help them to answer the question more accurately. These are known as ‘showcards’. Showcards can be a useful interviewing tool, but to keep the interview simple for the interviewer it’s best to use them sparingly. • Think about the flow of the questions. Put questions about similar topics together. • Don’t make the questionnaire too long – a successful face-to-face interview lasts no longer than ten minutes.

7 Carrying out a pilot survey

Once you have produced your questionnaire it’s worth carrying out some test or ‘pilot’ interviews to make sure that it is understandable, not too long, or produces answers you haven’t allowed for on the pre-coded questions.

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The pilot could be carried out amongst colleagues at work, or if budgets allow, actually with visitors at the destination. After the pilot, it’s important to assess how the questionnaire worked and make any necessary changes to wording or question order. It may be necessary to carry out another small pilot if the questionnaire has changed significantly.

8 Printing the questionnaire

Obviously, this must only be done once the questionnaire has been finalised. Each interviewer will need a supply of questionnaires. Make sure that you have an adequate stock of questionnaires.

9 Training survey interviewers

Your survey interviewers need to be capable of approaching strangers and requesting their participation in the survey, following the survey instructions, and recording information accurately. It’s important to make sure that they are briefed about the project.

During the briefing it’s important to make the interviewers feel part of the project by explaining why the survey is being carried out and what you hope to learn from it. It’s also a good idea to make sure that everyone is clear about where they will be interviewing (ie the location or locations in your destination), when and where to return their completed questionnaires, who to call if they experience problems. Most importantly, talk the interviewers through the questionnaire question by question and allow them to become familiar with it.

10 Collecting the data

This should be one of the easiest stages in the whole survey process if you have planned the survey well. It’s important that the interviewers are provided with the right equipment to do the job:

• clipboard • supply of questionnaires • maps and showcards (if you are using them) • pencils, pencil sharpener, rubber • identification letter or official badge (to prove that they are conducting an official survey on behalf of your organisation) • Waterproof covering for completed questionnaires and for use over the clipboard if it rains.

It’s a good idea to have someone on duty at all times during the interviewing period to deal with any problems or queries from the interviewers. You may feel that it would be useful for that person to tour round the interview points to check on progress and monitor interview quality. Someone also need to be available to collect completed questionnaires and store them safely at the end of each day.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 7 Case study For moreinformationabout destinationbenchmarkingpleasecontactyourRTB. over timeaswellwithotherdestinationsonalocal, regional ornationalbasis. scores foradestinationoneachindicator, whichcan becomparedbothwithinadestination established wherethedatacanbefedin,collatedand fed back.Thisproducesaverage same wayusingcommonquestionsandscoringsystems, andacentraldatabasehasbeen this, astandardmethodologyhasbeendevelopedtoensure thatdataiscollectedinthe satisfaction withothers,addsanadditionaldimensionto theprocess.Inordertoachieve management ofmanytouristdestinations,beingableto benchmark,iecomparelevelsof Whilst themonitoringofvisitorsatisfactionisbecoming standardprocedureinthe The destinationbenchmarkingservicehasbeenrunbythetenRTBs inEnglandsince1998. Regional Tourist BoardDestinationBenchmarkingService visitors feelaboutthem–andsotheresearchprocessbeginsagain! Finally, ifyoudoimplementchangesatyourdestinationit’s importanttomonitorhowyour Monitoringchangesmadeasaresult ofsurveyfindings 14 these practicescanbeimplementedinotherareas. things canbechanged.Celebratethepositivefindingsfromsurveyandexaminehow your destination,thenthenextstageofprocessistobeginlookatwaysinwhich show thatthereisroomforimprovementinsomeoftheservicesandfacilitiesoffered in first placewastomonitortheviewsofvisitorsyourdestination.Ifresultssurvey Although thisseemsobvious,don’t forgetthereasonforcarryingoutyourresearchin Makingsure issuesare resolved 13 showcards usedintheappendixofreport. what youwantedtoachievewiththesurvey. Includeacopyofthequestionnaireandany the formofareport.Beforewritingreportthinkagainaboutwhowillbereadingitand After thedatahasbeenanalysedit’s goodpracticetowriteuptheresultsofsurveyin Thefinalreport 12 results; egcross-tabulations,averages,percentages,charts. Make useofallthefunctionsinyourchosenanalysispackagetohelpyouanalysesurvey of theprojectmaybepossibleifyouhaveavailablebudget. There aremanyagenciesspecialisingindataentryandthereforesub-contractingthisstage be checked. against theentereddata.Obviously, ifmanyerrorsarefoundtheentiredatasetwillneedto done bylookingatabouttenpercentofthequestionnairesandcheckingtheiraccuracy column. It’s thereforeimportanttocarryoutaqualitycheckonthedataentry. Thiscanbe column offigurescanbetediousandit’s easytoloseconcentrationandskipafigureor A commonsourceoferroratthisstagecanbeinaccuratedataentry. Typing incolumnafter Analysisandevaluation 11 © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 1A SURVEYING VISITORSATISFACTION1A SURVEYING COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 8 1 1A Section 1 Destination audit

1B Determining the local economic impact of tourism

Introduction

Why measure economic impact at local level?

What do economic impact models measure?

How do these difference economic impacts affect each other?

Considerations and key steps before choosing a model

Current approaches to modelling

Cambridge model

STEAM model

PRIME model

Tourism satellite accounting

What do you do with the results?

Key determinants of success or failure

References

1B Determining the local economic impact of tourism

This component will explain the differing approaches to measuring the local economic impact of tourism and help you choose the most appropriate measuring technique for your destination.

This component also relates to:

• 2B Developing tourism partnerships • 3F Identifying and developing local distinctiveness • 4 Measuring overall tourism performance.

Introduction

Local economic impact studies can reinforce the local commercial importance of tourism and are a key part of measuring sustainable tourism. A key objective of sustainable tourism is that it benefits the economy of the destination.

Tourism statistics are collected mainly at regional level and aggregated to provide a national picture. Tourism’s impact on the national economy is collated from data collected by the Office for National Statistics, national tourist boards and other government departments and agencies.

The United Kingdom Travel Survey (UKTS) and International Passenger Survey (IPS) show the overnight volume and spending of UK-resident and overseas visitors to England’s regions. The UK Day Visits Survey measures the impact of day visits and estimates the volume and value of leisure day visits taken from home and by tourists away from home.

It is estimated that tourism’s total contribution to the UK economy, including direct spending on day visits, attractions, restaurants and catering, in addition to spending on goods and services, was around 4.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2001.

Information on tourism’s contribution to GDP influences government and releases UK and European funding for infrastructure, community services and environmental improvements, most of which have a local impact.

Why measure economic impact at local level?

Knowing the volume and the economic value for tourism is an essential prerequisite for developing effective policies for managing tourism within local areas. Tourism economic impact studies also play an invaluable role in supporting the tourism function within local authorities. Through their income and employment estimates they provide the justification and rationale for local authorities to invest in initiatives to support tourism industry. They also help galvanise and sustain the necessary political support for tourism at a local level in the face of increased budget cuts for non-statutory functions.

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Indirectandinduced • • • To producetheseestimates,impactmodelsidentifythreemaineffects. • • Economic impactmodelsprovide: What doeconomicimpactmodelsmeasure? the localityandeconomicimpactthatresultsfromthem. to beanawarenessof,andaccounttakentheexistinglevelstypeofvisitoractivityin If thetourismpoliciesandactivitiesofdestinationaretobesoundlybased,thereneeds • • • • • • • • • • • • • Key usesfordatafromlocaleconomicimpactstudiesthereforeinclude: justifying fundingfromoutsideorganisations helping withthepreparationofstrategiesandpolicies justifying receiptofgovernmentresourcessuchasstandardspendingassessment(SSA) visitor spending. Induced effect supply chain Indirect effect Direct effect estimates ofincomegeneratedandemploymentsupportedbyvisitorexpenditure. estimates ofthevolumeandvaluetourismactivityincludingdayvisitorswithinanarea carrying outbestvalueandbenchmarkingassessments. monitoring theresultsofprojectcommitments supporting expansionplansfromthearea’s tourismoperators creating partnershipswiththecommercialsector justifying/unlocking appropriatefundswithintheorganisation releasing fundingfromnationalandEuropeanagencies improving localinfrastructure encouraging inwardinvestment monitoring inplanningandotherdepartments decision-making enabling theorganisationtomeasurecomparativeperformanceandassistwith – fromvisitorspendinginfirst-linebusinesses – fromdirectbusinessesbuyingtheirsuppliersandsoondownthe – fromthewagesearnedinbusinessesdirectandindirectreceiptof 1B DETERMININGTHELOCALECONOMICIMPACT OFTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 2 1 1B Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 impact. tourism-oriented enterprises,orindirectlyviathesefront-line businesses,induceeconomic The wagesandprofitsearnedbyemployeesbusiness ownersemployedin,oroperating, Induced effect retention andeconomicimpactinyourarea. Encourage tourismindustrytobuylocally-producedgoods andservicestomaximisespending wherever possible,thevisitorwillbydefaultalsobuymainly localgoods. visitors willbuy. Ifafront-lineaccommodation businessdecidestobuylocalproducts the supplychain.Businessesmakeinitialpurchasingdecisionsthatdeterminewhat of indirecteffect fromtourismspending.Eachonediminishesinimportancefurtherdown needs sosuppliersexperiencetheindirecteffect ofvisitorspending.Thereareseverallayers Front-line businessessuchashotelsandrestaurantsbuysuppliesservicestosatisfyvisitor Indirect effect Other Retail Services Food anddrink Accommodation Travel spending Category oftourist • • • • • • • • • Survey UKTS -UKTourism Other Other shopping Clothes Entertainment Services oradvice Eating anddrinking travellers Independent Package trip Travel 1B DETERMININGTHELOCALECONOMICIMPACT OFTOURISM • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Passenger Survey IPS -International items Other servicesand Books &newspapers Souvenirs &gifts Clothing Telephone/fax/ post treatment Hair andbeauty Medical services Entertainment Food fromshops Alcoholic drinks Meals out Accommodation transport/petrol Public Taxi/car hire • • • • • • • • • • • • Survey UKDVS -UKDayVisits Other Clothes Gifts andsouvenirs Admission tickets and facilities Hiring equipment alcoholic drinks Meals/snacks/non- Alcoholic drinks entrance charges Combined traveland Tolls Parking Fares Fuel COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 3 1 1B Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 • • • • in yourarea: You shouldasksomefundamentalquestionsbeforeundertaking aneconomicimpactstudy Considerations andkeystepsbefore choosingamodel values, andthismustbeborneinmindwhenusingthedata. for thevolume,valueandeconomicbenefitsoftourismtoalocalareanotabsolute It mustberememberedthateconomicimpactmodelscanonlyproduceindicativeestimates similar areas. these figuresareindicativeonlyandwillnotnecessarilyberepeatedinevenapparently of recreationandtourisminEngland re-purchasing spendingwithlocalsuppliersgeneratesoneindirectjob( an averageof£36,600additionalvisitorspendingsupportsonedirectjob,and£55,000 spending andjobcreation.Forexample,astudyintheEnglishcountrysidesuggestedthat Specific studieshaveprovidedheadlinestatisticstoshowtherelationshipbetweenvisitor validating theresultsagainstpublishedlabourstatistics. volume andvalueofvisitorbusinessspending,applyingmodelmultipliers, The numberofjobssupportedbyvisitorexpenditureisestimatedusingdataonthe Job creation and improvingworkforceskillstrainingtofacilitatelocalemployment. sustainable tourism,hencethegrowingemphasisonfarmers’markets,localsupplygroups Purchasing localsuppliesandservicesateverylevelofthesupplychainiscrucialto expenditure intheareaaspossible. local economicsuccessandafoundationforsustainabletourismisretainingasmuch Although thereisleakageoutsidetheareaateverystageofspendingmodel,keyto out oftheareaduetospendinginnon-localshopsand/oronproducts. and alsoendsup,inpart,astaxes.However, inevitably, someofthisexpenditurewill‘leak’ government becausespendinginonelocalbusinessgetspassedontootherbusinesses Visitor expenditureaffects businesses,employees,theself-employed,localauthoritiesand expenditureVisitor flows each other? How dothesedifferent economicimpactsaffect What shouldyouconsiderbeforefinallydecide? How doyoucarryoutastudy? What existinginformationcouldcontributetoastudy? Why doyouwanttheinformation? 1B DETERMININGTHELOCALECONOMICIMPACT OFTOURISM . TheCountrysideAgency, 2000).Note,however, that The economicimpact COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 4 1 1B 1B DETERMINING THE LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM

Why do you want the information?

The typical answer is to justify the tourism function and highlight the importance of tourism within the local economic to dispel myths that tourism is not an important economic sector locally.

However, there are also two other important questions:

• How much can you afford to spend on your study? • What data do you already have, or can you realistically collect (in terms of your time and participation from businesses)?

The latter is particularly important. There is no point in tourism officers signing up to a model which is dependent on locally generated data if the officer has:

• no time to recruit businesses, collect the data and ensure that businesses respond on a regular basis • limited influence on the businesses to complete and return the necessary data forms; eg, if you have previously tried to collect hotel occupancy data in a simplified format and they have had limited participation, in spite of considerable effort, is the situation likely to change?

Ultimately then, the approach ‘best for the destination’ is determined by these three factors – data needs, cost, and ability to secure good, regular local participation from businesses.

What existing information could contribute to a study?

Most models rely on information about the supply of accommodation and demand information on overnight and day visits. Information is usually defined as either ‘supply’ or ‘demand’ side to differentiate between the product available and its market effect.

The information needed by model engineers is usually available from existing data or previous studies. The model may use some proxy information from similar surveys and there may be a need for completely new surveys.

The following list shows some of the information that models may need so that they can build a picture of tourist activity and its impacts in the selected area of study. An indication is provided of sources of some data.

Supply-side information

• Resident population – local authority, www.statistics.gov.uk for neighbourhood data on 2001 census • Employment statistics – government office, regional development agency, local authority, business survey • Number and type of tourism businesses including retail, catering and attractions – local authority, commercial directories, audit survey • Bed stock by tourism sector – local authority, regional tourist board (RTB) • Number of tourist information centres (TIC) and other information and booking agencies – local authority, RTB • Transport services available – local authority, commercial operators

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COMPONENT 1B

Demand-side information

• Regional and local volume and spending data on overnight and day visits for domestic and overseas visitors – RTB, local authority, visitor survey, industry survey • Occupancy levels – RTB, local authority, industry survey • TIC visits – local authority, tourist association, TIC • Recent visitor surveys – local authority, RTB • Visitor attraction and events attendance – RTB, local authority, commercial operators, events organisers, police authority • Traffic counts and car park occupancy – local authority, Highways Agency

It is also important to bear the following in mind:

1 Key information (such as data on the supply of accommodation stock) must be as accurate as possible – under or over estimates in accommodation capacity will be reflected in (and adversely affect) subsequent volume calculations.

2 Occupancy data must be representative for all accommodation sectors – particularly in areas where the tourism product is very diverse. For example within a district there may be:

- rural B&Bs, town-based B&Bs, perhaps coastal B&Bs - independent hotels – in rural, urban, coastal locations - chain hotels – in rural, coastal, urban locations - inns and public houses providing accommodation in rural, coastal and urban locations.

For the serviced sector alone, there is therefore substantial differentiation in terms of quality, location and type of accommodation establishment. To obtain reliable data which is representative of the occupancies of all these different types of establishments requires a large, consistent sample of establishments supplying data on a regular basis; eg every month.

3 The need to ensure that sample is not biased by response from higher performing establishments which could lead to overestimation of staying visitor numbers if extrapolated to wider accommodation base.

4 The need to ensure consistency of response within the sample to ensure detected trends are not more indicative of establishments erratically reporting than changes happening on the ground.

5 The need for transparency within the process, so that commissioning destinations are aware of what data is being used, its sample size and what assumptions are being made so that they have ownership in the process.

How do you carry out a study?

There are two main options: either to use a branded model; or to commission a specific ad hoc study from an appropriate university or organisation. A branded model will probably cost less than a primary research model but will still provide exclusive results. On the other hand, an ad hoc model can be created to answer a wider range of explicit economic questions in the study area, and may also be used to forecast changes.

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COMPONENT 1B

© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 6 Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 economic impact. a briefsynopsisoftwomodelsthatmeasureeconomic impact andonemodelthatforecasts To helpthosethathavedecidedtouseanexisting off-the-shelf model,thissectionprovides undertaken tourismstudiescanalsohelpthedecisionmaking process. Advice fromprofessionalmembershiporganisationsand similarbodiesthatmayhave bring pointersastowhichcommercialoracademicorganisation shouldbeinvitedtotender. required similarinformationonmeasuringeconomicimpact fromotherindustries.Thismay required fromamodel,youshouldcontactcolleaguesinyourorganisationwhomayhave In selectinganadhocapproach,itisrecommendedthathavingidentifiedexactlywhat shelf categorieswillbeconsideredandmodelswithintheseexamined. handbook doesnotrecommendanyparticularmodel.Itisassumedthatadhocandoff-the- An overviewofsomethemodelsavailableorunderdevelopmentisgivenbelow. This Current approaches tomodelling • • • requirement’ identifyingsixkeycriteria: Before seekingtendersforaneconomicmodel,thedestinationshouldcreatea‘user produced twopapersonbehalfoftheRTBs. British ResortsAssociationalsooffers advice,andtheSouthEastEnglandTourist Boardhas Tourism’, whichisavailableatwww.culture.gov.uk (formsanddocuments1998archive).The Department forCulture,MediaandSportguidancepack,‘MeasuringtheLocalImpactof impact. Thoserequiringamoredetailedanalysisonthesubjectshouldreferto This handbookcomponentisdesignedtointroducethebasicsofmeasuringeconomic What shouldyouconsiderbefore youfinallydecide? However, localcircumstancesmaywarrantthelikelyadditionalcostsofanadhocstudy. If theinformationyourequireistomeasuretourismtrends,brandedmodelswilldeliverthis. Information onthebrandedmodelsavailable,withcontactdetails,isoutlinedbelow. • • • Participation events? Timeliness Reliability tourism duringagivenperiod. month? Itmaybeasimportanttoassesschangeovertimeitisestimatethelevelof Frequency or withtheregionalnationaltotal? Comparability support thiswork? Cost – whatisaffordable, includingtheinternalstaff andotherresourcesyouwillneedto – howaccuratedoyouneedtheinformationtobe? – istheinformationrequiredcontinually, meaning,say, everyyearor – howsoonwillyouwanttheinformationtobeavailablefollowingactual – howwillyouinvolvethosewhoprovideaswellusetheinformation? – ispartofyourrequirementtomakecomparisonswithotherlocalareas, 1B DETERMININGTHELOCALECONOMICIMPACT OFTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 7 1 1B 1B DETERMINING THE LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM

Cambridge Model

Name: the Cambridge Model, an abbreviation of Cambridge Local Area Model. Provides: an estimate of the volume and the economic effects of tourism activity in a selected area. It can operate at different levels according to budgets/quantity of local tourism data available. Application: region, county, district and discreet areas including branded destinations and environmentally designated areas such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and National Parks. Method: spreadsheet model with menu driven approach. In its basic form, comprises two stages: 1 Estimating the volume and value of tourism activity including day visits within a local area: - Regional data from the UK Tourism Survey, the International Passenger Survey and the United Kingdom Day Visits Survey. To achieve local estimates, drivers such as known local accommodation stock, estimates of local residential population, visitor attraction performance data and other survey information is used. 2 Estimating employment supported by visitor spending: - The model estimates employment using this data, the New Earnings Survey, internal business data and estimates of spending by different visitor groups. Using multipliers and adjustments, an estimate of indirect and induced jobs completes the picture.

Further more advanced survey stages also exist, where additional local data collection can be commissioned for information on local level of occupancy, visitor structure and associated spend, and business surveys generating local calibration of the economic stage of the model. Results Outputs include estimates of:

• value and volume of staying trips by domestic and overseas staying visitors, with breakdowns for purpose of visit and accommodation used • the number of nights spent by overseas and domestic visitors • value and volume of day trips • direct visitor expenditure by different sector; eg accommodation, eating/drinking, shopping, attractions, transport/travel • impact of associated multiplier and linkage spend • indication of the level of direct and indirect employment and induced jobs resulting from the wages of people in direct and indirect tourism employment.

A detailed study report is provided with commentary on results and issues that were identified at the study’s conception.

Contact: RTBs distribute this model, which is owned by Geoff Broom Associates. Contact your RTB for further information.

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COMPONENT 1B

© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 8 Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 • • • • • • • • The reportincludes: • • • • • including: outputs fortheyearsofstudyandcomparisonwithpreviousinformation, Results: unpublished sources,localinterviewsandsupplementarytradeenquiries. The modelisbuiltupfromthisbasicinformationandbydrawingondatapublishedor • • • • inputs: data. Asaminimum,implementationofSTEAMwithinanareadependsonthefollowing Method: Application: day visitors)formonitoringtrends. Provides: Name: STEAM Model into accountpart-timeseasonalworking. an estimated1,668full-timeequivalentjobs,whichequatesto2,349actualjobswhentaking spending. Nearlyhalfofthetotalspendingwasonfoodanddrink.Thissupports amounted toalmost£70millionayear, ofwhich75%wasaccountedforbytourismdayvisit Among itsfindings,thestudyshowedthattotalspendingbystayingandtouristdayvisitors Wolds landscapeareainsidethecountyboundary. impact study. Theareaconsistsof62parishesintheWolds AONBand18parishesinthe The CambridgeModelwasusedintheLincolnshireWolds aspartofacounty-wideeconomic Lincolnshire Wolds data availabletodetermine employmentgenerated. relationship ofdirectandindirect impacts bed stock vehicle days/vehiclenumbers tourist days/touristnumbers employment population economic impact full-time employmentgeneratedbyvisitorspending. total countofallvisitorsannually annual numberofvisitordaysspentintheareabycategory revenue generatedbythemaincategoriesofvisitor distribution ofvisitorspending TIC visitorsbymonth. attendance atattractions/majoreventsbymonth bed stockofeachtypeaccommodation information onoccupancypercentageseachmonthfortypeofaccommodation the ScarboroughTourism EconomicActivityMonitor(STEAM). the STEAMreportprovidescommentary, annualandmonth-by-monthnumeric a spreadsheetmodelthatusesvalues,relationshipsandequationsfromlocalinput an indicativebaseofthelocaleconomicimpacttourism(frombothstayingand any areathatiscapableofprovidingtheminimumfourinputsshownbelow. 1B DETERMININGTHELOCALECONOMICIMPACT OFTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 9 1 1B Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 inform decisionmakingbygovernment andbyindustry. Thisisachieved bycombining TSAs aimtoimprovethequality ofinformationavailableonthetourismsectortobetter basis. worldwide asatoolformodellingchangesintheindustry andforecastingonanongoing In recentyearstheuseofTourism Satellite Accounts(TSA)hasprogressivelyincreased Tourism SatelliteAccounting spending around£8.85millionayearduringtheirtrips in theSTBregion. from theproject.Themodelalsodemonstratedimpact of120,000annualvisitors stage, 44forthemuseum’s operationandafurther15.4indirect 14.4inducedjobsaway estimates forfull-timeequivalentjobs:54.3jobsattheconstructionandinitialmarketing assess thelikelyeconomicimpactofMilestonesMuseuminBasingstoke.Themodelgave To attractKonverEuropeanfunding,PRIMEwasusedbytheSouthernTourist Board (STB)to Milestones -Hampshire’s LivingHistoryMuseum contact yourRTB forfurtherinformation. Contact: a usefultooltoaidconsiderationratherthangeneratingdefinitivecalculation. The useofthemodeltopre-appraiseimpactsproposedprojectsshouldberegardedas in termsofexpenditureandjobs. Results: anticipated cost;turnover;employment;andvisitornumbers. The computermodelrequirestheinputofforecastdataaboutprojectincluding: project. from theproject;andaguidancepackfordevelopersseekingtosetuporextendtheir Method: unitary authorityarea. Application: project isopen. by aprojectinitslocalandregionalsettingmeasuresactualperformanceoncethe Provides: Name: PRIME Model model hasalreadyshownthatCumbriaearnsaround£1billionoftourismrevenueayear. economy andtomeasuretheimpactof,recoveryfrom,footmouthdisease.The from themodelhavehelpedtoraiseawarenessofimportancetourismlocal Lake DistrictNationalParkandsixlocaldistrictstounderpintrendanalysis.Thefindings undertaking asix-yeareconomicimpactresearchstudy(dueforcompletionin2004)ofthe Using theSTEAMmodel,CumbriaTourist Boardanditslocalauthoritypartnersare Scarborough, NorthYorks YO113AR,tel:01723506310 Contact: PRoject IMpactEvaluation. the modelprovidesanestimateoflikelygrossandnetimpactsfromproject RTBs distributethis modelbyarrangementwithGeoff BroomAssociates.Please STEAM’s owner, GlobalTourism Solutions(UK)Ltd.2Barleycroft,FileyRoad, PRIME hastwocomponents:acomputermodelthatindicatesexpectedoutputs forecast indicationoftheexpectedvolumeandvaluetourismactivitygenerated designed toapplysingleprojectsandtheirimpactinthelocaldistrictor 1B DETERMININGTHELOCALECONOMICIMPACT OFTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 10 1 1B 1B DETERMINING THE LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM

information from existing surveys, along with some additional data, to produce an authoritative and consistent source.

In practice TSAs are a set of detailed tables focussed on estimating flows of money pertaining to tourism activity. The tables produce high quality outputs by virtue of having reconciled estimates of both demand, from surveys of tourists’ expenditure, and of supply (ie goods and services), from surveys of businesses.

Possible uses of Tourism Satellite Accounts are:

• to present economic value of tourism in a credible way, to an internationally agreed standard. This enables comparisons with the performance of other industries (and whole economy), other countries and over time. A cynical view might be that this is simply for advocacy purposes. Perhaps another way of putting this is that it is part of the sponsorship role to ensure that credible, timely and relevant industry statistics are available to governments, parliaments, industry, the public and the media, both in the UK and abroad.

• to help with the evaluation of initiatives on business policy and market campaigns, where regional/national economic impact is one of the relevant criteria of success.

• to gain insight into tourism and its socio-economic functions and impacts, especially employment and the labour market; also the mix of tourism visitors.

• to understand the production functions of tourism industries and the inter-linkages between the tourism industries and the rest of the economy; eg other industries, such as those covered by transport policy; government revenues from taxes and duties.

• to monitor capital investment in tourism and how this fits (or not) with tourism supply and demand and to help in planning decisions; eg transport infrastructure.

• to understand the tourism industry’s capital stock and capital base; eg in relation to planned investment.

• generally to provide a framework for testing the economic implications of policy; eg to see how these impact on tourism growth or on productivity, and to model the effects of shocks to tourism.

• to provide a national reference against which to assess and compare regional and local tourism activities, planned attractions, etc.

A number of initiatives are currently progressing within the UK and there is also an expectation that this trend will continue. For example, Council Resolution on the Future of European Tourism (21 May 2002) called for member states ‘to actively launch a process towards the implementation of TSAs’.

SECTION 1

COMPONENT 1B

© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 11 Tips © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 purchasing systemsandcontribute tosustainabletourism. (available fromRTBs) isagoodstartingpointfortourismbusinesses todeveloptheirlocal The GreenAuditKitproducedbytheEnglishTourism CouncilandTheCountrysideAgency sources, thepurchasercancontributetolocaleconomy simplybybuyingthemlocally. If theproductsandservicesneededtomeetvisitorexpectations areavailablefromlocal print oftheannualdestinationguidearenotsourcedwithin thearea. This canstartwithinthetourismdepartmentwhere,in some cases,photography, designand impact byencouragingthereductionofleakagevisitor spendingtootherareas. Economic andtourismdevelopmentmanagershavetheopportunitytocreatehigherlocal Retention ofspendinginthearea raised andwidersupportfortourismtobegenerated. departments andlocaltourismbusinessescanbeausefulexerciseasallowsquestionsto Organising aneventtopresentstudyfindingslocalpoliticians,councilofficers inother impact. Dothisbothwithinyourorganisationandinthelocalarea. To maintainahighprofilefortourism,publicisegoodnewsstoriesabouttourism’s economic departments inlocalauthoritiesthatareinvolvedwith,oraffected bytourism. The resultsofthestudywillcontributetoaknowledgebankforaccessbymany recognise thevalueofsuchinformation. interests willalsocontributetotheregionalandnationalsustainabletourismindicatorsthat The informationobtainedforalocalaudienceofauthorityandtourismbusiness offer and highlightareaswhereactioncanbetakentoreinforceasustainableeconomy. findings. Thisshouldassisttheclientinidentifyingstrengthsandweaknessesitstourism Most modelswillnotonlyprovidedata,butacommentaryandinterpretationofthe • • • • need tobeinterpretedandused. Firstly, theresultsshouldsatisfyquestion,‘Whydowewantthisinformation?’The Using theresults What doyouwiththeresults? enable widerusage;eginplanningapplications. Make thedatareadilyavailabletoagencies,otherdepartmentsandlocalbusinesses utilised andvalued. participation inbusinesssurveysandtodemonstratethatthedatatheysupplyisfully Circulate theinformationtolocaltourismindustryandencouragecontinued/future Create apressreleasetohighlighttourism’s importancetothelocalcommunity. and theimportanceoftourismresearch. Promote tocouncilmembersandofficers todemonstratetheimportanceoftourismlocally 1B DETERMININGTHELOCALECONOMICIMPACT OFTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 12 1 1B Tips Tips Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 economic impactstudycan fully benefitfromthislocaldataset. Try tointegrate your visitorsurveyworkwitheconomicimpactstudies sothatthe can validateitsresults. impact inanarea,itmaybepreferabletoappointaprofessional surveyorganisationthat Because surveysprovidethebaselinedataonvisitoractivities whichcreatetheeconomic techniques thatprovideanacceptablelevelofconfidence intheirresults. total fromthatevidence.Commercialmodelsmayusethis approachandshouldchoose Most surveysrelyonsamplingtechniquesthatmeasure asampleofpeopleanddeduce own oruseonedevisedbythemodelengineer. colleagues regardinglessonslearned.Alternatively, theorganisationmaychoosetodesignits look atothersurveysconductedbyyourorganisationorpartnersandspeakwith As withanysurvey, togetmeaningfulanswers,therightquestionshavebeasked.Try to may alsobesoughttoindicatetheappealofareaandlikelihoodreturnvisits. mode oftravel,amountandtypespending,placesvisited.Somequalitativeanswers Quantitative surveysmaybeusedtodeterminetheorigin,ageandstatusofrespondent, may carryoutthisworkaspartofitscontract. commission orundertakenewsurveys.Thecompanyoffering themodel To obtainmissingortoprovideup-to-dateinformation,itmaybenecessary Reliability ofsurveys do nottakeintoaccountfuelcostsetc. Visitors cantypicallyunderestimatesometypesofexpenditure,particularlytravelwherethey carried outafteravisit. where theyspenttheirmoney. Thisisanevengreaterproblemwhenusingpostalsurveys Do notassumethatvisitors’knowledgeoflocalgeographywillrecallreliableinformationon counties. recall spendingmoneythere,butmaynotbeabletoinwhichofthethreeCotswold difficult tomeasureeconomicimpact.Forexample,visitorstheCotswoldsmaybeable Since mostvisitorsareunawarewhentheycrosslocalauthorityboundaries,itmaybemore Defining thearea owners beforestartingthestudy. model design.Thefollowingfactorsmayneedtobeconsideredindiscussionwith The successofaneconomicmodelreliesontheinputreliableinformationandgood Key determinantsofsuccessorfailure local people. businesses –and,importantly, byencouragingbusinessestobuylocalproductsandemploy spending intheirareabyencouragingtouriststobuylocalproduceand/orfrom Those involvedwithtourismpromotionanddevelopmentcaninfluencetheretentionof 1B DETERMININGTHELOCALECONOMICIMPACT OFTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 13 1 1B Tip Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 making processforactionsthatwillencouragesustainability. impact overtimeareaveryimportantmeasureforsustainability andhelpinthedecision- ad hocstudyaccordingly. Themeasurement ofeconomicimpactandthechangesthis factor istodecidewhyyouwantmeasureeconomic impact andthenchooseamodelor this hasbeensubjecttosomedebate.However, as outlinedinthiscomponent,theimportant There isnosimpleoragreedformatformeasuringeconomicimpactassessmentand,infact, pattern oftourismbetweenneighbouringdistricts. This isanimportantpoint,asthereoftenconsiderablevariationbetweenthelocalprofile/ and demand-sidedataisuniquetoeacharea. It wouldbeamistaketousetheresultsfromoneareaandapplythemanother, assupply- employment effects ofthatspending. spending willbemultipliedwhenarrivingatestimatesoftheindirect,inducedand multipliers areessentialindeliveringoutputinformation,errorsinputdataonvisitor Most multipliersusedbyeconomistsarewellestablishedandcomefromextensiveuse.While effects of changesinvisitorspendingonlocalemploymentincludingself-employment. chain businesses.Theemploymentmultiplierdemonstratesthedirect,indirectandinduced between directvisitorspendinganditssubsequentimpactonturnoverwagesinsupply- To measurethecumulativeeffects oforiginalspending,multipliersareusedtoassessthelink Multipliers thatleadtoemploymentestimates this mightaffect theresultsfrommodel. Be awareofthemethodologyarrivingatfirst-stagedataandaskmodeloperatorhow impact studies. and regionalbreakdownsprovideinvaluable,robustdataforlocalareatourismeconomic information available.BoththeIPSandUKTSsurveysareoperatedtoveryhighstandards Most modelsusethesetwosurveystovaryingdegrees,dependingontheamountoflocal of improvementshavebeenbroughtabout–namelythefasterdisseminationresults. methodology representsamorededicatedandsophisticatedtourismsurvey, andanumber the readjustmentofpreviousdatayears.However, itiswidelyregardedthatthenewUKTS there wasanunavoidablechangetotheUKTSsurveymethodology, whichhasnecessitated county levelonanannualbasis,alongwiththeassociatedconfidenceintervals.In2000, 261,000 and50,000respectively. Estimatesoftrips,nightsandspendarepublisheddowntoa are dedicatedtourismsurveys,undertakenonacontinualbasiswithlargesamplesizesof Both theInternationalPassengerSurvey(IPS)andUnitedKingdomTourism Survey(UKTS) National andregional statistics 1B DETERMININGTHELOCALECONOMICIMPACT OFTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 14 1 1B 1B DETERMINING THE LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM

References

British Resorts Association www.britishresorts.co.uk

Carpenter H. The Economic impact of visitors: data collection and evaluation at local level – Discover Islington, Insights, Vol 11: C47-55 2000

Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Guidance on Measuring Sustainable Tourism at the Local Level, 2002. Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London, SW1Y 5DH www.culture.gov.uk

Middleton V. Measuring the Local Impact of Tourism, British Resorts Association, 1998. ‘Measuring the Local Impact of Tourism’ - Department for Culture, Media and Sport Available free www.culture.gov.uk/tourism/forms_documents.html – 1998 archive

Information about the Cambridge Economic Model may be obtained from your regional tourist board.

Information about the STEAM Economic Model may be obtained by contacting Global Tourism Solutions (UK) Ltd., 2 Barleycroft, Filey Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 3AR.

Information about the PRIME (project impact appraisal model) may be obtained by contacting Northumbria Tourist Board.

Measuring the local impact of tourism: a response to the BRA and the LGA paper prepared by the English Regional Tourist Boards, July 2002

Measuring the local impact of tourism: a response to the BRA/LGA Paper, ETC Insights, September 2002.

SECTION 1

COMPONENT 1B

1C Surveying local community attitudes to tourism

Introduction

The importance of the resident community to tourism: Visits to Friends and Relatives

Advantages and challenges of community consultation

What is the community?

A model for surveying community attitudes

Key determinants of success or failure

Case studies

Reference/advice

1C Surveying local community attitudes to tourism

This component will explain why it is important to find out more about what your local community thinks about tourism and its development in your destination/their home. It will also give you some ideas on how to find out what they think through survey and consultation work.

This component also relates to:

• 2B Developing tourism partnerships • 2D Tourism and the planning system: gaining value locally • 3F Identifying and developing local distinctiveness • 4 Measuring overall tourism performance.

Introduction

Tourism development is often justified by its positive economic effect on the local community, such as services safeguarded, greater choice of services, jobs created and environmental improvements. The negative aspects of tourism, such as traffic congestion, overcrowding, litter and property price inflation, also affect the local community; yet the community’s views are not always considered during the planning and management of tourism.

Consulting the community is an important part of wider stakeholder engagement, but is often done casually or not at all because of the perceived difficulties and risks involved.

Community support, or lack of it, can have a significant effect on the success or failure of tourism management. Sea Changes, the English Tourism Council’s strategy for resorts published in 2001, identified the lack of harmony between the community, planners and the tourism industry, and the consequent failure to develop clear strategies. This is seen as a key reason for the difficulties being experienced by many English seaside resorts.

The importance of the resident community to tourism: Visits to Friends and Relatives

For many years the Visits to Friends and Relatives sector (VFR) has been dismissed by the tourism trade as a ‘non-market’. Visits were generally thought to be low value and accommodation always taken at the home of the friend or relative and therefore this sector has largely been of no interest to accommodation providers.

However, when ETC conducted a sectoral review of tourism for the Perspectives on English Tourism report (published November 2000), they found VFR had, in fact, increased at a much higher rate than either the holidays or industry sectors over the past few years. From further analysis of UKTS and from new research carried out for the VFR project in 2002, it is clear that the VFR sector is much larger both in volume and value than has previously been estimated.

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COMPONENT 1C

• Forty-two per cent of all trips taken in England in 2001, or nearly 55 million trips, were VFR trips. • In terms of the visitor alone, the VFR sector in England is worth over £5billion or 25% of all overnight trips expenditure. • It is estimated that the host spends as much, if not rather more than the visitor, adding at least another £5 billion to the sector. • Visitors took an average of over seven trips each and 64% said they had hosted a VFR trip. • About two-thirds of visits are to relatives and a third to friends; most of the relative visits are immediate family with over 60% being a parent/son or daughter visit and a further 22% to brothers/sisters.

Examination of consumer trends helps to explain the underlying reasons for the size and importance of this sector:

• increased movement of the population around the country, the most mobile segment of the population being the young – often triggered by moving in to higher education • a sharp rise in the number of households in Britain with an increasing number of people living on their own • increase in average holiday entitlement, the average now is approximately five weeks, giving people more time for shorter breaks.

The benefits of this sector are not just confined to the increased economic value of tourism described above, as it:

• heightens awareness of what local tourism has to offer • helps to spread tourism both in terms of location and timing • can benefit local events.

Advantages and challenges of community consultation

This handbook component shows that to win community support for tourism development and management strategies, it is important to identify:

• the attitudes of the community towards tourism • the ways in which tourism can support the community’s economic, social and cultural needs • the ways in which tourism’s negative effects on the community can be minimised.

The main advantages of a community-backed tourism management strategy are:

• political support • a warm welcome for visitors to the destination • ‘eyes and ears’ to identify problems and opportunities.

In contrast, a community that is disconnected from tourism management, or even opposed to it, can be a constraint and threat to sustainable tourism management.

The main cost of engaging with communities is likely to be in time – both the time spent in surveying attitudes and the extra time needed in the overall project timetable. Because of its complexity, the wheels of community consultation grind slowly.

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It is helpful to understand the different degrees of contact with communities:

Level Degree of involvement

Information Providing information on what is happening

Consultation Asking for views on one or more options

Involvement Members of the community work with other stakeholders to formulate options and strategies

Participation Facilitation techniques enable the community to formulate options and strategies

Community engagement involves accepting that:

• Gaining access to community representatives can be time-consuming in the first place. • With open communication, community consultation can raise expectations that need to be managed. • It creates a need for continued contact and communication. • There may be some loss of control; the community must be considered, and will expect to be treated, like any other partner.

Despite these challenges, failure to consult means risking an aborted project, which can be even more costly.

What is the community?

A community, like all groups of individuals, can be segmented in a number of ways. Different individuals and groups will have different attitudes and needs depending on factors such as local circumstances and previous experience.

For the purposes of community consultation, key groups include:

• elected representatives – parish, district and county councillors • community groups – such as women’s, youth and neighbourhood groups • interest groups – such as history societies, ramblers’ groups and naturalists • industry • individuals – ‘non-joiners’ who are not represented by groups, whether by choice or circumstance.

Although the tourism industry is occasionally in conflict with the community, they are a key segment. Businesses are important in their own right, as they have the greatest contact with visitors, and it is through businesses that most of the benefits of tourism are channelled. But they are also important as intermediaries for reaching local people through their employees and customers.

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Segment Key Issues

Elected • Opinions of constituents representatives • Political issues, especially the impact on public spending

Community groups • Local issues, such as parking, congestion and provision of services

Interest groups • Specific issues, such as access or conservation of a building or site

Industry • Maximising profit • Planning and other regulations • Workforce availability and wage costs

Individuals • Issues relating to individual circumstances, such as employment opportunities, crowds and congestion

A model for surveying community attitudes

The techniques used will be governed by the nature of the community at a particular destination and could be influenced by existing consultation undertaken by local authorities and others. However, a number of steps need to be taken:

1 Defining the community 2 Making the key issues relevant and interesting to motivate response/participation 3 Selecting a survey technique 4 Implementing the survey 5 Follow-up

1 Defining the community

At the outset, it is important to understand the community in question, so that appropriate survey techniques can be selected. For example, the structure of the community and the importance of tourism issues will be considerably different between a city, a rural area and a seaside resort.

City Historic Rural Resort Town

The importance of tourism compared Low Medium Medium High to other industry sectors

The age profile of the population Young Mixed Older Older

The relative visibility of visitors Low High Depends on High destination

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 4 Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 information thananinterviewsurvey–andatmuchless cost. the LakeDistrictNationalParkfoundthatfocusgroups yieldedconsiderablymoreuseful A studytoidentifypeople’s needsandpreferencesinrelationtocountryside recreationin The discussionisrecordedandthenanalysedtogeneratefindings. interview surveys.Ledbyafacilitator, carefullyselectedparticipantsdiscussachosentopic. involve 8-12people.Marketresearchcompaniesoftenusethismethodtoidentifyissuesfor Focus groupsarestructureddiscussionsonapre-determinedrangeoftopicsandtypically identify surveyissues. it isbesttorunsomefocusgroupswitharepresentativesampleofthecommunity Where therearefewcontroversialissues,orwherelessisknownaboutcommunityattitudes, Several issuescanbeincludedinaconsultationtogivesomethingallinterestgroups. At mostdestinations,thereareissuesthatwillconcernatleastapartofthecommunity. approach. issues tocapturepeople’s interestandstimulatetheirinvolvementcanbeaneffective can beevenmoredifficult toexplainthepublic.Concentratingononeormorespecific If sustainabletourismisdifficult toexplaintourismprofessionalsandelectedmembers,it Makingthekeyissuesrelevant andinteresting tomotivate 2 and thesepeoplecanhaveaspecialaffinity withtheplace. children tothedestination.Atmostdestinations,VFRisasignificantproportionofallvisitors the samedestination,developingfriendshipswithlocalpeopleandintroducingtheir buy secondhomesorstaticcaravansandmanywillmakerepeateddaystayingvisitsto At manydestinations,visitorsthemselvesbecomeasignificantpartofthecommunity. Some They shouldnotbeoverlooked. conservation volunteerswhomightworkhardtoopenandmaintainaccessinanarea. community inquestion,butwhoplayaninfluentialroleit,suchasramblersor Interest groupsaresometimesmadeupofatleastsomepeoplewholiveoutsidethe consulting themmaycallforsomepatienceandcreativity. well organisedorrepresented,suchasretiredpeople,disadvantagedgroups,and and thereforeaneedtoconsultmorewidely. Somesectionsofthecommunitymaynotbe Where tourismhasahighprofile,therewillbewiderinterestthroughoutthecommunity response/participation 1C SURVEYING LOCALCOMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 5 1 1C Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 the exercisegoestoplanand thatpeoplerespondtotherightquestions. Pilot surveysandadditional follow-upconsultationwilloftenberequiredtomake sure that • • • summarised below. Keyquestionstoaskare: appropriate tothegroupconcerned.Awiderangeofhelp isavailableandthis The workofcollectingtheinformationislikelytoinvolve severaltechniques,each Implementing thesurvey 4 the localpress,onradioandTVposters. hand toanswerquestionsanddiscusspeople’s responses.Theconsultationwaspublicisedin visitor centre.Inadditiontoaself-completionsurveyform/commentssheet,personwason community andusersatTalkin Tarn CountryParkconsistedofaweek-longexhibition in the Cumbria CountyCouncil’s consultationondevelopmentandmanagementoptionswiththe groups requiresspecificskills.Theavailabilityofresourcesisoftenacriticalfactor. the resultsofquestionnairesurveyscanbecostlyandtimeconsuming,whilerunningfocus An additionalfactorinselectingconsultationtechniquesiscost.Distributingandanalysing you mustgooutandengagewiththecommunityonitsownground.Thiscouldinclude: A rangeoftechniquesisavailable,buttheunderlyingprinciplethattogetbestresults, Selectingasurveytechnique 3 Individuals Industry Interest groups Community Groups representatives Elected Segment respond? Which groupshavenotrespondedandwhy, andhowcanyouencouragethemto Have allsegmentsofthecommunityhadanopportunity tocontribute? What arethekeyissues–whatyoutryingtoachieve? • • • • • • • • • • • • Key Issues Postal surveys Interview surveys Public meetings Exhibitions (andassociatedconsultation) Postal survey Interview survey Interviews/consultations withtradeorganisations Attending groupmeetings Interviews/consultations withrepresentatives Attending groupmeetings Interviews/consultations withcommunityleaders Interviews/consultations 1C SURVEYING LOCALCOMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 6 1 1C Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 • The likelihoodofsuccesscanbeincreasedifthefollowing criticalfactorsareaddressed: Key determinantsofsuccessorfailure what istobedoneandbeingachieved. results backtothosewhoprovidedit.Itisequallyimportantcontinuecommunicate Once theinformationhasbeencollectedandanalysed,itisimportanttocommunicate Follow-up 5 maximise publicity. It’s importanttoraiseawarenessofthesurveysocontactandworkwithlocalmedia • • • • Exhibitions Public meetings organisations of councils,groupsand Attending themeetings Focus groups Questionnaire survey Technique Be inclusive time. Communicate theresults ofyoursurvey, Unrealistic promiseswilllead todisillusionmentandlossofcommunitysupport. Deal withtheresponse honestly must bepreparedtoincorporatecommunityneedsinto yourplans. Be prepared forsurprises then failtodeliver. Be prepared toactontheresponse – makesurethatyoucontactallsectionsofthecommunity. • • • • • • • • • • • • Points toconsider – theresponsemightnotbewhatyouwereexpectingand you supermarkets Need tochooseeffective venuessuchasshoppingcentresand Good waytoconveycomplicatedideas beginning ofaconsultationprocess Can beusefultoallowpeople‘letoff steam’atthe The viewsoflessconfidentpeopleareunder-represented individuals Can berisky–easilyhijackedordisruptedbyforceful shakers’ An effective waytoreachelectedmembersand‘movers The timescalebecomesdrivenbymeetingcycles can bemorecost-effective thananextensiveinterviewsurvey Focus groupdiscussionswithrepresentativesofeach coursework? Can youmakeuseofstudents,possiblyasparttheirexisting Can you‘piggy-back’existingsurveys? Can youuseexistingdistributionmechanisms? How willyouobtainarepresentativesample? 1C SURVEYING LOCALCOMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOTOURISM – alwaysbeclearaboutwhat youcanandcan’t do. – youareaskingfortroubleifraisehopesand and continuetocommunicate successesover COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 7 1 1C Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 areas/projects werethethreemostimportantissuesfor inclusionintheplan. important culturalassets,patternsoftourismandland use andthedesignationofaction the threemostimportantfactorsidentifiedforconsideration. Identificationofthemost The conservationofculturalheritage,qualitytourism activitiesandtheenvironmentwere cultural assets. high environmentalstandards,wideconsultationandthe recognitionoftheareasbesteco- development. Theplanshouldencouragetheseorganisations toworktogetherensure those responsiblefortheconservationofareascultural heritageandtheplanningof inclusive initsapproach.Itshouldincludethetourismindustry, environmentalorganisations, built andnaturalenvironment.Therewasalsoverypositivesupportforaplanthat sensitive tourismdevelopmentandrecognisingtheimportanceofensuringahighquality work ofseveralplanningauthoritiesovera20-yearperiod,identifyingopportunitiesfor There waspositivesupportfortheplanthatwouldcoversub-region,co-ordinating including localcommunities. Authorities. However, therewasalsoagooddistributionacrosstheothercategories Environmental SustainableTourism Plan(RESTP).ThemaingroupofrespondentswasLocal An InstitutionalSurveywascarriedouttoenquireaboutpeople’s responsetotheRegional ECOSERT, Chester–TheDeeEstuaryPartnership Hampshire, SO437PA. Tel: 02380285102,e-mail:[email protected] Contact: AnthonyClimpson,NewForestDistrictCouncil,AppletreeCourt,Lyndhurst, now runninganannualfoodandmusicfestival. boundary revitalisedthegroup,whichtookanactivepartinconsultationprocessandis signage tothetownfromA31.However, exclusionfromthedraftNationalPark they havebeen.Forexample,onegroupinRingwoodlostmomentumafterfailingtoobtain Over time,groupshavebeenmoreorlessactiveandtheydrivenbyhoweffective encouraginggroupstopreparelocaltourismplansthatlinkthedestinationplan. • organising workshopstodiscussparticularissues • arranging communitysurveystobenchmarksatisfactionlevelswithlocalfacilitiesand • providing checklistsoftaskswhichcouldbemetbythegroups,andgivingsupport • support tothe13groupsformed,buthelpedby: people moreactivelyintourism.Thecouncildidnothavetheresourcestoprovideongoing District Councildecidedtoestablishanetworkofcommunitytourismgroupsinvolvelocal Since existingcommunityorganisationshadonlylimitedinterestintourism,NewForest New Forest Case studies tourism issues where necessary 1C SURVEYING LOCALCOMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 8 1 1C Case study Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 also acaféinthelodgebuilding. (ReportfromLeisureManagerMarch2002) park keeper. Inaddition, residentswerekeentoseecommunityworkshopsand offices and consultation exercisesupportedthelodgefrombeingredeveloped tohouseapermanent Park hadparticularconcernsforsecurity. Consequently, themajorityofrespondentsto Bristol whichhasbeentargetedforurbanrenewalfunding, thecommunityaroundStAgnes focus groups,leafletdropsandquestionnaires.Situated inadeprivedinnercityareaof began andalocalorganisation,InvolvingResidentsinSolutions (IRIS),conductedaseriesof to alocalhousingassociation.Thiswasthepointatwhich thecommunityconsultation project startedfromthepremiseofsavingoriginal Victorian park lodgefrombeingsold Driven bythepark’s developmentdepartmentatBristolCityCouncil, theStAgnesPark St AgnesPark,Bristol–CommunityConsultation www.brecks.org.uk/newsfram/resource/brecksne.pdf Brecks CountrysideProject walks toseethearchaeology, geologyandwildlifethatmakeLeighWoods sodistinctive. in BristolMay. Localresidentsandvisitorswerealsoabletoattendtwospecialguided exhibition outliningtheNationalTrust's plansforLeighWoods wasondisplayatfourvenues As partoftheexerciseNationalTrust hasbeenconsultinglocalpeopleandgroups.An a managementplan. of significanceforthesitesummarisingwhatisdistinctiveaboutLeighWoods andpreparing part ofLeighWoods fromEnglishNatureon1September1998.Itisnowwritingastatement The NationalTrust tookovermanagementofthe64hectares(159acres)southern history. for thousandsoflocalresidentseveryyear. Itisimportantnotonlyforitswildlifebutalso Avon Gorgeandsoclosetothecitycentre,itisBristol'surbanlung,providingagreenhaven Leigh Woods isawellknownSomersetlandmark.Nestlingasitdoesonthewestsideof www.nationaltrust.org.uk/environment/html/peo_com/_fspapers/fs_tourism01.htm National Trust LeighWoods –CommunityInvolvement Open SpacesSociety, TheBritishHorseSociety, CycleLincsandAccessibilityLincoln. the lessabled,includingTheRamblersAssociation,LincolnshireFieldpaths representatives ofsixthemainusersgroupsrepresentingwalkers,cyclistshorse-riders,and attended anindustryconsultation.AsimilarmeetingwasheldinMarch2000with radio piecesfeaturedtheproject,andinvitedfeedback.Around30businesses/employers and atravellingdisplaymadeuptotourthearea.Also,severallocalnewspaperarticles the designatedareatogivethemachanceexpresstheirviews.Anewsletterwasproduced This wasfollowedbyaneducationandpublicitycampaigncoveringotherparisheswithin Greenways initiative,anditdetailedthepublic'spreferredroutesinGreaterLincolnarea. project, reportinginSeptember1999.Therewasalmost100%supportexpressedforthe Groundwork LincolnshireandtheCommunityCounciloftohelpinform In thesummerof1999,a12-parishcommunityconsultationexercisewascarriedoutby www.greenways.gov.uk/site/shared/demos/lincoln.htm Greater LincolnGreenwaysandQuietRoadsStrategy 1C SURVEYING LOCALCOMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 9 1 1C 1C SURVEYING LOCAL COMMUNITY ATTITUDES TO TOURISM

Reference/advice

Briggs S. Friends and family reunited: customers queuing on your doorstep, Insights, Vol 14: A13-A19 2002

Coming home to St. Agnes – Community partnerships, Leisure Manager, March 2002

Godfrey K and Clark J. The Tourism Development Handbook, Cassell, 2000

Making the Connections – A Practical Guide to Tourism Management in Historic Towns, English Historic Towns Forum, 1999

Martins C and Martins C. Birmingham Visitor and Convention Bureau: Local Tourist Campaign Selling tourism to the local community, Insights, Vol 12: A139-145 2001

Waites N. Community Planning Handbook, Earthscan Publications, 120 Pentonville Road, London, N1 1JN www.earthscan.co.uk

Where Do We Go From Here, JIGSO, 1998 (Available from Wales Council for Voluntary Associations, Cardiff)

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1D Determining local carrying capacities in an area

Background

Advantages of the carrying capacity approach

Applying a tourism carrying capacity approach

Suggested indicators for quality assessments

Setting indicator standards

Regular monitoring and decision-making

Key success and failure factors

Case studies

Further references

1D Determining local carrying capacities in an area

This component will explain the concept of recreational carrying capacity and outline how to go about establishing approximate carrying capacities for sites within your destination.

This component also relates to:

• 1B Determining the local economic impact of tourism • 2E Developing visitor management plans • 3G Biodiversity action plans for tourism • 4 Measuring overall tourism performance

Background

Tourism carrying capacity is the measure that attempts to balance tourism levels with environmental protection. This applies in both rural and urban situations throughout England. There has been little practical application of measuring the concept to date, although there have been increasing efforts to manage visitors in certain situations.

A broad approach to tourism carrying capacity should consider environmental factors such as the influence of tourism and tourism-related infrastructure on air and water quality, sewage treatment and noise pollution. Clearly, if levels of tourism activity are not accompanied by investment in basic power, water, sewage, street cleaning and transport infrastructure, the situation cannot be described as sustainable.

However, this handbook component does not address these broader factors, which are linked to general urban and rural planning and development, but concentrates on issues concerning visitor numbers and their environmental, social and economic impacts on the quality of the experience for the local community and visitors. This is called the ‘recreational carrying capacity’.

Advantages of the carrying capacity approach

As highlighted throughout this handbook, sustainable tourism is about the environment, the local community and the local economy. The carrying capacity is affected by all three. An action that affects one factor will have implications for the other two.

Economic development alone can damage an area’s cultural and environmental qualities. Similarly, blinkered preservation of the environment or of heritage resources can restrict the social and economic benefits that increased tourism can bring to an area and its population. The carrying capacity approach can help to resolve these conflicts.

In some instances, carrying capacity could indicate that an area or site could accept more visitors while, in another situation, it could help to gain agreement that visitor numbers should be limited or even reduced, at least at peak times, if not over the whole year.

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The significant benefits of taking a carrying capacity approach include:

• encouraging stakeholders to agree a vision for the area or site • helping to reconcile potentially conflicting interests • encouraging regular data collection, which supports decision-making about the scale of recreation and tourism development that is desirable • encouraging open debate on difficult issues • providing a consensus and preparing for the future development of tourism and its associated infrastructure • placing emphasis on the quality of both environmental/social factors and the tourism experience • potentially providing a strong framework for making decisions about visitor management.

The recreational carrying capacity of any tourist destination, whether it is a specific site or an area of countryside or town, is not a single figure that can be calculated and fixed. It is a function of management objectives, measurements, judgements and evaluations and often requires the involvement of a range of stakeholders.

Carrying capacity is essentially a decision-making framework, which is defined by the measurement of agreed indicators of quality.

Central to the successful use of a recreational carrying capacity approach is the concept of ‘quality assessment’. Quantifiable judgements about the quality of the environment and the visitor experience are necessary to make any carrying capacity approach workable.

Applying a tourism carrying capacity approach

The approach advocated in this handbook requires testing in a number of situations and at a number of scales, ranging from individual visitor attractions and buildings to more complex areas such as a historic town or a protected landscape or coastal area. It is put forward here in the spirit of a methodology requiring piloting and not as a fully refined and tested method.

There are a number of stages in this process:

Stakeholder participation

It is important that the stakeholders are involved from the start. Stakeholder involvement is vital for the success of the suggested approach. Interests representing social, economic and environmental/planning matters should be present. For a single-ownership site, these could be internal staff of the organisation and, for a wider area, they are likely to be public, private and voluntary organisations with interests in the area and its future development and management. The key stakeholders are likely to be the local planning authority and tourism businesses.

Defining the boundaries of the area

The boundaries of the area should be agreed. The approach could be applied at a wide range of scales, from a small site under single ownership (such as a visitor attraction) to a large area of countryside or parts of a town. In an urban situation, it is likely that only those areas of the town visited by tourists and day visitors would be involved.

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Zoning

The area or site is then subdivided into agreed zones of reasonably similar character. These could be zones of local distinctiveness. In an urban setting, they could be defined by the streetscape, dividing the parts of the town that are visited by tourists. In the countryside, these could be zones defined by landscape or habitat character. The scale of these zones will depend on the scale of the site or area being addressed.

Assessing quality

To make judgements about what is acceptable (sustainable), standards must be set. These will be standards for the environmental, social and economic condition of the area being visited by tourists and the quality of the tourist experience. The stakeholder group must decide on what will be measured and what and how standards will be met. They must also be satisfied that the measurements will be made by an unbiased organisation or individual.

Suggested indicators for quality assessments

This is a deliberately short list of indicators, because if too many indicators are chosen the time and costs involved in their collection will work against their regular use. Some of these indicators could be measured through quick on-site visual surveys.

1 Quality of the visitor experience

• Length of stay at the site or area • Number of visitors • Bed nights/room occupancy • Questionnaire response to set-questions on levels of enjoyment/satisfaction • Questionnaire response to questions about perceived overcrowding

2 Economic factors

• Spend per head of visitor • Total visitor spend per year • Estimated number of jobs supported by visitor spending

Please see the handbook component on local economic impact assessment.

3 Community factors

• Number of planning applications received/granted/refused • Number of complaints received by local authority from locals and visitors

4 Environmental factors

• Air and water quality • Amounts of litter • Number of historic buildings at risk • Visual assessment of the quality of the urban scene by zone* • Visual assessment of the state of the habitat/landscape by zone*

*These indicators, in particular, require field experiments to test their practicality, but would broadly involve an expert panel giving quality scores to zones, which would be tracked over time. SECTION 1

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 3 Tip modified whenthefindings fromthequalityassessmentdataarereceivedeachyear. scientifically reachedandis only astartingpointfortheexercise.Itcanbesubsequently calculation ofthepeakday number. Itisimportanttorealisethatthisnumber isnot the zones.Knowledgeofvisitors’ lengthofstayatthesiteorarea/townwillallow a The ‘at-one-timerecreationalcapacity’figurewillbethe sumofthefiguresforeach • • • • • • • They willbeinfluencedintheirjudgementsabouteachzoneby: fine weekendafternooninsummer). number ofvisitorsthatthegroupbelievesisanacceptablepeak-timemaximum(probablya stakeholder groupshouldallocateanat-one-timecapacityfiguretoeachzone.Thisisthe To beginthecycleandproducesomeinitialrecreationalcarryingcapacityfigures, no practicalorpoliticallyacceptableresponsepossible,shouldtheynotbereached. Choose standardscarefully:thereislittlepointinmeasuringandsettingif should beagreedattheoutset. infrastructure shouldtakeplace.Inanidealworld,thesepossiblemanagementresponses If thesestandardsarenotmet,somechangestothemanagementoftourismor targets) forthequalityofenvironment,social/planningmattersandeconomicfactors. This canbemodifiedinthelightofexperience.Thesewillstandards(ortosomeextent For eachoftheindicatorsbeingmeasured,somestandardorthresholdshouldbechosen. subsequently bemodifiedastheregularmonitoringdataisreceived. on standardsandtargetsshouldbemade.Thefiguresgeneratedatthebeginningcan The processbeingadvocatedisacyclicaloneand,tostarttheballrolling,someassumptions Setting indicatorstandards surveys alreadybeingcarriedoutbySouthernTourist BoardonbehalfofETC. group surveysatregularintervals.Thesemayberelatedtothedestinationbenchmarking visitors spendatattractions,byvisitornumbersand,crucially, byquestionnairesorfocus The qualityofthetourismexperiencewillhavetobejudgedbyobservationstime Countryside AgencyandEnglishNaturetodeterminewhatinformationisalreadycollected. other agencies).ItisimportanttotalkwithagenciessuchasTheEnvironmentAgency, the environmentsuchaswaterorairpollutionandnoiselevels(likelytobecollectedby economic factsandvisitornumberswillalsobeimportant,asmeasuresofthequality some cases.Usingquality-scoringscaleswithgroupsofassessorswillalsobeuseful.Hard expensive instaff timeandcosts.Quickvisualinspectionssimplecountscouldsuffice in It isimportantthattheindicatorschosenarerelativelyeasytomeasureandnottoo © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 any environmentalfactorsthatwouldwarnagainstlarger numbers. bustling activity’ the psychologicalfactorsthatcontributetoasenseofovercrowding or‘attractive the acceptablenumberofpeopleindifferent buildings/attractions the lengthofpaths areas ofpublicopenspacesandpavements transport issues the sizeofcarparks 1D DETERMININGLOCALCARRYING CAPACITIES INANAREA COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 4 1 1D 1D DETERMINING LOCAL CARRYING CAPACITIES IN AN AREA

There is likely to be some influence from the weather, with the capacity being higher in good weather than in poor, when people seek shelter in buildings. If poor weather is a common problem and this is when the site or area seems to work poorly, the at-one-time capacity figure could be calculated as applying on a peak poor-weather day.

From these at-one-time capacity and day-capacity figures, it is possible to predict an annual visitation figure by applying a percentage of the capacity figure to different days of the year, depending on the known temporal distribution of tourism and recreational activity. This annual figure may have importance for economic and ‘headline’ reasons, but it is more likely that the at-one-time and daily figure will be of more importance for decision-making and visitor management and planning. It may be felt acceptable, or even desirable in some cases, that the calculated ‘capacity’ is exceeded on some days of the year, such as for a special event or festival.

The daily and at-one-time capacity figure will be important in choosing the scale of infrastructure required, such as car parks, open spaces or indoor attractions. Clearly, the figure can be greatly influenced by modifications to the site or area. Ways of increasing the capacity of a site/area could include:

• footpath and pavement treatments (widening and surface treatment) • pedestrianising streets to create more space for visitors • opening up more land or buildings for public access • holding people longer at particular attractions • creating new visitor attractions.

Where it is felt that visitor numbers are reaching unacceptable levels and that limits need to be placed, then some of the following could be applied:

• scaling down or withdrawing promotions and marketing • higher prices • relocating car parks to lengthen the walk to the problem area • opening up new areas and buildings to take the pressure off other areas • physical barriers • closing problematical attractions/areas.

Different recreational activities, different approach

In some situations, it may be necessary to consider the impacts of specific recreational activities and their timing. For example, small numbers of visitors carrying out noisy activities, such as motor boating, may require special capacities to be agreed for them, which are separate from the general visitor capacity agreements.

The timing of visits, such as spring visits to coincide with the bird spring breeding season in an important nature reserve, could also necessitate a separate capacity figure for those key periods. In an urban situation, it may be agreed that a local cultural event or festival will require visitor numbers to be restricted so that the event preserves its local ‘ownership’ and character.

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The interaction of different recreational activities by tourists and day-trippers may also need to be considered, necessitating capacity figures for different user-groups such as cyclists, fishermen or boaters. The same principles described in the methodology could be applied to each of these groups.

Regular monitoring and decision-making

Once the approach has been adopted, the stakeholder group will receive the annual data on quality and will revisit the calculated capacity figures, modifying them in the light of the findings of the quality monitoring and making decisions regarding visitor management and tourism infrastructure.

Adopting a recreational carrying capacity approach is not a one-off exercise, but requires a continuing commitment to monitoring and decision-making.

Key success and failure factors

Research on recreational carrying capacity, largely in the context of the countryside and protected landscapes, indicates that a number of issues must be addressed if it is to be successfully applied. These issues are:

1 Gaining acceptance of the need for a systematic approach

There is a clear organisational and management issue to overcome in adopting any systematic approach. Tourism businesses and other stakeholders must be convinced that there are benefits from spending more time and resources on capacity planning and management, and that any system for monitoring or decision-making helps rather than hinders.

2 Stakeholder participation and decision-making structures

There must be opportunities for the stakeholders to be involved. Choosing who will be involved, how this will happen, and how decisions will be taken is crucial to the success of any recreation/tourism carrying capacity approach. There are clear issues of balance between people's time and the benefits of this involvement. Appropriate decision-making structures such as ‘expert panels’, management committees and public consultation will be important elements of any successful approach.

3 Approaches to data collection will vary according to the measure

It is important to recognise that one measurement approach is unlikely to fit all circumstances, and that cheaper and quicker methods will be necessary for simple situations. Complex consensus-building approaches may be necessary in complicated situations such as national parks or historic cathedral towns.

4 Resources for regular data gathering

Any attempt at recreational carrying capacity measurement will require systematic and regular collection of data about the quality of the environment, visitor impacts and visitor satisfaction and attitudes. This may mean spending more time and resources on meetings, site surveys and monitoring. Commitment to regular measurement should be accompanied by the appropriate allocation of staff time and budgets, and should be largely restricted to

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methods that are simple and relatively quick. If they are not, they will probably not be applied regularly and continually.

5 Methodological issues regarding the assessment of ‘quality’

Any method adopted will require some regular measurement of the quality of the environment and of the visitor experience. There remain fundamental methodological issues regarding acceptable methods for measuring the quality of the urban and rural environment, and for measuring the quality of the experience of visitors. There is insufficient practical experience with this and the pilot experiments advocated here will be a great help in testing and developing cost-effective methodologies.

6 The importance to the process of setting clear objectives

Whatever method is adopted, clear objective setting is vital. Setting objectives will involve achieving agreement between stakeholders. Where objectives are in potential conflict, zoning and prioritising of objectives will be required. It is probable that the objectives will have to be set in the context of an overall vision for the site or area, providing a framework for how it may develop in the future.

The recreational carrying capacity approach does not try to limit visitor numbers or argue for their increase. Rather, it is designed to help stakeholders to agree on how many visitors an area can absorb, without unacceptable damage to the environment or to the destination’s ambience, while acknowledging tourism’s economic benefits.

Case studies

Environmental Capacity Study - Chester In late 1993 Chester City Council, Cheshire County Council and English Heritage appointed independent consultants to carry out a study entitled Chester - The Future of an Historic City. The study was designed to set the framework for the local plan in recommending guidelines for the future development of the city. The guidelines cover a range of issues including the Case study identification of areas where environmental capacity has been exceeded or is being reached.

The study identified five possible city development paths. These ranged from a major change option that would seek to develop Chester as a regional centre to compete with Manchester and Liverpool in business, culture and shopping, to a reduction of growth option that would attempt to reduce the level of activity in the city. Major growth was rejected by the study as being unsustainable in environmental terms whilst reduction and a third option, minimal growth, were rejected as likely to be harmful to the historic built environment because of the likely withdrawal from the city of the investment necessary to maintain buildings. The recommended course of action was to follow a composite of the two remaining options both of which suggested managed development concentrating on selected growth sectors. Although the study was never formally approved as policy by the City Council its recommendations have significantly informed the Local Plan. Both of the managed growth options identified tourism as a sector in which growth should be maintained. The extent to which tourism in Chester was approaching environmental capacity was one of

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ten issues that were particularly considered in the study. The consultants tested two major concerns:

• Tourism was causing a tension between the types of shops required by tourists and those required by local people, and that the variety of shops was suffering as a consequence with multiples replacing individual retailers. • The activities and demands of tourists were having an adverse effect on the physical fabric of the city shown by wear and tear on the Walls, Cathedral and Rows.

They tested the first of these by examining any changes in balance between shops and small businesses likely to be particularly appealing to visitors against those predominantly catering for local needs over the period 1985 to 1992 when there had been a considerable growth in hotel stock. They found little change. They did identify a rise in restaurant and fast food outlets and also noted that Chester had a larger than average proportion of large shop units, reflecting the importance of the city as a regional shopping centre as well as the influence of multiples. Both of these trends would appear to have continued over the past five years. This is, however, more likely to reflect change in general consumer demand than in facilities adapting to meet tourist needs.

The suggestion that tourists were having an adverse effect on Chester's historic fabric was tested by examining requests to English Heritage for grant aid for historic building repair in the city. No recent applications were found suggesting that although there was undoubted wear and tear, the general economic buoyancy in the city was adequate to keep the historic buildings in good condition. Far from contributing to the accelerated decline of the built heritage, the city's mix of residents, workers and tourists was maintaining it well.

The one concern that the consultants were not able to test was the suggestion that tourists were causing an increase in pedestrian discomfort and congestion on the streets. It proved impossible to isolate the impact of tourists from the general congestion that the city's streets were under at that time and to find a measure that would balance the extent to which they contributed to congestion against the economic benefit they brought. However one indicator is that the time that the city's streets are at their most congested, the run up to Christmas, is the time when tourists make up a far smaller proportion than usual of the total number of people.

The study concluded that managed tourism growth was an important and sustainable part of Chester's future.

Are current visitors to historic properties sustainable?: A case study from Bateman’s www.nationaltrust.org.uk/environment/html/features/papers/visitor1.htm Over a spring bank holiday, the National Trust carried out a survey of visitor flow through the house on three consecutive days, at the same time taking measurements of vibration in a beam induced by visitors passing through the Exhibition Room. Our objectives were to assess Case study whether the flow rate for visitors entering the house had been correctly set, to discover whether vibration levels measured the previous year had consequently been reduced to an acceptable level, and to find out whether there is a correlation between visual estimation of safe visitor capacity and control of vibration in the building structure.

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Further references

Boissevain J (ed.) Coping with tourists: European reactions to mass tourism, Berghahn, 1996.

Canastrelle E and Costa P. Tourist carrying capacity: a fuzzy approach, Annuals of Tourism Research, Vol. 18, 1991, p.295-311.

Lime D and McCool S. Tourism carrying capacity: tempting fantasy or useful reality, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol. 9(5), 2001, p.372-388.

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2A Addressing tourism within local authorities

Introduction

The role of destination manager

Local authority role in tourism

Working with councillors

2A Addressing tourism within local authorities

This component will help you identify the key relationships you need to develop within the local authority to further the cause of tourism. It explains the role of the destination manager in local authorities, the local authority role in tourism and how to work with councillors.

This component also relates to:

• 2D Tourism and the planning system: gaining value locally • 3C Developing sustainable visitor transport • 3G Biodiversity action plans for tourism • 3H Assisting tourism businesses with waste management • 3I Sustainability awards for industry and destinations • 4 Measuring overall tourism performance.

Introduction

This component is prepared on the basis that usually it is a local authority for whom a destination manager works, but it applies just as much if you work for a destination partnership funded by a local authority or another public sector body.

The role of the destination manager

One of the great strengths of destination management is its local distinctiveness. No two destinations are the same. We all have different offers to make, rural charm, historic towns, coastal beauty, rugged countryside and urban chic. The first job of the destination manager is therefore to understand the offer, why it is important to the local community, and how it fits into the local area.

So why is your authority in the visitor business; what is the offer – what is the logic? Sometimes it’s obvious: major resorts, popular holiday areas, lively cities; sometimes it’s less obvious: perhaps just an ambience that promotes relaxation. The authority, depending on its size and type, will be different, will behave differently and will be managed differently both politically and professionally.

Your second task is to understand the authority. Is it a big resort with a director or head of service for tourism, perhaps with a cabinet and a lead member or portfolio holder for Visitor Management, or is it a small district council with the traditional committee system and a chairman with responsibility for visitors amongst other things? Where does visitor or destination management sit in the organisation structure? Nowadays destination managers tend to come from outside the council and can find themselves sitting in many different departments of the council, and at many different levels in the hierarchy.

You need to understand how the council works and where the political and professional power is; to work out who needs to be influenced if destination management is to flourish. You will need help from your manager at whatever level you are in understanding how the

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decision-making process really works, who has authority to make decisions and at what level. If you can get the measure of what visitors mean to your council, area and your communities, you will be well on the way to becoming a force for good. Remember too that all authorities, especially the larger ones, have a whole variety of functions which can impact on the visitor experience. It is your job to understand those connections and opportunities and to use your influence inside the system to promote joined-up thinking about the value of tourism.

Local authority role in tourism

It is crucial to understand how pivotal the role of the local authority is in the wider picture of the local tourism product. Tourism is all about destinations and the totality of the experience. The tourism industry in most areas is in reality thousands of small businesses competing with one another, with relatively few big players in any one destination. Those businesses look to the local authority to act as a co-ordinator, creating and marketing a product in a way that they are unable to as individual units. They recognise the breadth of an authority’s involvement from the services and facilities it provides, namely:

• beaches, museums, country parks, pools, information centres • car and coach parks, signposting, litter bins, toilets • waste management, street cleaning, beach cleaning • the regulation of standards in planning, catering, health and safety • the overall nurturing of the all important ‘sense of place’, the essential ambience of a local area, be it the attractive rural settings, the well cared for historic town or the exciting seaside resort.

All of these services and facilities have a major impact on the quality of the visitor’s experience. If we get significant elements of our job wrong, that may be the abiding memory of our destination and the deciding factor in precluding repeat business.

Think too about the communities your council serves and understand what they need and want. Communities can be geographical, of businesses or of interests. The job of a good local authority is to balance all of those interests to achieve the best for its communities.

Working with councillors

Remember that all your councillors stand for election from time to time and it is only the local resident community who can vote for them. They will naturally be interested in the views of the local community and will expect you to help them develop policies and actions which reflect the community’s needs and aspirations. Do not expect radical or controversial policies or schemes to be launched in the few months immediately before an election, unless they command massive support in the community. Visitors are not universally popular with residents, who may prefer to enjoy the area’s local distinctiveness themselves without sharing it with others. Some messages and activities will need sensitive development and delivery if they are to succeed. Planning applications for development of any nature, especially those which are aimed at generating large visitor numbers, are often hotly opposed by residents who live closest to them and will thus be most directly affected if they proceed.

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Your council will have many strategies, the most important of which will be the Community Strategy devised by the Local Strategic Partnership. This is usually led by the council and brings together all the key agencies and organisations which serve the community in a given area. It articulates the needs of the area and shows how a partnership and the agencies will work together to meet them.

You need to understand and promote those strategies in your work, and you have a wonderful opportunity to be the interface between people in the visitor industry and bits of the council that they may not otherwise meet. If you can understand and articulate the interests of the community and the council to each other in an informal and friendly way, you will be very valuable.

Finally, and more controversially, remember that local government boundaries often mean a lot to people associated with the council, but nothing to anyone else, especially the visitor. Few places will be so big or so awash with attractions that they can attract and hold visitors for long on their own. Work with your colleagues in neighbouring councils and the RTB to bring people and councils together into wider partnerships, in viable sub-regional groupings, to generate maximum benefit for all.

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2B Developing tourism partnerships

Introduction

Basic partnership structure and principles

Who are the stakeholders?

What are the key stages for developing a successful partnership?

Factors that can determine success or failure

Case studies

References

2B Developing tourism partnerships

This component will explain why tourism partnerships are important and how to go about setting them up in your destination.

This component also relates to:

• 1B Determining the local economic impact of tourism • 1C Surveying local community attitudes to tourism • 2C Engaging tourism micro-businesses • 2E Developing visitor management plans • 3A SME training and business support • 3B Promoting e-business • 3D Setting up a visitor payback scheme.

Introduction

The most effective way for destination managers to achieve sustainable tourism management is through a genuine partnership involving all stakeholders, including the private and commercial sector. Effective tourism partnerships can deliver significant benefits such as:

• collective stakeholder working towards shared strategic objectives, improving the likelihood that they will be achieved • better working between organisations and departments, reducing the strain on resources • shared and more effective market intelligence • co-ordination of development and marketing budgets and activities • improved communication and understanding, and mutual respect between local authority and industry • devolved responsibility locally and greater visitor, industry and community involvement.

All of these will contribute to any project in terms of ideas, resources and, above all, commitment.

Basic partnership structure and principles

There are many tourism partnerships in England. Local authority tourism departments have established most of these partnerships to co-ordinate public- and private-sector marketing. While most focus on planning and promotion, some also handle issues such as quality, training, environment and joint purchasing agreements.

Existing tourism partnerships take various forms, including:

• formal or informal • ad hoc or continuing • action-based or for generating awareness and ideas.

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To plan and implement a sustainable tourism initiative, partnerships must involve all stakeholders and follow a few general principles:

• Working in partnership means listening to, and understanding, partners’ needs and aspirations. • There will be some benefit to all partners, though not all will be looking for financial benefit. • They will share overall key objectives. • Engagement and feedback needs to be tailored to different audiences within the partnership.

Who are the stakeholders?

The stakeholders will be determined by the nature of the issues that the partnership plans to address, and the number of stakeholders will be determined by the size and complexity of the destination. Stakeholders could include:

• the local authority – often the catalyst and enablers of the process • the host community, represented by residents, businesses and interest groups • the environment; represented by organisations such as National Parks, conservation NGOs, landowners • visitors.

Key groups and organisations from which a partnership may be formed (they are not always needed) include:

Stakeholder Represented by

Local Authority / National • Tourism Park / AONB / Landowners • Leisure • Economic development • Planning (strategic planning, development control, conservation) • Highways • Community development • Access for All • Other public services (public health, trading standards, etc)

Partners agencies such • Regional Tourist Board (local / regional / national) • Regional Development Agency • Business Link • Education Business Link • Countryside Agency • Local economic partnerships • Joint strategic partnerships for Community Strategies • City/town centre management partnerships • Other local authorities • Voluntary sector

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Community (local) • Elected members • Community groups • Interest groups

Industry (local) • Key players • Trade associations • Representatives from existing established business forums

Environment • Conservation NGOs (National Trust, RSPB, County (local / regional / national) Wildlife Trust) • English Nature • English Heritage • Countryside Agency (landscape) • Environment Agency • Civic Trusts • LA21 officers and groups • National Park Authorities and AONB management groups • Countryside management initiatives

Visitors • By survey • User-group representatives • Visitor stewardship programme

What are the key stages for developing a successful partnership?

The work of setting up a tourism partnership will vary by destination, depending on the issues involved, the nature of the destination (rural, urban etc.) and whether there are existing partnerships. Key stages of the process are as follows:

1 Identify participants, invite participation and agree shared overall objectives 2 Devise a strategy and action plan 3 Obtain resources 4 Manage delivery of the action plan 5 Monitor developments and feedback results 6 Keep the partnership alive

It might not be necessary to establish a new partnership – consider how existing partnerships can be given a tourism dimension to achieve your objectives and reinforce their work. For Tip example, some city centre management partnerships have a strong tourism element.

The requirement for ‘tourism clusters’ under EU funding is leading to the development of a number of tourism partnerships, often formed through collaboration between existing partnerships and trade organisations. These could provide ready-made partnership structures.

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1 Identify participants, invite participation and agree shared overall objectives

The attitude of each stakeholder will depend on the experience and perceptions of the individuals concerned and their responses to any relevant issues. They will be more likely to become actively involved in the partnership if they can see obvious benefits from participation. It is therefore important that benefits should be identified and communicated.

Stakeholder Incentives for participation

Local Authority / National • Destination Management Plan Park / AONB etc • Policies in Structure Plans and Local Plans • Economic development and community strategies • The state of the local economy • Residents’ (voters’) views

Partners, such as agencies • National policy, regional strategies and organisations’ action plans

Visitors • Underlying demand for enjoyment • Increasing expectations of quality • Increasingly healthy lifestyles • Growing awareness of green issues

Community • Convenient, attractive, place to live • Concerns over increased disturbance, congestion, etc • Need for employment

Industry • Profit motive • Need to develop to meet changing market conditions • Need to improve quality and marketing • Active in a competitive environment • Recognition of the importance of the local environment on their business success • Staff involvement and motivation

The environment – access • European and national legislation; eg Disability Discrimination Act • Reduction of disturbance and damage • Opportunity to harness tourism as a force for environmental improvement

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 4 Tip Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 moves forward. as partoftheactionplan.This isthebestwaytoensurethatworkofpartnership with arealistictimetableandduedates.Regularprogress meetingsshouldbetimetabled Any actionplanshouldhavedeliverablesattributedto specific peopleororganisations Manage deliveryoftheactionplan 4 work intheearlystages. benefits oftheprocess.Localauthoritieshaveanimportant roletoplayinpump-priming the privateandvoluntarysectors)willbereluctanttoprovide fundsuntiltheycanseethe Financing maybeavailablefromarangeofsourcesand stakeholders,butmany(especially the stakeholders. Volunteers anddonationsofitemssuchasstationarymayalsobesoughtfromamongst also allowstaff toworkonthedevelopmentofpartnership,thusprovidingman-hours. example, printers,photocopiers,meetingrooms?Somemembersofthepartnershipmay Is itpossibletousetheresourcesavailableinapartner’s offices freeofcharge;for In thefirstinstance,itisimportanttobecreativeaboutpotentialresourcesolutions. some resource. however, itishighlyunlikelythatthepartnershipwillbesuccessfulwithoutinputof The amountofresourcesneededwilldependontheobjectivespartnership; Obtainresources 3 plans destination, pleaseseetheIntroductionandcomponent2E For furtheradviceondevelopingstrategyandactionplansforsustainabletourismata and whereisthefundinglikelytocomefrom? Think carefullyaboutwhowillcarryouteachaction.Wheredothemainresponsibilitieslie increase theincentivetobuildaneffective partnership. agreed intervalsfortheircomments.Thiswillensurethatmembersareinvolvedandshould developing thiswork,whichmustthenbesenttopartnershipmembersatregularand action planhasbeenidentified,onepersonororganisationshouldtakeresponsibilityfor partnership. Theseobjectivesmustbeagreedearlyon.Oncetheneedforastrategyand Strategies andactionplanswilldependlargelyonthepurposeobjectivesof Deviseastrategyandactionplan 2 theprocessandtheirinputiswellmanaged–timelimitedtoachievespecificends. • theinitiative/partnershipischaired/co-chairedbyprivatesectorandtakesplacein • theyarenotbeingaskedtodosomethingthinkthelocalauthorityshouldbedoing • actionisgearedtowardsaspecificproject–withtangiblebenefits • more likelytogetinvolvediftheinitiativelooksandfeelsbusiness-like,if: Experience showsthatbusinessesarequitedifficult toengageinpartnerships.Businessesare private premises anyway . 2B DEVELOPINGTOURISMPARTNERSHIPS Developing visitormanagement COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 5 2 2B 2B DEVELOPING TOURISM PARTNERSHIPS

Although regular progress meetings are also needed to ensure continued momentum, these must be realistically planned: too many meetings can reduce attendances and effectiveness.

Committed champions must be found amongst the main stakeholders to drive the process forward.

5 Monitor developments and feed back results

There should be provision for monitoring and feedback in the action plan. Monitoring will include some provision for reviewing performance against the targets which are included in the action plan. The means for doing this will depend largely on the partnership’s objectives.

A comprehensive action plan form can be invaluable. The template below, for example, has been successfully used in the past and could be utilised in almost any project context.

Desired outcome Action required By when Responsibility Cost implications Outcome measure

Performance indicators are one way of monitoring the effectiveness of sustainable tourism projects. Much of the information used for monitoring and performance indicators is collected by the organisations likely to be involved in a sustainable tourism partnership; for example, the Countryside Agency, English Nature, or the Environment Agency. If they are represented on the partnership, their help can be sought to provide information on useful indicators.

This type of information needs to be drawn together by someone to make it specific and relevant for the destination. This could be undertaken by a contractor or one of the partners and is likely to be something in which the destination manager takes a lead role.

Dissemination of the results should form a key element of a wider media and communications strategy. This keeps stakeholders updated, those who are involved in the partnership and those who are not. It helps in identifying any issues before they become major problems. Importantly, communication encourages buy-in and commitment. Websites are a good way of promoting this information, and it must stressed that email is certainly the cheapest form of communication as well as being highly effective if used properly. Face-to-face meetings may sometimes be the only realistically constructive option, but they can be costly and time consuming to engender – email is an extremely useful tool.

The gathering of feedback is also important. Stakeholders should be asked for their feedback on all aspects of the partnership, including the relevance of the objectives to them, how well the process and delivery mechanisms are working and what can be improved. Not only does this provide those managing the partnership with information on how to improve, it also encourages ownership from the stakeholders. This buy-in will only be maintained if it is seen that the feedback has been taken seriously and addressed in an appropriate manner.

6 Keep the partnership alive

The partnership can be kept alive by simple measures such as:

• bringing in outside contributors and speakers to introduce new thinking • continuing to invest effort in managing or facilitating the partnership • varying the format and location of meetings and events

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 6 Case study in thefuture. strong partnershipswillhelpinthedevelopmentofsustainabletourismprojectsnowand very difficult. However, co-operationiscrucialindevelopingsustainabletourismand Developing asuccessfulpartnership,withvaryingopinionsandvestedinterests,isoften Keepthepartnershipalive 6 Communicateregularly and effectively 5 cetta ttkslne orahdcsoswe okn naprnrhp– Acceptthatittakeslongertoreach decisionswhenworkinginapartnership 4 © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 industry playerstogetface-to-facecontactwithelected Membersandcouncilofficers. established which,initiallywasachannelforairingdisagreements andanopportunityfor voice fromlocalresidents.Initiatedbythecouncil,apublic/private sectorforumwas level ofanimositybetweenthetourismindustryand council,andageneralanti-tourist other thingsforvisitorsandlocalresidentstoseedo. About15yearsagotherewasa attractions –WindsorCastleandLEGOLAND and hasmorethan30significant The RoyalBoroughofWindsorandMaidenheadishome totwooftheUK’s top20 Royal BoroughofWindsorandMaidenhead Case studies Committothepartnershipforlongterm 3 Beopenandhonest 2 Involveallstakeholders(Visitors/Industry/Community/Environment) earlyintheprocess – 1 Here aresixtophandbooktipstotakeyoucloserasuccessfultourismpartnership: Factors thatcandeterminesuccessorfailure • • • • • progress andsuccessthroughregularcommunication. management ofthepartnership,maintainingactivityanddemonstratingreporting the workandsuccessesofpartnership. longer timescales. requirements anddon’t beover-ambitious inthenumberofgroupssetup. others, notjustto‘rubberstamp’yourown. initially separatelyfrom(larger)hotels. bringing everyonetogether, sothateachgroupingfeelsitisrelevant;egB&Bsmaymeet partnerships itmaybenecessarytogathersmaller, like-mindedgroupingspriorto missing oneoutcanresultintimeconsumingbridge-buildinglater. Withlarge involved themselves. attractions) enjoyingthebenefitsofpartnershipcanmakethemwanttobecome useful toolingetting‘non-joiners’tosignup–seeingtheircompetitors(egothershopsor surveying customersfortheirviews,tobefedbackintothepartnership.Thiscana emailing newslettersandotherdevelopmentupdates difference demonstrating andreportingsuccessshowingthatthepartnershipismakinga maintaining activityandavoidingbecomingatalkingshop providing timeforthesocialandnetworkingsideofpartnership Use thepartnershiptoidentifyanddevelopideasissuesof As statedabove,byinvestingtimeandeffort intothe both withpartnershipmembersandexternallyon Be realisticabouttimeresource 2B DEVELOPINGTOURISMPARTNERSHIPS COMPONENT allow continued SECTION PAGE m 7 2 2B 2B DEVELOPING TOURISM PARTNERSHIPS

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Over time, a level of mutual understanding developed and the council began to realise the importance of the tourism industry and the industry began to understand the workings of the council and some of the constraints it faced. As a result, in 1993 the council made the decision to bring the Windsor visitor information centre into a high profile location on the High Street and to employ a new post of Visitor and Marketing Manager – to focus on tourism at a strategic, regional and local level – with particular emphasis on forming local partnerships. In 1994, the new appointment was made, the new Royal Windsor Information Centre opened and the forum renamed the Visitor Management Forum (VMF).

The VMF now has 42 members representing all five sectors of the tourism industry as well as elected Members and officers. It is the steering group for the borough’s visitor management strategy and best value process, it is often the vehicle for positive press releases and it is the flower which has populated a number of seed partnerships. These seeds have now grown into strong partnerships such as the quarterly attractions meeting, bi-monthly hotels meeting; marketing project groups, transport operators meetings and bed and breakfast meetings. Since 1994, cash funding from the industry has grown from around £20,000 pa to £120,000 pa and over £100,000 pa in terms of resources (eg venues, hosting journalists, piggy back marketing, reciprocal web links). The council has maintained its budget commitment and the industry has supported the bigger programme of marketing, market research and management it is now able to do. Other gains have been:

• reduced fragmentation of the industry • more and better communication between industry operators and elected Members and officers • greater understanding and respect between all partners, with a common aim for the destination, not just individual gain • development of mutually beneficial objectives which we achieve together • creation of a customised training course for local tourism businesses • increased informality in dealings and element of fun/social • development of new initiatives instigated by the private sector • better profile within the council for tourism and increased cross-unit working; eg planning, legal, environmental health, transport.

Officer Contact: [email protected]

North Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire is on the south bank of the upper Humber Estuary and is a relative newcomer to tourism. Its main products are the steel town of Scunthorpe, Epworth (birthplace of John Wesley), the market towns of Barton and Brigg and the surrounding

Case study countryside.

Tourism officers feel that community support is important in an area where tourism is not a traditional industry and where it is believed that tourism should benefit local communities. The council also sees community involvement in tourism as a way of bringing its services closer to residents.

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Local people have been invited to join four Community Tourism Partnerships. Membership is open to anyone and consists of elected members, businesspeople and interested individuals.

Each partnership meets for one to two hours, once a month, and anyone can put an item on the agenda. This means that members are a good source of ‘bottom-up’ marketing and development ideas, and can discuss proposals from the local authority. A yearly joint meeting facilitates co-ordination of annual activity plans and co-operation between the groups.

Although one group is now chaired by the local town council, four evening meetings a month represents a significant commitment for tourism officers. The benefits, however, are seen as more than offsetting this resource commitment. New B&B providers have come on stream as a result of participation in Community Tourism Partnerships and cross promotion has increased length of stay, spending and employment within the district.

Contact: Christine Edwards, Tourism Officer, North Lincolnshire Council, tel: 01789 267575; e-mail: [email protected]

Hadrian’s Wall Partnership The sustainable management of tourism along Hadrian’s Wall needed a partnership approach to succeed. Hadrian’s Wall is a large and sensitive site: it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is 240 km long and extends across ten local authority areas. Case study The catalyst was a £1.68 million SRB grant for a £3.6 million, six-year project starting in 2001 and managed by the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership. At the outset, the importance of managing the partnership was recognised and this included as one of the six key themes of the project. The six key themes were:

• marketing, information and IT • business development • access and sustainable transport • creating employment and developing skills • marketing the wall • partnership co-ordination.

With more than 50 public, private and voluntary sector bodies having an interest in Hadrian’s Wall, managing a partnership of this size and complexity calls for substantial resources. The partnership has five full-time personnel; a co-ordinator plus marketing, transport, community and education officers, and a part-time business development officer. As well as making financial contributions, partners help by taking a lead role in implementing some of the key themes.

Contact: Jane Brantom, Hadrian’s Wall Partnership, 14b Gilesgate, Hexham, Northumberland, tel: 01434 602505; email: [email protected]

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 9 Case study Case study Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 For furtherinformationpleasecontacttheEastofEngland Tourist Boardon01473822922. Visitor Centre(inpartnershipwiththeCastleTrust) andanannualtwo-weekfestival. products (withthehelpofERDFfunding)suchasBungay RealAleTrail, theBigodCastle thousands ofvisitorstothetownaswelldevelopingpromotionalmaterialsandnew Town Council.TheBungayTourism Grouphasorganisedmajoreventsdrawingmany local residentsandbusinesses,theChamberofCommerce,Waveney DistrictCounciland Bungay isasmallmarkettownintheWaveney valley. TheBungayTourism Groupcomprises Bungay Tourism Group For furtherinformationpleasecontacttheEastofEnglandTourist Boardon01473822922. product development. strategy. Theactionplanincludesmarketinginitiatives,events,trainingseminarsand Council andwassetupaspartofanSRB/ERDFfundedprojecttocreatealocaldevelopment Kirkley BusinessandTourism GroupisapartnershipoflocalbusinessesandWaveney District Kirkley isadistrictofLowestoftthatundergoingmajorregenerationprogramme.The Kirkley BusinessandTourism Group tourism projects,settingupafarmattractionsgroupandruraldevelopmentgrants. Lincolnshire Tourism June 1998. a Visitor ManagementStrategybackin1995andaNorfolkCoastTransport Strategyin The partnershiphasalsoproducedAONBManagementStrategyinOctober1998and Coast AreaofOutstandingNaturalBeautyandto: Norfolk CoastPartnership provide sustainableformsofsocialandeconomicdevelopmentthatinthemselvesconserve • facilitateandenhancethepublicenjoyment,understandingappreciationofarea • conserveandenhancethenaturalbeautyofarea • and enhancetheareasnaturalbeauty. is apublic/privatesectorpartnershipwhichhashelpedwithfarm was setupin1991topromotesustainableuseoftheNorfolk 2B DEVELOPINGTOURISMPARTNERSHIPS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 10 2 2B Case study Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 moreemploymentopportunities forlocalresidents. • increasedturnoverlevels • higherspendingpercapita • longervisitorstays • began in1995.Majorprogresshasbeenmadeterms of: of tourisminYork tothebenefitofbusinesses, employees,residentsandvisitors.Action The mainaimofthepartnershipistomaximiseeconomic andemploymentadvantages www.york-tourism.co.uk/partnership/main.cfm First StopYork Tourism Partnership organisations andtheregionaltouristboards. environment. Itissupportedbyandworksalongsidelocalauthorities,businesstrade and theNewForesttobenefitofvisitor, localeconomy, communityandthe umbrella bodyfortheco-ordinationanddevelopmentoftourisminsubregionDorset Dorset andtheNewForestTourism Partnershipwasformedin1995toprovideasingle www.dnftp.org.uk/intro.phtml Dorset andNewForestTourism Partnership or Vice Chairman:DavidGibbons,tel01822834072;[email protected] Chairman: MargaretBlake,tel01822933242;[email protected] For furtherinformationabouttheTamar Valley Tourism Association,pleasecontact: locally-producedfoodandcrafts • thingstodo • placestovisit • placestoeatanddrink • placestostay • The Associationhasrecentlyestablisheditsownwebsite,whichgivesdetailsof: foodproducers. local • localcraftsmen • localvisitorattractions • pubs • accommodationproviders • The Associationhasawiderangeofmembers,including: promote ‘sustainabletourism’inthearea. • promote higherstandardsinprovisionofgoodsandservice. • sharegoodpractice • promote theTamar Valley asatourismarea. • The Tamar Valley Tourism Associationwasinauguratedin November2001andaimsto: Tamar Valley Tourism Association 2B DEVELOPINGTOURISMPARTNERSHIPS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 11 2 2B Case study Case study Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 safeguard thecountryside. • integrate andchampionsustainabletourismprinciples,supportingaddingvalueto • helpmaintain,improveandextendaquality, easy-to-follownetworkofinter-linking • leadonbrandingtheSouthEastasawalkingdestination • green tourism,ruraldevelopment,visitormanagementandcareofthelandscapeto: walking inSouthEastEngland.Theirobjectivesarerootedaphilosophythatintegrates The SouthEastWalks Partnershipisacollaborativebodywhichpromotestheexceptional www.southeastwalks.com/ South EastWalks Partnership to careforthecountryside.’ to thearea’.Itadoptedastrapline:‘APartnershiphelpstrengthenruraleconomyand develop tourismintheNorthPenninestobringeconomic,socialandenvironmentalbenefits In March1990theNorthPenninesTourism Partnership(NPTP)wasformed‘topromoteand www.northpennines.org.uk/partners/docs/nptp-03.htm North PenninesTourism Partnership agencies, industries,andvoluntarybodies. improving theco-ordinationandcommunicationbetweenlocalpeople,authorities, Morecambe BayPartnershipworkstowardssustainablemanagementforthecoastby www.morecambebay.org.uk/ Morecambe BayPartnership tourism sector. sector organisationswiththeaimofensuringthatNorfolkhasadynamicandsustainable key industrialsectorsinthearea.Itbringstogetheraround30commercialandpublic Tourism andLeisureGroupwhichwassetuptofocusontourismasoneoftheseven The NorfolkTourism ManagementPartnershiphasevolvedfromtheShapingFuture www.shapingthefuture.norfolk.gov.uk/tourism/default.htm Norfolk Tourism ManagementPartnership rural communitiesandservices footpaths 2B DEVELOPINGTOURISMPARTNERSHIPS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 12 2 2B Case study Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 www.shakespeare-country.co.uk Gallows Hill,Warwick CV346DB South Warwickshire Tourism PartnershipLimited,ConocoCentre,Warwick Technology Park, Kenilworth, RoyalLeamingtonSpa,Stratford-upon-Avon andWarwick. SWT isanon-profitmakingcompanyrepresentingover430localtourismbusinessesaround South Warwickshire Tourism Partnership interest initsfuture.Theyworktogethertoidentifycommonprioritiesandresolvethem. major businesseswhohaveaconcernforcentralLondon,aswelldirectcommercial authorities andpublicsectorserviceproviderswitharangeofresponsibilities,along private andpublicsectororganisationsincentralLondon.CLP’s membersincludelocal Central LondonPartnership(CLP)isanon-profitpartnership,whichbringstogetherkey www.c-london.co.uk/about/abo_main.asp Central LondonPartnership visitor marketsandincreaseenvironmentalbenefits. prospects, makethecountyanattractivedestinationtotourists,capitaliseonhighspending develop tourisminLancashire.Projectshaveaddressedtheneedtoimproveskillsandcareer In total49schemeshavesofarbeenawardedfundingaspartofapackageaimedto programme worth£37mofwhich£7.5misGovernmentSingleRegenerationBudgetmoney voluntary organisations.Thepartnershiphasputtogetheraseven-year(1997-2004) industry bytheLancashireTourism Partnership,whichismadeupof30public,privateand Over thelastfouryears£6.7mhasbeenallocatedforinvestmentinCounty’s tourism www.lancashireprofile.com/tourpf.htm#partnership Lancashire Tourism Partnership 2B DEVELOPINGTOURISMPARTNERSHIPS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 13 2 2B 2B DEVELOPING TOURISM PARTNERSHIPS

References

Augustyn M and Knowles T. Performance in Tourism Partnership: A Focus on York, Tourism Management, Vol. 21(4), 2000, p.341-351.

Clark J and Kerry G. The Tourism Development Handbook: A Practical Approach to Planning and Marketing, 2000.

Curtis-Brignell D. Bicester Village: Partnerships are for life, not for a crisis, Insights, Vol 13: A119-A128, 2002.

Day G, Knight P and Morris E. Participation: Where do we go from here? An Introduction to Different Techniques in Community Participation, JIGSO – Wales Council for Voluntary Action, 2nd edition, 2001.

English Historic Towns Forum. Making the Connections – A Practical Guide to Tourism Management in Historic Towns, English Historic Towns Forum, 1999. EHTF, PO Box 22, Bristol, BS16 1RZ. www.ehtf.org.uk

Fyall A and Leask A. The Hampshire & Dorset Benchmarking Project: Managing visitor attractions; a collaborative approach, Insights, Vol 13, 2002.

Waites, Nick. Community Planning Handbook.

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COMPONENT 2B

2C Engaging tourism micro-businesses

Introduction

What are micro-businesses?

The policy framework for supporting tourism micro-businesses

Issues affecting micro-businesses and some solutions

Key stages in public policy development at micro level

Key success and failure indicators

References

2C Engaging tourism micro-businesses

This component will give destination managers an insight into the challenges faced by micro-business operators. It also gives tips on how best to communicate with them and assess their needs, in terms of the type of support they require and how they can best work to raise the quality of tourism provision in the destination as a whole.

This component also relates to:

• 2B Developing tourism partnerships • 3A SME training and business support • 3B Promoting e-business.

Introduction

Tourism micro-businesses are many and varied. Within England, around 75% of tourism- related businesses have a turnover of less than £250,000. Numerous other micros, such as catering services, visitor attractions, transport operators, gift and craft retailers and recreation providers, combine to make the tourism-related micros total much higher.

Micros therefore play a vital role in determining the overall character and quality of the tourism experience and, of course, are essential stakeholders in the development of sustainable tourism. It has been estimated that they are directly responsible for providing services to 90% of all domestic and international, staying and day visitors in the UK. Yet micros can be difficult to engage and are often overlooked by business support initiatives, since these tend to be focused on more traditional engagement and performance criteria.

By drawing attention to the special characteristics of tourism micro-businesses and by highlighting good practice, this handbook component will help policy intermediaries to develop and deliver sustainable initiatives that are relevant, meaningful and helpful to the vital micro sector. This component is an abridged version of the ETC publication Managing Micros: A Practical Guide for Tourism Advisors, 2002.

What are micro-businesses?

Micro-businesses can be defined as businesses with ten or fewer employees. Tourism micros are distinctive in terms of their operational and structural characteristics. Typical features include:

1 A dominance of sole operators and family businesses Most tourism micro-businesses are family owned or sole operators run by one or two individuals (frequently husband and wife). These businesses often have:

• few or no employees (typically fewer than five) • a high proportion of part-time, female employees • an informal decision-making structure in which the final decision rests with the owners or family unit

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• a family home that often doubles up as the place of business and is often used as collateral for funding • an overlap of family and work responsibilities • a disproportionate reliance on seasonal activity • a high turnover of owners • low entrance requirements in terms of professional/vocational qualifications, capital requirements or knowledge of the local business environment.

2 A specific set of priorities Important decisions about the enterprise and its future are typically driven by a combination of business and family (or individual) considerations.

• Priority is often given to maintaining family or personal income or to providing work for family members. • Quality of life, lifestyle, personal and family considerations are powerful motivators in the way in which the business develops. • Flexibility and independence are particularly important. • Owners do not necessarily aim to maximise their profits or staff numbers or to engage in year-round tourism activities.

3 A reliance on the business owner The owners of micros usually represent the backbone and character of their enterprise. They:

• are required, sometimes with little or no specialist knowledge, to tackle a wide range of business tasks, from accounting to personnel • often have a strong sense of independence and are not used to, or inclined to, seek external support • have diverse backgrounds and can bring with them a range of experience • may have no formal business qualifications or training.

4 Restricted in-house resources Tourism micro-businesses often have limited resources (financial, time and labour) for business development. This may have implications in terms of their:

• opportunities for business networking • ability to cope with disproportionately high regulatory and compliance demands • ability to undertake any medium to long-term planning • capacity to withstand critical business or family incidents.

5 Resilient enterprises Tourism micro-businesses often display considerable resilience through:

• engagement in a number of facets of the tourism business (such as provision of accommodation, catering and merchandise) • the availability of other income sources and earners in the family • the use of family, part-time, seasonal or casual labour.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 2 Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 support. TICstaff arealsoencouragedtovisitnewoperators. to jointhelocaltourismassociation(LTA) ordirectedtothemostappropriatesource of services oftheTICformarketingpurposes,theirdetails arerecorded,andtheyinvited support agenciesismadeavailabletooperators.So,as new microssetupandusethe office anddedicatedittotheirsupport.Associatedinformation andcontactnumbersof problems withidentifyingandcommunicatingmicros, herenovatedpartoftheTIC centre (TIC)asacommunicationsconduitformicro-operators. Havingrecognisedthe One localtourismofficer intheSouthWest hasdecidedtousethelocaltouristinformation improve theirbusinesseswiththeaimofenhancingtotaldestinationvisitorexperience. of Englishtourism.Itisvitalthattheyareprovidedwiththeopportunitytodevelopand Micros, whethervisibleornot,arestillattheforefrontofprovidingvisitorswithanexperience support. Theycanalsobedeterredbywhattheyperceivetoadded‘redtape’. believe thattheyknowhowtoruntheirownbusinessandsodonotneedadditional pitches, orapostoffice offering creamteasinsummer. Inaddition,manymicro-operators activity maybeclassifiedelsewhere,forexample,afarm,whichprovidescoupleoftent often beasecondaryby-productofanalreadyfunctioningbusiness.Theoriginalbusiness Another factorcontributingtomicroinvisibilityisthatthetourismarmofabusinesscan 60% ofmicrosarenotincontactwithanysupportagency. respondents hadcontactswithoneormoresupportagency. Ofcourse,thisalsomeansthat A recentsurveyofsmalltourismandhospitalityfirmsinEnglandfoundthat40%the lack ofaclearunderstandingmicrosandtheirindividualneeds. the waythatagenciesandgovernmentdepartmentscollectstatisticsonbusinesses, of effective engagementofsomanytourismmicro-businesses.Thereasonsforthisinclude One ofthemostcommonproblemsinUKtourismtodayisapparentinvisibilityandlack micro-businesses The policyframeworkforsupportingtourism • • • • • and environmentalsustainabilityby: their success.Inturn,tourismmicrosplayanimportantroleinlocaleconomicdevelopment While tourismmicro-businessesmaydependonoutsidevisitors,localfactorsarecrucialto Alocalprofile 6 playing animportantpartinmaintaininglocalcultureandtraditions. tourism experience relying heavilyonthelocalenvironmentandamenitiestoprovidebasisfor sourcing locally(goods,servicesandstaff) throughouttheyear, althoughlesssooff-season supporting bothdirectandindirectemployment the localeconomyandwhichmayhelptosustainservices attracting spendingvisitorstoanareaandbycreatingincomewhichtendsremainin 2C ENGAGINGTOURISMMICRO-BUSINESSES COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 3 2 2C 2C ENGAGING TOURISM MICRO-BUSINESSES

Using existing frameworks to reach micro-businesses

Local tourism officers provide the potentially vital links between the national/regional framework and the local tourism industry. It is here that many micros become aware of policy initiatives. The organisations below all affect sustainable tourism policy at a national, regional and local level, and should reach down to micro-businesses.

• The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for tourism policy and, through its annual summit of ministers, co-ordinates tourism-related policy from other government departments. • The DCMS, in turn, funds the national tourist boards, with funds also going to the regional tourist boards (RTB). The DCMS also oversees other tourism-related non- departmental public bodies such as English Heritage. • Regional development agencies (RDA) are important because they are responsible for developing tourism strategy in relation to economic development initiatives such as training, business start-ups and competitiveness. • Regional cultural consortiums (RCC) are also relevant. Their objectives are to champion the whole spectrum of cultural and creative interests (including tourism) in each region and to forge links within that spectrum. • Business Link services, driven by the Small Business Service, are responsible for determining local priorities and for working with individual micros to help them to identify and access relevant business support. • Learning and skills councils, in collaboration with national training organisations, are responsible for identifying and funding post-16 learning needs. • Trade associations play an important role nationally and regionally. • Some micros will be members of their RTBs. There are 10 RTBs in England and these will often be a good starting point when seeking to co-ordinate regional activities. • In addition, micros will potentially be in contact with a whole range of other people and organisations including government regional offices, grading inspectors, local chambers of commerce, training agencies, tourist information centres and EU agencies.

Issues affecting micro-businesses and some solutions

Lack of time

Time is precious to the tourism micro-business, where owners often work long hours. Linked to the issue of time is a lack of personnel: many of these businesses are owner-operators so, once the owner is called away, the business ceases to operate.

Understandably, micro-business operators will give priority to earning a living. It is important that meetings are scheduled to fit in with their needs.

It may be worth encouraging some micros to try using a call-forwarding facility so that they can still be available off-site.

Under-capitalisation

Many micro-operators are caught in a cycle of under-capitalisation. In other words, they have insufficient cashflow to enable them to invest long-term in training, product development or other initiatives that do not guarantee immediate short-term financial benefits.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 4 Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 • • • increase response. Consider includingpre-paidresponsecardswithanymailshots andfollowupphonecallsto • • • • • be giventotheselectionofappropriatemediafortrainingorcommunications. Not allmicro-operatorshaveaccesstothelatesttechnology. Carefulconsiderationneedsto Communications • • • • Acknowledge thatdifferent microshavedifferent goals. objectives. Micro-businesses mayfaceparticularstrainsandchallengesinbalancingfamilybusiness want tobecomebigger. Manyjustwantreasonableprofitmargins. income onanadhocbasis.Whateverthereasonforstartingbusiness,notallmicros quality oflife.Alternatively, theownersmightbelookingtosupplementtheirregular want toexpand,recentstudiessuggestthatothersareprimarilylookingimprovetheir There aremanyreasonswhymicro-operatorssetupinbusiness.Whilesomeundoubtedly A rangeofmotivations • • • Do notdelugemicro-businesses withpaperworkorburyimportantinitiativesinlengthy text. Research forthishandbook suggests thatthemarketfortheseproductsmaybevery small. Avoid thetrendforself-traininginitiativestobebased ontheuseofinteractiveCD-ROMs. possible, targetthekeyplayersatstartsincetheirsupport willoftenencourageothers. Do notunderestimatethevalueofnetworking,peerpressure andthegrapevine.Where contact. Decidewhichismostappropriateforthebusinesses youaredealingwith. Use avarietyofmediaincludinggroupseminars,theInternet, newslettersandone-to-one may nothaveeasyaccesstoaphotocopier. Think twiceaboutsuggestingthatanapplicationform should becopied–manymicros computers –orequallythattheyarenot! Do notassumethatallmicro-businessesareequippedorfamiliarwiththeInternet character orappearanceoftheprojectpersonnel. Avoid anintimidatingimageofofficialdom orbigbusinessinthesupportoffered orinthe Use plain,non-patronisingEnglish. ability torelatethe‘nitty-gritty’demandsofmicros. Recruit experiencedindividualswithstronginterpersonalqualities,enthusiasmandthe businesses andaknowledgeofthelocalarea. Aim toemploybusinessadvisorswithexperienceorunderstandingofsmalltourism rather thanattemptingtoprovidegenericall-roundsupport. activities tothedistinctiveneedsandcharacteristicsofdifferent micro-businesssectors Offer specialist supportonthemeswhicharerelevanttothemicro-businessandtailor Some maysimplynotbeinterestedinmovingtheirbusinessforward. operator’s placeofbusiness. Likewise, whereverpossible,meetingsortrainingshouldbeheldasclosepossibletothe better chanceofsuccessthanthosethatinvolveahighercharge. Initiatives thatareofnocosttothebusiness,oratleastmoderatelypriced,standafar Recognise thatmoneyisarealissueformanymicros. 2C ENGAGINGTOURISMMICRO-BUSINESSES COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 5 2 2C Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 caravan parkprovidedthevenueandrefreshments. first aidbythelocalSt.John’s AmbulanceService.Thetrainingcourse wasfreeandthe The ownerofasmallcaravanparkinDevonarrangedfor herstaff of eighttobetrainedin • • • • • • • • micro-business. however, crucialthatthissupportandadviceispackagedappropriatelytailoredtothe mean thattheydonotwanttobetrainedorbenefitmoregenerallyfromsupport.Itis, The factthattheresourceimplicationsoftrainingcanbeaproblemformicrosdoesnot to resourceandstaffing implications. Others seethevaluebuthavenotimplementedortakenpartinanytraininginitiativesdue partly bythefactthatmanymicro-operatorsdonotseeanyvalueinacquiringnewskills. operator inmindbuttheuptakeoftheseprogrammeshasbeenslow. Thiscanbeexplained Several traininginitiativeshavebeendesignedspecificallywiththeneedsofmicro- Group 1996). managed. Inonesurvey, lessthan10%hadpreparedmarketingplans(Tourism Research Many studiespointtothefactthatfewmicro-businessesinUKareprofessionally Low uptakeoftraining • Refer to‘businesssupportinitiatives’ratherthan‘training initiatives’. businesses asmentorsortogivealocalpresentation. training materials.Considerengagingsympatheticoperators ofsuccessfulmicroorsmall Use casestudiesofsuccessfulmicro-businessesinpromotionalliterature,presentationsand can besharedonarotabasis. Consider usingtheoperators’ownpremisesasavenuefortraining–thiscommitment B&Bs. specific. So,forexample,don’t expectoneeventtoworkforbothlargehotelsandsmall Training willbemoreattractivetomicro-businesses,andeffective, ifitissector- surgery maybeagoodoption. If self-traininginitiativesareused,provideaback-upcontact.Insomecases,support regional events. Try toavoidclashingwithnationalandschoolholidaysorhigh-profilelocal to startafterbreakfast,andfinishingoodtimefortheeveningmealbeprepared. central location.Inseason,andparticularlywhenincludingaccommodationproviders,aim As ageneralguide,trainingcoursesshouldbeheldoff-season andinanaccessible Design coursesthatmeettheactualneedsofoperator. significant priorknowledgeofacoursetheme. skills, andthisshouldbereflectedinthesupportoffered anddelivered,butdonotassume Pitch anyadviceortrainingatanappropriatelevel.Somemicrosmayrequireonlybasic letter orfax.Maketheissueclear, explainitsrelevanceandwhyyourinitiativewillhelp. Remember thatthebestwayofcommunicatinganewinitiativeisoftenbyone-page 2C ENGAGINGTOURISMMICRO-BUSINESSES COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 6 2 2C 2C ENGAGING TOURISM MICRO-BUSINESSES

Key stages in public policy development at micro level

Support initiatives for tourism micro-businesses are diverse in terms of their main objectives and structure. Some may be geared to providing business advice, training or information, others may aim to encourage greater collaboration among businesses through joint marketing and some may be comprehensive across all destination activities. The design and delivery of tourism support initiatives must recognise the distinctive character and needs of tourism micro-businesses at all stages, from planning to implementation. Existing examples help to highlight key areas for attention and offer a number of practical tips.

Stage 1: scope and context

There are a number of key stages in developing initiatives to support micro-businesses. You may wish to begin by:

• auditing your local industry in terms of its sectors, markets, employment profile, needs and opportunities • highlighting important interdependencies with other business sectors such as retail, transport and catering • identifying the main challenges and needs affecting those businesses • determining the appropriate scope of the initiative, the target population and the appropriate criteria for inclusion.

Then decide whether you want to:

• invest resources exclusively in supporting businesses that have already reached specific standards or in embracing a wider range of enterprises that are potentially in greater need of support but possibly less equipped to use it • extend the initiative beyond ‘growth firms’ to include all micro-businesses • cover a range of tourism sub-sectors or to focus only on one • include larger tourism businesses – larger ventures can often be critical to an integrated approach to local economic development, for example where a large visitor attraction is the destination’s main tourism ‘magnet’.

Extending the scope of the initiative to a wide client base will have resource implications and may influence the approach to support delivery. There are a number of delivery options:

• Tailored support and personal contact with a small number of firms. This can produce a more sensitive approach, offering faster results and improved competitiveness. • Off-the-peg services to a wider client base. This may not reach the people you are trying to attract or be sufficiently tailored to their needs. • Group support delivery via local destination tourism associations or through workshops and seminars. This is a useful starting point although, initially, participation rates can be low until businesses grow to be more familiar and comfortable with each other.

Stage 2: planning

The involvement of tourism micro-businesses in the design and implementation of initiatives, as partners and through consultation with them, may well be an important factor in their success. A key element is providing the destination support and leadership that the businesses need.

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COMPONENT 2C

© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 7 Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 incentive toparticipate. participation andownership. Growthopportunitiesinnewmarketscanoftenbeanother Including theminthedesignofinitiativecanbeauseful wayofensuringearly simply becausetheylacktheconfidence,timeorin-house resourcestofindsupport. support servicesavailabletothem.Thismaybebecause theyarefiercelyindependentor Tourism micro-businessesareoftenunaware oftherangebusinessdevelopmentand Stage 3:‘selling’ • • businesses tolearntrusteachother. Remember thatco-operativeinitiativeswillrequiregentlecoaxing–itcantaketimefor • Emphasis shouldbeplacedoncreating appropriate networks: • • • • • Many micro-business supportinitiativeswilldependoneffective partnerships: networks. the supportofcollectivedestinationmarketingprojects,businessassociationsand An importantemphasisshouldbeinhelpingmicro-businessestohelpthemselvesthrough participation inlocaltourismassociationsandbusiness networks. Encourage greaterorganisationandparticipationamong micro-businessesthroughtheir management. little time,resourceorinclinationtotakefullresponsibilityforaninitiativeandits Be preparedtooffer supportandleadership.Somemicro-businessesorgroupsmayhave grading schemesandthedisseminationofgoodpractice. experience throughtheapplicationofmembershipqualitycriteria,implementation tourism micro-businesses.LTAs areusuallywellplacedtoimprovethequalityoftourism These canaddcredibilitytotheinitiative,actingasausefulconduitlargenumbersof Aim tohelpdevelopandsupportlocaltourismassociations(LTAs) andbusinessgroups. incorporating goalsforthecontinuationofinitiative(butknowwhentostop!). Consider along-term,post-fundingstrategy. Thisshouldincludeanexitstrategy impact. instant results,andmarketinginitiativesinparticularmaytakeseveralyearstohavean Encourage along-termsustainableperspectiveonalltourismdevelopment.Therearefew promotion; andmethodsofmeasuringmonitoringoutcomes. internal communicationamongpartnersandpersonnel;accountability;publicity simple andeasilymaintainedadministrative,financialreportingsystems;effective targets (avoidattemptingtodelivertoobroadaprogrammewithmanyoutputs); sought; identificationofthemainaudienceandanagendaforaction;clearrealistic Agree commonobjectivesincluding:amissionstatementspecifyingtheaimsandbenefits regeneration programmes. Try tointegratemicro-businesstourisminitiativesintobroadereconomicdevelopmentand unsure wheretostart,yourRTB willbeabletoadvise. initiative orhelptoensurethesupportinvolvementoflocalmicro-businesses.Ifyouare will provideaccesstoresources,thatplayanimportantroleintheimplementationof Identify andapproachrelevantpartnerscontacts.Thesemaybeorganisationsthat 2C ENGAGINGTOURISMMICRO-BUSINESSES COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 8 2 2C Case study Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 • • motivated bygrowth.Monitoringcriteriacouldinclude: appropriate andmeasurable,rememberingthatmanytourismmicro-businessesmaynotbe Effective monitoringmechanismsareessential.Adoptcriteriathatrealistic, Stage 4:Performanceandmonitoring information comingfromlocal,regionalandnationalbodies.Seewww.best.lowestoft.org.uk relevant agencies.Thishelpsitsmemberstokeepintouchwithpolicyinitiativesand One LTA websiteoffers linkstotheBTA, RTB, localauthority, localnewspaperandother • • • • project isstillatthedevelopmentalstage. These visitscanbetimeconsumingandexpensivesotrytoprovideenoughstaff whenthe • • • To encouragemaximumuptakeofsupportandinvolvement: – progressiontoahighergrade (forthosealreadyinthescheme) – increasedaffiliation ofmicro-businessestoqualityawards/standards, codesofconduct – customerfeedback(includingapropercomplaintssystem) Improved qualityofthetourismexperience – increasedawarenessanduptakeofbusinesssupportservices – numbersoftrainingcoursesprovided – numbersoftourismbusinessestrainedorthathavereceived advice – examplesofmarketorproductdevelopment Business supportanddevelopment board. the outsetcanbeimportantinencouragingenthusiasmandbringingmorebusinesseson Highlight actionandachievementsfromtheearlieststage–evensmallat business forthemandthedestinationasawhole. initiatives. Stressthatbetterstandardsandeffective marketingwillleadtoincreased Be preparedtoinvestsignificanteffort inpromotingthebenefitsofsupport charge oratsubsidisedrates. Think carefullyaboutcharging–wherepossible,supportshouldbeprovidedfreeof group meetings,businessnetworksandseminars. Try tofindabalancebetweenprovidingone-to-oneserviceanddeliveryofsupportvia business unattended. Try tovisitbusinessesontheirownpremisessincemanywillbeunableleavethe prefer amoreinformalandunstructuredapproach. Establish therightlevelofformality–industrygroupsandindividualbusinessesoften of trainingseminarsandevents. about issuessuchastiming(weekday/weekend,evening/daytime),durationandlocation Ask micro-businesseswhichformofsupporttheywouldfindmostuseful.Consultthem and goodpractice 2C ENGAGINGTOURISMMICRO-BUSINESSES COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 9 2 2C 2C ENGAGING TOURISM MICRO-BUSINESSES

• Collaboration among participants and businesses – strengthening of micro-business organisations and networks – evidence of joint marketing – evidence of successful partnership working

• Dissemination and consultation activities – development of effective databases of tourism micro-businesses – production and distribution of market intelligence – distribution of good practice guidelines – initiative reviews, reports, newsletters and websites

• Economic indicators – bookings, repeat bookings, occupancy levels, visitor numbers, length of stays, length of season – improved profile and image of the locality based on customer feedback – stability of the business population, more start-ups, fewer closures – increased or stable aggregate employment levels (ie jobs safeguarded) – integration of the initiative into wider economic and social policies

Key success and failure indicators

• DON’T be vague about the aims of the initiative. • DO make it clear how the micro-business will benefit.

• DON’T hide an important initiative in a sea of paperwork. • DO think about sending a one-page fax or letter to explain an initiative or, better still, arrange a visit.

• DON’T assume that micro-business operators will be able to attend daytime meetings, especially if they are more than ten miles away. • DO plan your strategy around the practical needs of the micro-business. Owner-operators are busy people so always ask them what would suit them best.

• DON’T fall into the trap of thinking that all micro-businesses want to grow bigger. • DO understand that different businesses have different goals.

Above all:

• DON’T adopt a ‘one size fits all’ approach. • DO be prepared to tailor your services to the needs of individual businesses.

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References

This component is an abridged version of English Tourism Council. Managing Micros: A Practical Guide for Tourism Advisors, 2002.

Business Link www.businesslink.org

Department for Trade and Industry www.dti.gov.uk/guidance

Small Business Service www.sbs.gov.uk

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COMPONENT 2C

2D Tourism and the planning system: gaining value locally

Introduction

A new approach to planning for tourism

1 Planning tourism development

2 The control of tourism development

Summary

Case studies

2D Tourism and the planning system: gaining value locally

This component will help bring Destination Managers up to speed with the latest thinking in tourism land use planning. Planning is a complex statutory system that is best worked through by experts, however, this component will help draw out some of the issues most relevant to tourism development. It will enable Destination Managers to develop a closer working relationship with their local authority planning colleagues, by helping them to inform the development of the Local Area Plans of the needs associated with sustainable tourism development. It may also be useful when advising local industry operators who are seeking planning permission for new developments.

This component also relates to:

• 1C Surveying local community attitudes to tourism • 2A Addressing tourism within local authorities • 2B Developing tourism partnerships • 2E Developing visitor management plans • 3C Developing sustainable visitor transport • 3F Identifying and developing local distinctiveness.

Introduction

Tourism makes a major contribution to the national economy and to the prosperity of many cities, towns and rural areas. Its continuing growth generates a range of economic activity and new job opportunities. Good land-use planning has a crucial role to play in ensuring that the economic opportunities of tourism are realised without prejudicing the aims of sustainable development. In addition, because tourism often depends on a high quality natural and/or built environment to attract tourists, there is an added dimension to the important role of planning in tourism development.

Tourism policy has always assumed an overriding need to protect the natural and built environment; the amelioration of existing problems and/or the control of inappropriate new development.

A new approach to planning for tourism

This component has been developed because at present the approach to national land-use planning policy for tourism has, however, been somewhat partial in the past. PPG21 on Tourism1, has not been effective and is now out-of-date. PPG62 and PPG133 have had a profound effect on retail and leisure developments in town centres but there has been a lack of clarity over the application of the inherent principles of these guidance notes to tourism land-uses. Other Planning Policy Guidance notes refer, tangentially at best, to tourism.

In 2001, DETR published on the internet the results of research commissioned to inform them of the land-use requirements of the leisure and tourism industries, to ascertain how effectively the planning system is dealing with these and to recommend how planning guidance could be developed or revised. This component draws heavily upon that research4.

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The findings of the DETR research into planning for tourism, particularly the emphasis on a spatial approach, visitor management and regional planning, relate well to the new approach to planning envisaged in the Planning Green Paper5.

Development Plan Regulations require Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to have regard for environmental, social and economic considerations when preparing development plans; ie:

• effective protection of the environment and the prudent use of natural resources • social progress which recognises the needs of everyone • maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment.

The planning system should aim to facilitate and encourage development and improvement in tourism provision. As in other sectors, this requires a balance to be struck between the potential costs (usually environmental) and benefits (usually economic) of any development. Such issues need to be considered rationally and comprehensively and the decisions justified on the basis of clearly defined objectives.

• In general, tourism makes a positive contribution to planning communities through economic development, environmental and social improvements. The main concern is to do with the number of (largely car-borne) tourism trips to free, open access destinations such as countryside honeypots, historic towns and villages.

Although most individual tourism land-use developments have a relatively benign impact, the cumulative impact of tourism and other related land-uses may need careful planning, particularly in the more sensitive designated areas.

This component, therefore, summarises relevant policy and outlines a new approach to planning for tourism.

• Section 1 puts forward a new approach to planning for tourism. • Section 2 considers some development control issues for tourism land-uses. • There is also a collection of useful case studies.

1 Planning tourism development

The special circumstances related to planning for tourism affecting local design guidance

Planning for tourism needs to involve both specific tourism land-uses and tourism activity in general, as tourists use a wide variety of land-uses, including shops, restaurants, leisure and sports facilities, as well as tourism attractions and accommodation. More significantly, many tourism-related activities are not subject to traditional development planning and control; eg general sightseeing in towns and walking in the countryside.

Local design guidance offers and agreed set of rules, either regulatory or non-regulatory, which give destination managers some influence over the protection of natural and built environments. It is important that destination managers become involved in the development of local design guidance and, where no guidance is currently available, work proactively with local planners to encourage the development of guidance.

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Effective planning for tourism, ie the promotion of positive benefits and the control of any negative impacts should not, therefore, be concerned simply with new tourism land-uses (the micro level) but must involve the management and control of all land-uses and activities (the macro level) that go to make a tourism destination. The special nature of tourism activity means that destination visitor management in its widest sense is the most effective way to promote beneficial tourism development, as its aim is to ameliorate the perceived impacts associated with the development of a diverse range of activities at tourism destinations6. Land-use planning should be part of this wider planning/management process, but it is just one of a range of potential policy tools for tourism development. Good tourism strategies/visitor management plans, including relevant spatial planning policies for development, dispersal and control, will be more effective in dealing with the impacts of tourism development at a macro level and encouraging sustainable tourism development. Visitor management should also be integrated into community strategies, which should set out a vision for the area from the perspective of the resident and the visitor. The Local Plan, or Local Development Framework, should then, in the words of the Green Paper ‘become the land-use and development delivery mechanism for the objectives and policies set out in the Community Strategy’.

Policy needs to deal with the complex interactions between a fragmented tourism industry, other economic activities and the host community. There must be greater integration between the land-use planning process and other strategic development and management plans as emphasised in the Green Paper. A new, pro-active ‘spatial’ approach to planning for tourism in its widest sense is required.

Although the development of land and buildings subject to planning control plays only a partial role in the growth of tourism and its perceived impacts, the role of land-use planning is still crucial. It is important in controlling new tourism developments, expansion of, or changes to, existing facilities, monitoring and enforcing conditions and planning obligations. It also has a positive role to play in terms of liaising with the industry, helping to identify need, allocating development areas and sites where appropriate; eg to assist dispersal and/or regeneration. Planning is an important tool within wider management plans that seek to promote and/or control tourism development.

Tourism planning: a partnership approach

Tourism is a fragmented industry. Tourism planning/management therefore requires an extensive, consistent and effective public policy framework, co-ordinated between many parties (different departments in the local authority as well as other public, private and voluntary sector agents) through relevant partnerships and supported by sound background research, co-ordinated plans and monitoring at local and regional levels. Partnership and collaborative working is already central to most good tourism management and the Green Paper now recommends that LPAs work with the Local Strategic Partnerships set up to work with Community Plans. More specifically, LPAs should take a pro-active role, working with RTBs to facilitate and co-ordinate the development and management of tourism.

The private and not-for-profit sectors should be encouraged to co-operate and engage more closely in the development of tourism strategies, visitor management plans and the planning process. They have particular contributions to make in terms of:

• participation in further research at national, regional and local levels • participation in plan, making tourism strategies and visitor management through local partnerships

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• raising awareness of sustainable development issues within the industry.

The response to the tourism problems in places like Cambridge has been pro-active and constructive across all sectors. However, these mechanisms are in addition to the normal consultation as part of the planning process. They can be complex and require significant commitments from a wide range of interests, many of which are not directly related to land- use planning. It is clear that there are resource implications in this new approach to planning.

Information needs for tourism planning

Tourism planning policy must be based on sound information at all levels. There is an already established need for more and better tourism data7 at a national level. However, there is a particular need for more localised research in relation to planning impacts at a sub-regional and local level. For planning and visitor management, it is crucial to get a better understanding of:

• visitor profiles: who they are, where they are from, their mode of travel • the perceived or potential impacts on tourism destinations in economic, environmental and community terms with regular monitoring8 • local capacities, especially in environmental and community terms.

Good background research and co-operation with different parties leads to good planning, helping to avoid inappropriate proposals and supporting and encouraging beneficial ones.

Tourism and regional planning

Given the sub-regional nature and scale of most important tourism destinations; eg the designated areas, rural areas such as the Cotswolds, coastal areas like the North Norfolk coast, major cities, resorts and their rural hinterlands, and the relationship of tourism and regional transport, there is a requirement for effective regional and sub-regional planning.

PPG119, which sets out the objective of developing a comprehensive spatial strategy for regions and sub-regions if necessary, now offers the potential for the proposed statutory Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs), the proposed replacements for Regional Planning Guidance, to make a significant contribution to tourism planning. There is a focus on more prescriptive spatial strategies than hitherto and control based on realistic analyses of capacity and need at a sub-regional level. The Green Paper reinforces the view that RSSs must be related to other regional strategies; eg the RDA’s regional economic strategy and include an integrated transport strategy. Clearly, the regional tourism strategy would be the fundamental reference point for tourism in the RSS; the regional planning authority should work closely with the RTB in drawing up regional tourism planning policy.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 4 Case study Case study South EastRegionalAssembly aspartoftheirreviewRPG9. application toregionalplanningfortourismisthesubject ofacurrentpilotstudybythe including theidentificationofsignificanttourismsub-regions. Polycentricityandits concept appearseminentlysuitablefordevelopingaregional spatialstrategyfortourism functions, thecoincidenceoffunctionsand/oritslinkages tootherfunctionsandplaces.This polycentricity involvesdefiningtherelativesignificance ofaparticularplaceonthebasis and anewurban-ruralrelationshipwhichrecognisesthis interdependence.Theconceptof PPG11 referstothedevelopmentofabalancedandpolycentric urbanpatternofdevelopment linkages withinandbetweenareasthedevelopment ofsuchlinkagesandclusters. Polycentricity andregionalplanning new researchinsomecasestoestablishaccuratebase-linedata. research, analyseandmonitortoresolvethoseissues.Thiswillrequirecomprehensive, available atregionalleveltoconsult,identifyrelevantissues,undertakeappropriate contribution totourismplanning.To alargeextent,thiswilldependupontheresources Key finding: • • • pertinent toregionalplanningareraised.Itisarguedthat: West. BothRTBs havepreparedregionaltourismstrategies.Instrategicterms,threeissues The NorthWest planningregion © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 economic problems,thesupplyandqualityofvisitoraccommodation,bathingwaterquality. areas wouldhelpraiseawarenessofthecontributionandneedsarea;egsocio- reflected ataregionallevel.Cleardefinitionofresortareasassub-regionaldevelopment for example,dominateregionaltourismandhavesignificantneedsyetthishasnotbeen provide aclearerframeworkforEUandotherfundinginitiatives.TheLancashireresorts, and needsoftourismshouldberecognisedatregionalsub-regionallevel,notleastto belt oftheFyldecoastasatourismresourceforregion.Therelativevolumeandvalue There isaneedtosupportandreversethedecliningfortunesofsub-regionalresort the impactupontourismaspirationsinwestandsouthCumbria. explicit; egthescaleofenvironmentalimpactonroutesthroughnationalparkor need tobetakenonaregionallevelandtheconsequencesofanydecisionmadeclear development appearsdependentinlargepartonenhancedroadaccess.Suchdecisions see improvedregionalpublictransportbut,inthesepartsofruralCumbria,tourism resorts aredependentongoodaccess,fromoutsidetheregion.Allpartieswouldliketo development objectivessuchasthepromotionofWest Cumbria,FurnessandtheFylde infrastructure toencouragedevelopmentinrestructuringareas.Strategictourism public transportoptions,tohelpeasecongestioninsensitiveareas,andimprovedroad Integrated transportplansarecentraltoregionaltourismplanning,ieimprovedcombined development; egfarmdiversificationinaland-useplanningcontext. impacts, futureenvironmentalcapacityandeconomicneedforfurthertourism an external,independentreviewoftourismsub-regionslookingatcurrent accommodate growth.Here,aregionalspatialplancouldaddrealvaluebyundertaking economic opportunitiesforthoseareaswhichneedtorestructureandcan about theimpactoftourismwithoutadequate,accuratedataoranalysis.Thisisrestricting Over-restrictive planningpolicyintheLakeDistrictisbasedoninaccurateassumptions In theNorthWest, aregionalperspectivecouldmakeclear, constructive 2D TOURISMANDTHEPLANNINGSYSTEM:GAININGVALUE LOCALLY 10 encompasses theRTB areasofCumbriaandtheNorth Recent research 11 has emphasisedtheimportanceof COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 5 2 2D 2D TOURISM AND THE PLANNING SYSTEM: GAINING VALUE LOCALLY

Such an approach is particularly important in environmentally sensitive, often designated areas where it is vital to gain an objective assessment of current cumulative pressures. RSSs should be based on a consistent, comparative study across a region to assess current tourism impacts, future environmental capacities and economic need for further tourism development within the region. RSSs should then define appropriate activity levels for relevant sub-regions or tourism destinations based on these capacity studies, taking into account the availability of alternative locations and local economic priorities. The objective should be a sub-regional classification based on ‘regional diversity and specific regional needs’ (Green Paper) rather than generalised designations. Not all areas require the same levels of restraint or support, and not all parts of the same designation need the same degree of control. LPAs should then apply their own means of control, management or support for tourism within that broad context; eg the scale and location of new accommodation development.

Sub-regional strategic planning would allow for a more comprehensive approach to be taken towards spatial issues such as regeneration and dispersal of development as well as generic problems of coastal development, the revitalisation of resort areas and farm diversification.

The preparation of regional transport strategies as an integral part of an RSS adds considerable weight to the importance of regional planning for tourism. Tourism is predicated on both inter-regional holiday trips and intra-regional day trips. Decisions related to providing alternative transport modes for visitors; eg enhanced rail and bus services need to be taken at a regional level.

The resolution of issues at a regional level will provide an appropriate context for tourism in local development plans. Consistency of policy and co-ordination of implementation is crucial, as emphasised in the Government’s tourism strategy.

Tourism and local development planning

At a local level, the background research, analysis and proposals for tourism development planning, management and control should be presented in the context of an adopted tourism strategy/visitor management plan12. This document can then help inform the LPA in drawing up specific tourism development policies in the development plan.

Tourism strategies A tourism strategy is an all-inclusive document relating to the development and management of tourism in an area. Typically, it should cover:

• an audit of tourism activity in the area • existing and potential markets with the volume and value of tourism • strengths and opportunities • constraints including existing and potential impacts in the local area • strategic objectives, key actions required and relevant responsibilities • economic, environmental and social costs and benefits of the strategy • consultation with key stakeholders and mechanisms for implementation • processes for monitoring and review.

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Visitor management plans A visitor management plan should be a subsidiary document or section of the tourism strategy which should cover, in more detail13:

• an analysis of the impacts associated with existing and potential tourism activity (positive and negative) and identification of appropriate capacity levels or thresholds for development in conjunction with the local community • mechanisms to manage/control the demand for tourism activity and facilities; eg licensing, permits, regulations, planning and transport policy • mechanisms to control/manage existing tourism activity and facilities; eg: – target marketing and promotional strategies. At Windsor, the town has been marketed to encourage visitors to consider other areas besides the castle – information, interpretation and signage. Signposting is vitally important in facilitating access for visitors to destinations. Local (highway) authorities now have much greater flexibility to prepare tourism signposting strategies, for vehicles and pedestrians, and should do so as part of any visitor management plan14 – ‘green’ transport plans, including the promotion of public transport – people management; eg timed access to attractions • implementation, monitoring and review procedures.

Visitor management plans should be as much about enhancing value from sustainable development as with controlling associated negative impacts.

Some visitor management plans have specific development policies although there is rarely explicit cross-reference or co-ordination with the local development plan. The Stratford- upon-Avon Tourism Strategy includes commentary on ‘Protecting the environment’ which is resonant of local plan policy, while the District Local Plan has a policy which seeks ‘to improve visitor management’ within the district and makes specific reference to the District Council’s Visitor Management Plan. The North Norfolk Coast Visitor Management Plan has been adopted by the District Council as Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Increasingly, visitor management plans are becoming embodied in wider tourism strategies; eg the New Forest Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy, the Cambridge Tourism Strategy (2001) and the emerging Canterbury District Tourism Strategy.

Local development plans or frameworks The tourism chapter in the development plan, or Local Development Framework under the terms of the Green Paper, should, within the context of the tourism strategy, cover:

• the strategic aims of the RSS and the wider context of the tourism strategy and visitor management plan; eg: – local priorities in respect of economic development/diversification (reiterated from the economic development chapter), particularly in relation to rural areas, resorts and/or other urban areas – local demand/needs for tourism land-uses based on consultation with the local tourism sector and the findings of relevant capacity studies

• location policy which should reinforce the application of the broader principles of sustainable development inherent in PPG6 and to appropriate tourism land-uses. In particular: – more significant travel generators such as large hotels and footloose attractions that

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 7 Case study Case study empoweringthelocalcommunity andcreatingownershipthroughinvolvementin • working inpartnershipwiththeindustrytoprovidehigh-quality, environment-friendly • providing information forvisitorstailoredtomeetsustainabletourismobjectives,help • operation betweenthetourismandplanningdepartments. Thisbroadapproachisbasedon: thr management, community andenvironmentkeptinequilibrium.Partnership workingiscrucialto on asustainableapproachtotourismwiththeneedsof visitor, theindustry, thelocal ‘Our futuretogether’isatourismandvisitormanagementstrategyfortheNewForestbased much moreflexibleandresponsivetochange. Green Papermakesradicalrecommendationsforchangewithaviewtomakinglocalplans There hasbeenmuchconcernabouttheinflexibilityofold-styledevelopmentplans.The TVA4 againreferstofivespecificlocationswherehoteldevelopmentwillbeacceptable. In termsofaccommodation,theplanreferstoanidentifieddeficiencyinprovisionandPolicy be promoted. The policythenidentifiessixspecificarea-basedlocationswherenewvisitorattractionswill donotcreateorexacerbateenvironmentaltraffic problems.’ • are accessiblebyachoiceofmeanstransport,particularencouragement beinggiven • are well-relatedtoexistingareasoftourism/visitororleisureactivity • contributetotheconservationorregenerationofawiderarea • achievethere-useofredundantbuildingsorpreviouslydeveloped land • visitor attractions…willbepermittedwherethey: on theprinciplesofsustainability’.PolicyTVA3, reflectstheseissues:‘Proposalsfornew indiscriminate parkingandvisitorpressure.‘Tourist-related developmentshouldbeplanned It alsoreferstothepotentialproblemsassociatedwithtourismdevelopment;egcongestion, tourism strategyandstatesthattheCounciliskeentoencourageadditionalfacilities. Norwich ReplacementLocalPlan • © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 tourism matters services andfacilitiesmarketthemtoappropriateaudiences throughouttheyear visitors appreciateenvironmentalissuesandhighlighting publictransportinformation to proposalswhichenhanceand/orpromotegreateruseoftheriversWensum andYare reflecting theguidanceontheseland-usesgivenbelow. specific policies,whereappropriate,relatingtohotels,caravanparksandattractions parkingstandardsshouldbeexpressedasmaximabutsetatrealisticlevels – attractionswithlargesiterequirements,attractingnumbersofvisitors,shouldbe – directed tositesthatwillbewellservedbypublictransport served bypublictransport attract largenumbersofvisitorsshouldbefocusedintownandothercentreswell ough theNewForestTourism Association (NFTA), andthatincludescloseco- 2D TOURISMANDTHEPLANNINGSYSTEM:GAININGVALUE LOCALLY The introductiontothetourismchapterreferslocal COMPONENT continued SECTION PAGE 8 2 2D 2D TOURISM AND THE PLANNING SYSTEM: GAINING VALUE LOCALLY

continued

• promoting a better understanding of the environment and managing all tourism development in a way that, where possible, it has a positive effect on its surroundings.

The pro-active approach to tourism management and planning in the New Forest has been summarised in a recent report15:

‘For years, poor communication between planners and the tourism industry resulted in policies that were not well accepted or understood. Great strides have now been taken to bring planners and tourism interests together to develop policies which support both the imperative of environmental protection and the reasonable needs of tourism businesses.

‘It was specially important for small and disparate enterprises to be able to put forward a collective view. Following representation from the NFTA’s B&B group, a policy for B&B was included in the Local Plan. This recognised that the small-scale provision of visitor accommodation in private accommodation had minimal environmental impact, but could make a contribution to the local economy.’

The New Forest District Local Plan was adopted in November 1999 and ‘despite the Forest being equivalent to the designated area of a National Park…the policies…enable limited extensions to established accommodation enterprises…and although permission will not be granted for new holiday parks or touring caravan and camping sites, …policies do allow the relocation of existing touring caravan or camping sites to less sensitive locations.’

The Tourism Officer plays an important role as an intermediary between District Council planners and any tourism enterprise considering a development. ‘He can make sure that any enterprise thinking about a development fully understands the development control policies…This enables discussions to be constructive, rather than adversarial, and minimises the number of applications that go to appeal.’

Tourism area plans The Planning Green Paper suggests that more detailed Action Plans should be produced where site-specific policies are needed to guide development. These could be in the form of Area Master Plans. Such an approach has been adopted by LPAs seeking to promote ‘leisure quarters’ and to sustain tourism zones within resorts.

In Sheffield, the LPA has sought to promote a Cultural Industries Quarter within the city centre,with excellent access by rail, bus and tram, based on the development of the media, tourism and leisure industries. There has been encouragement for bars and restaurants and cinema and night-club/music venue uses and a new tourist attraction supported by

Case study environmental improvements and traffic management.

Early initiatives were marketing/management-led backed by major funding programmes (SRB and Objective 1). However, it became apparent that this approach also needed to be supported by effective planning policy, to provide further confidence for developers. The CIQ Action Plan prepared by the LPA with effective planning policies is a response to this issue. It is a new ‘strategy for development, transportation, environment and visitor management’.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 9 Case study Case study and shouldallocate‘available, suitableandviable’sitesforproposedtourismdevelopments other commercialuses.LPAs shouldundertakeneeds/capacity assessments,whereappropriate, unspecified. Thetourismsector, however, oftencannotcompetefortown centresitesagainst or includetourismasoneoftheusesinsitesallocatedfor mixeduse,thepreciseuseisoften included tourismasoneofseveralpotentialusesforallocated sitesintheirdevelopmentplan Action Planscanalsoincludemorespecificsitedevelopment briefs.AlthoughmanyLPAs have Site allocations the resort’s offer. which wouldhaveunnecessarilyreducedthetouristaccommodation bedstockandweakened upheld bytheHighCourt.Itisfeltthatpolicyhasdeterred manyspeculativeapplications to besupportedwithresearchandresourcesatappeal but theviabilitycriteriahasbeen accommodation sector, certainlyincomparisonwithmanyotherresorts.Thepolicyhashad The BoroughCouncilfeelsthatthispolicyhasbeeneffective inhelpingsustainamoreviable detailed. accommodation isnotviable.’Factorstobetakenintoaccountindeterminingviabilityare This meansthattheapplicantmustdemonstratecontinuinguseoflandastourist ‘Only inexceptionalcircumstanceswillplanningpermissionbegrantedforanyotheruse. tourist accommodation(ClassC1use)andunservicedaccommodation. accommodation toanyotheruse.InthisPolicy‘touristaccommodation’meansserviced permission willnotbegrantedfortheredevelopmentorchangeofusetourist ‘Within thetouristaccommodationareaidentifiedonProposalsMap,planning Policy TO2states: designates anareafortouristaccommodation,where‘theneedsoftouristsshouldprevail…’ which willsupportEastbourne’s roleasamajorresort.’To thisend,theProposalsMap clear policyobjective:‘To retainastockofservicedandunservicedtouristaccommodation The EastbourneBoroughPlan combiningrelateduses;egstudentaccommodation,convenienceretailingandleisure • mixing leisureactivitiesintheCIQ;café-bars,anindependentcinema,atouristattraction, • viewingdevelopmentwithintheCIQinsub-zones;egalate-nightzoneispromoted • promote mixed-uses.Thisisevolvinginanumberofways: including adesignguideandtraffic management.Inparticular, theLPA isseekingto and setsrelevantobjectives/guidanceondiversifyingtheexperience,environment, The ActionPlan,nowadoptedasSPG,envisagesclustersofbars,restaurants,clubs,venues 24-hour visitordestination. promote, inplanningterms,thenewethosforarea;ieasacontemporary, vibrant, It seekstoprovidetheland-useplanningcontextthathasbeenseenbemissingand © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 Action plan.Detaileddesigniscrucialinavoidingamenityproblemsatthismicrolevel. (pub) asatTruro Works. Thedevelopmentprospectusforkeysitesidentifiesoptionsinthe galleries aswellpubsandclubs around theLeadmillclub 2D TOURISMANDTHEPLANNINGSYSTEM:GAININGVALUE LOCALLY , havingtakenaccountoftheCouncil’s Tourism Strategy, hasa COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 10 2 2D 2D TOURISM AND THE PLANNING SYSTEM: GAINING VALUE LOCALLY

with relevant criteria. If tourism uses are to be incorporated in mixed-use sites, these uses should be referred to explicitly in associated development briefs. LPAs should take a pro-active role, working with industry specialists, to identify suitable sites for tourism uses, and to assist with site assembly when necessary through the use of the newly proposed compulsory purchase procedures.

2 The control of tourism development

At present, relatively little background research is undertaken by LPAs in respect of applications for tourism development and LPAs do little research into the effects of tourism uses. Few applicants submit background studies; eg market demand/needs or other relevant studies.

Proposals for new development should be assessed against the tourism strategy and the local plan. In particular, LPAs may need to consider the relevance of PPG6 and PPG13, ie:

• assessments of need/capacity based on regional and/or local assessments, local economic priorities • the application of the sequential test16, if appropriate, including the impact on the vitality and viability of town centres • accessibility by different modes of transport • likely changes in travel patterns over the catchment area • parking provision.

In addition:

• the cumulative effects of the development, based on an appropriate capacity assessment • any other environmental impacts; eg the effect on the character and appearance of the area and their compatibility with adjoining uses.

When tourism land-use applications do not accord with the tourism strategy and development plan, LPAs should prepare, or require, an appropriate assessment of need and impact covering the above issues.

Tourism land-uses

There are particular issues relevant to the planning of individual tourism land-uses. The different land-uses referred to below have specific locational, development and access requirements that should be considered: a Hotels and conference centres b Caravans and other unserviced accommodation c Attractions a Hotels and conference centres Hotels are important in economic terms; they attract staying visitors, create jobs, enhance the local image and represent important industry infrastructure. There are regional and national needs for improved visitor accommodation. Hotels have a number of special features:

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• Most existing hotels are small and generate relatively few trips per unit (see above). Most new hotels are budget hotels of 30-60 bedrooms with some three or four star hotels (100- 200 rooms) and some larger units (400 rooms+) in the major cities. Even in the latter case, trip generation by staying guests is relatively low; problems are more likely to arise from the ancillary uses, notably conference/ banqueting facilities that can generate significant numbers of (largely) day trips in addition to the staying visitor traffic. • Accommodation is needed in rural and urban destinations to serve a variety of dispersed leisure and business uses – and those in transit. The ideal location of visitor accommodation, is therefore largely dependent on the distribution of local attractions and businesses; it is not entirely footloose. • Country house hotels are defined by their countryside location and often provide sustainable uses for historic buildings. • Small new budget hotels, that are so important to the national tourism infrastructure, can not always justify town centre development costs. • B&B is usually developed as a change of use or as ancillary development or farm diversification, ie they are not always footloose.

Hotels should be located within existing settlements and at locations accessible by alternative means of transport. Where possible, LPAs should direct all new hotel developments to town or local centres. Where this is not an option, the special features of smaller hotels (eg less than 40 rooms) and B&Bs suggest that flexibility in location may be justified in order to meet local objectives. Locations close to existing tourism attractions or business parks may be justified by the reduction in secondary trips.

Cornwall is a rural resort area with a need for better quality accommodation17. It was not until 1996 that the county gained its first branded budget hotel. The Penhale Travel Inn on the A30 was a rapid success and Whitbread developed their second at Carnon Downs near Truro a year later. The facilities comprised a 40-bedroom Travel Inn hotel, Brewer’s Fayre

Case study pub/restaurant with c200 covers, play facilities and 120-140 car parking spaces. Both sites are out-of-centre with limited public transport.

In tourism terms, the two projects have created:

• good quality, new accommodation in areas that have seen no other hotels developed in recent years. Each hotel attracts 12-13,000 staying visitors pa; • 55-65 jobs per site with staff taken on locally and trained in a national programme; • important local business infrastructure. 60%+ of visitors are on business; and • additional, good quality social facilities (family restaurants) for local communities.

On the other hand:

• Even with the high occupancy rates of the hotels, they only generate in the order of 32-40 trips per day. The restaurant generates perhaps 85-100 trips per day on average. Staff and services generate perhaps 40 trips per day. • The contribution they might have made to vitality and viability if they had gone into town, by way of footfall and ‘ambience’, is marginal in the case of a 40-bedroom hotel; the restaurant is potentially more significant.

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Research confirms that major road access is a priority for the visitor. Hotels for travellers and business travellers, the main market for budget accommodation, need easy access to their main mode of transport in such rural areas. For the budget hotel developer, location is also related to land value and the requirement to build to a fixed budget. This is often not possible on sites in town centres. Out-of-centre locations, therefore, are often the only viable opportunity for budget hotel development. Whitbread made it clear that they would not have considered alternative sites within Truro or Newquay; the investment would probably have gone elsewhere in the country.

It is the view of local tourism officers that the budget hotel concept is consistent with meeting the wider market needs and provides a modern quality product that will encourage an overall increase in standards. They are seen as benefiting the local economy through providing employment opportunities and generating additional tourism business.

Key finding: There do appear to be special circumstances related to budget hotel development that warrant a more flexible approach in terms of location.

Larger hotels, particularly those with ancillary conference facilities and related higher factors of trip generation, can certainly add variety and make a significant contribution to the vitality and viability of town centres. These should be treated as town centre uses and subject to PPG6 and the sequential test.

Large, independent conference and exhibition centres (that are not ancillary to hotel use) should be considered in the same way, ie as footloose facilities and subject to PPG6 and the sequential test.

Hotels:

• attract visitors • represent important industry infrastructure • create jobs • should be located within existing settlements.

• Large hotels should be located in town centres, subject to the principles of PPG6. • However, not all hotels are footloose. b Caravans and other unserviced accommodation Unserviced accommodation is a vital part of the tourism infrastructure, providing for many social groups and making a very significant contribution to the rural economy. Static holiday caravan, chalet and touring caravan parks18 will remain an important part of the unserviced holiday sector. Self-catering flats, houses and cottages are also very popular.

Holiday and touring caravan parks are often seen as environmentally intrusive as most are, and need to be, located in attractive coastal or rural environments; ie they are not entirely footloose.

In drawing up development plans, LPAs should investigate whether there are adequate facilities and a reasonable choice of sites for both the caravanner and those using other forms of unserviced accommodation.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 13 Case study c) suchfacilitiescannotbeaccommodated withintheexistingsiteboundaries b) theyareessentialtojustifyorfacilitatetheprovision ofvisitorfacilitiesforthesiteasa a) theydonotinvolvebuiltdevelopment permitted where: result inthedevelopmentoffacilitiesonedgeor outsideexistingsettlementsmaybe existing boundariesofprimeholidaysitesasidentified on theProposalsMapthatwould (Borough-wide LocalPlan,2001)Thisviewisreflectedin PolicyTR14:‘Extensionsbeyondthe finance majorimprovementscannotbejustifiedwithout increasingthesite’s visitorcapacity.’ not availablewithinexistingsiteboundaries.Also,insome cases,theinvestmentrequiredto accommodation, landscapingortheprovisionofnewfacilitiestakespacewhichissometimes stock and/ortherangeofon-sitefacilitiesisimproved.Improvements,whetherfornew competitive natureofthetourismindustry, itisimportantthattheexistingaccommodation require expansion.‘Duetochangingmarkettrends,increasingvisitorexpectationsandthe maintain primevisitoraccommodationbutacknowledgesthatsuchimprovementsoften caravans Great Yarmouth harm totheappearanceorcharacterofsurroundingcountryside. plans. Permissionshouldonlybegrantediftheschemecanimplementedwithoutundue consider theopportunitiesforfutureexpansionanddevelopmentofparkswithintheirlocal operators toimprovethequalityoftheirsitesasamatterpriority. LPAs shouldalso improvements. LPAs shouldexaminethescopeforencouragingholidaycaravanpark this, parksneedtoexpandandmayadditionalpitchesincorporatefinancesuch more openspaceandimprovedfacilitiestomeettheneedsoftheirvisitors.Inorderdo park operatorsarenowkeentoenhancetheirsiteswithbetterlayoutsandlandscaping, past whenlittleattentionwasgiventolandscapingandparkdesignissues.Anumberof Many holidayparkspre-datetheplanningsystemorareresultofpoorin not visiblefrom,oralong,thecoast. immediately bythesea,butshouldbesetbackashortdistanceinland,orwheretheyare planned soasnottobevisuallyintrusive.Newparksshouldnot,arule,allowed a localorsub-regionalcapacitystudy. Newparksshouldbesited,effectively screenedand increasing demandinland.Thefornewsitesshouldbeconsideredinthecontextof traditionally onthemostpopularholidayareas,particularlycoast,althoughthereis proposals forwhollynewcaravanparks,andindesignatedareas.Demandhasconcentrated Although thereislittlepressureoverall,specialconsiderationmayneedtobegiven New andextendedcaravansites with carefulassessmentofneedandcapacityatasub-regionallevel. would bestbedealtwithinthecontextoftourismstrategy/visitormanagementplan additional traffic andintroducing‘urbanclutter’intothelandscape.Anycumulativeimpact the cumulativeimpactofanumbersmalldevelopmentsincountryside,generating homes; eghouses,flats,logcabins,farmconversions.Themostsignificantisconsideredtobe There areanumberofperceivedplanningproblemsassociatedwithpermanentholiday Permanent unservicedaccommodation © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 whole 19 . TheCouncilhasa'PrimeHolidayArea'conceptthatseekstonotonlydefineand Borough CouncilisoneLPA thathastakenapositiveapproachtowards 2D TOURISMANDTHEPLANNINGSYSTEM:GAININGVALUE LOCALLY COMPONENT continued SECTION PAGE 14 2 2D 2D TOURISM AND THE PLANNING SYSTEM: GAINING VALUE LOCALLY

continued d) they are of appropriate scale e) they do not intrude into the landscape f) there are no significant adverse environmental effects g) the existing highway network can cope with any increased traffic movements arising therefrom.’

By way of example, Cherry Tree Holiday Park is situated in the open countryside between the villages of Burgh Castle and Belton, approximately three miles south west of Great Yarmouth and about three miles inland from the coast.

The site has been established and gradually developed over the last 25 years. In 1993, the site had approximately 330 static units and a small touring area. In 1996, proposals were submitted to modify the leisure complex and provide an outside pool, all-weather sports area and 130 extra caravans in an extension to the north east of the site. The new units have been developed in 4-5 phases with extensive structural and internal landscaping (744 trees and 3,500 shrubs) and access modifications undertaken in advance. Each phase involved additional units and some of the central facilities; the phasing was subject to a Section 106 Agreement. The proposals entailed an additional 12-15 full-time and 50 part-time jobs.

The overall development is considered to be a success both from the operator’s point of view (stronger demand for the site and premium prices for the new courtyard units) and the LPA (extensive landscaping/screening, more attractive layout, enhanced facilities and economic advantages).

Key finding: It is possible for LPAs to take a positive approach towards caravan site development.

The caravan industry perceives a resistance to holiday caravans in general and many operators in the caravan industry consider that LPAs are reluctant to offer the flexibility that is currently recommended in PPG21. In particular, the advice that ‘In some cases, to facilitate improvement or relocation, LPAs may need to consider whether some expansion of the area covered by a (caravan) site should be allowed, so that improved layouts and better landscaping can be implemented.’

Relocation of parks Forecasts of the results of global warming have emphasised that the problems of coastal erosion and risk from flooding are likely to be exacerbated by the rise in sea level and increased turbulence. Along parts of the coast, caravan pitches are being lost through coastal erosion and others will become increasingly at risk from erosion or flooding. LPAs should incorporate within their development plans provision for replacing ‘lost’ or endangered caravan parks. Some authorities are already incorporating ‘roll-back’ policies where land immediately inland of a park may be used to relocate pitches lost or at risk from flooding or erosion. In some instances, this will also enable LPAs to encourage the relocation of sites away from particularly sensitive areas, such as the Heritage Coast.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 15 Case study of theaccommodationwithenterprise. and secureoperation.Conditionsshouldbeimposedto linktheownershipandoccupation shown tobeessentialfortheneedsofaruraltourismenterprise, particularlyforitsefficient accommodation. Residentialdevelopmentinthecountryside shouldbeallowedwhereitis accommodation isessential,somewhatakintotheneed foragriculturalworkers’ upgrading intheclosedoroff-season months.Forthis,suitablepermanent living the season,butalsotoprovidesecurityandinorder carry outmaintenanceand necessary throughouttheyear, particularlywiththe continuingencouragementtoextend themselves, toensuresecurity, health andsafetygoodmanagement.Thatpresenceis Most largeholidayparksrequireafull-timepresence,whetherbywardenortheowner Wardens’/owners’ residential accommodation be required. to withdrawpermitteddevelopmentrights.Insuchcases,aspecificplanningapplicationwill would beundulyintrusive.Inparticularlysensitiveareas,LPAs canmakeArticle4directions CLs). Thisisausefulmeansforprovidingsmallsitesinsensitiveruralareaswherelarger certificate sitesforusebyuptofivemembers’holidaycaravans(CertificatedLocationsor Sites andControlofDevelopmentActallowthelargercaravanningorganisationsto The GeneralDevelopmentOrderandtheexemptionsfromlicensingin1960Caravan and accessmakeitinappropriate. an overallcontrolonthetotalnumberofpitches-exceptwherenaturelocalroads flexibility betweenthenumberoftentsandtouringcaravans,subject(whereappropriate)to should treattowedcaravans,motorisedcaravansandtentsas‘touringunits’allow problems ofdefinitionwithconsequentdifficulties formanagementandenforcement.LPAs motorised caravansandtents.To continuetodifferentiate inplanningtermscreates or adjoiningpitches,haveblurredthetraditionaldivisionsbetweentouringcaravans, caravan awningsandthecombinationofmotorisedcaravanstents,eitheronsame The introductionoflargertrailertentsand‘folding’caravans,theincreasinguselarge Touring andmotorisedcaravans Itisnotforresidentialpurposes. • Itdoesnotleadtodemandsforadditionalfloodprotectionorseadefences. • Allpossiblealternativeswithintheexistingsitehavebeenexplored. • Thepotentiallossofdevelopmentwouldhaveadamagingimpactontheeconomy. • Appropriatescreeningisprovidedbeforethereplacementdevelopmenttakesplace. • Itwouldnotimpactadverselyonviewsfromthesea. • Itwouldnothaveadetrimentalimpactonthelandscape. • alternative siteprovidedthefollowingcriteriaaremet: extension onthelandwardsideofexistingdevelopmentorbyrelocationtoan coastal erosion,permissionmaybegivenforareplacementprovisionbywayoflimited continuing operationalrequirementtobelocatedonthecoastisatriskoflossthrough In exceptionalcircumstanceswherepartorallofanexistingdevelopmentwhichhasa The IsleofWightUDPPolicyG11: © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 2D TOURISMANDTHEPLANNINGSYSTEM:GAININGVALUE LOCALLY COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 16 2 2D Case studies LPAs toconsider theextenttowhichaproposalsituatednearexisting buildings,monuments, to ruralattractionsishighand itisprovingdifficult toeffect modalchange.PPG13advises transport areoftenlacking if theattractionsareinruralareas.Theproportionofcar usage most individualattractionsdonotattractlargenumbers oftrips,alternativemeans Many ofthenon-footlooseattractionsareinruraland/or inaccessiblelocations.Although developments. development planforsuchuses.Environmentalassessments willberequiredformajor merits. Unlessthereisaspecific,identifiedneed,itisn’t necessaryto allocatesitesinthe requirements; egthemeparksandothercaseshaveusually beentreatedontheirindividual There havebeenonlyaverysmallnumberofnewprojects withlarge,generallyruralsite for furtherdevelopmentaroundthecanalbasin. main shoppingstreet.Itactsasafocalpointforthecommunityandvisitorscatalyst Similarly, the town centre. of theimagetownandcontributessignificantlytovitalityviability Porthmeor beach.Itisthereforehighlyaccessible,makesaboldvisiblestatementinterms attraction, inastunningmodernbuildingislocatedtheheartoftownoverlooking Tate StIves centres orlocationswellservedbypublictransport. travel, shouldbesubjecttotheprinciplesofPPG6anddirectedtowardstownorother contribute tothevitalityandviabilityoftowncentres,whicharemajorgenerators visitor centres.Thelargefootloosemuseums,galleriesandothertouristattractionsthat footloose; eghistoricproperties,gardens,naturalfeaturesandsite-specificmuseums new museumsandgalleriesthelargeproportionofallattractionsinUKthatarenot It isimportanttodistinguish,forplanningpurposes,betweenfootlooseattractionssuchas developments isnowdeclining.Newconcepts,however, arealwayslikelytoemerge. Many newattractionshavebeendevelopedinrecentyearsalthoughthenumberof Attractions c • • • • • • • Caravans andotherunservicedaccommodation: © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 essential fortheneedsofaruraltourismenterprise. Residential developmentinthecountrysideshouldbeallowedwhereitisshownto LPAs shouldtreattowedcaravans,motorisedcaravansandtentsas‘touringunits’. endangered caravanparks. LPAs shouldincorporatewithintheirdevelopmentplansprovisionforreplacing‘lost’or improve thequalityoftheirsitesasamatterpriority. LPAs shouldexaminethescopeforencouragingholidaycaravanparkoperatorsto context ofawidervisitormanagementplanandcapacitystudy. The cumulativeimpactofnewunservicedaccommodationshouldbeconsideredinthe create jobs. provide forawiderangeofvisitors was developedonaredundantgasholdersitein1993.Thisverypopular Walsall ArtGallery 2D TOURISMANDTHEPLANNINGSYSTEM:GAININGVALUE LOCALLY has beendevelopedonatowncentresiteatoneendofthe COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 17 2 2D 2D TOURISM AND THE PLANNING SYSTEM: GAINING VALUE LOCALLY

physical features or landscapes and which will not be well related to public transport needs to be in, and have a meaningful link with, the particular location. If the location is justified on other grounds, LPAs should still seek measures to improve access to the site by sustainable modes of transport.

Many attractions have to supplement their income by providing facilities like shops, restaurants, conference facilities and are reliant upon such trade for financial viability. LPAs need to consider the wider implications of such ancillary development.

New non-footloose, small rural attractions would best be dealt with in the context of the tourism strategy/visitor management plan with careful assessment of need and capacity20 at the appropriate level.

Attractions:

• Draw visitors to an area • Create jobs.

• Large footloose attractions should be subject to the principles of PPG6 and directed towards town or other centres or locations well served by public transport • The cumulative impact of new, small non-footloose attractions should be considered in the context of a wider visitor management plan and capacity study.

Seasonal and holiday occupancy conditions

In recent years, leisure demands have changed markedly. Many people take several holidays throughout the year, no longer just in the summer months. Major improvements in the quality of unserviced accommodation, including holiday caravans, chalets and touring pitches, has resulted in increasing demand for the use of these facilities for longer periods of the year, bringing significant additional economic benefits to the local destination. However, this accommodation may also be located in areas in which the provision of permanent housing would be contrary to national policies on development in the countryside.

The planning system can respond to these changes in the holiday market without compromising policies to safeguard the countryside. Holiday occupancy conditions can reconcile these two objectives. Indeed, conversion of redundant buildings into holiday accommodation where conversion to residential dwellings would not be permitted may reduce the pressure on other housing in rural areas. Accordingly, it may be reasonable for the LPA to grant planning permission with a condition specifying its use as holiday accommodation only. This can be justified in that less pressure is placed on local services than would be the case with permanent residential accommodation. For example, holidaymakers would not expect to send their children to school locally or undergo routine hospital treatment.

LPAs should use seasonal occupancy conditions to prevent the permanent residential use of accommodation which, by the character of its own construction or design, is unsuitable for continuous occupation especially in the winter months. Seasonal occupancy conditions may also be appropriate to protect the local environment, for example where the site is near a fragile habitat which requires peace and quiet to allow seasonal breeding or winter feeding to take place.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 18 Case study carried out. that isthejoboflocalplan,butitprovidesguidance onhowdevelopmentsshouldbe of life.Thestatementdoesnotdealwithwhetheror developmentshouldtakeplaceas effective toolinensuringthatdevelopmentenhancesthevillage’s environment andquality Council assupplementaryplanningguidance.Aftertwo yearsofpreparation,itisan Wye, Kent,hasavillagedesignstatementthatbeen adoptedbyAshfordBorough Wye villagedesignstatement Case studies listed below. involved intourismdevelopment.Furthercasestudiesrelatingtolocaldesignguidanceare measures andinitiativescanbeutilisedtomaximumadvantageforarangeofstakeholders through tourism.Thecasestudiesusedthroughoutthiscomponenthighlightwaysinwhich particular destination/sinawaythatwillbringeconomic,environmentalandsocialbenefits statutory andnon-statutoryguidanceregulatoryadviceintheirquesttodevelop successful tourismdevelopment.Localauthoritiesarefacedwithacomplexrangeof This componenthasfocusedontheimportanceofthoroughplanningincontext Summary • • • towards: economic/communal orenvironmentalissues.Forexample,theymightincludepayments When planningobligationsarejustified,theyshouldberealisticinscaleandrelatedto development andtheameliorationofnegativeimpactstourismdevelopment. The focusofconditionsandobligationsshouldbefoundedintheprinciplessustainable adverse impactsandmaximisethebenefitsofanewdevelopmentforlocalcommunity. landscaping. Theuseofplanningconditionsandobligations,whereappropriate,canrestrict tourism development;eganappropriatedesign,layout,parking,access,mixtureofuses, LPAs shouldnegotiatewherenecessarytosecuretheappropriateformandcontentofnew Planning conditionsandobligations condition shouldconsiderwhethersuchacouldbeeffectively enforced. As withallconditions,anauthoritycontemplatingimposingaholidayorseasonaloccupancy © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 site environs. might berelatedtothedestinationasawholeandnotjustimmediatedevelopment tourism strategy/visitormanagementplan.Planningobligationsondevelopments the implementationofbroader, non-sitespecificobjectivesorprojectsidentifiedina destination ingeneral for example,tothevitalityandviabilityoftowncentresorattraction environmental improvementswhichcontributenotonlytothedevelopmentsitebutalso, public transport,cyclingandwalkinginfrastructure 2D TOURISMANDTHEPLANNINGSYSTEM:GAININGVALUE LOCALLY COMPONENT continued SECTION PAGE 19 2 2D 2D TOURISM AND THE PLANNING SYSTEM: GAINING VALUE LOCALLY

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The statement contains:

• a description and explanation of the distinctive character of the village and surrounding landscape at three levels – landscape setting, shape of the village and nature of the buildings • an explanation of how the village has developed • a summary of local people’s and organisations’ development-related concerns • a list of design principles and guidelines for different kinds of building and other features.

Planning for tourism in Tendring Tourism in Tendring District, Essex, is dominated by traditional seaside holidays focused on the resort of Clacton and surrounding caravan and chalet parks. Also in Tendring, the port of Harwich is Britain’s second-busiest passenger port and has a strong maritime heritage. The

Case study area’s estuaries are internationally important for migrating birds and its rural hinterland has attractive landscapes and villages.

Until recently, there was little contact between the tourism and planning functions. Relocating the tourism office from the planning department to economic development served only to increase the gap.

Like most councils in England, Tendring is reviewing its local plan. As part of this process, planning and tourism officers decided to work together to use the local plan as a positive instrument for tourism development. Consultants were contracted to identify issues and opportunities, to assess existing tourism planning policies and advise on new policies to help the district’s tourism providers to address changing market conditions.

The process involved consultation with local businesses through three tourism plan workshops. In addition to formulating tourism policies for the review local plan, the process identified the need for the planning department to identify and allocate land for particular kinds of tourism development and to produce guidance on developing tourism businesses in core resort areas. This helps businesses to identify opportunities and to retain the character of the district’s seaside resorts.

Kent County Council Design Guides Kent Design 'A guide to sustainable development' is published by the Kent Association of Local Authorities and commended to individual Local Authorities: Kent County Council, Medway Council and the 12 District Councils for adoption as supplementary planning

Case study guidance. The Iwade Urban Village has recently been produced (June 2002) and is a collaborative effort by local authorities and organisations in Kent to embody the best in design guidance.

The purpose of the design guides is to promote sustainability and good design in Kent. Its aim is to encourage development which safeguards what is of value whilst enriching the environment for future generations.

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The guidance it contains is applicable to all types of development whether large or small, urban or rural, residential or commercial, in the public or private sector. The guides look beyond the design of individual buildings to their context - the space, streets, other elements of the public realm, which together form the total environment.

The objectives of the guide are to:

• adopt a proactive and collaborative approach to development proposals to achieve the optimum solution for a given site • seek environmentally sustainable solutions through innovative design • ensure the public realm is maintained for its lifecycle through formal adoption or other management arrangements • bring together residential, commercial, retail and community users in a manner which reduces the need to travel and improves quality of life • promote the movement of people by walking, cycling and public transport to reduce car dependency and maintain and improve air quality • embrace local distinctiveness, promote quality and protect existing features of cultural, visual and historic importance • provide a healthy, safe and secure environment for both people and property • maximise the use of land by encouraging the development of recycled land and increasing density • conserve natural resources and minimise pollution in the layout, construction and ongoing use of development • conserve, create and integrate open space, landscape and natural habitats as part of development.

Further information can be found by visiting Kent County Council's website or by contacting Roger Adley on 01622 602000.

Birmingham's Canal Waterfront The City of Birmingham has undergone a major transformation with its sustainable development of its waterfront being at the forefront of the city's reinvention as a centre of leisure and business tourism. Case study Birmingham sits at the hub of the UK's historic canal network. Having developed simultaneously in the late eighteenth century with the Industrial Revolution, the canal network was a major factor contributing to the city's rapid growth as an industrial centre. Competition from the road and rail left the canal network practically defunct by the mid-1960s.

However, both Birmingham City Council and British Waterways saw the potential of the canal network in terms of historic legacy of variety and richness. Through the sustainable development of the canal network's tourism/leisure potential, its rejuvenation is at the heart of a major urban regeneration initiative.

The waterfront area of Birmingham is located on the western edge of the City Centre, parallel to Broad Street and adjacent to Gas Street Basin and the Water's Edge Complex.

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The entire waterfront prior to redevelopment was separated from the city centre by an inner ring road.

Redevelopment activity has concentrated on the Worcester-Birmingham, Birmingham Main Line and Birmingham and Fazeley canal corridors closest to the city centre.

The objectives of the revitalisation of the waterfront are to:

• undertake the physical redevelopment of the derelict, under-used area around the canals as a mixed use leisure/retail/office/residential area to help diversify the local economy • provide a focus for promoting the city as a day trip and tourist destination • extend city centre activities, particularly leisure and office usage, across the barrier formed by the city's inner ring road • develop Birmingham as an international business centre through the creation of a major conference and convention facility, the ICC • ensure that the historic fabric of the city's industrial and waterway heritage is retained, while encouraging the best of new design.

As a result of the redevelopment of Birmingham's waterfront, new canal-side attractions and facilities have been developed including: International Convention Centre; Symphony Hall; National Indoor Arena; development of two hotels; creation of a vibrant pub/restaurant culture; redevelopment of Gas Street Basin; Brindley Place (major mixed-use landmark site), National Sea Life Centre; Ikon Art Gallery; Crescent Theatre; Holliday Street Antiques and Craft Centre; Waterbus service; Increased/ improved pedestrian across to the towpath; provision of secure moorings; hire boat and boat trip availability. In addition city centre amenities such as Centenary Square, the Repertory Theatre, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Broad St entertainment venues were redeveloped, resulting in an impressive critical mass of visitor facilities in the area.

Also resulting from the redevelopment a number of environmental improvements were made including major improvements in water quality; significant levels of pollution clean-up; restoration of environmentally degraded area; conservation of industrial heritage; enhancement of natural environment; within an urban setting; reclamation of the city from the dominance of the car by the creation of a pedestrian-friendly hub in the middle of the West Midlands conurbation; and establishment of a local recreational/leisure resource, accessible by public transport, cycling, and walking.

Birmingham's waterfront represents a series of complex and inter-related developments largely have come about through effective public/private partnership. Birmingham City Council was a huge influence on the area's development. The council was the instigator of the Canals Improvement Programme (1993) and through its designation of the Broad St Redevelopment Area (1984). British Waterway's commitment to promoting and developing the tourism/leisure potential of the canals has been a major contributor in achieving the project's objectives. Strong public sector commitment, provision of the necessary infrastructure and facilitation of the scheme as a whole, enabled major private sector investors to come forward and help the project to achieve its objectives.

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In addition to the City Council and British Waterways, a number of organisations were involved in the promotion and development of the waterfront, including Birmingham Marketing Partnership, local canals associations, Groundwork-Birmingham and HETB. Birmingham Canals Partnership (British Waterways, Birmingham City Council, Groundwork) was formed to help in the co-ordination of marketing initiatives.

Public sector funding for the development came from various sources including Urban Development Grant, City Challenge, English Partnership Programmes, Single Regeneration Budget, European Regional Development Fund, and Regional Challenge - Renaissance and the Heritage Lottery. Since 1983, public sector investment has totalled approximately £16 million.

By 1996, £308 million of investment/construction activity had been carried out in the area, supported by £2.3 million in canal improvements.

Development activity at Brindley Place is continuing, with a number of properties currently under construction. Plans are also in place for a final phase of development to complete the scheme. Additional plans for the further development of the city's canal-side environment concentrate on maintaining the momentum that has improved the waterfront area.

For further information contact either:

Tom Brock, Head of Special Initiatives, British Waterways, Peel's Wharf, Fazeley, Staffordshire B78 3QZ, tel: 01827 252061

Nigel Russell, Development Officer, Heart of England Tourist Board, Larkhill Road, Worcester WR5 2EZ, tel: 01905 761125

Redevelopment of Leamington Spa's Pump Rooms Leamington Spa's Royal Pump Room and Baths were originally built in 1813-14 by the architect CS Smith, at an approximate cost of £30,000. In 1863, a swimming pool and Turkish bath was added, followed by a larger swimming pool in 1889-90. Further refurbishments of a

Case study smaller scale took place in the 1920s, late 1940s and mid-1950s.

Owned by Warwick District Council, the Royal Pump Rooms is a Grade II Listed building which has been redeveloped to provide new public facilities operated by four partners from the public and private sectors including:

• Warwick District Council – Art Gallery Museum and Assembly Rooms • Warwickshire County Council – Public Library • South Warwickshire Tourism Ltd – Tourist Information Centre and Shop • Hudson Rowe Catering Services Ltd – Cafe and catering Services Ltd

The Royal Pump Rooms at Royal Leamington Spa reopened in the summer of 1999 after a £7 million redevelopment. The new cultural complex comprises an art gallery, museum, Assembly rooms, library, TIC and café. The new facilities have been an instant success with local people

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and tourists, receiving 600,000 visitors in the first year of operation. The redevelopment has already received two awards: a Millennium Award from the Leamington Society for the building and an Interpret Britain Award from the Association for Heritage Interpretation for the museum displays.

The key contributors to the Redevelopment Project 1997-1999 were:

• Warwick District Council – Project management • Capita Group Plc – Architects • A C Lloyds Ltd – Building contract • PLB Design Ltd – Museum design

The £7 million budget for the project was contributed by Warwick District Council (£6,480,000), Warwickshire County Council (£420,000) and Hudson Rowe Catering Services Ltd (£170,000).

For further information contact Warwick District Council: 01926 742700

Dean Clough, Halifax Dean Clough is an example of successful re-use of a large complex of mill buildings. Dean Clough is the size of a small town. The former carpet mill has been transformed into offices, galleries, studios, workshops, a fitness centre, a theatre, a restaurant and shops. Most recent

Case study edition is a Travel Lodge, opened in August 2000.

For further information please contact Linda Rosen on 01274 201696 or write to NGCS, Woolston House, 3 Tetley Street, Bradford BD1 2NP

Saltaire Village, Bradford Saltaire Village is located in West Yorkshire in the north of England, and lies within the administrative boundary of the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. The properties within the village are predominantly listed as Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic

Case study Interest, and the entire site is designated as the Saltaire Conservation Area.

Saltaire was built between 1851 and 1876 as a planned industrial village. The village was constructed from natural materials – a warm coloured local sandstone and Welsh slate, generally in the Italianate style. The mill was built before the houses, to allow time for it to be fitted and become operational. Immediately after its official opening in 1853, work began on the rest of the village and continued until 1876.

The village is of outstanding universal significance in three ways. First, it encapsulates the maturing of industrial society and the industrial system. Secondly, it represents an important stage in the development of a formal land-use planning system. Thirdly, in its unified architectural style, its construction quality and its building hierarchy, it exhibits mid-Victorian

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society's pre-eminence in European imperialist and technological domination, and the paternalistic, moral and practical philanthropy that was characteristic of that society.

In 1986, several of Saltaire's listed buildings stood empty, including the Salts Mill, the New Mill and the Coach House. The Salts Mill is now occupied, the New Mill has been converted into offices for the Bradford Health Trust and privately owned residential flats, and the coach house has recently been restored.

To ensure the settings of listed buildings are enhanced many environmental schemes have been undertaken. These works have included the use of high quality materials in the use of the footpaths and highways wherever possible.

In 1996, recognition of the work being undertaken at Saltaire began to surface. Fifteen organisations in the village, including the Salts Mill received awards from the Civic Trust, including the Boots Centre Vision Award given for the most outstanding contribution to the improvement of a town or city centre. In 1997, the village beat 120 entrants from 20 European countries to win Europe's top award for conservation and restoration - the Europa Nostra IBI medal. Saltaire was inscribed a World Heritage Site in 2001 as it is an outstanding and well preserved example of a mid-19th-century industrial town.

Further information can be found by contacting Christine Kenin, Conservation, Bradford District Council, Jacob's Well, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD1 5RW, tel: 01274 752455

Tate Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall The Tate Gallery opened in 1993 and offers a unique introduction to modern art. The gallery occupies a spectacular site overlooking Porthmeor Beach, close to the studios used by many of the artists whose works are exhibited there. The gallery has been designed to reflect not

Case study only the context in which it is set, the town of St Ives with its white walls, grey slate roofs and small windows but also the site it occupies, which formally housed a circular gas holder. The focus of the building is a glazed rotunda and views from the gallery extend over the rooftops of the town and its harbour and out to the sea.

For more information please contact Ina Cole on 01736 796226.

North Pennines AONB: Good practice guide in the design, adaptation and maintenance of buildings The guide was produced by the North Pennines Partnership. The success of the Partnership in protecting and enhancing the landscape and heritage of the North Pennines depends on the

Case study input of its Partners (local authorities, organisations, local groups and individuals). The guide has the following aims:

• to help owners of historic properties to look after them sympathetically • to guide builders and architects who are maintaining or adapting old buildings

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 25 Case study Case study Asrecommendedin 6 Planning greenpaper;Deliveringafundamentalchange,DTLR,December2001 5 4 PPG13;Transport 3 PPG6;Town Centresandretaildevelopment,RevisedJune1996 2 PPG21;Tourism, DoE,November1992 1 Notes pressures andtheneedtoavoidfossilisation not opposedevelopmentinprinciple,butrecognisesthatitisinevitable,givenhousing commend thetowntoprospectiveresidentsandvisitorsinfirstplace.TheGroupdoes such amannerastoprotectitsheritageandmaintainattractiveness–thosefactorswhich community andresearch,istoensure,throughPlanningGuidance,thatthetowndevelopsin ‘…The chiefaimoftheIlkleyDesignStatementGroup,basedonconsultationwithlocal www.ilkley.org/designstatement/ Ilkley DesignStatement issues suchasefficient useofresourcesandthedevelopmentgreenlinkstocountryside improve thedesignofnewdevelopmentintownslikeStratford-upon-Avon. Itwillinclude has beenlaunchedinthetown.Thisexcitingandinnovativeresearchwilllookathowto ‘…A pilotstudytocreateacommunity-ledTown DesignStatementforStratford-upon-Avon www.stratford-design.co.uk/ Stratford Town DesignStatement Council, tel:01913833611 Pennines Partnership,DepartmentofEnvironmentandTechnical Services,DurhamCounty For furtherinformationcontactKevinPatrick,NorthPenninesAONBOfficer, c/oNorth landscape oftheNorthPennines. Its mainpurposeistosafeguardthedistinctivecharacterandnaturalbeautyof toguidedevelopersofnewpropertyachieveagoodfitwithintheNorthPennines • © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 7 Similarrecommendationsincludedin 8 10 PlanningPolicyGuidanceNote11:Regionalplanning,DETR,October2000 9 11 landscape. continued internet at:www.planning.detr.gov.uk/prp/lupr/pubsgpg/newpubs.htm Planning forleisureandtourism Tomorrow’s Tourism op cit Planning forleisureandtourism June 2000 European spatialplanningandurban/ruralrelationships: theUKdimension , opcit Tomorrow’s Tourism 2D TOURISMANDTHEPLANNINGSYSTEM:GAININGVALUE LOCALLY , TheTourism Companyetal,publishedbyDETRonthe , opcit Tourism andtheEnvironment and The ImpactofTourism onRuralSettlements , opcit , DETR, COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 26 2 2D , 2D TOURISM AND THE PLANNING SYSTEM: GAINING VALUE LOCALLY

12 The Government ‘want all local authorities to have in place a strategy for their tourism and leisure activities. Good strategies need to be built and evaluated on relevant and reliable statistics, collected cost-effectively.’ Janet Anderson MP, Foreword to Measuring the Local Impact of Tourism, DCMS, 1998 13 Making the connections: a practical guide to tourism management in historic towns, English Tourism Council/English Historic Towns Forum/English Heritage, 2000 14 DoT Circular, Roads 3/95; Traffic Signs to Tourist Attractions is currently subject to review (consultation draft, December 2001) 15 Sustainable tourism management in the New Forest, The Countryside Agency, 2001 16 The sequential test applies to out-of-centre proposals and requires consideration of whether there are alternative sites located within a town or other local centre, as appropriate. 17 Planning for leisure and tourism, op cit 18 This guide is concerned only with use of land for holiday and touring caravan sites and not with residential or travellers’ caravan sites. 19 Planning for leisure and tourism, op cit 20 As recommended in Tourism and the Environment, op cit

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2E Developing visitor management plans

Introduction

Who are the stakeholders?

The visitor management planning process explained

What factors help to decide success or failure?

Case studies

References

2E Developing visitor management plans

This component explains how to develop visitor management plans and monitor their effectiveness. Related material can also be found in the following components:

• 1A Surveying visitor satisfaction • 1D Determining local carrying capacities in an area • 2B Developing tourism partnerships • 2D Tourism and the planning system: gaining value locally • 3E Ensuring access for all • 4 Measuring overall tourism performance.

Introduction

Visitor management planning is an important tool in the management of sustainable tourism because this is a method of influencing visitor activities so that their positive impacts can be maximised and negative impacts minimised. The process has been used at natural and historic sites for many years to reduce or prevent damage to fragile buildings, geological features, flora and fauna. It has become increasingly common on a larger scale, for example on national trails and in historic towns.

Many techniques used in site visitor management can be applied to a destination, mainly because the planning and management process is similar. Furthermore, visitor management planning at a destination level presents additional opportunities to maximise visitors’ positive impacts.

Sustainable advantages of visitor management planning

• reduces damage caused by visitors to sensitive sites; eg erosion; trampling; disturbance; traffic • prevents negative impacts on these sensitive sites in the future • addresses specific issues; eg congestion; car/coach parking; litter; user conflict • maximises the use of limited capacity – for example by booking systems of time cards for popular, but sensitive, sites • influences the distribution of visitors to spread economic benefits more widely in time, space or both • steers visitors towards places that are best equipped to accommodate them • makes visitors feel that they are contributing to the place they visit, rather than detracting from it in some way • gives the destination clear objectives, targets and timescales • guides the marketing of a destination.

Who are the stakeholders?

The stakeholders in visitor management planning are all those who will be affected by the plan, together with those who can influence the activities of visitors. The visitors themselves are also key stakeholders.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 1 Tip organisations, timetable,resourcesandrisksinvolved. partnerships andcommunityconsultation).Thisshould include carefulconsiderationofthe and selltheprocesstootherstakeholders(seehandbook componentsontourism manager. Whateverthesource,instigatorneeds tothinkcarefullyabouthowpresent visitor managementplan.Alternatively, thismightcomefromthespecificneedsofasite The localauthority–oftenitsdestinationmanagergenerally identifiestheneedfora The visitormanagementplanningprocess explained to understandtheirneeds. that theyoppose,anditisparticularlyimportanttoinvolvethemfromtheoutset start. Industryandthecommunitycanbeparticularlypowerfulinobjectingtoproposals To bringstakeholdersonboard,itisimportanttoagreeclearaimsandobjectivesatthe features, ortomaintainhabitatssupportsensitivespecies. manoeuvre sincethereareoftenlegalobligationstoprotectparticularbuiltornatural will almostinevitablyinvolvecompromise.Conservationsitemanagershavelittleroomfor A destinationvisitormanagementplanmustseektobalancetheseconflictingpositionsand The keystakeholdersandtheirpositionsareasfollows: by usergroups) Visitors (oftenrepresented Local authority/ies Industry Community Site managers(conservation) Stakeholder © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 • • • • • • • • • • Position Oppose anyproposalswhichrestrictorreduceaccess Seek tomaximiseaccessfortheirareaofinterest Responsibility formuchtourisminfrastructure turnover andprofitability Oppose anyproposalswhichreducemarketshare, Want tomaximisemarketshare,turnoverandprofit Seek tominimisedisturbanceanddisruptionbyvisitors parking difficulties) as risingprices,litter, erosion,congestionand Seek tominimiseproblemscausedbyvisitors(such of theirsiteasafuturelobbyingtool Want tomakevisitorsawareofthevalueorimportance Want torestrictvisitorsatsensitivelocations capacities Want torestrictvisitornumberswithincarrying 2E DEVELOPINGVISITORMANAGEMENTPLANS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 2 2 2E 2E DEVELOPING VISITOR MANAGEMENT PLANS

1 Where are you at the moment?

The work should start with a wide-ranging audit of the destination to identify:

• relevant existing policies and strategies (in tourism operator vision and objectives, structure and local plans, the local transport plan, relevant national and regional tourism strategies and supplementary planning guidance) • specific designations applying in the plan area (environmental and heritage conservation) • where visitors go and what they do (their origins, seasonality and modes of transport) • who manages visitor sites and why • how many visitors there are and how much they spend • sites’ carrying capacity and which sites are close to, at or beyond their carrying capacity (see the handbook component on carrying capacity) • the stakeholders and issues that concern them.

A position statement describing the current situation is a useful document and its preparation can help to build stakeholders’ ownership of the process. In order to ensure ownership and motivation to drive the plan forwards towards a common goal, it is important at this stage that the stakeholders come together to identify a vision and objectives for the plan.

2 Where do you want to be?

The second stage involves drawing together the information from the audit to identify the issues and opportunities and the options for addressing them (SWOT analysis is a proven technique). There are various ways to achieve this, but stakeholder workshops and annotated maps can be particularly effective.

Options for the future sustainable management of tourism can then be evaluated against the degree to which they meet the objectives of the process (satisfying stakeholders’ needs) and other factors such as cost, management implications and deliverability.

Again, it is crucial for the development of the plan that the stakeholders are involved as this will ensure that there is adequate buy in at the later stage of development and implementation.

3 How are you going to get there?

A management plan can then be formulated, comprising a number of ‘prescriptions’ to address the issues. At this stage, it is vital to resource the plan and to identify key responsibilities for implementing parts of the plan. Deadlines for achieving these actions will help to ensure the necessary level of follow through. The following techniques could be considered:

• market segmentation • advance booking mechanisms • ticketing initiatives • interpretative walks • promoting alternative holidays • signposting • promoting quieter, easily accessible or more robust areas.

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Designating zones of varying sensitivity within the destination can be an effective means of prioritising the issues and prescriptions and implementing policies.

The North Norfolk Coast Strategy uses six zones with varying sensitivity, from ‘areas of fragile wildlife habitat under considerable visitor pressure’ to ‘more robust areas with few visitor pressures at present’. For each, there are distinct policies for: visitor management; promotion; car parking and traffic; interpretation; and visitor facilities. Case study

4 Implementing the plan

The plan must be implemented through a partnership of all the organisations able to deliver its policies and actions. (For more information on partnerships, please see component 2B How to develop tourism partnerships.)

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has launched a new visitor management strategy entitled Building on our Successes (2002-2006). It follows the borough’s first ground- breaking strategy Marching into the Future, published in 1996. The document highlights both changes in the industry and in the council’s visitor management service, and looks at

Case study how the further development of partnership working will be the key to future achievement.

The vision for the next four years is to position the Royal Borough as a ‘must do’ short break destination where visitor and community needs come first. Through partnership, the aim is to persuade visitors to stay longer, spend more and come back, while the financial objective is to support the local economy by providing the infrastructure and marketing help needed by local businesses to increase and prosper.

The six core objectives of the Visitor Management Strategy are as follows:

1 to improve the quality of experience for residents and visitors alike by providing the infrastructure required to support local businesses involved in tourism 2 to seek and establish commercial and community partnerships by which, through working together and joint funding initiatives, we can achieve our aims 3 to target specific market sectors, to increase the length of stay, frequency of visit and dispersal of visitors, in order to maximise economic benefit to all areas of the borough all year round 4 to use technology to maximise the impact of the visitor management strategy including websites, email, telephone technology and other digital formats such as television 5 to complement and support other related strategies, in particular the Cultural Strategy, the Local Plan, the Best Value Plan, Regional Economic Development Strategy and Tomorrow’s Tourism to act as a guidance document for town centre management and generate funding to support initiatives of the borough 6 to implement and monitor progress of the visitor management strategy on a regular basis.

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The 1996-2002 Strategy filled a necessary vacuum and provided the building blocks to sustain long-term tourism economic vitality for the Royal Borough. It acknowledges the range of other strategies and policy documents impacting on tourism at all levels, and is both complementary and responsive to the huge growth in information technology, the changing marketplaces and the crises suffered by the industry in 2001.

See also component 2B, How to develop tourism partnerships for contact details.

5 Monitor and review

Mechanisms for monitoring progress and impacts should be built in from the start. Performance targets should be set and performance indicators agreed. Again, component 2B on tourism partnerships gives more information on monitoring using sustainable indicators. Ideally, these would use existing recording systems, and the ETC’s sustainable tourism indicators may help.

What factors help to decide success or failure?

As with all planning processes, there is a tendency, once the plan has been completed, to breathe a sigh of relief and sit back. However, implementation of a visitor management plan is only going to succeed if time and funds are allocated to the actions and if someone takes responsibility. Ideally, this may be through a partnership of stakeholders, a destination management partnership, which will need a committed champion itself to be successful. Critical success and failure factors include:

Factor Ways to achieve

Ownership of the plan • Look at the process from the stakeholder’s point of view – how can it help them to achieve their objectives? • Involve the stakeholders in all stages of the process • Show long-term commitment to the partnership

Adequate resources • Be realistic about the resources needed and source adequate resources at the planning stage. If you don’t, implementation will stall

A champion to push • Varies from one situation to another. In the case of whole implementation forward destinations, it will probably be the local authority tourism manager • Select a champion who commands respect from the stakeholders, who can influence the stakeholders and commit for at least three years

Sphere of influence • Some visitor management plans fall down because they have omitted a key player. Ensure that all stakeholders and potential contributors are included from the start

Be sure also to refer to the specific handbook component (2D covers tourism and the planning system).

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 5 Case study Case study Case study which coversvisitormanagement. good practicebytheindustry andvisitors.ThereisalsoaManagementPlanfor2001-2006 diversification projects,publictransportinitiatives,promotional leafletsandpromotionof town interpretationprojectsdevelopedwiththecooperation oflocalcommunities,farm tourism developmentsandsensitivepromotionofthearea. Initiativesincludevillageand primary aimbeingsustainablevisitormanagement.This isachievedbyaseriesofsmallscale DNP havedevelopedaninitiativecalledtheDartmoorArea Tourism Initiativewiththe Dartmoor NationalPark Contact: EastofEnglandTourist Board 01473822922 lengthier staysandattempttoregulatetheflowtowncentre. used pierarea.Thiswillinvolveupgradingfacilitiesandattractionsintheareatoencourage scheme designedtoreducecongestioninthetowncentrebydirectingvisitorsunder- The popularityofthissmallSuffolk townwithvisitorshasledtotherequirementofa Southwold Visitor ReceivingAreaScheme toestablishlastingmechanismsformonitoring,co-ordinationandconsultation. 7 toprovideacommonframeworkinwhichowners,occupiers,residents,publicand 6 toidentifyhowpresentandpossiblefuturetourismwithintheDerwentValley Millscan 5 todevelopanintegratedandsustainableapproachmeetingthetransportationneeds 4 toincreasepublicawarenessofandinterestintheDerwentValley Millssite,andto 3 toestablishguidelinesforfuturemanagementofthesiteandbuildingsland 2 toidentifykeyissuesaffecting boththevulnerabilityofculturallandscapeand 1 specific aims: framework thatwasutilisedinconsultationsMarch2002.TheManagementPlanhasseven The managementplanistobecontinuouslydevelopedandthisdocumentprovidesaninitial tointerpretandpromoteitsassets,enhancecharacter, appearanceand • toconservetheuniqueandimportantculturallandscapeofDerwentValley MillsSite • The ManagementPlanhasanoverarchingmission: (priortoWorld HeritageStatus) Derwent Valley MillsManagementPlan–draft2000 Case studies © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 voluntary agenciescanpursuebothindividualandpartnershipactionplans the localeconomy be developedinanenvironmentallyandeconomicallysustainablewayforthebenefitof of thesite promote itseducationalandculturalvalue within it,sothattheessentialcharacterofculturallandscapeisconserved of thesite opportunities foritsenhancement,andmeasurestoprotectthecrucialsignificance economic well-beinginasustainablemanner. 2E DEVELOPINGVISITORMANAGEMENTPLANS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 6 2 2E 2E DEVELOPING VISITOR MANAGEMENT PLANS

Visitor Management Strategy for the Norfolk Coast (1995), Norfolk Coast Partnership The Norfolk Coast AONB produced a comprehensive visitor management strategy when a project was set up in the early 1990s. This document recognises the importance of tourism and recreational use to the local economy and seeks to identify and promote ways that the AONB can be used for recreational purposes whilst being sustainable. It is considered as an Case study important part of the AONB management strategy.

Contact: The Partnership Officer, Norfolk Coast Partnership 01328 711533.

Ironbridge Gorge, Derwent Valley Mills, (all World Heritage Sites and those trying to achieve the status) have to have produced a management plan which also includes visitor management. There are operational guidelines issued by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee on the important of appropriate administrative and management arrangements

Case study for WHSs.

Broadway Visitor Management Plan, Wychavon District Council, Pershore 1996 Preparation of a visitor management plan for one of the Cotswold’s most popular destinations included surveys of visitors, local traders and local residents, combined with a study of the visual and physical carrying capacity of the village to produce a comprehensive

Case study plan based on the principles of sustainable tourism.

Making the Connections – a practical guide to tourism management in historic towns Making the Connections, produced by the English Historic Towns Forum, contains advice on policy and practice for tourism management in historic towns. It advocates an integrated approach to tourism planning that brings together different council departments, elements

Case study of industry, local residents and visitors. The guide refers to this approach as 'destination management' and illustrates good practice by a series of case studies.

For further information please visit the English Historic Towns Forum website.

North Pennines AONB Management Plan The management plan has the following objectives: • Identify initiatives to secure the conservation and enhancement of the North Pennines landscape

Case study • Ensure management initiatives and associated expenditure are to the benefit of the local community and economy. • Ensure effective co-ordination between authorities, agencies, organisations and groups with responsibility for landscape management. • Provide a mechanism to attract additional resources to the North Pennines from existing management partners and from central government and the European Union.

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The objectives are achieved through the initiative of authorities, agencies and individuals who are concerned with the good management of the landscape.

The plan includes examples of green tourism, interpretation strategy, and promotion of awareness and understanding, and examples of projects.

For further information contact Kevin Patrick, North Pennines AONB Officer, c/o North Pennines Partnership, Department of Environment and Technical Services, Durham County Council, tel: 0191 3833611

Canterbury Over the last 20 years, the city of Canterbury has wrestled with the negative impacts of too many visitors and visitor management in the city have focussed on this. Currently, however, the challenge is to succeed in an increasingly competitive market for short breaks through

Case study ‘cultural engagement of visitors. The city’s visitor management planning has evolved to meet the changing situation.

The city’s tourism department recently went through a Best Value review and the results have been incorporated into the current marketing strategy and action plans.

The aim for visitor management is to ‘ease the tension between the host community, environment and visitors by controlling the physical and economic impacts of visitors during their visit’. This has led to four areas of activity in the tourism strategy:

• operating three TICs across the district to deal with advanced information needs and enquiries during visits • managing the visitor welcome, through a team of ‘Shepherds’ to give directions and information to arriving visitors at the coach park and to encourage them to visit off the beaten track • promoting a programme of festivals and events to spread visitors throughout the year • developing a range of high quality merchandise in order to increase the level of spend by day visitors in particular.

Contact: Jane Lovell, Canterbury City Council

Yorkshire Dales Tourism Forum The Forum consists of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Yorkshire Tourist Board, Yorkshire Forward (RDA) and the local authorities. Each has a clear tourism remit, though at first sight, these might seem to be in conflict. However, a realistic approach to working together, that

Case study of agreeing to maximise the benefits of working together where common ground could be found, identified a surprisingly long list of common attitudes and policies.

Visitor management was felt to be fundamental to a sustainable tourism industry in the Dales, and joint marketing by all of the partners has proved effective in addressing

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problems, such as seasonality, traffic congestion, inappropriate visitor behaviour, and in maximising the economic impacts.

The Forum decided to take a marketing approach, adopting a shared marketing strategy. An annual action plan delivers activities which:

• support the agreed visitor management objectives • increase environmental awareness and support • promote sustainable activities • provide an improved visitor experience • benefit local businesses • develop the use of information technology.

Contact: Joanna Royle, Head of Strategic Marketing, Yorkshire Tourist Board, tel: 01904 773321; email: [email protected]

The historic city of Cambridge attracts over 3 million visitors, raising a number of planning and management issues.

The Tourism Strategy focuses on non land-use policies, including visitor management. It stresses that tourism should be managed, not promoted. The Cambridge Local Plan deals Case study with tourism in a specific chapter and within other topic areas. Tourism policy is formulated in the context of the City’s adopted tourism strategy.

The general thrust of council policy on tourism and the emphasis on visitor management seem to be widely accepted and appear successful. This effective policy co-ordination requires collaboration and partnership working. This is extensive in Cambridge:

• Within the City Council, the Environment Committee is responsible for tourism planning, policy and tourism management, transport, economic development, conservation, licensing and Local Agenda 21. Officers speak of a culture and commitment to corporate working; frequent consultation ensures co-ordination of policy and management. • The Cambridgeshire Tourism Officers’ Group comprises the tourism officers from the County, all Districts and EETB. There is continuing liaison on an informal basis too. Planning policy for tourism is discussed between County and Districts during the processes of policy review and plan preparation. Chief Planning Officers within the county meet every 6 weeks to discuss current issues. Other joint Officer or Members groups deal with policy that affects tourism – for example, transport. • The Cambridge Tourism Group includes hoteliers, transport, language schools, Colleges, attractions, Chamber of Commerce and the City Council. CTG is a Working Group of the Environment Committee to which it reports. • The Cambridge Tourism Forum meets annually and is open to all tourism interests in the city. The Forum is intended to review and monitor the Tourism Strategy and discuss other matters of local tourism importance. • There is also a City Centre Management team, a Consultative Forum and a College Bursars’ Tourism Committee.

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The various groups have been effective in bringing together different stakeholders, giving them an input to policy, increasing trust, understanding and providing a basis from which to develop solutions to shared problems; eg a resolution to the coach drop-off problems in the city.

Key finding: Cambridge has developed a holistic approach to tourism planning based on co-ordination of policy and collaboration between interested parties.

At a sub-regional level, a tourism visitor strategy for Purbeck, Dorset was incorporated into a wider management plan for the area. This focused on a number of pressures that were seen to be causing long term damage and may deter visitors from returning. These included agricultural and other non-tourism issues. In tourism terms, the focus was

Case study on dispersal, identifying opportunities for developing the industry in Swanage and Wareham while promoting improvements and better visitor management at Corfe Castle, Lulworth Cove and the Studland peninsula. The strategy also incorporated proposals for an integrated transport system.

The Greenwich Visitor Management Study (1996) involved an analysis of visitors to the town centre and their mode of travel which includes car, boat, train, bus, coach and foot. It also reviewed the visitor’s experience in terms of access and arrival, attractions and features of interest, visitor routes and circulation, signposting and information, environmental

Case study conditions and other visitor amenities and facilities; eg toilets and seating. The potential impact of current proposals was assessed and priorities for visitor management identified. These included: re-locating the coach park, a new parking strategy, promotion of alternative means of transport, and new pedestrian routes including a ‘Greenwich Trail’ to disperse visitors. Further initiatives involved orientation panels, the rationalisation of signposting, re-locating the TIC, an information strategy and environmental improvements with recommendations for traffic calming/management, paving, litter, graffiti, derelict sites and building maintenance.

Stratford was selected by ETB as the first National Pilot Project in Visitor Management in a Historic Town. The three year Stratford-upon-Avon Visitor Management Action Programme, 1992-1995, was managed by a public/private partnership and included consideration of visitor impact, visitor welcome and visitor movement. Action involved: Case study • research on visitor impacts; a visitor survey to find out about visitor activity and a residents survey to find out their perceptions towards tourism • ‘Stratford Welcome’ was created as an identity for the programme. Initiatives involved visitor care training programme, information packs, general information and map leaflet, visitor information patrols, and town centre information map display boards.

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• co-ordinating the activities of various organisations already dealing with visitor movement; eg walking trails, traffic management, pedestrianisation, park and ride, coach management and public transport initiatives, station infrastructure, services and facilities.

The Visitor Management Programme finished in November 1995. The new five-year tourism strategy, From Strength to Strength, identifies the need for a new visitor management plan and incorporates a number of visitor management initiatives including:

• research into physical carrying capacities of key visitor sites in the district and the identification of appropriate methods of visitor flow control at peak periods • development of a Town Centre Management Partnership • regular research/monitoring of visitor flow, profile, behaviour and perception • emphasis on off-peak activity through the promotion of events and admission pricing • a series of initiatives aimed at promoting visits by alternative means of transport; eg rail and bus-based short break packages and cycling, walking and waterways holidays • wider dissemination and promotion of information on bus/coach excursion opportunities across the district to staying visitors in Stratford-upon-Avon • active promotion of park and ride facilities to visitors • development and wider promotion of local walking and cycling opportunities.

Avebury Development Plan www.eng-h.gov.uk/archcom/projects/summarys/html98_9/2257aveb.htm Case study

Forest of Bowland Action Plan www.lancsenvironment.com/strategies/bowlandactionplan/introduction.htm Case study

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References

Clark J and Godfrey K. The Tourism Development Handbook, Cassell, 2000.

Countryside Management Association With approximately 1,200 members, the CMS is the largest organisation of its kind involved in the countryside and urban greenspace management throughout England and Wales. www.countrysidemanagement.org.uk

English Historic Towns Forum EHTF explores the issues impacting on historic towns, offering support and guidance on conservation area management, traffic and visitor management, urban regeneration and design, and other planning issues. www.ehtf.org.uk English Historic Towns Forum. Making the Connections: A Practical Guide to Tourism Management in Historic Towns, EHTF, 1999.

Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty The Norfolk Coast Partnership works closely with many organisations and individuals as it seeks to protect and enhance the landscape and its special wildlife for all those who live in and visit the area. The organisation’s visitor management strategy may be obtained at www.norfolkcoastaonb.org.uk

World Tourism Organisation. Sustainable Tourism Development: A Guide for Local Planners, World Tourism Organisation, Madrid, 1993.

Grant M, Human B and Le Pelley B. Embracing tourism – Cambridge Tourism Strategy Review, Insights, Vol 13: C41-49 2002.

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COMPONENT 2E

Introduction: taking a quality approach

1 What does quality mean?

2 Approaches to quality management

3 Taking destination quality forward

4 Quality awards and schemes

5 Promoting uptake of awards and schemes

Section 3 Destination development

Introduction: taking a quality approach

This introduction to section 3 considers the meaning and role of a quality approach to destination development and management. It highlights how the overall management process itself and the specific destination activities covered in section 3 can help improve overall quality. The use and value of quality awards and schemes is also explained.

So far this handbook has covered the first two key steps of the management cycle: first, how to assess tourism within your destination, and with this information, how to plan for its development. The next section shows how this preparatory work can be put into practice across a range of development activities in order to create a better overall tourism product.

As stated within the introduction to this handbook, the fundamental objective that underlies destination development and management is one of instilling a quality approach across all aspects of the destination, which will in turn attract visitors, benefit industry and the community and protect and enhance the environment.

1 What does ‘quality’ mean?

Before going further it is important to consider briefly what quality actually means in this context. Like sustainability, it is a much-analysed subject with many definitions and models that could be debated ad nauseum. In essence it is the ability of the individual and collective aspects of the destination to consistently satisfy the needs and expectations of all of the various stakeholders mentioned above. It is therefore synonymous with the concept of sustainability and the VICE approach.

This is distinct from the view that quality only exists to the extent that the product (ie the destination) satisfies the requirements and expectations of the customer (ie the visitor). Whilst it is true to say that there would be no tourism without visitors, it will not develop effectively without recognising and balancing the needs of the other three stakeholder groups. Gaps may separately exist between the level of quality desired and expected by each stakeholder, the level of quality that is actually perceived by them and that which is ultimately provided to them. Each gap can be specifically addressed through considered approaches to research, communication, marketing, monitoring and quality management. The success or failure of a destination will therefore rely on its ability to identify, understand and close these gaps: this is the aim of the quality approach.

2 Approaches to quality management

A number of quality management models have been developed and applied to tourism, including Integrated Quality Management (IQM) and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). These can be adopted as frameworks for quality management and are considered in more detail within section 4 of this handbook, in conjunction with Best Value and benchmarking as a means of assessing destination performance.

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INTRODUCTION

These different approaches do however have one common principle, that of continuous improvement, which can only be achieved by addressing each stage of the management cycle. Thus it is the audit, monitoring and evaluation that provides the feedback on where the quality gaps are, the planning and development stages seek to close them and the cycle starts again with the aim of continuously improving destination quality. This process is, of course, directed by your strategic planning (vision, mission, goals; ie what you want to achieve) that will have been adopted within the overall destination management plan.

3 Taking destination quality forward

Whilst completing the management cycle is fundamental to progressively improving quality within destination management, the next step is to consider the range of specific activities that can be adopted to practically support this development – the aim of section 3 of the handbook.

These quality initiatives generally divide into:

• those aimed at improving the quality of a given aspect of tourism, such as visitor accomodation,attractions, e-business, training, transport, access and marketing. These may be nationally or regionally co-ordinated but are ultimately delivered locally • locally-managed initiatives involving stakeholders that aim to differentiate destinations through local distinctiveness.

Both of these aspects are key to creating the quality approach that is required to deliver stakeholder expectations and create successful destinations. Component 3F specifically considers how local distinctiveness can be understood and developed, whilst other components cover a range of important development areas. Before looking at these it is important to overview briefly the current range of initiatives that are specifically designed to promote quality improvement. These are the schemes and awards that can be obtained by destinations and the activities of which they comprise.

4 Quality awards and schemes

Schemes and awards are a key means of creating a structured approach to improving quality across a range of tourism activities and instilling sustainable principles. They also provide recognition for the effort put in and have considerable marketing benefits for both destinations and their tourism industry.

There are many types of awards and schemes in existence, operating at local, national and international levels. They are generally government, NGO or charity-led, but may be also sponsored by the private sector. They generally fall into two categories:

1 Competitive Usually annual awards to recognise excellence in a particular aspect or activity. Usually require participants to enter.

2 Participative These fall into two categories: inspected schemes such as national standards, and certification programmes and non-assessed initiatives. Examples of both are provided in component 3I Sustainability awards and schemes for industry and destinations.

They can also be divided further into those that deal specifically with tourism activities and those addressing other elements of destination management, which are nevertheless very important in creating an overall quality profile.

SECTION 3

INTRODUCTION

1 Tourism-specific schemes and awards National quality schemes for tourism accomodation have been in existence for a number of years and represent an important aspect of tourism development. These fall within a common set of harmonised standards and gradings, the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS), which is now embraced by the ETC, AA and RAC. The range of schemes to cover different types of accommodation now includes:

• Hotels • Guest accommodation (guesthouses, B&Bs, inns, farmhouses) • Self-catering • Caravan Parks • Hostels • Campus • Holiday villages

A further scheme has also recently been developed by ETC to address accessibility standards, the National Accessible Scheme (NAS), covering serviced and self-catering accommodation.

Beyond accomodation, the Visitor Attractions Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS), has been developed through the East of England Tourist Board as lead region, and is available to all attractions, including historic houses, castles, farm attractions, country parks, museums and theme parks.

Comprehensive guidance on the operation of all of these schemes can be found on the ETC website: www.englishtourism.org.uk

In addition to these ongoing schemes, the Excellence in England awards have also been established to encourage and reward excellence in English tourism across a range of categories. They are awarded annually, both nationally and regionally, with gold and silver awards given to:

• Bed and Breakfast/guesthouse of the year • Caravan Holiday Park of the year • Small hotel of the year • Large hotel of the year • Self-catering holiday of the year • Tourist Information Centre of the year • Small visitor attraction of the year • Large visitor attraction of the year • Best tourism website

There are also two further awards for outstanding customer service and marketing in tourism.

Detailed information is again available on the ETC website for the 2003 awards.

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2 Other awards and schemes for destination activities Many other quality designations may relate to different aspects of destination management. The following table illustrates a selection of those currently available to destinations and some of their component parts:

Aspect of destination Examples of awards and schemes

Access NAS Attractions VAQAS Beaches ENCAMS Blue Flag and Seaside Awards Business UK Business Excellence Award National Business Awards Conservation (built) Pilgrim Trust Conservation Awards Museums Museum of the Year Parks and open spaces Green Flag Awards Planning RTPI Awards Regeneration BURA awards Restaurants and pubs AA annual awards Shopping centres BCSC Purple Apple Visitor accommodation National Quality Assurance Standards Tourism Excellence in England Awards Transport National Transport Awards Waste and recycling National Recycling Awards

These are just a few examples to demonstrate the diversity of these awards and schemes and show the potential for participation by many destinations.

5 Promoting uptake of awards and schemes

There are obvious benefits through awards and schemes to develop and promote better quality. Their use can also present significant marketing opportunities for destinations, and combinations of awards gained can collectively create a strong positive image. There is an opportunity through this approach to appeal to specific market sectors, for example on accessibility, where potentially a significant target audience can be engaged. The components on accessibility and sustainability schemes consider how important this influence can be.

In terms of marketing potential, the status of the awards being sought obviously has a bearing; eg an international designation may have more weight than a national or regional scheme. However if real and sustained improvements are to be made by obtaining these designations, whatever their level, it inevitably needs effective local engagement with industry, community and the environment as contributors to and users of destination services. The need for these schemes and awards to be understood and actively promoted locally is therefore a key element in their success. The partnership approach to stakeholders addressed in component 2B will provide the mechanism for seeking this engagement. Awards and schemes can become focal points in developing this relationship.

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To be successful, significant effort is likely to be required to both co-ordinate the scheme or award, as well as that required from the individual participants themselves. The balance of effort required will vary depending on the levels of involvement required from the destination; eg setting up a certification scheme from scratch will require considerably more resource than merely communicating which awards are available. At the earliest stage it is essential to assess through liaison with local industry groups which initiatives they likely to participate in, whether assessed or non-assessed. The cost to participants weighed aganst the benefits they perceive may be the deciding factor.

Where destinations do consider establishing their own local schemes or awards or to participate within a national or regional framework, they must plan with the longer term in mind if resource and financial commitments are to be maintained. This is often an issue where initial funding has been provided for a period, but the scheme eventually lapses when the funding runs out. If this happens, it can be perceived that the effort put in has been wasted and can even damage relationships. It is therefore vital to address long-term viability.

It is also important to take into account that the situation will never remain static in terms of those involved, as there will be a turnover of both participants and administrators. These effects will be mitigated by building strong partnerships, good business planning and taking a sustainable approach from the outset.

Component 3I looks specifically at sustainability and environmental awards in more detail and gives an indication of the range of managerial considerations that will need to be addressed in setting up these schemes.

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3A SME training and business support

Introduction

What role can destination managers play?

What can training and business support achieve?

The key support agencies

Possible actions for destination managers

Case studies

3A SME training and business support

This component provides a brief summary of sources of support for training in the tourism industry. It acts as a signposting resource for Destination Managers who are keen to engage tourism operators in training and development of staff.

This component also relates to:

• 2B Developing tourism partnerships • 2C Engaging tourism micro-businesses.

Introduction

Achieving sustainable destination management objectives relies heavily on the co-operation, participation and quality of local tourism businesses. Motivated, professional and fully engaged businesses are necessary to ensure that visitors are welcomed and satisfied (and therefore more likely to return) and that the maximum economic benefit is achieved for the local community. They are also a prerequisite for a business sector which fully embraces and contributes to the environmental agenda.

Training and business advice can play an important role in raising the awareness/understanding of destination management objectives and enhancing skills/professionalism to enable businesses to contribute to sustainable goals.

What role can destination managers play?

There are many support agencies tasked to provide training and business advice/support, most addressing the needs of all types of business. However in general they achieve relatively modest penetration in the tourism sector. Some of the reasons for this are described in component 2C and are associated with the small size of most tourism enterprises, their tendency to be totally immersed in the day to day businesses of operation to the exclusion of longer term planning, and a general apathy towards training and external advice.

Destination managers can play a vital role by working with support agencies to improve participation rates. They are well placed to achieve this because they are:

• in touch with local businesses and communities • engaged with local and sub-regional networks which can deliver local actions • able to relate directly to tourism and visitor-related businesses.

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What can training and business support achieve?

Training and business support activities can contribute to all four elements of the VICE model.

Welcoming, involving and satisfying visitors:

• marketing workshops to enable businesses to attract year round visitor markets • customer care courses to enhance visitor satisfaction • ambassador and visitor stewardship training, enabling operators to take pride in the local heritage/environment and relay this to visitors.

Achieving a profitable and prosperous industry:

• one-to-one business advice tailored to, and targeted at, each tourism sector • training on aspects of recruiting and retaining quality staff who will provide a professional service • business planning and marketing courses • IT and e-commerce related training linked to local destination management systems • training on the use of/benefits of consumer/market research and customer satisfaction surveys, and how to undertake these.

Benefiting host communities:

• local destination benchmarking/auditing and community attitude surveys • training/workshops providing operators with the knowledge/means to develop local supplier relationships, particularly suppliers of local food and drink • training and support which equips operators with the means to influence guests to spend money and time in the local area thereby helping to sustain local services such as shops, pubs and public transport which benefit local people.

Protecting and enhancing the local environment:

• introducing training/business advice on the back of ‘green auditing/accreditation’ schemes focusing on different aspects of operational practice, ie energy saving, waste disposal • training linked to visitor payback initiatives • other training as part of Local Distinctiveness/Agenda 21 programmes.

The key support agencies

The prospect of setting up training and business support programmes can sound daunting. However, you are not alone; there are a multitude of different agencies out there looking for local partners to work with who have close business contacts. Funding for training course development/delivery and business advice is also available in all parts of the country given compliance with funding agency criteria. The key role for the destination manager is to identify business needs, form partnerships with the key support agencies and secure the participation of local businesses through the establishment of local or sub-regional business development schemes.

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Support for this type of activity may also come from other council departments; eg economic development, environmental health, planning, recreation, transport.

Key support agencies and potential partners

1 Learning and Skills Councils (LSCs) The key sub-regional agency for training support for the employed and unemployed. LSCs manage a wide range of Government training schemes many of which are relevant to the tourism sector. All are ‘co-financers’ for European Social Fund, the main funding opportunity for local and sub-regional sector specific training projects.

2 Business Links/Enterprise Agencies One-to-one business advice. In some cases tourism specific advice services but more often generalists, which can limit take-up of advice by the tourism industry.

3 Regional Developments Agencies (RDAs) Overall responsible for the funding of LSCs and Business Link. Some RDAs are co-financers for ESF in their own right, although the specific measures under which funding proposals for training can be submitted may be limited. Likely to prefer ‘regionally significant’ or sub-regional projects.

RDAs also have a range of other funding streams which may be relevant to tourism businesses support, in particular, the ‘Cluster Fund’.

4 Regional Tourist Boards (RTBs) All RTBs deliver training and business support to tourism businesses. One of the principle programmes is the Welcome to Excellence family of customer care programmes. Between them, RTBs are the largest supplier of customer care courses to the industry in the country. Most RTBs employ a training manager and are prepared to tailor courses to fit into a local or sub-regional context.

Some RTBs, but not all, have been pro-active in establishing partnerships with local authorities and support agencies to bid for ‘co-financing’ funding and this has been used to address a wide range of tourism training needs/skills gaps.

5 Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) SSCs are independent, UK-wide organisations developed by groups of influential employers in industry or business sectors of economic or strategic significance. SSCs are employer-led and actively involve trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the sector. SSCs are licensed by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in consultation with Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to tackle the skills and productivity needs of their sector throughout the UK.

SSCs give responsibility to employers to provide leadership for strategic action to meet their sector’s skills and business needs. In return they receive substantial public investment and greater dialogue with government departments across the UK. This will enable sector employers to have a far greater impact on policies affecting skills and productivity, and increased influence with education and training partners.

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Each SSC will agree sector priorities and targets with its employers and partners to address four key goals:

• reducing skills gaps and shortages • improving productivity, business and public service performance • increasing opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in the sector’s workforce, including action on equal opportunities • improving learning supply, including apprenticeships, higher education and national occupational standards

6 Springboard UK Springboard UK (www.springboarduk.org.uk) is an organisation which promotes careers in hospitality, leisure, tourism and travel to a range of potential recruits and influencers through a network of centres across the UK. Its specialist careers service provides over 14,000 people with free objective advice each year.

7 UK Online ukonline.gov.uk is the easy way to access government services on the internet. It guides the user through more than 900 government websites to get the information required quickly and efficiently. It is a key part of the UK Online initiative.

8 Higher Education establishments

9 Education/business partnerships

Possible actions for destination managers

• Identify training and other support needs through consultation with local tourism industry, community and environmental interests.

• Find out what initiatives/schemes/funding is available already by contacting key support agencies listed above. Often agencies can adapt their programmes to fit local requirements.

• Once your ideas have been firmed up, set up a meeting with the key players to explore the opportunities for funding development and delivery of training. The funding criteria can be complex and the administrative burden onerous. Working with other agencies with the necessary expertise and administrative infrastructure is almost always the best option. Your ideas may readily be incorporated into wider programme bids.

• Make use of existing programmes/initiatives; eg Welcome Host or Green Advantage, which can serve Destination Management objectives. Work with support agencies to tailor/enhance existing courses to fit local circumstances.

• Don’t refer to the term ‘training’ if it can be avoided. ‘Business development workshops’ or ‘business seminars’ may be more appealing to local business operators.

• Try to establish training at times and places which are convenient for tourism businesses. Often a half-day session is preferable to a whole day away from the business for a busy proprietor/manager.

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• When working with training supplier partners ensure that the lines of responsibility for recruitment onto courses and the course administration are clear. Venues and trainers need to be cancelled in good time if course numbers fall below a minimum.

• Explore the opportunities for providing online back-up for training workshop sessions.

• Explore the opportunities with Business Links for tourism specific advice provision.

Case studies

Welcome to Excellence series of training programmes The Welcome to Excellence series of training programmes is the most successful customer service training initiative in the UK with over 200,000 people participating since the first course was launched as the ‘Welcome’ courses in 1993. Case study Companies taking part range from small accommodation providers to larger organisations such as Bourne Leisure, The National Trust, De Vere Hotels, Marks and Spencer, Condor Ferries, British Waterways and numerous public sector organisations.

There are now five one-day training programmes, which provide front-line staff and managers with the skills they need to provide high standards of service:

• Welcome Host Designed to improve standards of customer service given to visitors. • Welcome International Designed to give people working in the tourism/hospitality industry greater confidence when meeting and greeting international visitors in another language. • Welcome All Designed to provide practical advice and guidance on service to customers with disabilities and special needs. (Includes information on the Disability Discrimination Act.) • Welcome Management Designed to assist Managers and Supervisors who set the standard of customer care within their business and are responsible for leading a team of front-line staff. • Welcome Line Concentrates on improving customer service and sales through skilful use of the telephone.

In addition, there are sector specific customer care courses available which include Welcome Host for Transport, Welcome to Health, Welcoming Walkers and Cyclists, Welcome Farmer and Welcome Host for Sport and Recreation. Other courses such as Marketing for Smaller Businesses and Green Advantage have also been tailored for the tourism industry. To find out full details on all the courses listed, please contact the training department at your RTB.

To ensure the courses continue to meet the changing needs of both the industry and its customers, they are currently being redeveloped and were rebranded in 2002. In addition, Welcome E-business, a half-day course on the potential of the internet and email for tourism business, is being launched in 2003. Participants who complete the courses successfully will be awarded a badge and certificate as well as the new tailor-made support materials that accompany each course.

continued

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continued

Welcome to Excellence courses are designed for new and more experienced employees working in:

• serviced or self-catering accommodation • holidays caravan and camping parks • visitor attractions • leisure, arts and entertainment centres • travel and transport • local authorities and Tourist Information Centre staff

Through Welcome to Excellence, people working in tourism have the opportunity to:

• achieve excellence in customer service • exceed guest needs and expectations • provide an environment where courtesy, helpfulness and a warm welcome are standard • focus and develop individual skills

The benefits of delivering quality customer service include:

• higher levels of repeat custom • vital word-of-mouth recommendations • improved staff recruitment and retention.

South Hams Green Tourism Business Club Set up by South Hams District Council at the end of 2002. It was created following business feedback from the South Hams Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) which assesses businesses on their environmental performance. Case study The main aims and benefits of the club include:

• free training events • bulk buying discounts for ‘green’ products • reciprocal marketing • the sharing of knowledge and experiences • free newsletters • free telephone/email support

Membership consists of GTBS award winners; however other interested businesses are also invited to events which have so far proved to be very popular. The success of the club is linked to the fact that it is business led and the events organised are tailored around their specific needs.

Training events consist of a ‘green’ business case study followed by professional speakers on various topics including energy saving, waste minimisation and water use. There is always an opportunity for them to ‘ask the expert’ and also to participate in a discussion session.

continued

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 6 Case study programmes, biddingandbudget.DeliveryissubcontractedtotheSouthernTourist Board. Bournemouth BoroughCouncilistheleadbodyresponsibleforcentraladministration Dorset andNewForestTourism Partnership tel: (01803)861249;[email protected] South HamsDistrictCouncil,FollatonHouse,PlymouthRoad,Totnes, DevonTQ95NE For moreinformation,pleasecontact:SallyPritchard,GreenTourism Officer offered andtoencouragemorebusinessesontotheawardscheme. and businessmentoringareallbeinginvestigatedinordertobroadentherangeofbenefits Links withotheragenciestoprovideadditionalbenefitsmemberssuchasonlinelearning © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 continued 3A SMETRAININGANDBUSINESSSUPPORT COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 7 3 3A Section 3 Destination development

3B Promoting e-business

Introduction

What is e-business?

Maximising the effectiveness of your destination through ICT and e-business

Destination Management Systems

EnglandNet

Marketing your destination with the help of ICT

Effective use of ICT for websites

Getting visitors to your website

Other distribution channels

Why encourage your businesses to use e-business?

Sources of advice for tourism businesses

3B Promoting e-business

This component will provide an overview of how information and communications technology (ICT) and e-business can be employed to assist destination management organisations (DMOs) achieve greater sustainability. It will outline how a range of technology can be utilised by destinations, including destination management systems (DMSs), the internet and websites.

This component also relates to:

• 2B Developing tourism partnerships • 2C Engaging tourism micro-businesses • 3A SME training and business support • 3J Marketing.

Introduction

If tourism in your destination is to become truly sustainable it will need to attract sufficient visitors over time, maximise repeat visitors, and manage its operations as efficiently as possible. Effective use of ICT is a key way of achieving this. Destinations should be aware of the opportunities offered by e-business. Recent research reveals that the internet and traditional brochures are now used in equal proportions by consumers when planning and booking their holidays. The Travel Industry Association of America estimates that around 64 million Americans now research their travel options online (nua.com, Dec 2002). If a destination has no presence on the internet, how will potential visitors know what it has to offer?

Effective use of ICT, however, is much more than simply having a website. Technology is a tool that should be able to enhance operations across a DMO. It needn’t be complex, nor expensive, but whatever the scale, technology should be implemented with care and be based around the objectives of an organisation.

This component cannot hope to cover all there is to know about e-business, or how to get you online, but it will signpost you to sources of advice and guidance on the options available to you and your local operators.

What is e-business?

E-business is the way consumers and businesses interact using new technology such as the World Wide Web, mobile devices, and interactive television. It can include using technology that leads to making a purchase offline, as well as purchasing goods and services online. The Web is the fastest growing promotion and sales mechanism available to business with access to instant global markets 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The good news for destinations is that travel and tourism is the fastest growing online business sector. ‘The most popular online purchases in the UK in descending order are flights and holiday accommodation, event tickets, books/magazines and music.’ (nua.com Dec 17 2002).

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Maximising the effectiveness of your destination though ICT and e-business

The most important point to remember when looking at implementing anything new into an organisation is how it can improve your business. New technology can be an incredible industry resource and e-business has the potential to permeate virtually every area of work of DMOs.

Destination Management Systems

Many destinations have an ICT-based DMS in place. DMSs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but essentially they provide the infrastructure and foundation for the collection, storage, manipulation and distribution of information in all its forms, and for the transaction of reservations and other commercial activities. Typical uses of a DMS include:

• providing systems for use in a TIC, including accommodation booking, searching for and providing information, ticket sales, retail sales support (including EPOS) and stock control • supporting call centre activities • supporting the destination’s website • supporting an industry extranet (a website aimed specifically at tourism businesses in your destination) • supporting kiosks or through-the-glass devices • providing a basis for database marketing/customer relationship management • providing content for distribution to regional and national tourism organisations • enabling the sale of tourism products, through online channels, generating revenue for tourism businesses and the destination • providing content for hard copy brochures.

Specifying, procuring and installing a DMS will require a substantial amount of time, careful planning and project management. The DMO must have in place a strategy outlining precisely what it wishes to achieve as an organisation.

When specifying the needs for a DMS, DMOs should seek guidance and advice. There are a number of sources available:

• Tourist boards DMOs in England should contact their RTB, who will be able to provide information on the region’s ICT/e-business strategy in relation to EnglandNet (see below). In some instances, the RTB itself may be able to provide DMS services. In Wales and Scotland the national VisitWales and VisitScotland initiatives are in place, and the Wales Tourist Board and the Scottish Area Tourist Boards can give guidance to DMOs on these. • Other DMOs Invaluable information can be gained from destinations which have already implemented a DMS. • Impact Through IT A comprehensive set of guidelines on specifying, procuring and implementing a DMS were produced by the English Tourist Board/England’s Tourism Technology Working Group in May 1999. An updated summary of the key principles was put together in 2002 and is available from the RTBs. • Tourism consultants Many destinations use the services of consultants to plan their organisation’s strategy for implementing ICT and e-business. • DMS suppliers There are a number of companies who can supply DMSs. While they will naturally favour their own products and services, they will have experience of working with DMOs and helping them meet their organisation’s needs. SECTION 3

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It should be noted that in some instances it may not be financially viable to implement a full- scale DMS. It may be that a bespoke database can handle your needs efficiently without you having to procure a full DMS. Nevertheless, the principles behind running a DMS can be applied to any destination. Although there are many benefits to installing an all-encompassing DMS, this is not the only option. Sector-specific software packages are available, (for example conference software) and in some instances these may be more appropriate for a destination instead of or in addition to a DMS.

DMSs have been successfully implemented in individual cities and towns, cross-county partnerships, counties and regions. If it makes sense from an operational or marketing perspective, there may be benefits to procuring a DMS jointly with one or more neighbouring destinations. This option can have very strong benefits for some destinations, as the cost of implementing and maintaining the system can be shared between partners.

EnglandNet

EnglandNet is an initiative set up jointly between England’s RTBs and the national tourist board for England. It is not a DMS in itself, but will provide the infrastructure and services to work with existing and new systems in destinations and regions in order to provide a range of services to both tourism consumers and the tourism industry. EnglandNet’s services can be broadly defined into three main categories:

• Community services Designed to facilitate the exchange of information between consumers and industry groups, the first example of this is ENTICE (England’s National Tourist Information Centre Extranet). ENTICE provides the mechanisms for enhanced communication between RTBs, destinations and TICs through online forums and diaries. It also allows TICs to access and update online information such as the TIC directory, useful contacts and TIC suppliers.

• Content management EnglandNet will facilitate the collection, aggregation and distribution of tourism product and customer data from a variety of sources. For example, it has created open data standards for the exchange of product information between DMSs and regional data repositories, allowing data that is collected at a destination level to be distributed through regional and national channels (for example VisitBritain).

• E-commerce services EnglandNet will create e-commerce mechanisms that will allow the online purchasing of a range of tourism products. This service will be available to destinations and regions to incorporate this into existing services (for example websites) and in addition to providing savings in the cost of developing such a service, will offer competitive rates for commission and bank merchant costs.

EnglandNet is not a consumer brand, and will not provide any consumer services itself. EnglandNet’s services will be delivered through England’s regional and national tourism organisations. For further information, destinations in England should contact their RTB where an appointed EnglandNet project manager is available to answer any of your questions. Destinations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should contact their Area Tourist Board, Wales Tourist Board and Northern Ireland Tourist Board respectively with regard to the national initiatives taking place in their countries.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 3 Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 • • website. Thesewouldinclude: There areanumberofdifferent typesofcontentthattypically makeupadestination ensure thisiscarriedout. responsible forthatelementofcontent,andtohavean operationalstructureinplaceto that canalloweasyandregularupdatingtobedone,either bytheDMOororganisation It isimportantthatwebsitecontentkeptuptodateand thekeyistohaveamechanism Effective useofICTforwebsites a brandthatiswellrecognisedbytheconsumer. financially andstrategicallyviable.Thisisespeciallythecasewherethiswouldbetterreflect Developing awebsitewithanotherdestinationmaybeanattractiveoptionifitisoperationally, market, oralternatively, distinctsectionswithinonesite. online too.Thismightmean,forexample,aseparatesiteconferencestoyourleisure specific productsandmarketsinitsstrategy, itshouldconsiderhowthesearedifferentiated organisation’s marketingstrategy. Therefore,ifyourdestinationdifferentiates between As statedabove,awebsiteissimplymarketingchannel,andmustthereforefollowyour authority site,andsomehaveajointsitewithotherdestinationsintheirarea. a dedicatedtourismwebsite(ormorethanone),manyhavesectiononthelocal Virtually alldestinations currentlyhavesomeformofpresenceontheweb.SomeDMOs different fromthatofasmallerruraldestinationmaynotbesowellknown. for another. Asolutionthatfitsacitywithstrongwell-establishedbrandmaybevery Every destinationisdifferent, andthereforewhatworksforonemaynotnecessarilywork infrastructure, onwhicharecontainedthewebpages. massive computernetwork.AnInternetServiceProvider(ISP)givesyouaccesstothis pages. Theinternetisacollectionofcomputernetworkslinkedtogethertoformone A webbrowseristheprogrammeinstalledonyourcomputerthatallowsyoutoview scattered aroundtheworld,alljoinedtogetherbylinksandviewedthroughawebbrowser. The webismadeupofhundredsmillionspagesstoredoncomputers The internet,theWorld WideWeb …what’s thedifference? from aDMSasitscore(thisisoftenpreferable,butnotnecessarilyessential). not onlywebsites,butalsokiosks,digitalTVandmobiledevices.Thesecanallusecontent further detailsareconsidered.Electronicmarketingcantakeanumberofformsincluding As withallformsofmarketing,asoundmarketingstrategyshouldbeinplacebeforeany Marketing yourdestinationwiththehelpofICT It isrecommendedthatthis is undertakenbytheDMOitself. editorial/motivational content This informationisoften(but notalways)collectedandmaintainedbytheDMO. restaurants/cafés/bars, conferencevenues;andservices such asdoctorsorgarages) product content (eg accommodationestablishments,attractions,events, (eg imagesandgeneraldescriptions ofthedestination) 3B PROMOTINGE-BUSINESS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 4 3 3B 3B PROMOTING E-BUSINESS

• third party sourced content (eg weather information from the Met Office, maps from Streetmap) product content may also be sourced from third parties, such as tourist boards.

These different types of content will be maintained in different ways. For example, the most efficient way of maintaining the product content of a website is for it to be driven from the product database of the destination’s DMS. It should then be the case that any changes that are made in the DMS are instantly seen on the website. Editorial/motivational content is likely to be maintained through a ‘content management’ application provided by the website developer, or the software that it was built on. With regard to third party sourced content, the most important criteria is that it is from a reliable source, and that you can trust the quality of the data.

It is important to consider what services your website will have. Listed below are just some services that are incorporated into tourism websites.

• Database-driven content An efficient method of getting information about tourism product onto a website is to get a feed from a database. As mentioned above, if you have a DMS in place, then typically this content would come from there. There are all-round benefits of database driven content, in addition to the benefits of efficiency already referred to, it will also allow the content to be sorted by various criteria, either imposed by the destination, or more commonly, by the user of the website based on their preferences; eg search by price or by rating.

• Customer contact facility Most websites have the facility to allow users to make contact with specific questions/comments. In terms of tourism websites, the questions are likely to refer to potential visitors and their plans, and therefore can be a very useful facility. You should be aware of two points: firstly, that visitors will also use this method of communication for any complaints they have; and secondly, that whatever their reason for contact, will expect a quick response (an acknowledgement within 24 hours would be reasonable).

• Online purchasing The demand to purchase products online continues to grow, with travel and tourism products being a key area. Flights, car rental, rooms at large corporate hotels are examples of products that can be widely purchased online. However, at present, the ability to purchase a room in a B&B or a ticket to a local event is still the exception rather than the norm. Destinations can procure e-commerce systems either as part of, or to interface with their DMS, but these can be costly and will require the support of your tourism businesses. There are a number of decisions that must be made by destinations who want to enter this arena, two of the key ones being:

– The ‘scale’ of online purchasing – ‘real time’ online purchasing with credit card authorisation and payment being the most complex, and will require allocations of rooms, tickets, etc. from product providers. Many destinations have adopted a system whereby product providers give an indication of the availability of product, which is confirmed by a telephone call (often automated) to the provider at the point of purchase. – Whether to go it alone, or to work with others – going it alone means you can specify exactly what you want and have maximum control, but can be very costly and ultimately out of reach of most destinations. EnglandNet, VisitWales and VisitScotland will be able

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to offer this facility to destinations at a substantially reduced rate, and is the recommended route for destinations wanting to take this step.

Getting visitors to your website

It cannot be assumed that by simply having a website, people will automatically look at it. There are many ways to promote your website, and thus increase the chances of potential tourists visiting it.

• Ensure your site is linked to from other sites Regional/area tourist board and national tourism sites, such as VisitBritain, provide links to destination websites, often at no cost. If your site isn’t linked from these, you should contact the relevant organisation. The British Resorts Association and Tourism Management Institute offer space on their websites too.

• Have a name and web address (URL) that is easy to remember Many destinations have adopted the ‘Visit’ protocol; eg VisitBrighton.com; VisitBristol.co.uk. Anyone who doesn’t work in a local authority (ie most tourists) are unlikely to think of putting ‘.gov.uk’ at the end of the name of the destination they plan to visit. However, it is important to have a prominent link from your local authority website, even if your destination is not local authority owned, in case people go there by accident.

• Optimise your performance on search engines/directories It is important to come high up in the list of results of the popular search engines, such as Google and directories such as Yahoo! in order that potential tourists find your website, and hence your information, above that of other websites. This can be done ‘in house’, by whoever is responsible for the hosting of your website, or by a third party.

• Ensure you use the name/address of your website in all your other publicity Include the website address in advertising, brochures and on all on corporate stationery. It is also worth asking other organisations to display your web address in their publicity when telling people where to go for further information, for example local hotels and transport services.

• Develop an integrated marketing strategy Combine new media marketing with ‘drive to the web’ campaigns using traditional methods.

Other distribution channels

Digital TV Digital TV, in this context, is essentially another means for consumers to research and purchase products, including tourism. Over 30% of the UK population has digital TV, and the services of Sky, NTL and Telewest all have interactive functionality, which allows viewers to browse information and make purchases. It is possible for destinations to have a dedicated local TV channel which carries tourism content from their DMS and is accessible to visitors staying in the destination’s hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs.

Kiosks Electronic kiosks positioned in prominent areas within your destination can provide a fast and efficient means to get information to visitors 24 hours a day. As with websites, it is vital that the information displayed is up to date all of this time. Therefore a mechanism to ensure this needs to be in place. Feeding content from your DMS is a recommended route. The physical position of a kiosk is also a key – it needs to be secure and in a place which

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attracts a sufficient flow of visitors. You should consider practical issues too: will the kiosk be accessible to a user in a wheelchair? Will the sun shine directly onto the screen making it unreadable? Will it be checked and cleaned regularly?

Mobile devices Mobile phones have become an integral part of everyday life, with new and better functions being developed all the time. Text message advertising, for example, has already been adopted by companies in order to communicate with existing and potential customers. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs, hand held devices; eg palm Pilots) and forthcoming mobile phones may be a viable distribution channel for tourism content, which again, can be driven by content from your DMS.

Why encourage your businesses to use e-business?

Many of your local operators may not be aware of the benefits of e-business. Encouraging your local businesses to adopt appropriate e-business principles would not only benefit them, but also support the work that you are doing as a DM. The regional and national tourism organisations are actively promoting the benefits of e-business to the tourism providers in their region and there is already a wealth of information available to them to highlight how they can benefit from it and use it to improve their own business performance. It may be to the benefit of destinations, regional and national tourism organisations to work together on e-business promotion within your destination through a set of initiatives.

Questions local operators may ask include ‘Why should I put my business on the internet?’ and ‘How will new technology improve my profits?’ There are several reasons why you may wish to encourage them to invest in e-business:

• It’s another promotional tool and the more market exposure your business has, the more business you are likely to generate. • Many tourism businesses have already adopted e-business and any provider who has not investigated it may be losing out on potential custom. • Use of the internet is continuing to grow and not only are travellers using it more and more to research and book their trips, businesses are using it increasingly to conduct their affairs, such as ordering and purchasing of supplies. • Websites are very cost-effective way of promoting a wealth of up-to-date information about your business, for example by running special promotions out of season. • Email is an extremely efficient means of communicating as you are able to contact multiple customers instantly with any form of information you feel is appropriate. • As e-business is adopted by tourism organisations such as NTOs, RTBs and destinations, local operators will need to have the ways and means to benefit from the services provided. • Being online will allow access to a wealth of cost-effective local, regional and national sales and marketing channels.

What are the options?

As with implementing ICT in your organisation, the same considerations need to be made by the tourism businesses within. The following options are not a comprehensive list, but outline some benefits that your local providers can get from effective use of ICT.

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• Email Encouraging your local operators to set themselves up with email will allow them to communicate with yourself, other tourism organisations and contacts using this platform. They can also collect the email addresses of their existing customers in order to send them out the latest information about special offers, new products or promotional packages (in accordance with the Data Protection Act.)

• Promotion on other websites There are many websites available to tourism businesses, which offer another means of promotion including whatever you are able to offer. By encouraging them to have a presence on as many reputable sites as possible (for example the RTB and VisitBritain), they are maximising their exposure on the web and in turn that of your destination.

• Developing their own website The advantages of this are the same as they are for your destination. Although the site content is likely to be very different, depending on the size and type of operator, the same considerations have to be made in terms of content, and keeping that content up to date. It needn’t be costly for them either, and the next section offers advice on where to go to get started.

• Using the internet There is a wealth of information on the internet available for your local tourism businesses to use and take advantage of. The potential is huge, but they are able to seek advice from tourism organisations and trade bodies, participate in online communities where they can discuss topics with like minded business owners and potential customers, and investigate what similar tourism businesses are doing.

Sources of advice for tourism businesses

• Go for IT The net benefits for tourism, produced by UK Online for business in association with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the English Tourism Council, published July 2002. This resource is aimed at small and micro businesses in the tourism industry introducing them to tourism e-business. It is written for those who have little or no knowledge of the subject in an easy to follow step by step guide. A video and CD-ROM containing case studies of tourism businesses that have benefited from investing in technology complements the printed pack. For further information, or to order a free copy, call 0845 715 2000 or visit www.ukonlineforbusiness.gov.uk/tourism

• UK online for business A network of business advisers who work throughout the UK in partnership with Business Links in England and the equivalent in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, their job is to give small businesses independent expert advice on making the most of e-business. They also produce a range of free publications in hard copy or downloadable formats. The topics covered include:

– Top Tips for selling from your website – Doing business electronically – Supplying electronically – How trading online can work for you

For further information please visit www.ukonlineforbusiness.gov.uk, or call the helpline on 0845 715 2000.

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• Tourist Boards Businesses in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can seek advice from RTBs, ATBs, Wales Tourist Board and Northern Ireland Tourist Board respectively.

• Welcome E-business The overall objective of this new course, to be launched in Spring 2003, is to give business owners/employees an understanding of the key aspects of e-business. The course will be delivered via the RTBs in England.

• Learndirect Learndirect offers a variety of online courses and factsheets covering a range of topics applicable to small businesses. Through the national network of local learndirect centres, there are experts on hand to provide learning to help businesses be more efficient. www.learndirect-business.co.uk, 08000 150 750.

• Trade Associations Trade associations, such as the British Hospitality Association (BHA), the British Holiday Homes and Parks Association (BHHPA), and the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA) are another source of advice and guidance to their members.

• Colleges Local further and higher education colleges often run evening classes and daytime courses, some specifically for tourism businesses.

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3C Developing sustainable visitor transport

Introduction

Transport solutions as an alternative to the car

The tourism travel market

Developing tourism transport plans

First impressions

Visitor management at the destination

The role of buses and coaches

Adding value through transport to the tourism experience

Walking and cycling

Incorporating solutions

Promotion of transport objectives

Key determinants of success and failure

Case studies

Further reference

3C Developing sustainable visitor transport

This component outlines the transport issues that need to be taken into account when planning for tourism at the destination level. It will assist destination managers draw up tourism transport plans, which in addition to local and regional transport plans can help inform visitor management plans.

This component also relates to:

• 2A Addressing tourism within local authorities • 2D Tourism and the planning system: gaining value locally • 2E Developing visitor management plans.

Introduction

Tourism depends on transport. A holiday, short break or day trip should be not only enjoyable in itself but enhanced by the travelling involved in getting there and back. Tourism represents a significant percentage of all journeys undertaken, and the need for a safe and efficient transport system and infrastructure to facilitate this is paramount.

Roads reach all areas of England and offer flexibility but they also carry by far the greatest number of users. Road congestion occurs in cities, national parks, resorts, market towns, strategic corridors and elsewhere. It is usually worse during morning and evening peaks, when more vehicles compete for limited road space.

The car continues to account for an increasing proportion of all journeys, tourist or otherwise, but current levels of growth in car use are simply not sustainable – alternatives need to be made more readily available that are attractive, reliable, affordable, integrated, user-friendly and safe.

Transport solutions as an alternative to the car

This handbook component demonstrates to destination managers alternative transport solutions that, if made available, can offer alternatives to reduce dependence on the car. By seeing the benefits of these, visitors can factor such alternatives into their transport aspirations and be encouraged to make greater use of public transport. This should be incorporated into local transport plans, as well as being demonstrably sustainable.

The benefits of car-free leisure can include:

• protecting the peace, tranquillity and natural beauty of the countryside • protecting the historic character of towns and villages • greater usage of public transport networks for visitors and the community • greater usage of walking and cycling routes for visitors and the community • creating a marketing edge by promoting the destination as a place that can be readily explored without a car • creating economic benefits by appealing to new tourist markets through all of the above.

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The challenge is considerable however, and requires co-ordinated and sustained effort by a range of stakeholders to make public transport more attractive. Issues needing to be addressed include:

• a perceived lack of reliable services • a perceived high cost in comparison to the car • a pricing structure that is often confusing, with one-way fares appearing to be an expensive anomaly in the plethora of alternative return fares • limited opportunities for through-ticketing outside London and major centres • provision for holiday luggage is often inadequate, difficult or awkward for older or disabled people to use • data on the internet is not an adequate replacement for other sources of information. Currently, tourists away from home have limited access to Internet information and booking services • improved integration between rail and bus services is also desirable.

The key lies in reducing the number of car trips – to and within destinations – by encouraging existing visitors to use alternative modes of transport and by attracting new kinds of visitors. To tackle this issue, visitors’ transport needs should be incorporated into local transport plans. These can also be used to make the case for obtaining adequate funding, as well as highlighting their cross-sectoral nature in terms of requiring co-ordinated management. Other improvements could include enabling a wider range of agents to sell tickets at rail and bus stations, TICs and other outlets away from the stations themselves to encourage greater use.

The tourism travel market

Certain groups of visitor can be persuaded more easily to make leisure journeys (particularly day trips) without a car than other types of journey. Some types of visitors are also more likely to use public transport than others, or are more likely to be responsive to the concept of car-free travel. These include:

• Non-car owners – 28% of households do not have a car, including half of lower income households • Overseas visitors – seven out of ten overseas visitors arrive without a car • Persuadable car drivers – up to a third of people say that they would like to travel less by car • Day trippers – local markets are more cost-effective and local day trips are important for those on lower incomes • Short-break visitors – short breaks offer significant opportunities for car-free packages. Luggage can be less of an issue in such circumstances.

Developing tourism transport plans

It is important to consider the position of the visitor – understanding his/her perceptions and feelings when arriving for the first time at, or travelling around, the destination. Considerations include:

• first impressions • visitor management at the destination

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• the role of buses and coaches • adding value through transport to the tourism experience • and walking and cycling.

First impressions

Arriving at a destination for the first time can be difficult. The benefits of arriving by public transport include not having to navigate or find a place to park. However, arriving by public transport is not necessarily problem-free, and visitors’ first impressions and their perceptions of car-free travel will depend on the ease with which they can make the final link of their journey.

Issues to consider include:

• Luggage – public transport is often not well equipped to cater for passengers with large amounts of luggage, particularly at interchanges or in terms of storage facilities. • Cycle carriage – conditions for carrying cycles on many trains and buses leaves much to be desired, and could become an even bigger irritant with the growth in interest in cycling. • Accessibility for all – public transport services should be accessible for all members of the community. Disabled access can also benefit other user groups such as parents with young children. It is in the interests (not least because it is a legal requirement) of operators and passengers to ensure that transport services are accessible to all potential passengers, regardless of their disability. • Meet and greet – wherever possible, staff assistance should be available to provide information and guidance as well as porterage. The presence of staff is also more reassuring for passengers concerned about safety. Free telephone information lines, clear signage and timetable displays can also be valuable. • Making the last link – public transport rarely provides a door-to-door service. If this is the case, it is important to provide and promote local public transport links, local taxi and collection services (which can be booked in advance), and cycling and walking routes.

Visitor management at the destination

While the ability to reach the destination is obviously crucial, travelling around the destination area can also give rise to a range of issues and opportunities.

Tourism-related transport, notably car and coach traffic, can have a considerable impact on the local environment. Consideration needs to be given to all the options in developing planning and management approaches to minimise adverse effects.

A range of initiatives can be considered to manage local road network capacity and to encourage alternatives to using the car in enjoying local areas. These include:

• encouragement to use existing rail and bus services in the area. Ideas to help this can be found in the following pages • provision of leisure bus services providing access to walking or other activities • adding value to public transport routes by developing activities or facilities of interest to the visitor along the route • park and ride schemes • development of cycling and walking trails, allowing off-road exploration and enjoyment of the countryside • provision of cycle hire facilities.

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The role of buses and coaches

Bus and coach travel accounts for almost 10% of tourism trips. The coach and bus network reaches into areas that have long since lost their rail connections, providing access to those areas for people without cars. It offers good value compared with competing travel costs, with fares typically one-third less than their rail equivalents.

Coaches and buses are also energy efficient. Well-maintained express models were identified by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution as the ‘most energy efficient mode of long-distance transport’. In terms of the passenger equivalent, one coach can carry 12 times the number of people compared to the car, and thus makes a significant contribution to reducing overall pollution and demand for road space.

However, coach and bus sectors have suffered from image problems. Misconceptions can be ameliorated by:

• Better communications between coach/bus operators and tourism officers – in local destination areas this should lead to better information and liaison. • Keeping it simple – try to build on established routes because too many timetable complexities will deter use. • Strategic routes – concentrating on a small number of key routes linking accommodation with attractions can have more immediate impact than promoting whole networks. • Visible buses – if visitors don’t see buses and bus stops, they are less likely to be aware of available bus services. Encourage route branding. • Easy-to-use maps – in urban areas, where services are frequent, schematic colour route maps can be effective. • Accessibility – make services available to as many people as possible, using symbols and large, high contrast, print. Work with disabled access groups to solve their transport difficulties. • Value for money – rover tickets for one or more days, joint transport and admission tickets, discounts at attractions and ‘hail and ride’ services in rural areas can increase the attractiveness of car-free travel. • Good connections – changing is often inevitable. Make sure that changes occur at places where there are cafés, information centres and other attractions to turn them into an enjoyable part of the trip.

The Transport Act 2000 makes provision for ‘Quality Bus Partnerships’ which can be made statutory. Under these agreements, local authorities, bus operators and other partners invest together in improved services.

Adding value through transport to the tourism experience

Leisure visitors are actively looking for enjoyment. Making the journey enjoyable is an effective way of persuading visitors to travel without their cars. Separating people from their cars is not easy, but there are opportunities, particularly if the alternative provision adds value to the tourism experience. Key characteristics of such schemes should include:

• Easier or only option to use in reaching the intended destination – for example, where public transport provision is linked to road closure or restricted parking provision at the destination.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 4 Tip that providingagoodcycling infrastructurestimulatesuse.Strongestgrowthispredicted in Experience fromtheUKand overseassuggeststhatthereisconsiderablelatentdemand and Cycling • • • destinations anddistancesonsignpostsgradingpaths. Consider surfacingkeyroutesforthosewithpushchairs andthedisabled,putting • Actions forincreasingthenumberofwalkingtripsinclude: right places.Asaresult,thishugeopportunityremainsrelativelyuntapped. information, alackofroutemaintenance,traffic onroadlinksandalackofroutesinthe often fallsbelowpeople’s expectationsduetofactorssuchaspoorsignpostingand without usingamaporguidebook.Despiteextensiverightsofway, thewalkingproduct Half ofBritishadultsregularlytakerecreationalwalks,mostthemspontaneouslyand Walking • • • • visitors benefitssuchas: Walking andcyclingareexcellentwaystoexploreurbanruraldestinationsoffer although theGovernmenthasmadeacommitmenttoboostcyclingby2010. Walking wasalsothemainactivityon15%ofdaytrips.Therearefewercyclingtrips, In 2001,24%ofholidaysbyUKresidentstoEnglandinvolvedwalkingforatleasttwomiles. Walking andcycling is anattraction,suchasarideonsteamrailway, water-driven liftorclassicbustram. far theserviceisattunedtoneedsofvisitor. Inthebestexamples,journeyitself perceived awarenessoftheopportunity, thequalityandavailabilityofservicehow The degreetowhichpeoplecanbepersuadedusesuchserviceswillalsodependon • • © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 Consider clearsignage,self-guidedtrails,widewalkways, attractiveseating,etc. Walkable cities needs, increasebusinessandencouragewalkerstobesensitive tootherusers Walkers welcome between footpathssaferandmoreattractivetowalkers Tackling traffic for details) evaluation andclassificationsystem(seewww.londonwalking.com orphone02075824071 gaps inthenetwork.TheLondonWalking Forumhasdevelopedanationalroute Accessing thewalkingnetwork ability toavoiddifficulties withparking. the flexibilitytodetourorstopeasily greater enjoymentoftheirsurroundingsandachancetoseethingsmoreclosely a morerelaxingpace entertainment oraninterpretativecommentary. Additional experience buses andhorse-drawnvehicles. Interesting orunusualformsoftransport – greenways,quietroadsandspeedrestrictions(seebelow) canmakeroads – attractivepedestrianenvironmentsencouragevisitors tostaylonger. – schemescanencouragebusinessestoprovideforwalkers’ special – wherebythejourneybypublictransportoffers anextra,suchas – withuserassistance,auditingcanhelptoidentify – rangingfromsteamtrainsandtramstoold 3C DEVELOPINGSUSTAINABLE VISITORTRANSPORT COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 5 3 3C 3C DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE VISITOR TRANSPORT

leisure day cycling trips (from home or while on holiday) by infrequent or occasional cyclists, and in cycling short breaks based in one centre. Aspects to consider in developing cycle tourism are:

• Improving the cycling network – traffic is the major deterrent so look to develop and promote networks of traffic-free cycleways, quiet roads for casual cyclists, networks of bridleways and special mountain-bike routes. • Maps and leaflets – route maps should be easy to use and provide information on facilities en route. • Cycle carriage – poor facilities for carrying cycles on trains and buses deters cycle tourism. Consider buses adapted to carry cycles and making special arrangements with train operating companies. • Hire repair and rescue – hire facilities are important to attract new people to try cycling. Repair and rescue can give a feeling of security, especially to the inexperienced. • Cyclists welcome – schemes can encourage businesses to provide for cyclists’ special needs, increase business and encourage cyclists to be sensitive to other users. • Cycle parking and storage – secure cycle parking can be provided cheaply at pubs, cafés, attractions, etc. Consider luggage lockers or left-luggage facilities for people travelling without cars. • Conflict with walkers – an increase in cycle use on bridleways can cause dissatisfaction among walkers who don’t recognise or understand cyclists’ rights of access. Consider education, signage and some segregated routes.

Recent fund allocations for local transport have included substantial increases in investment for cycling. As a result, most local authorities must set ambitious targets to increase cycle use.

In February 2000, the Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC) launched a new initiative to use benchmarking to support UK local authorities in the implementation of their cycling policies. This entails assessing policy and practice to determine what encourages cycling, and analysing best-practice operations. It considers all aspects of cycling policy, from promotion to engineering design, and from training to cycle path maintenance.

The overall objectives of the CTC project are to:

• develop and manage a network of local authorities • agree a set of measurable performance indicators • identify best practice in cycling policy through peer review • develop and monitor the implementation of action plans • disseminate and publicise the results.

Contact details for CTC can be found at the end of this component.

Incorporating solutions

If travel demand is to be met, more effort will be needed to encourage tourists to use alternatives to the car. This requires:

• investment in public transport infrastructure, vehicles and service, often through public-private partnership. Greater investment should also facilitate the take-up of quality standards

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 6 Tip • These areprincipalhandbooktipsfortourismtransport initiativesuccess: Key determinantsofsuccessandfailure details forpublictransportservices. Ensure thatpublictransportisincludedinmarketingmaterialsandactivelypromotecontact • • • transport optionsandincentives,including: user (visitor).Clearpromotionandmarketingisneededtoraiseawarenessofalternative forward inthissection,thebenefitsofsustainabletourismtransportarepromotedto It isabsolutelyparamountthat,indevelopingandimplementingrecommendationsput Promotion oftransportobjectives • • • • • • environmental impact.Theseinclude: initiatives aresuccessfullyincreasingtransportefficiency andcontainingorreducingadverse Investment schemes,marketdevelopments,technologicalimprovements,policiesand • • • © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 • • • Integrate tourismtransportplanning packages transport routesthatservetheattraction targeted promotions price tickets price incentives new cyclingandwalkingtrails. electronic signsandothertraffic managementmeasures Internet andphone-basedtimetableinformation real-time trainandbusinformation through ticketing new parkandrideoperations into accountintransportpolicies,plansandoperations. in thetransportandtourismsectors.Tourists’ travelrequirementsmustbeclearlytaken greater strategicandoperationalco-operationbetweenpublicprivateorganisations packages well-trained staff, convenientconnections,jointticketingandcombinedtravel-attraction user-friendly publictransport,includingbetterinterchanges,improvedaccessibility, accommodation andattractions improved travelinformation,potentiallylinkedtoassociatedinformationon Investigate andseektosecure sources of adequatefunding coherent networks,reducingtheimpactoftraffic andpromotinggreen tourism. Agree aproject area andshared objectives walking organisations,localcommunitiesanddisabled access groups. conservation organisations,developmentagencies,public transportoperators,cyclingand Involve allofthekeyplayers for dayandstayingvisitorsdiscountstourcoachoperators. – discountsforthosearrivingbypublictransportorcombinedreduced- aimed atholidayaccommodationandpeoplelivingclosetopublic including transportplanners,tourismorganisations, into localtransportplans. to developadetailedstrategyforcreating 3C DEVELOPINGSUSTAINABLE VISITORTRANSPORT . Thesemayinclude: COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 7 3 3C 3C DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE VISITOR TRANSPORT

– Highways Authority as part of its local transport plan funding – Rural Bus Grant, Rural Bus Challenge Fund and the Rural Transport Partnership Fund – Rail Passenger Partnership for innovative schemes that attract passengers from the car and integrate rail with other forms of transport – Single Regeneration Budget and European structural funds in which schemes are linked to economic development through sustainable tourism.

Funding information can be found at www.fundinginformation.org.

Continue to consult with stakeholders, the community and visitors to manage reactions to developments. Tourism and transport is not a fixed medium – the issues are constantly evolving. It is vital to keep abreast of developments via ongoing dialogue and to constantly see where improvements can be made.

Case studies

Moorsbus provides services within and to the North York Moors National Park from nearby Teesside, Darlington, York and Hull. Now in its 16th year, Moorsbus carries 27,000 passengers a year, saving over 350,000 car miles and providing park access to 17,000 people who don’t have access to a car. Case study Moorsbus aims to rival the car in comfort, reliability and cost by:

• providing frequent services, a hail-and-ride service and 30-minute stops at main interchanges so that passengers can look around • providing co-ordinators at key interchanges, who are equipped with mobile phones to help passengers find the right bus, to reassure and troubleshoot • using a schematic route map and the easily recognisable Moorsbus logo on all buses and bus stops • operating an easy-to-use timetable • offering competitive fares (all day travel for £2.50 or £5 for longer distances), discounts at shops, restaurants and attractions, and £1 off for motorists using national park car parks • running publicity campaigns including suggestions for days out.

The Bittern Line Community Partnership is promoted by Norfolk County Council to increase use of the Norwich to Sheringham railway line by local residents, businesses and visitors. The partnership includes Anglia Railways, Railtrack, East of England Development Agency, the National Trust and county, district, town and parish councils. Case study With a budget of £25,000-£30,000 a year and 15% of an officer’s time, the partnership’s innovative package of measures to attract leisure users includes:

• competitively priced rover tickets (£5 adult, £4 OAP, £3 child) • 20p add-on fare for buses in Norwich • free use of the Coast Hopper summer bus service

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continued

• through-tickets connecting to the Bure Valley and North Norfolk steam railways • a joint ticket for the Bittern Line, steam railways and admission to National Trust properties (Blickling and Fellbrigg Halls) • a specially modified carriage with bookable cycle spaces at £1 each • the connecting North Walsham ‘Flexibus’ service (offering advance booking, guaranteed connections and door-to-door service) • other connecting bus services • ‘Off the Bittern Track’ walks pack (retails for £2 but free with a Bittern Line ticket) • ‘Around the Bittern Track’ cycle routes guide (retails for £1 but free with a cycle booking) • cycle hire at stations and cyclists’ repair and rescue service for Bittern Line ticket holders.

The Lake District Transport Strategy was agreed in 1996 after widespread public consultation. This is underpinned by a vision of: “a sustainable regeneration of the entire transport system, integrating social, environmental and economic needs in equal measure.” A detailed transport study on the south-east approaches to the Lake District was published in

Case study late 1999. This described the extent of traffic impacts and considered the perception of locals and visitors to travel in the area. A ‘gateway’ proposal is part of a wider package of strategic measures recommended to regenerate the transport network. This is a facility that offers drivers the choice of parking their car and completing their trip to the Lake District by other means of transport; regular shuttle bus, cycling or walking. Parking for 250-500 cars would be provided to attract approximately 10% of visitors arriving by car at a weekend. Other initiatives include:

• enhancement of train services • integration between train, bus, cycle, walking and lake transport with promotion and ticketing initiatives • tourism signing that encourages visitors to use the most appropriate roads and transport gateways • changes to car parking management.

Cambridge Park and Ride Scheme The Cambridge Park and Ride Scheme is a partnership between Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge County Council and Stagecoach Cambus offering four park and ride sites in the city with a capacity to accommodate 2500 cars. It aims to ‘provide a quick,

Case study cheap alternative way of getting into Cambridge city for commuters who enjoy stress-free travel and beat the queues, while visitors and shoppers take the direct route to the heart of the city’.

The facility provides free all day parking, and fares can be paid on the bus. Various fares are offered including Day Returns, Day Riders and 7-Day Mega Riders. Both the Day Rider and 7-Day Mega Rider tickets offer unlimited travel on the Park and Ride services and other Stagecoach Cambus routes across the city. A financial incentive is also offered to those with children as up to two children can travel free with any fare-paying adult.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 9 Case study Case study Case study For furtherinformationwriteto4GrangeLane,Newton, Preston,PR43RS Awards 2000. Lancashire RailwaywontheSustainableTourism Award attheETC’s EnglandforExcellence successful publicandprivateownershipoperatingwith avolunteerworkforce.TheEast role inattractingtourismtorevitaliselocaltownsalong therailway. Itisanexampleof contaminated landanddevelopingitasnewstations gardens.Ithasalsoplayedakey The EastLancashireRailwayhasadoptedsustainabletourism principlessuchasclearing East LancashireRailway Hall, Morpeth,Northumberland,NE613TZ For furtherinformationcontactTom Cadwallender, NorthumberlandCountyCouncil, local Explorerticket. linked topostersinternalandexternalonthebuses.Theleafletcontainsa50pdiscount partnership withArrivabuscompanyandtheCountrysideAgency, fordisplayatbusstations, travelling alongthecoastbybusratherthancar. 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Companies whoadoptgreentravelplanswillreceivediscountsonbustravel,andfromlocal fitter workforce,lesscongestiononandoff site,andmoreflexibleworkingpractices.’ generate increasedincomethroughaccessingnewmarkets,reducedabsenteeismfroma The manybenefitsincludeanincreaseinjobrecruitmentandretention,thepotentialto to promotemoresustainabletravelchoices,whilsthelpinglocalbusinessesreducecosts. and improvethelocalenvironment.Thisexcellentinformationpackcontainspracticalideas A spokesmanforStockportCouncilsaid:‘Theaimofthisinitiativeistoreducecongestion walking infrastructureimprovements. • promoting publictransportandidentifyingwhereservicesneedimprovement • betterfleetmanagement-thisinvolvesdrivertraining,route mapping,andmore • using‘pool’cycles • using‘pool’cars • convertingvehiclestocleanerfuels • Some ofthemanyschemeswhichwouldhelplocalbusinessestobecome‘greener’include: motoring, liftsharing,ITdevelopmentandtraining,plususefullocalnationalcontacts. employers. Sectionscoverpublictransport,cycling,walking,alternativefuelsandgreener information pack-calledtheStockportSustainableTravel Initiative-foremployeesand help businessesinBrinningtonandSouthReddish,Ianhasproduceda‘green’advice updating localbusinessesonthelatestgovernmentlegislationandrelatedtaxissues.To As roadtraffic ispredictedtogrownationallybyathirdinthenext20years,Ianalso such aswalking,cyclingandpublictransport. South Reddishareas,toencouragemorebusinessesusesustainablemodesoftransport looking atthetransportneedsofsmallandmedium-sizedbusinessesinBrinnington travel plans.March2002.IanGoodwin,theCouncil’s newGreenTravel PlanCo-ordinator, is Stockport Council © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 economic driving Yorkshire SculpturePark Prior Park was openedbytheNationalTrust, avisitor travelplanhadtobedeveloped is helpingbusinessesintwoareasoftheboroughtodrawup‘green’ developed a‘sustainabletravelplan’inconjunctionwith 3C DEVELOPINGSUSTAINABLE VISITORTRANSPORT COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 11 3 3C Case study Case study Case study Case study and additionalparkingforhigh sidedvehicles/caravans/motorcaravans’ providing atotalof3170parkingspaces,whichinclude designateddisabledparkingareas City forrecreationorwork.TherearefourPark&Ride sites aroundtheChesterarea, The Park&Rideisaneconomicandenvironmentallyfriendly solutiontotravellingintothe www.chestercc.gov.uk/parking/parkride.html Chester Park&RideScheme landscape andensureitssurvivalforfuturegenerations.’ ‘Not onlydoesthisreducethestressofsittingintraffic jams,butit helps toprotectthe do wanttoencourageexistingandpotentialvisitorstheareausepublictransport.’ ‘We don’t wanttodiscouragepeoplefromvisitingthisbeautifulpartofthecountry, butwe Macclesfield, Hayfield,Glossop,theDerwentdamsandBaslow. day onallbusesinthePeakDistrictasfarAshbourne,MatlockBath,Buxton,Leek, Another newinitiativeistheFamilyFreedomTicket, whichprovidesunlimitedtravelforthe good serviceforlocalresidents. been gearedtotherequirementsofwalkersandtourists,butthisnetworkalsoprovidesa provide theservice,knownasThePeakBusNetwork.summertimetableshavealways Derbyshire CountyCouncilhasteamedupwiththePeakDistrictNationalParkAuthorityto advantage ofdirectlinksfromacrossDerbyshire,Sheffield, GreaterManchesterandbeyond. A networkofspecialsummerSundaybusservicesmeansdaytripperswillbeabletotake www.derbyshire.gov.uk/news/99/july/990714cf.htm Derbyshire PeakBusNetwork colleagues intheEngineerssectiontoimprovepedestriansignage. promoting useoflongstayandparkridecarparksinitsliterature;workingwith a seriesofthemedwalkingtrailssuchasthepopularWinchesterWalk andtheKeatsWalk; ‘Winchester Tourism hasworkedhardovertheyearstoincreasecar-free tourism,producing www.winchester.gov.uk/press_archive/august2002/info.htm Car FreeTourism inWinchester parts ofDurhamUniversityandasmallnumberprivatehomes. World HeritageSiteofDurhamCathedralandCastle,togetherwithbusinesses,aschool, currently usethesolepublicaccessroadontoCitycentrePeninsulaonwhichthereis minimising theconflictbetweenvehiclesandpedestrians.Around3,000aday reducing theflowoftraffic throughthetown’s narrowstreetsbymorethanhalfand The accesschargingscheme,thefirstofitskindtobeintroducedinUK,isaimedat 90B?OpenDocument www.durham.gov.uk/durhamcc/pressrel.nsf/Web+Releases/822B70C34F24AF5280256C4000552 Durham ‘Toll Road’ © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 3C DEVELOPINGSUSTAINABLE VISITORTRANSPORT COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 12 3 3C Case study Case study Case study Case study be createdforthem. Visitors cancheckdetailsonlineandiftheyknowtheirdate of travelthenanitinerarycan along thewaytoexploreareabeforetravellingonto thenextstageofroute. Round Robinticketsincludealltransportationcostsand visitorscanstopoff atanypoint and aimstoencouragevisitors‘givethecaradayoff’. transport system.Theroutesincorporatetravelonthesteamtrain,ferry, rivercruiseandbus Green Tourism BusinessSchemehavesuccessfullycreatedtheirownuniqueintegrated Dart PleasureCraft,whoarethefirsttransportoperatorawardwinnersonSouthHams www.riverlink.co.uk/rlrobin.html Dart PleasureCraft–RoundRobintrip officers fromthefieldsplanning,transport,tourism,countrysideandleisure. Throughout theGreenwaysprojectthispartnershiphasgrowninstrength,incorporating will helptodeliverthisobjectiveinadditionimprovingtravelchoiceurbanareas. new, safeandsustainableopportunitiesforcountrysiderecreation.TheGreenwaysNetwork finding waystoreducetheneedofcountrysidevisitorsrelyontheircarsandproviding Greenlink, apartnershipofthesixlocalauthoritiesinSouthEastDorset,iscommittedto www.greenways.gov.uk/site/shared/demos/sedorset.htm Greenways –SouthEastDorsetGreenlink a routefromLyndhurst toBrockenhurst,‘RoundtheForest’leisurerouteandoff-road trails. Cycle NetworkRoute.TheplanalsosetsoutschemesforfacilitatingcyclinginBrockenhurst, Lyndhurst villagenetwork,theAshursttoLyndhurst cyclerouteandpartsoftheNational provide cycleaccessforvisitorstoforestattractions.Schemesintheplaninclude and facilitiestoachievehigherlevelsofcycling.Thenetworkwilllinkcommunities The NewForestCyclePlanisafive-yearprogrammewhichdetailsnetworkofcycleroutes www.hants.gov.uk/environment/ltp/section6/newforest/12h.html New ForestCyclePlan but notleastallowsyoutobypassthetraffic andanyqueuesforparkingspacesatEden.’ bike (oronfoot.....&nowedon’t meanwalkingfromyourcar!!),itkeepsyoufitandlast the environment,admissionischeaper-weoffer a£3discountforthosevisitingEdenby our facilitiesforcyclists.Comingbybikehasanumberadvantages:Itisobviouslybetter ‘…We wanttoencouragemorepeoplevisitEdenbybikeandareworkingonimproving www.edenproject.com/3558_5279.htm Eden Project–discountonadmissionticketsforcyclists © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 3C DEVELOPINGSUSTAINABLE VISITORTRANSPORT COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 13 3 3C 3C DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE VISITOR TRANSPORT

Further reference

Cyclists’ Touring Club is the leading organisation in the UK which campaigns for cyclists’ rights. CTC played a key part in the production of the National Cycling Strategy, accessible at www.nationalcyclingstrategy.org.uk, and continue to lobby central government, local authorities and other agencies to promote, invest in and facilitate cycling. CTC also encourages employers to provide facilities for cyclists, campaigns for better access for cyclists to public transport and has a network of 350 Right to Ride representatives campaigning for all cyclists. Cyclists’ Touring Club, Cotterell House, 69 Medrow, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 3HS. www.ctc.org.uk

Department for Transport. Quality Bus Partnerships: Good Practice Guide, TAS Partnership, May 2001. This publication contains information on a wide range of issues to assist bus operators and local authorities set up, develop and monitor Quality Bus Partnerships. Appendices provide an overview of outcomes from case studies, useful contacts, frequently asked questions and sample documentation. www.local-transport.dft.gov.uk/qbus

Downward P and Lumsdon L. Cycle and see: developing a cycling package for visitors (The Staffordshire Moorlands), Insights, Vol Insights Vol 10: C1-9 (1998).

English Tourist Board. English Walking Holidays Handbook, ETB, 1999.

Local authorities – A wide range of local information about cycle routes in your area and the implementation of plans for improved cycle routes may be obtained from your local cycling officer.

Information about the Local Transport Plan (LTP) Process and related initiatives, including guidance and best practice may be found at www.local-transport.dft.gov.uk

London Cycling Campaign exists to increase cycling in Greater London for the benefit of individuals, local communities and the wider environment by promoting cycling, improving conditions for cycling, and raising the profile of cycling. The LCC works with a wide range of organisations, including other cycling, sustainable transport and environmental groups as well as major employers. London Cycling Campaign, Unit 228, 30 Great Guildford Street, London, SE1 0HS. www.lcc.org.uk

SUSTRANS, the sustainable transport charity, works on practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle or use public transport to reduce motor traffic and its adverse effects. The charity is responsible for co-ordinating the creation of the National Cycle Network with local authorities, businesses and landowners. By 2005, the NCN will have been extended to 10,000 miles across the UK and amounts to an investment of £400 million. SUSTRANS, 35 King Street, Bristol, BS1 4DZ. www.sustrans.org.uk

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Transport 2000 is the independent national body concerned with sustainable transport. It looks for answers to transport problems and aims to reduce the environmental and social impact of transport by encouraging less use of cars and more use of public transport, walking and cycling. Information about the ‘Tourism without Traffic’ Campaign may be found on www.transport2000.org.uk Transport 2000. Tourism without Traffic: A Good Practice Guide, Transport 2000, 2000. Transport 2000. Easy Arrivals: A Visitor Travel Plan for Harewood House, Transport 2000, 2000. Transport 2000. Gateways to the Downs: An Action Plan for Sustainable Travel and Tourism in the East Sussex Downs, Transport 2000, 2001.

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COMPONENT 3C

3D Setting up a visitor payback scheme

Introduction

What is visitor payback?

Why run a visitor payback scheme?

Where can visitor payback work?

Who can run visitor payback schemes?

Is it necessary to set up a trust?

Don’t bite off more than you can chew!

How to set up a visitor payback scheme

Is it worth all the effort?

Case studies

Further reference

3D Setting up a visitor payback scheme

This component outlines the value of visitor payback schemes and explains how to set one up. Related material also appears in the following components:

• 2B Developing tourism partnerships • 3G Biodiversity action plans for tourism • 3I Sustainability schemes and awards for industry and destinations

Introduction

Many destinations are under increasing pressure from tourism and it has been suggested that the most popular visitor areas such as national parks and other ‘honeypot’ sites are in danger of being ‘loved to death’. This problem is compounded by the fact that little of the money brought in by tourism goes back into conserving that countryside.

One way of redressing this imbalance is the adoption of visitor payback schemes (VPS). These encourage tourists to make a voluntary contribution towards local environmental improvements.

For areas considering setting up a VPS, this handbook component explains the necessary factors and infrastructure required. Based on the experiences of established schemes, it provides an insight into the opportunities offered by VPS and the long-term commitment and investment required to establish and maintain a successful scheme.

What is visitor payback?

Visitor payback is designed to give tourists the opportunity to ‘put something back’ into the environment of the place they are visiting. VPS can come in many shapes and sizes, from an optional supplement added to the cost of accommodation and services to a request for donations made through collection boxes. What sets VPS apart from tourist taxes levied elsewhere in the world is that they are a request for money, or even help in kind, not a demand.

Compared with taxes, VPS is regarded as a softer, more appealing approach to the problem of directing more of the tourists’ money into protecting the landscapes and places they come to enjoy. An effective VPS has the potential to make both the tourist and the participating businesses feel good because they are involved of their own free will, while at the same time producing real, visible, improvements on the ground.

VPS is not a new idea. We are all accustomed to seeing honesty boxes in churches or rural car parks or to paying an entry fee to prime heritage sites. VPS is simply an imaginative extension of this idea that involves finding new ways of appealing to visitors to put something back into the environment of the place they are visiting.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 1 Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 Tourism Council’s survey Today’s touristshaveagrowingenvironmentalawareness,asdemonstratedbytheEnglish PR benefits Disease. Overall,£250,000hasbeenraisedsince1995. raised in2000,£62,0002001despitetheproblemscausedbyFootandMouth amount raisedhasincreasedeveryyearastheschemegainedmomentum,with£73,000 involved, raisingfundsforanumberofaccessimprovementandconservationprojects.The manage theschemeandrecruitnewsupportingbusinesses.Over100businessesarenow scheme, The LakeDistrictTourism andConservationPartnershiphasbeenrunningitsvisitorpayback money, whichwouldnotbeavailableotherwise. Despite theeffort required,successfulschemesarecapableofbringinginlargesums this componentunder‘Isitworthalltheeffort?’ These costsshouldnotbeunderestimated.Moredetailontheseissuescanfoundlaterin promotional material,aswellthestaff timeneededtopromotetheVPSlocalindustry. of settingupthesystemstocollectandauditmoneyraised,costproducing Inevitably, newinitiativescostmoneytoestablishinthefirstplace,forexampleterms new footbridgeorwaymarkedtrail. support afundforresurfacingcarparkbutmaybehappytocontribute widely adoptedandsupported.Forinstance,visitorsareunlikelytofeelcompelled carefully plannedwiththevisitorandlocaltourismbusinessesinmindiftheyaretobe areas. However, itshouldnotbeseenasaneasy, quick-fixsolution:schemesneedtobe funds forspecificlocalinfrastructureprojectssuchasfootpathimprovementsornewpicnic of roads,carparking,pathsandfacilities.VPScanhelptoalleviatethisbydirectlyraising implications forthelocalauthorityorlandmanagerstomaintainnecessaryinfrastructure funding. Inparticularlypopulartouristareas,thesheernumberofvisitorscanhavehighcost Visitor paybackschemeshavegreatpotentialtotapapreviouslyuntappedsourceof Financial benefits Why runavisitorpaybackscheme? • Adopting aVPScanhavepositivespin-offs forallthosepartiesinvolved: increasingly awareoftheneedtopresentanimage caring andresponsibletourism. • • • Businesses For informed ofhowtheircontributionishelpinglocalprojects. protect it.Thiscanhelptogeneratealoyalcustomerbase, especiallywherevisitorsare faced withthecongestion,disturbance anddamagethatitcancause.Iflocalpeople are In populartouristareas, and towelcometheopportunity toplayapartinprotectingtheplacetheyarevisiting. In contrasttoanenforcedtourist tax,the look afterit. shows thattheareahassomethingsospecialmany partnersareworkingtogetherto tourist boards, destinationmanagementgroups ortourismpartnerships Invest intheLakes can showthattheyvaluetheirlocalenvironmentandare awareoftheneedto Visitor Attitudes toSustainableTourism local people , since1993.Thepartnershipemploystwofull-timestaff to may perceivetourismasanegative influencewhen visitors 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME themselves canbemadeto feel involved . Successfulbusinessesare , havingaVPS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 2 3 3D Case studies © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 • • • • • To summarise,aneffective VPSshouldhavethefollowingbroadaims: scheme hasitsownwebsitepromotinga‘keepitspecial’codeforvisitors. greater connectionwiththeplacetheyarevisiting.Aswellasfundraisinginitiatives, visitor paybackscheme,‘Connect’,insummer2001.Thisaimstohelpvisitorshavea Suffolk CoastandHeathsAreaofOutstandingNaturalBeauty(AONB)establishedtheir economic benefitsoftourismcanmaintainandenhancetheLakeDistrict. tour operatorsandself-cateringagencies,allworkingtogethertodemonstratehowthe has severaltourismbusinessesonitsboardofdirectorsincludinghotelcompanies,activity Development CommissionandCumbriaTraining &EnterpriseCouncil.Thepartnershipnow District NationalParkAuthority, TheNationalTrust, CumbriaTourist Board,theRural The LakeDistrictTourism andConservationpartnershipwasfoundedin1993byTheLake themselves gettinginvolvedinhands-onconservationwork. as greenadvisoryservicesandtrainingforlocalbusinesses,orstaff fromthebusinesses partnerships areoftensosuccessfulthatcomplementaryinitiativesdevelopasaresult,such Many existingschemesarerunbyapartnershipofbusinessesandconservationists.These with eachotheracommonaim. tool inbringingtourismandconservationclosertogetherencouragingthemtowork marketing ploy. WhileVPScannotpretendtosolvealloftheseproblems,itcanbeauseful panacea totheillsofmasstourismbutinreality, thisissometimeslittlemorethanagood degraded byoverusetourists.Atthesametime,ecotourismisoftenperceivedasagreat developments beingopposedonenvironmentalgroundsandalsoofvaluedlandscapes sector andenvironmentalconservationists.Therearenumerousexamplesoftourism Traditionally, therehasbeensomesuspicionandoccasionalconflictbetweenthetourism Local politicalbenefits regular updatesonprogress,theycanstarttoseethebenefitsthattourismbring. involved indefiningandplanningthebeneficiaryprojectstobefundedbyaVPS,given to publiclydemonstratethecommitmentoflocalpeople towardstheirenvironment. and theneedtoprotectit to raiseawarenessamongvisitorsofthespecialquality andfragilityofthelandscape to demonstratethattourismandconservationcanbemutually supportive to raisefundsandsecuresponsorshipenableconservation worktobecarriedout conservation groupstoprotect,maintainandenhancethearea’s landscapeandheritage to encouragethetourismindustry, otherrelatedbusinessesandvisitorstoworkwith 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 3 3 3D 3D SETTING UP A VISITOR PAYBACK SCHEME

How does visitor payback work?

There are many tried and tested ways of raising money through schemes. These can be divided into seven main categories:

• supplements • percentage of fees • collections • corporate sponsorship • participation • membership • fundraising events.

Within these, there is plenty of scope for new ideas.

1 Supplements

This involves adding a small, optional, supplement to the cost of accommodation or services. To be effective, the scheme needs to be designed to make it easy for tourists to make a donation and easy for businesses to administer.

• Opt-out voluntary levy: For example, when the booking is made, the customer is told that the price of their holiday includes a £1 donation towards a local environment fund. They are then asked if they are happy to pay this, or whether they would prefer it to be deducted. This can also be built into the billing system at the end of the stay, if that is more appropriate. Evidence shows that this is by far the most cost-effective way of raising money because it requires little outlay, and most tourists agree to pay it since it is already included in their bill and therefore easy to do.

• Opt-in voluntary levy: As before, this involves asking for a donation at the time of booking or settling the bill. With ‘opt-in’ schemes, however, the donation is not already included in the price. In other words, the visitor is asked if they would be prepared to add an extra £1 to the cost of their holiday. This method tends to be less successful, as people see it as an extra cost rather than a cost that is already built in, but it can still raise significant sums.

Supplements can be effective in raising money but it is sometimes difficult to persuade businesses to adopt this approach. This is often the case among small businesses and those competing primarily on price. Those that have tried it are happy with the results and the feedback they get from their customers, but many businesses are afraid that it will make their prices seem higher than their competitors’ prices. Some businesses are concerned that their customers might feel ‘cornered’ into giving a donation. Experience shows that this is not the case and, generally, virtually all customers are happy to pay a voluntary supplement.

Organisers of schemes can help to allay these fears by putting businesses in touch with other businesses already operating voluntary levy schemes. They can also provide literature for their customers to help explain the purpose of the scheme and to encourage them to make a donation.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 4 Case studies Case studies © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 merchandise. schemes shouldthereforeplancarefullybeforeinvesting intheproductionofspecial value –notthatitishelpingagoodcause,thoughthis is anaddedbonus.Organisersof shown thatthemotivationforpeoplebuyingmerchandise isthatitattractiveandgood This methodcanbeeffective inraisingtheprofileofscheme. However, experiencehas manufacturer. consumer, thesupermarketacceptedareducedprofit marginforthisperiod,asdidthe Kendal MintCaketoInvestintheLakes.To dothiswithoutpassingonthecostto For alimitedperiod,Boothssupermarketsdonatedpercentageoftheprofitsfromsales improvements. Thisraisedaround£1,500ayear. had aparagraphonthemenuexplainingthatmoneywastobespentlocalfootpath A hotelinExmoorNationalParkaddedasupplementof15ponthecosteverymealand of everywalkisgiventothefund. or companiesleadingguidedwalkscouldinformtheirgueststhatafixedsumfromthecost businesses sellingT-shirts orpostcards,whereapercentageofthecostgoestoVPSfund, fees collectedforaserviceorcertainmerchandise.Thiscanbesimpleapproachsuchas would liketodonateornot.Instead,itreliesonthebusinessdonatingapercentageof This isasimilarideatosupplementsbutitdoesnotinvolveaskingthevisitorwhetherthey Percentage offees 2 to givemorethanthestandardamountrequestedbeabledoso. Due tocustomerdemand,thecompanyhashadmakearrangementsforpeoplewhowish towards theemploymentofaNationalTrust footpathrepairworker, ‘OurManattheTop’. pence contribution.Thishelpstoattractvisitordonationsandaround£8,000ayearisraised the Lakes,CottageLifeandLakelovers,offer tomatchevery£1donationwiththeirown50 In theLakeDistrict,self-cateringagenciesoperatingvoluntarylevyschemessuchasHeartof will goandwhattheycandoseewhenareontheislandtofindoutmore. a GifttoNaturebookmarkwiththeirholidayinformation,whichexplainswheremoney scheme. Thosecustomerswhoagreetopaythesupplementaresenta‘thankyou’presentof about GifttoNatureintheWightlinkHolidaysbrochurehelpsinformcustomers donation towardsGifttoNatureandareaskediftheyhappypaythis.Afull-pagearticle calling thehotlinetomakeabookingaretoldthatcostoftheirholidayincludes£1 scheme, GifttoNature,throughitsholidaybookingcompany, WightlinkHolidays.Customers The IsleofWight‘slargestferryoperator, Wightlink,issupportingtheisland’s visitorpayback the businessismerelyactingasahandlingagent. donation isitemisedasaonthebill,thenitwillnotbeeligibleforVAT because VAT isoftenaconcernforbusinesseswhenconsideringvoluntarylevy. Aslongasthe 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 5 3 3D Case studies Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 significant publicrelationsspin-offs forthecompany. kind ofsponsorshipcanbringinconsiderablesumsmoney fortheconservationfundsand sponsor thecleaningupoftheirlocalbeachorrestoration ofpublicopenspaces.This businesses orothercompanieswithstronglinkstothe area. Forinstance,companiesmay the localenvironment,tocontributeconservation causes.Thesecouldbetourism There isgreatpotentialforlargercompanies,whichobviously benefitfromthequalityof Corporate sponsorship 4 of theboxeswasfundedbyaone-off grantfromTheCountryside Agency. sited toattractpeople’s attentionandtoprojectafunenjoyableexperience.Production past useofthegardens’siteasahospital.Theboxeshaveallbeencarefullydesignedand coins areinserted,andanautomataattheBotanicGardensVisitor Centre,illustratingthe (automatic machine)foraseasidepubwhichfeaturesmermaidwhopopsupwhenthe concrete outdoorseatwithawalllizardmotifthatincorporatescollectionbox,anautomata commissioned todesignandproduceindividualboxes.Thisincludesahand-crafted,polished, different typesofcollectionboxesinvarioussituations.Localandnationalartistshavebeen The Island2000Trust, whichrunsGifttoNatureontheIsleofWight,isexperimentingwith attention, itcollectedaround£150ayear. slot andcarriedsomeleaflets.Itwasplacednearthebarand,becauseitattractedpeople’s craftsmen. TheboxatTarr FarmRestauranthadacarveddipperstandingoverthemoney Exmoor PathsPartnershipcommissionedwoodencollectionboxes,hand-madebylocal emptying boxes.Asimplecertificatetoshowtheamountraisedcandoubleupasareceipt. and collectionsliptotheschemeorganisers,asitcanbeimpracticaltravelaround Most businessesarehappytoregularlycountuptheamountcollectedandsendacheque message and,onceinplace,theycankeepcollectingforyears. raising theprofileofVPS.Theyareimportantforreinforcingsustainabletourism accompanied byenvironmentalinformationanddisplays,theycanbeaneffective wayof attention, itisimportantthattheboxesorenvelopesthemselvesarevisuallystriking.When There isgreatscopeforinnovationindevelopingcollectionboxes.To attractvisitors’ the staff ofthebusinessconcerned. successful, collectionboxesmustbeplacedprominentlyinabusyareaandpromotedbyall involving smallerbusinessesthathavereservationsabouttryingasupplementsystem.To be poor atraisingsignificantamountsofmoney. However, theycanbeanattractivewayof bought ‘off theshelf’,theycanbecostlytoproduceinfirstinstanceandarenotoriously B&Bs, carparks,attractions,shops,busesorferries.Unlessstandardcollectionboxesare Possibilities includecollectionboxes,envelopesordonationleafletsinhotels, Simple fundraisingsystemscanbesetuptocollectdonationsfromvisitorsduringtheirstay. Collections 3 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 6 3 3D Case study Case study Case studies © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 Association gaveatotalofover$3.25milliontotheYosemite NationalParkService. membership at$30tobenefactor$1,000. Duringthe1990s,Yosemite join theYosemite Associationinavariety ofmembershippackages,rangingfromindividual environmental programmesinYosemite NationalParkintheUS.Membersofpubliccan The Yosemite Associationsupportsinterpretation, education,research,andscientific time-consuming. fulfil members’expectationsofregularupdatesandnewsletters, whichcanbecostlyand area byprovidingalong-termsourceoffunding,thescheme’s organisersmustbeableto an annual‘membership’feetosupportaconservationcause.Althoughthiscanbenefit Many visitorsfeelsuchasenseofloyaltyorconnectiontoplacethattheyarewillingpay Membership 6 Volunteers (BTCV). day andwereequippedsupervisedbymembersoftheBritishTrust forConservation Head, Bowness.Staff fromalllevels,ledbythemanagingdirector, tooktothehillsfor on theirhotelbillsthroughInvestintheLakes,spenttimeclearinginvasivebrackenatGhyll Staff from EnglishLakesHotels,aLakeDistrict-basedhotelgroupoperatinganopt-outlevy business issupportingtheVPS. a daycarryingoutconservationtasks.Thiscanalsoincreasetheirunderstandingofwhy businesses, andinparticularemployeesofbusinessessupportingschemes,mayenjoyspending specialist activitytouroperatorstodevelopthisapproach.Similarly, employeesoftourism place theyarevisiting.Organisersofschemescanlinkupwithlocalconservationgroupsor hands-on conservationworkcanprovidevisitorswitharealsenseofinvolvementthe conservation activitieswhileonholiday. Thereisagrowingmarketforactivityholidays,and Rather thanoffering amonetarydonation,somevisitorsmayprefertoparticipatein Participation 5 industry, andbusinessesarepreparedto‘buyinto’thispositiveimage. private businesses.Thescheme’s successisduetoitspositiveprofileinthelocaltourism paying anannualmembershipfee.Thisiseffective wayofbringingincorefundingfrom Every businessparticipatinginInvesttheLakessupportscorecostofschemeby vehicle byFord. workers kittedoutwithoutdoorclothingcourtesyofRegatta,buttheywerealsoloaneda enhancement oflocalfootpathsandbridleways.Notonlywasthein-houseteamfootpath Exmoor PathsPartnershipwasestablishedtoencouragevisitorscontributethe head startwhenheheldafundraisingbarbecueforhisguests,raising£500inoneevent. One caravansiteownerinLancashiregaveTheBowlandTourism andEnvironmentFunda 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 7 3 3D Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 or small.Thereareexamples ofschemesworkinginmasstourismdestinations. A methodofvisitorpayback canbedevelopedtosuitvirtuallyeverytypeofbusiness, large ‘supporters’. with variousmethodsofvisitorpaybackinitsfirstfewyears andnowoperatesaschemefor the homeofvarioussustainabletourisminitiatives.The Tarka CountryTrust experimented ‘Tarka Country’.This‘brandingofthe area’hasprovedeffective andTarka Countryisnow In Devon,adecisionwasmadeintheearly1990sbylocal partnerstomarkettheareaas working involvingthetourismsector, localauthorities andregionaltouristboards. then thisisanadvantage.Ifnot,somethingthatcanbedevelopedthroughpartnership to conservingthespecialqualitiesofthatarea.Ifareahasastrongidentityorcharacter, Ideally, foranarea-wideVPStobemeaningfulandappealingvisitors,itshouldlinked identity. of whicharenationalparks.Whatthesedohaveincommonthoughisastrongsense established schemesinEnglandincludetheForestofBowlandandIsleWight,neither However, VPSshouldnotbe,andisnot,limitedonlytonationalparks.Otherareaswith that areworthyofspecialprotection. when developingschemes,asvisitorsperceivethemunique,nationallyimportant,places and otherUSnationalparks.Protectedareassuchasparkshaveanaturaladvantage District andExmoor. Internationally, therearesuccessfulexamplesinYosemite NationalPark To date,thelargestschemesinUKareoperatingnationalparkssuchasLake Where canvisitorpaybackwork? • • • they areall: While theexamplesmentionedaboveshowthatVPScancomeinmanyshapesandforms, supplements. and awarenessoftheprojectsupportedothermethodsvisitorpaybacksuchas organised othereventssuchasahillrun.Thesewereaneffective wayofraisingfunds popular thatitbecameanannualeventandwasextendedtoaweek.Thetrustalso volunteers collecteddonationsatmajortouristspotsintheNationalPark.Thedaywasso The PeakDistrictTourism andEnvironmentTrust helda‘PoundforthePeak’dayinwhich raising ascheme’s profile. One-off orregulareventscantakealotofeffort toorganisebuttheyarehighlyeffective in Fundraisingevents 7 clearly presentedsothatthebeneficiaryprojectisintroduced,explainedandachievable. made tobeappealingandstraightforwardthevisitor designed tobesimplefortheparticipatingbusinessadminister 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 8 3 3D Tip Tip Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 sector. Onlywhenallof thesesectorsareworkingtogetherwillVPSbemostappealing to ordinated effort betweenthetourist industry, thelocalcommunityand the environmental proceeds toalocalconservation charity. VPSismosteffective thoughwhen itinvolvesaco- Essentially, anyoneinvolvedintourismcancollectdonationsfrom touristsandgivethe Who canrunvisitorpaybackschemes? needed forinitialsuccessandisarealindicatoroftheongoing valueofVPS. the thousandsofpoundsayearraisedbyscheme,but effective partnership workingis nurturing andstrengtheningtheserelationships.Thismay notbeasheadline-grabbing good linkswithlocaltourismprovidersandbecauseconsiderable staff timehasbeenspent relationship withlocaltourismbusinesses.Existingschemes haveonlysucceededbecauseof Above all,thekeytodevelopingasuccessfulVPSinany areaistodevelopagoodworking restoration ofhistoricbuildings. areas orparksareallpossibleprojects,alongwithmoretraditionalcausessuchasthe businesses andcouldbeachievable.Town trails,interpretationfeaturesorenhancedseating target projectwouldhavetobecarefullychosensothatitappealtouristsand urban VPSmaybelimitedtothemostattractivehistorictownsandcities.Asalways, schemes dependsongeneratinganemotiveresponsefromthevisitor, thepotentialfor There isnoreasonwhyVPScannotworkinurbanareas.However, asthesuccessofdonation on thecommitmentofparticipatingbusinessestosucceed. the sametime,theirsmallscalemaylimitamountofmoneyraised.Theyalsorelyheavily planting orrestoringhabitats.Theseschemesenablepeopletoseethetargetprojectbut,at accommodation providerscancollectdonationsforspecificlocalprojectssuchastree Visitor payback schemescanoperateatarelativelysmallscale.Individualtouroperatorsor for money. overcharged. Asinmostmarketsandsituations,peoplewantexpectreasonablevalue Visitors willbegenerallyreluctanttogiveadonationiftheyfeelarealreadybeing profile. domestic tourists.Localtourismoffices andbusinessescanhelptobuildanaccuratevisitor overnight. Overseasvisitorsmayhavedifferent expectationsofspendingcomparedwith of dayvisitors,adifferent approachwillbeneededthaninanareawheremostvisitorsstay It isimportanttounderstandthetypeofvisitorsusinganarea.Inareathatattractslots them, andisaseasypossibleforthemtoadminister. The keytosuccessislookateachbusinessandfindthemethodthatwillworkbestfor 1995. MuchofthefundinghasgonetosupportprojectsinFloridaitself. Fund. Thisfundhasspentatotalofover$3millionon161projectsin24countriessince cost ofmerchandiseboughtinthepark,whichgoestowardsDisneyWildlifeConservation At Walt Disney’s Floridathemepark‘AnimalKingdom’peopleareinvitedtoadd$1the 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 9 3 3D Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 relationships withtourismbusinesses anddevelopingahighprofileforthescheme. amount ofstaff timethatcanbededicated topromotingthescheme,buildinguppositive Overall, themostimportant factorinfluencingthegrowthandsuccessofschemes is the Don’t biteoff more thanyoucanchew! could havecontinued,evenifthiswasonasmallerscale. to securesomelong-termfundingorhelp-in-kindfrom partnerorganisations,thescheme to winddownitsoperationsoncethethree-yearperiod wasover. Ifthetrusthadbeenable However, withoutanyfuturecorefundingtosustain thestaff andoverheads,thetrusthad funded 15projectsbypassingonfundstoexistingconservation organisations. and accommodationbusinessessellingmetalpinbadges.Overitsthreeyears,thescheme the earlypioneersofvisitorpayback,withinitiativessuchasdonationmachinesatcarparks The PeakDistrictTourism andEnvironmentFunddevelopedahighprofilewasoneof three yearsthroughfundraising,sponsorshipandvisitorpaybackschemes. With Europeangrantscoveringthesecosts,thefundhopedtoachieveself-sufficiency within Staff, premises andequipmenttransferredtothefund,creatingsubstantialrunningcosts. tourism initiatives.Beforeitclosed,hadsetupthePeakTourism andEnvironmentFund. The PeakTourism PartnershipwasaGovernment-backedpilotprojecttodevelopsustainable long term. office space oruseofexistingstaff time,isvitalinensuringthatschemescansurvivethe and runningcostsareminimised.Help-in-kindfrompartnershiporganisations,suchasuseof up andadminister. Generally, schemescanonlybesustainableinthelongtermifoverheads While trustsorpartnershipshavetheiradvantages,anyneworganisationcanbecostlytoset grant-giving bodies. organisation itself,itopensupopportunitiesforoutsidefundingthroughvarioustrustsand public. However, charitablestatusisreassuringtosomepotentialdonorsand,forthe do nothavetobearegisteredcharityoperateschemesorcollectmoneyfromthe appeal isthattheyareseentobeindependentandhavenot-for-profit status.Organisations Some ofthewell-establishedschemesarerunbypartnershiporganisationsortrusts.Their the moneywillgotowards. bodies canmanageschemesbuttheymustgiveaclearpromiseaboutthetypesofprojects going andtobesurethatitistherenowhereelse.Localauthoritiesorstatutory from thestart.Essentially, peoplegivingadonationwanttoknowwheretheirmoneyis local authority, suchasfootpathmaintenance,sotargetprojectsmustbecarefullychosen Tourists areunlikelytogivedonationsforprojectsthattheyseeasastatutoryroleofthe Is itnecessarytosetupatrust? money israised,realresultscanbequicklyshownasproofofsuccess. need tobeinvolvedselectrealisticandappropriatetargetprojectssothat,oncethe the hostbusinessesandtouriststhemselves.Localcommunitiesconservationgroups 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 10 3 3D Case study Case studies © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 payback scheme. has usedthisresearchtohelp themwithinitialplanninganddevelopmentoftheir visitor greatly betweendifferent locations anddonationmethods.Suffolk Coast&HeathsAONB The researchshowedhowattitudesvaryamongdifferent types ofvisitors,andalsovary assess methodsofcollection,thelikelihoodparticipation andpotentialsizeofdonations. The EastofEnglandTourist Boardcarried outdetailedsurveysofbusinessesandvisitorsto representatives isagoodwayofstarting. Establishing aworkinggroupoftourismofficers, businessesand localcommunity • • • • do someresearchon: due tolackofcorefunding.Beforecommittingresourcesanewscheme,itisessential have raisedmuchlessmoneythananticipatedornotbeenabletosustainthemselves opportunity tolaunchaschemelocally. However, anumberofschemessetupinrecentyears It istempting,onhearingsuccessstoriesfromexistingVPSs,torushinandseizethe Do yourhomework How tosetupavisitorpaybackscheme soon tobeinvolvedinassessingapplicationsforgrants. distributed asgrantsforenvironmentalprojects,andparticipatingtourismbusinessesare relatively smallscalewitharound30businessesusingcollectionboxes.Fundsraisedare Trust, asthisisperceivedtobemoreappealingvisitors.Theschemeoperatesona authorities andhasnodedicatedstaff. Theschemeis‘fronted’bytheLancashireWildlife The BowlandTourism andEnvironmentFundwasestablishedbyapartnershipoflocal employs twoprojectco-ordinatorstomanageprimarilythevisitorpaybackproject. local authority, environmentalorganisationsandindividualbusinesses.Thepartnership membership andaboardmadeupofrepresentativesfromtheregionaltouristboard, District Tourism andConservationPartnership,withabroadpublic-private-sector The LakeDistrict’s visitorpaybackscheme,InvestintheLakes,ismanagedbyLake relatively cheaplyifnecessary. Themainconstraintisstaff time. some sortofstart-upfundingtoproduceleaflets,boxesorpostersbutthesecanbedone Visitor paybackschemesarenotnecessarilyexpensivetoestablish.Organisationsmayneed short-term publicitygimmick,aslongitcanpointtotangiblebenefitsearlyon. will demonstratetothosebusinessesinvolvedthattheschemeis‘herestay’andnota sums ofmoneyortoachieveahighprofile.However, startingsmallandgrowingslowly that theycanbefundedandsustainedlongterm–butareunlikelytobringinlarge Schemes canbesetupaslow-keyprojectsusingexistingstaff –thisisoftentheonlyway the potentialsupportavailableforcorefunding. the mostappealingtargetprojects the typesofvisitorsusingareaandtheirwillingnesstodonate the willingnessoflocalbusinessestoparticipate 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 11 3 3D Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 the areaandhowitistreasured. promoting VPSintheirliterature, theyaregivingoutapositivemessageaboutthe beautyof also benecessaryforplacinginparticipatingbusinesses. Mosttouristoffices willseethat,by coverage inexistingpublicationsandpromotionalliterature. Sometailor-made leafletsmight the localorregionaltourismpromotionbody. Thebestwaytoraiseawarenessisthrough It isimportant,whenestablishingavisitorpaybackscheme, tohavethefullcommitmentof Work together not visible. projects mustbereadilyachievableortheschememay risk losingmomentumifresultsare it isanopportunitytoinvolvemanysectorsofthecommunity. However, atleastoneofthese direct benefitsfortheirownprojects.Thiscreatesextra workinadministeringthegrantsbut grants schemeusingthemoneyraisedsothatlandownersandcommunitygroupscangain want toraisemoneyforaspecificprojectnearthem.Anotheroptionisoperatesmall It isquitefeasibletohaveavarietyoftargetprojects,particularlyifindividualbusinesses staff, BTCV orlocalcommunitygroups. by organisationssuchastheNationalTrust, localwildlifetrust,authoritycountryside experts andcountrysidemanagersbeforedeciding.Work onthegroundcanbecarriedout may notbethemostappealingtopublicsoitisworthconsultingvariouslocalwildlife work. Themostimportantprojectsfromanatureconservationorenvironmentalpointofview appealing, theyshouldbefornewenhancementprojectsratherthangeneralmaintenance be appropriate andhavearealconnectiontotheplaceinwhichmoneyisbeingraised.To specific localprojectratherthanageneralconservationfund.Target projectsshouldbe Generally, visitorswillbemoreinclinedtomakeadonationiftheyknowthatitisfor so thatthiscanbeincludedinanyliteraturesuchasleafletsoroncollectionboxes. It isstronglyrecommendedthatthefirsttargetprojectagreedbeforescheme’s launch Have atargetproject inmind support thescheme. scheme hasworkedandwhoisinvolved,invaluablewhenpersuadingnewbusinessesto area-wide. ‘Successbreedssuccess’,andbeingabletoquotelocalexamplesofhowthe It maybebesttopilotaVPSapproachinsmallsub-areabeforelaunchingnewscheme Start small Conservation Fund,Connect,OntheRightTracks andInvestintheLakes. choose todeveloptheirownbrands.ExamplesalreadyinuseareGiftNature,Tarka Individual schemesdonotneedtoincludethewords‘visitorpayback’;localareasmay image orbrand,whichwillbeusedconsistentlyandbecomerecognisedlocally. whose supportaVPScannotexist.Ahastohaveanappealingandprofessional-looking only tovisitorsandencouragethemmakeadonation,butalsobusinesses,without Establishing aVPSisessentiallymarketingexercise.Asuccessfulschememustappealnot Establish abrand 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 12 3 3D Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 or reachingfundraisingtargets. achievement –suchasrecruitingnewbusinesses,carrying outon-the-groundenhancements There arenumerousopportunitiesforgoodpublicity, whichshouldbegraspedwithevery ambassadors topromotethebenefitsofVPSotherbusinesses andtotouriststhemselves. cannot failtoseethebenefitsandwantbeinvolved. Participatingbusinessesareideal The keytodevelopinganeffective VPSistobuildupitsprofilesothat businessesandvisitors Keep spreading themessage themselves astheycanseethebenefitsfrombeingapartofscheme. been happytopaythefees–infact,suggestionchargecamefrombusinesses few yearsandhadbuiltupamomentumhighprofile.Participatingbusinesseshave project income.Thisapproachwasonlyestablishedaftertheschemehadbeenrunningfora Tourism andConservationPartnershiptocovercorecosts.Theyalsodeduct15%ofall minimum contributionforathree-yearperiod.ThemoneygoesdirecttotheLakeDistrict participate. Forlargerorganisationsthereisacorporatemembershipschemewith£1,000 £20 to£100,dependingonthesizeofbusiness.Thisallowssmallerbusinesses Businesses participatinginInvesttheLakespayanannualmembershipfeerangingfrom to deductsomeofthedonationsasamanagementfeecovercorecosts. Well-established schemes havethepotentialtosecuredirectsupportfromlocalbusinessesor its long-termsustainabilityandsuccess. provision ofanelementcorefundinghascreatedasafety-netfortheschemeandensured dedicated theirowntimetosustainthemomentumofscheme.Thiscommitmentand which therehavebeennopaidstaff duetopersonnelchanges,boardmembershave all boardmemberscontributefinanciallytotheprojectsomedegree.Eveninperiods promotional expenses.Manyoftheseorganisationsarenowontheboarddirectorsand years bycorefundingfromkeyorganisationstocoverthecostsofaprojectofficer and The LakeDistrictTourism andConservationPartnershipwaspump-primedforitsfirstthree the workofexistingstaff. term costsbyeitherprovidingcorefundingorabsorbingtherunningofschemeinto sustained. Insomecases,RTBs, agenciesandlocalauthoritiesmaybeabletosupportlong- early on,butitisalsovitaltosecurelong-termfundingensurethatschemescanbe Countryside Agency, RDAsandEuropeanfundingsources.Thiscanbehelpful,particularly Existing schemeshavegainedshort-termfundingfromvarioussourcesincludingRTBs, The from partnershiporganisationscanmeetsomeofthesecosts. postage andproductionofliteratureshouldnotbeunderestimated.Ideally, in-kindhelp Running costsforexistingVPSsarelargelystaff timebutoverheadssuchasphonecalls, Secure support forrunningcosts 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 13 3 3D Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 their schemewithrealisticexpectationsandensureitslong-term sustainability. of resourcesrequiredtooperateascheme.Onlybyadopting thisapproachwilltheystart to canvasslocalopinion,consideranypotentialpitfalls and assessthelong-termcommitment behaviour. Tourism managersconsidering establishingvisitorpaybackshouldtakethetime Every areaisdifferent though,havingbusinessesandvisitorswith theirownattitudesand their area. the localeconomy. Localpeoplecanunderstandhowtourismdirectlybenefitsthemand relevant tothelocalcommunitythanofficial figuresoftouristspendandhowthisbenefits The visitorpaybackschemeanditson-the-groundprojectscanseemmuchmoretangible Visitor payback schemescanbenefitthehostcommunityinaresortortouristdestination. demonstrating theircommitmenttothatenvironment. to thesuccessoftheirbusinessandvisitorpaybackgivesthemapracticalway Many tourismprovidersareincreasinglyawareofhowimportanttheirlocalenvironmentis how tourismbusinessesandenvironmentalorganisationscanworktogetherinpartnership. the schemeanditgeneratesawarenesssupportfromthissector. Visitor paybackshows Visitor payback issuccessfulbecauseitinvolvesthetourismindustryitselfatveryheartof can beraisedbyvisitorpayback,youare missingthepoint. and corefundingaretakenintoaccount. even thewell-establishedschemesmightnotlooksoimpressivewhencostsofstaff time Despite thesesuccesses,iftheamountofmoneyraisedisonlymeasuresuccess,then schemes. Similarly, ExmoorPathsPartnershipraisedover£20,000initsfirstthreeyears. around £70,000ayear, largelythrough100businessesthatareoperatingvoluntarylevy Conservation Partnership,forexample,hasgainedsuchamomentumthatitexpectstoraise Of course,therearesomeconvincingsuccessstories.TheLakeDistrictTourism and get-rich-quick schemeoffering aneasychancetotapintoarichveinofvisitorgenerosity. started. ForareasconsideringestablishingaVPS,itisimportanttorealisethatVPSnot bring aboutrealon-the-groundenvironmentalimprovements.Otherschemesarejustgetting and resources.Someschemeshavebeenhighlysuccessfulatraisinglargesumsofmoneyto Setting upandmanagingasuccessfulvisitorpaybackschemetakesconsiderablestaff time Is itworthalltheeffort? succeeds fromtheculminationofmanysmallcommitmentspeople. publicity angletocelebrateeverysmallachievement.Afterall,visitorpaybackitselfonly Rather thanwaitingforthebigsuccessestopromoteyourscheme,trythinkofanew In otherwords, ifyoujustlookatthemoneythat 3D SETTINGUPAVISITORPAYBACK SCHEME COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 14 3 3D 3D SETTING UP A VISITOR PAYBACK SCHEME

Case studies

Gift To Nature: A visitor payback scheme for the Isle of Wight

Progress to date – February 2003 Milestones • 110 Island tourism businesses involved so far Case study • Two on-the-ground conservation projects completed to date • Funding from European sources, Countryside Agency, Heritage Lottery Fund and Rural Development Programme

Background Gift to Nature is a visitor payback scheme which aims to show how tourism and conservation can help each other. The basic idea behind visitor payback is that most tourists come to the Island because of it’s beautiful countryside – yet very little of the money brought in from tourism goes back into the conservation of that countryside. Gift to Nature aims to change this by asking local tourism businesses to invite tourists to make a voluntary donation towards local conservation projects. There are various ways of raising money from simple collection boxes or envelopes placed in hotels to voluntary optional supplements being added to accommodation bills.

Early days The early months of 2000 were spent developing a logo and identity for Gift to Nature and producing promotional material. This promotional material is to serve a dual purpose; to recruit tourism businesses to participate in the scheme and also to inform tourists about Gift to Nature and invite them to give a voluntary donation.

The official launch of Gift to Nature was held in March 2000. The evening proved very successful and fourteen businesses signed up there and then to support Gift to Nature. To date, there are now 110 businesses committed to supporting the scheme.

Funders The Island 2000 Trust was a partner in a European-funded Interreg project for the year 2000, which has allowed the idea to be trialled in Ventnor prior to its Island-wide development.

The Countryside Agency have also supported the further development of Gift to Nature as an island-wide project by funding new literature, the website and the development of prototype collection boxes. Forthcoming Heritage Lottery Funding for Island 2000 will also help to cover the costs of future promotion and publicity over the next two years.

Conservation projects The money raised to date has been used to support two projects – habitat creation for wall lizards and a red squirrel viewing hide.

• Wall lizards ‘These rare creatures are only able to thrive in Ventnor because of its warm and sunny aspect, so they are an ideal mascot for tourism in Ventnor. As well as a leaflet regarding wall lizards, which has been produced in partnership with Wight Wildlife and

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delivered to all local households, we have created new habitats for wall lizards by building a new dry stone wall in Ventnor Botanic Gardens. This was built in November 2000 by Island Conservation Volunteers.’ • Red squirrels ‘The Isle of Wight is one of the last remaining strongholds of the rare, native red squirrel since the more competitive grey squirrels have not managed to establish themselves on the Island. Gift to Nature money enabled us to bring in extra funding from the Local Heritage Initiative to create a new red squirrel safari trail, a log cabin style viewing hide with interpretative panels and chainsaw timber sculptures. The hide and trail was officially opened in October 2002 by Professor David Bellamy.’

Making giving fun Island 2000 Trust is working with various artists to develop interesting and amusing collection boxes which encourage people to give a donation by being eye-catching and fun. Two one-off, specially designed automata boxes have been designed, one for a pub and one for the visitors centre at the Botanic Gardens. These are made so that when a coin is inserted, things happen and people are encouraged to keep giving.

• ‘One of our most successful boxes is a handmade, polished concrete seat on Ventnor cliffs. The seat was hand made by artist Lucy Casson and features a wall lizard motif along with a coin collection box, which is emptied regularly. The seat has raised £1,000 in two years.’ •‘In Autumn 2001, we delivered a large, lenticular sign to Blackgang Chine Fantasy Park. Designed by London design company Allotment 51, the sign shows an image of coins but when viewed from another angle, has a large image of a red squirrel. The sign has a coin slot and has collected £160 in donations from visitors at this popular tourist spot.’

The new Gift to Nature collection boxes are handcrafted fibreglass sandcastle boxes with special flags, based on a design by Teresa Grimaldi and made by Guido Oakley, both Island artists. These boxes are eye-catching and fun and the flags are ‘sold’ in return for a donation.

Support from businesses At present, there are 110 businesses supporting Gift to Nature, ranging from small shops and cafes, to farm B&Bs and prestige hotels. The Forestry Commission and the IW Council's Countryside Section also support Gift to Nature by encouraging mainland school parties to add a donation onto the cost of ranger-led events.

• Wightlink Ferries Ltd have agreed to support Gift to Nature by operating an ‘opt-out voluntary levy’ scheme on all Wightlink Holidays. Everyone booking a Wightlink Holiday pays the £1 supplement, included in the price of their holiday, unless they request not to pay it. The Wightlink Holidays brochure and website both include a page devoted to Gift to Nature. • Red Funnel Holidays are operating an opt-in voluntary levy of £1 for all online bookings for Red Funnel Holidays starting in 2002. Red Funnel Ferries were actually convinced of the value of doing this by the owners of holiday parks who were supporting Gift to Nature themselves, who encouraged them to adopt Gift to Nature. • The Isle of Wight Walking Festival which takes place each year is also raising money for Gift to Nature via several walk leaders who collect donations.

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• Chessell Pottery have donated 10% of the profits from sales of their red squirrel ornaments, raising over £130 in 2002. Brading Waxworks have donated the contents of their wishing well to Gift to Nature.

Recognition Gift to Nature is featured in the English Tourism Council's sustainable tourism strategy Time for Action, launched in April 2001, as an example of good practice.

The Island Tourist Industry Association is now contributing £1 for every member towards the running costs of Gift to Nature. This is getting on for £1,000 per year and is a significant step in ensuring the future sustainability of Gift to Nature. To date, all the running costs of Gift to Nature, other than costs of publicity materials/boxes/leaflets, has been provided by Island 2000 Trust. Island 2000 Trust is a small charity working for the landscapes, people and economy of the Isle of Wight.

Gift to Nature is online at www.gifttonature.co.uk. The website aims to promote Gift to Nature, to publicise our achievements and to encourage people to support the scheme. All participating businesses are being encouraged to set up two-way links from their own websites to and from the Gift to Nature site.

On the Right Tracks: South Hams, Devon On the Right Tracks is a voluntary payback scheme in the South Hams which forms part of the South Hams Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS).

Local businesses wanted to be involved in fundraising which involved the community and Case study visitors to the area in order to provide local benefits. A resource they felt strongly about was the unique network of 191 green lanes in the district all of which are in need of some form of management and conservation.

This led to the creation of On the Right Tracks, which raises funds in order to enhance these lanes. Once cleared and repaired they will become the finest and most accessible network of their kind in Britain. Not only are they a unique habitat for wildlife; they are also an important leisure resource for both local people and visitors alike.

As well as raising valuable funds, the scheme also engages local people and increases awareness.

There are currently about 30 different businesses involved in the scheme and methods vary for example:

• The Venus Company, who run a number of beach cafes, donate 5p for every cup of tea and every flake sold • Dart Pleasure Craft donate 10p for every ‘Round Robin’ postcard sold • The Dart Marina Hotel donate £1 for every Dartmouth Pie (made from local produce) sold in the restaurant

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It is important that the collection method is relevant to the business and most of all is simple for both the business to implement and for the visitor to make a contribution.

The project aim is to raise over £40,000 over three and a half years. The current total at around £15,000 is being used for match funding in order to make the funds go even further.

A book called Exploring Green Lanes in The South Hams, containing 25 circular walks, is to be published in Spring 2003. A percentage of the profits will be circulated back into improvement works.

For more information, please contact: Sally Pritchard, Green Tourism Officer South Hams District Council, Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5NE tel: 01803 861249; email [email protected]

Further reference

Ashcroft P and Denman P. Visitor Payback: Encouraging tourists to give money voluntarily to conserve the places they visit, The Tourism Company, 1997.

Countryside Recreation Network. Visitor Payback: Looking at the Realities behind the Success Stories, Countryside Recreation, ed. Emma Barratt, Vol. 9(2), Summer 2001, p.4-7.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Tomorrow's Tourism: A Growth Industry for the Next Millennium, July 1999.

Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund: www.disney.com

English Tourism Council. Time for Action: A Strategy For Sustainable Tourism in England, April 2001.

English Tourism Council. www.englishtourism.org.uk

Friends of Yosemite (2001). Help Your Park. www.yosemite.org

Morgan H. A Taxing Time, In Focus, 2000.

Suffolk Coast and Heaths Project: this AONB initiative has developed a number of visitor payback schemes. Dork Lane, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1PE www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org

Sustainable Travel & Tourism (2001). Spain’s Balearics Approve Tourist Eco-Tax. www.sustravel.com

Tarka Project (1997). Visitor Payback Project. www.tarka-country.co.uk

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Further contacts

East of England Tourist Board Toppesfield Hall Hadleigh Suffolk IP7 5DN Tel: 01473 822922

Exmoor National Park Authority Exmoor House Dulverton Somerset TA22 9HL Tel: 01398 23665

Island 2000 Trust The Gatehouse Forest Road Newport Isle of Wight PO30 5YS Tel: 01983 822118 email: [email protected] www.gifttonature.co.uk

Lake District Tourism and Conservation Partnership Fisherbeck Mill Old Lake Road Ambleside Cumbria LA22 0DH Tel: 015394 34630 email: [email protected] www.partnership.lakesnet.co.uk

Northumberland National Park Authority Eastburn South Park Hexham Northumberland NE46 1BS Tel: 01434 611507 email: [email protected]

Ribble Valley Borough Council Tourism Section Council Offices Church Walk Clitheroe Lancashire BB7 2RA Tel: 01200 425111 email: [email protected]

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3E Ensuring access for all

Introduction

Why is it necessary to address access and social inclusion?

The role of the local authority in making tourism more accessible and inclusive

Who is involved in making tourism more accessible and inclusive?

1 Visitors: understanding them and their needs

2 Industry: understanding what service providers can do to make their services more accessible/inclusive

3 Community: how the community can both contribute and benefit from improved inclusivity/access

4 Environment

Preparing an action plan: how can access and inclusion be developed?

Monitoring and review of the action plan

Promoting your work

References

3E Ensuring access for all

This handbook component explains the issues associated with access and social inclusion and will help you develop an access action plan for your destination.

This component also relates to:

• 1A Surveying visitor satisfaction • 2E Developing visitor management plans • 4 Measuring overall tourism performance.

Introduction

‘Everyone has the right to rest and recreation, including a reasonable restriction of working hours, and periodic holidays with pay’ Article 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948

Access and social inclusion are issues that are becoming increasingly important. The need for the tourism industry to address them is a result of Government policies, legislation and a general shift in accepting the right of everyone to be able to have access to rest and recreation. While recognising that local authorities have different environments to work with, and are at different stages of policy development, this component sets out to help destinations understand what access and social inclusion mean and their importance to destinations. It explores some creative and practical ways towards building a tourism product which is, as is the government’s objective, ‘the most welcoming in Europe’ and should assist in the preparation of an action plan to take access forward and make it a mainstream part of all your tourism activities.

This component uses the VICE model to consider this issue:

• Visitors: how to welcome, involve and satisfy them • Industry: ways to achieve a profitable and prosperous Industry • Communities: how to engage with and gain benefits for the host communities • Environment: how the local environment can be protected and enhanced.

Why is it necessary to address access and social inclusion?

It is the stated aim of the government to overcome the barriers to holiday-taking among the sections of the population who are at present unable to enjoy the ease of access to leisure and tourism which the majority take for granted. While access is commonly perceived as the overcoming of physical barriers for those with disabilities, this is only part of a wider agenda if a fully inclusive tourism is the goal. Fully accessible and inclusive tourism is not only an essential form of ensuring equal opportunities, which is a key social responsibility of local authorities. It also makes good business sense, as it offers opportunities to widen markets and to enhance the quality of the product. Finally, with the implementation of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), it is now a legal requirement with regard to the disabled.

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Government Policy

1 Tomorrow’s Tourism Tomorrow’s Tourism states:

‘The government is determined to help people – the elderly, people with disabilities, single parent families, families with young children, carers, and people with low incomes – who find difficulty in taking holidays or leisure breaks. The priorities are to:

• Highlight growing market opportunities • Make English tourism the most accessible and welcoming in Europe • Widen access to tourism opportunities • Improve access to employment in tourism • Widen access to our culture, heritage and countryside.’

2 Other government access-related policies with implications for tourism In setting out this agenda, the potential for tourism to play a role in addressing other key government strategies is implied. These policies include:

• The eradication of social exclusion as a strategy for addressing social problems, from poor health to youth crime. The long-term aim is to reduce public expenditure by addressing ‘root causes’. Addressing disadvantage has been described by the Chancellor as a ‘litmus test’ of a civilised society. Lack of access to leisure and holidays is itself one of the causes of ‘social exclusion’ when defined as participation within mainstream culture.

• The ending of child poverty in ten years. There are obligations under the Children’s Act 1989 (Schedule 2, 8(e)) for local authorities to make provision for holidays for ‘children in need’ and their families.

• The care of the elderly and disabled – local authorities have a responsibility for the welfare of their elderly or disabled residents, including holiday provision. With the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act all service providers and employers will be required to make reasonable adjustments so as not to treat disabled people less favourably.

• Community regeneration – Involvement of the community in innovative schemes for leisure, sport or culture has a direct relationship with tourism and can create a ‘virtuous circle’ – the new facility, event, festival or sporting activity can create an influx of visitors, providing funds to upgrade older facilities to be fully inclusive and accessible, in turn attracting a wider stream of visitors.

• The Diversity Review and Rural White Paper (2000) commits Government to addressing the issue of equity in relation to access to the countryside, forming part of the statutory role of the Countryside Agency which will be developing a plan of action for DEFRA. The application of the principal of equality of opportunity to the range of publicly - and privately - funded goods and services has become commonplace in multicultural Britain. It is not, though, commonplace when it comes to accessing what the countryside has to offer. The Rural White Paper (2000) states (p.138):

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‘By 2005, we will carry out a full diversity review of how we can encourage more people with disabilities, more people from ethnic minorities, more people from the inner cities, and more young people to visit the countryside and participate in country activities. Initially, we will do this by seeking their views on what they need to enjoy the countryside. Then we will draw up a plan of action.' As well as aiming to increase access and recreational opportunities, the review will consider whether 'a change of scenery' has the potential to reduce people's experience of social exclusion.

3 The Disability Discrimination Act and local authorities Almost anyone who provides a service, including all local authorities, has duties under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). Some of these duties are already in place and others come in October 2004. It’s essential that local authorities, at all levels and in all departments, are aware of the current duties and are already planning for the changes in October 2004.

These changes are a challenge and an opportunity for local authorities to open up their services for disabled people. No-one is saying this is going to be easy for local authorities, but by planning strategically and taking a holistic approach the changes will be easier to achieve. Local authorities also have a role in advising and supporting businesses in their area including those in the tourist industry.

What should local authorities be doing already?

A wide range of services are covered by the DDA, everything from swimming pools to information offices. Whenever the local authority is providing a service to the public or members of the public then this is likely to be covered by Part III of the DDA. Some services such as education are primarily covered by another part of the DDA, Part IV. In some areas, such as highways, some services will be covered and others may not; eg provision of crossings may not be covered but signage would be. In these complicated situations it’s easiest to assume that services are covered by the DDA unless they clearly are not.

Various duties came into force in 1999 and local authorities should already be meeting these. These are straightforward duties that those following best practice would probably have already been meeting.

These involve making ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled people, such as providing extra help or making changes to the way services are delivered. Examples would be offering information in accessible formats or ensuring that guide or assistance dogs were welcome on local authority premises. In order to ensure that these duties are being met, local authorities should look at their policies and practices to see if any adjustments are necessary. Also consider what auxiliary services you are already providing or could provide for disabled people to help them access services. Training for staff could play an important role in meeting these duties.

October 2004

From October 2004 local authorities will have to make adjustments to the physical features of premises to overcome barriers to access for disabled people. This means reasonable changes to local authority buildings and other areas such as leisure facilities to make the services accessible for disabled people. These are major changes and need planning well in advance, which is why they aren’t coming into effect until 2004.

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Many local authorities have already started planning for these changes, and if your local authority hasn’t then it’s crucial this process begins immediately. Changes to physical features take time and need to be planned in a strategic way. The DDA requires reasonable adjustment, and this is likely to involve making the most important facilities accessible first and prioritisation of improvements work and action planning. Although every building and facility doesn’t suddenly have to be made completely accessible, local authorities, along with other service providers, can’t just wait until a disabled person wants to use the service. From October 2004 these changes are required whether or not disabled people regularly use the service.

The key is ensuring that the local authority is planning across a range of services. Access audits play a crucial role in this. Equally important is taking this planned approach: sometimes there may be a management solution to improving access to a service; sometimes it may be more useful to make wide ranging changes to a small number of buildings rather than piecemeal changes to all buildings. These are decisions which local authorities should be taking now and producing an action plan for improving access to services. This will not only meet legal duties but will open up services to the one in four members of the community with a disability.

Local authorities and the tourist industry

As well as having duties as service providers, local authorities are also sources of information and advice for local businesses including those in the tourist industry. Larger tourist attractions and hotels may be well-informed about access for disabled people and the DDA, but others, such as small accommodation providers, may be less so. Local authorities can help to provide information and give confidence to small service providers about the achievability and benefits of improving access.

The role of the local authority in making tourism more accessible and inclusive

‘The issue is not just “tourism” or “disability” but the whole economic, social and cultural agenda: quality of life and the well-being agenda, which are now key local authority concerns.’ Sid Platt, Director West Midlands LGA

Local authorities, often working in partnerships with others at the local regional and national level such as RTBs and RDAs, play a key role in many different areas which influence the product; eg planning, transport, the provision of information and marketing. They are in a unique position to influence the tourism product and to create a climate of change.

The role of local authorities

‘… the strength of local authorities (is) their ability to take a holistic view of the situation…’ councils (have) a statutory duty to ‘promote the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of an area…’ The community plans, which from July 2000 must be produced by every council, will have equal opportunities as their bedrock. Further, central Government has realised that past initiatives to address social exclusion have failed because too much emphasis has been placed on physical improvements – bricks and mortar – and not enough on people.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 4 Tip enhancing itsqualitytobenefitvisitors,businessesandthelocalcommunityalike. way thelocalauthoritycantakeleadinopeninguptourismproducttonewmarkets, embedded inallitspoliciesandstrategiesfromthebeginning.Byaddressingaccessthis should notbethoughtofasoptionaladditionstolocalpoliciesorstrategies,but The issueofaccessandinclusionisbestservedbythinkingmoreinclusively. 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You needtoidentifythegroupyouareaddressing,andviewyour who havepreviouslyfacedbarriers,itisvitaltogainanunderstandingoftheirperspective In seekingtocreatenewopportunitiesandmarketsfortourismleisureamonggroups Customer satisfactionmustbethefirstprincipleingaugingsuccessofanynewproduct. understandingthemandtheirneeds 1 Visitors: make allvisitorsfeelwelcome. transport aswelllessobviousretailandserviceoutlets.Localresidentscanalsohelpto inclusive. Withregardtoindustry, thisincludesaccommodationproviders,attractions,and The wholelocalcommunityneedstobeinvolvedinmakingtourismmoreaccessibleand and inclusive? Who isinvolvedinmakingtourismmore accessible © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 Councillor JohnPrice,ChesterCityCouncilandChairofLGATourism forAllActionGroup Tourism andholiday-takingare keystoeachone.’ 3 Healthyliving 2 Economicdevelopment 1 Environmentalimprovements aims: Many councilshavealreadydevelopedsocialinclusionstrategieswhichcontainthesethree Working fortheCountryside 3E ENSURINGACCESSFORALL COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 5 3 3E Tip quarter ofallfamilies.Itisa myththatloneparentsaremostlyteenagers.Infact,only three family, while atanyonetimetherearearound1.7millionone-parent families–almosta families, withalmosthalfthe UK’s children expectedtospendsometimeinaone-parent marriage inthepopulation in general,hascreatedanunprecedentedrisesingle parent rise indivorce,whichpeaked1993,andthesteady incohabitationanddecline Another aspectofsocialdemographicsisthechanging nature ofthefamily. Thespectacular The changingnature offamilies groups inthissection. with caring,sothedevelopmentoflowcostoptionsare likelytobehelpful,aswithother government information.Financecanoftenbeanissue withalltheextracostsassociated www.carers.org (PrincessRoyalTrust forCarers)or CarersOnline,orwww.carers.gov.uk for carers tobuyrespitebreaksunderthisscheme.Formore informationaboutcarers,lookup get respitebreaks.Localauthoritiesarealsoencouragedtodevelopvoucherschemesfor fund of£140millionwhichisring-fencedwithinlocalauthorities,designedtohelpcarers announced theNationalStrategyforCarers,whichincludesaCarersSpecialGrant,with The governmenthasrecognizedtheimportanceofdoingmoretosupportcarersand alone orwiththeirfamilytheonetheylookafter. carers havefrequentlyexpressedwishestobeabletakemoreholidayseitherasrespite, 730,000 carersinLondonalone,ofwhomaroundhalfarealsowork.Inconsultations, throughout life.ArecentreportoncarersinLondonshowsthatthereareanestimated in fiveofthepopulationwillatsomestagetakeonacaringrole,manyusseveraltimes There arealsosome6millionpeopleintheUKwhocarers.Evidenceshowsthatthree Carers Only sixpercentofdisabledpeoplearewheelchairusers. such asparentswithpushchairs,andthelocalcommunity, notjustvisitors. to doso.Itisimportantrememberthatcreatingeaseofaccesswillbenefitothergroups, people experiencedifficulty intravelingortakingaholiday. Yet two-thirdsexpressthedesire loss, evenwithmedicaladvances.RecentresearchintheUKindicatesthat48%ofdisabled get olderandlivelongerwillexperiencemobilityproblems,hearingdifficulties andsight million adultswithdisabilities.Thispotentialmarketwillcertainlygrow. Mostofus,aswe income, withacurrentannualpurchasingpowerof£40billion.InEurope,thereare37 There areover8.4millionadultsintheUKwithdisabilities.Theyhaveincreasingdisposable Disabled people increasing demandforfacilitieswithdisabledaccess. almost 30%intheagegroup55-59asagainstaround10%at40,willalsomean tourism. However, higherproportionswithintheseagegroupswithsomeformofdisability, live morehealthilyandlonger, soaconsiderableuntappedmarketbeginstoopenupforUK 30% ofthepopulation.Asthesegroupshavemoredisposableincomethaninpast,and of peopleover65.Theover-55s areexpectedtoriseoverallby3.5minthenext15years, up by20%inthetenyearsto2005,andwillthereafterspeedincreasenumber The 55-64agecategory(the‘babyboomers’)isshowingthefastestrise.Itexpectedtobe By 2009,therewillbeoveramillionmorepeopletheageof60thanaretoday. The ageingpopulation © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 3E ENSURINGACCESSFORALL COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 6 3 3E Case study Place, SouthoverRoad,LewesBN71UPtel:01273897523 For furtherinformationcontactVera Waters, Veritas Projects,BexinHouse,2-3StAndrew’s need toputtheirchildrenintocare. co-operating withideas,andsomemothersresolvedthat theycouldnowcopeanddidnot have reportedthatfamilieswhohadpreviouslybeenresistant toallinterventionwerenow don’t needanti-depressants.I’lltrymyhardesttoputmeand thekidsfirst…’Socialworkers showed ushowlifecouldbe…relaxed,notworryingabout dailyroutines…’;‘nowIfeel experience aslife-changing:‘theholidaybroughtmeand mydaughterclosertogether… Families whohavetakenpartinaprogrammeofsuch‘holistic holidays’havedescribedthe and groupactivities.Thiswascoveredin South Londonbenefitingfromaweekbytheseasidewithprogrammeofvisits,workshops Margate CityCouncilhostedonesuchholiday, withagroupofmothersandchildrenfrom – whethermoreeducationalincontent,orforparentingsupport,healthneeds. everyday life.Theseholidayscanbeadaptedtosuitdifferent needsofdisadvantagedgroups community andoffer therapeutictoolsandexperienceswhichcanbetakenbackinto developed theideaofrunningholidaysforstressedparentswhichfosterasense Veritas Projects,fundedbyaLotterygrantthroughtheFamilyHolidayAssociation, 020 74363304;fax:3302;email:[email protected] information contactFamilyHolidayAssociation,16MortimerStreet,LondonW1T3JL;tel:. together cancontributetothegrowthofmutualsupportandunderstanding.Formore circumstances, andinconsequencetheirownbehaviourimproves.Severalfamiliesholidaying child/children, orbetweenchildren.Childrencanspendtimewiththeirparentsinlessstressed evidence givestypicalexamplesoftheseeitherbetweencouplesorparentsand The FamilyHolidayAssociationisanationalcharitywhichhelpsfundsuchholidays,andtheir can resultinarangeofpositiveoutcomes,fromimprovedhealthtorelationships. Nevertheless, researchintothebenefitsofholidaysshowsthatopportunitytotakeabreak the populationisalsoreflectedinfiguresofthosewhomaynotbeexperiencingholidays. The highconcentrationoffamilieswithchildrenatthelowerendincomescalewithin www.justmeandthekids.com orcontactMaggieBondatNWTB(tel:01942764129). the needsofsingleparentsonholiday. Forfulldetails,seetheirattractivenewsite, agency hasresultedinanenterprisingschemeinvolvinglocalsmallhotelsandB&Bsmeeting An initiativesponsoredthroughtheNorthWest Tourist Boardandthelocaldevelopment benefit familieswithchildreningeneral. a welcome,arealsocited.Thoughtfulpreparationandattentiontotheseneedswould including thelackoffacilitiesandsupportonholidays,transportdifficulties andthelackof problems orchoicestobefull-timeparents,thelargestdeterrentiscost;butotherproblems, them findthemselve three years,lone Of the40%ofpopulationwhohavenottakenaholidaymorethanthreedaysin of loneparentsis35(slightlyolderforfathers). per centare,andnumberhasfallenfrom86,000in1966to45,8002000.Theaverageage © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 parents formasignificantgroupofthosewhowouldliketo.Asmany instraitenedcircumstances,andunabletoworkbecauseofchildcare s The Guardian , Wednesday, 8November2000. 3E ENSURINGACCESSFORALL COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 7 3 3E Case Study Case study often staylonger. ‘Today’s youngbudgettravellersaretomorrow’s higherspending customers’. not spendagreatdealperday, theystayinlocallyownedandmanaged facilities,andthey discoverers notonlyofnew destinations,butalsonewactivities.Whileyoungtravellers may four travellers,or25%ofall travelandtourisminthecurrentdecade.Young peoplearethe travel, isundertakenbypeopleagedlessthan30,andthat thisissettoriseoneinevery Figures fromtheWorld Tourism Organisationconfirmthatone infive,thatis20%ofworld (www.atschool.eduweb.co.uk/medproj/payesoff.html) Sixty new12-13yearoldsarechosenforthe3-yearprogramme eachyear. who hadnotoffended butwereinsituationswheretheycouldalso beleadintodoingso. Scheme’ runbyBootlepolice.Thiswassetupwiththe idea ofencouragingyoungpeople young people,(seewww.columba1400.com) andthe‘PoliceAndYouth Encouragment Learndirect Scotland,whospecialiseincommunityand leadership trainingforadultsand Successful schemesforyoungpeopleincludeColumba1400inSkye,sponsoredby Service studyshowedre-offending ratestohavehalved. of itsclientsreturntotraining,employmentorjoinanotherorganisation,andaProbation charity workingwithandtrainingdemotivateddisadvantagedyoungpeople…’Two-thirds One suchproject,FairbridgeEdinburgh,hasbeendescribedas‘thesinglemosteffective which enablethemtomovetowardsgreaterresponsibility, self-relianceandindependence. disaffected youngpeopletobecomevolunteers,orparticipateinself-developmentprogrammes many projectshavesuccessfullyusedchallengingoutdooreducationactivitiestoencourage Research intotheuseofcountrysideshowsalowlevelparticipationbyyoungpeople.Yet rights ratherthanluxuriesforyoungpeoplelivinginpubliccare’. standards availabletootheryoungpeople…Recreationandleisureshouldbeviewedas allocated tomeettheleisureandrecreationneedsofyoungpeopleinpubliccare do whentheyleaveschoolasaresult.Theevaluationconcludedthat‘Resourcesmustbe to schoolaftertheholiday, and74%ofthemsaidthattheyhadnewideasaboutwhatto holiday hadattributedlastingbenefitstotheyoungpeople.Manyfeltbetteraboutgoing project bytheNationalChildren’s Bureau,overtwo-thirdsoftheircarersreportedthatthe people inlocalauthoritycare,manyofwhommissoutonholidays.Inanevaluationthe donated ordiscountedbythetravelindustry, bothintheUKandoverseas,to2,000young The ‘Time2Care’ millenniumprojectrunbytheFamilyHolidayAssociationgaveholidays practice. more affluent youngpeople,amongwhom‘gapyear’travelhasbecomeawell-established future, andintheirpassagetomaturitycontinuesgrow, andistakenforgrantedby holiday-taking tochildren’s development,totheirabilitybecomethetravellersof Rowntree Foundationreport11September2000).Yet evidenceofthebenefitstraveland clothing, ahealthydiet,itemsforeducation,week’s holiday, orsocialactivity’(Joseph child populationwhoare‘goingwithoutatleastoneessentialitem,suchasadequate and ‘work-poor’,accordingtoresearch,thereareabout4millionchildren,or34%ofthe term unemploymentaffecting about2millionpeople,andthedivisionbetween‘work-rich’ Due tothechangesoutlinedabove,alongwithestablishmentincertainareasoflong- Young peopleandchildren © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 3E ENSURINGACCESSFORALL COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 8 3 3E 3E ENSURING ACCESS FOR ALL

Advice from the Federation of International Youth Travel Organisations (FIYTO):

• Adopt a welcoming attitude towards young travellers. Reach out to them in your tourism marketing campaigns. Ask your own young tourism professionals to identify the attractive features, places and activities for the target group. Remember the three key words: affordable, flexible and exciting. And remember that young travellers want to meet their counterparts in your community. Use ‘youngspeak’ when you write promotional materials for the 18-35 age group. Develop a modern, exciting website to communicate your message.

•Include ‘youth travel’ as a priority segment in your multi-year strategic plan for tourism development. Initiate a dialogue with the travel and tourism professionals in your community. Close co-operation with the operators is essential if you wish to successfully develop, price and sell your destination to the international visitor.

• Join FIYTO and attend the World Youth and Student Travel Conference: we can help you with strategic information, product development, and most importantly, we can help you sell your products on the international market. Because we ARE the marketplace. Peter de Jong, Director General. Information: www.fiyto.org

Ethnic minorities

At the 1991 census, just over 3 million of the 55 million people of Britain, around 5.5% of the UK population, do not classify themselves as ‘white’. Creating social cohesion in our communities is a prime objective of local authorities. Tourism and leisure can play a role. As part of the commitment to equal opportunities, and in reaching out to disadvantaged communities, organisations need to consider the needs of ethnic minorities and how to maximise their involvement.

Talking to representative groups is the first step. Consider the production of appropriate language materials. Celebrating local cultural diversity can be an important part of tourism strategy – the Notting Hill Carnival, for example, is now a massive tourist attraction. As pointed out above, the youth market from China and South Asia is predicted to show big increases, and the youth market in general is attracted by cultural activities.

Efforts to open up the countryside to ethnic minorities are being made by national bodies such as the Countryside Agency, the National Trust and the Ramblers Association. Studies on behalf of these groups have sought successful examples. These have encountered cultural difficulties, in which the cultures and attitudes of ethnic minorities are not percieved to have a welcome away from areas where minorities have formed their own communities.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 9 Case Study • • to makethemawareof: aware oftheimplicationsDDAandcommittedtospiritbehindit.Itisimportant There aremanychallengesinmakingsurethatEngland’s 128,000tourismbusinessesare businesses inyourdestination. convey thediverseneedsofvisitorstoserviceproviders,operatorsandrelevant changes whichmakeiteasiertoensuretheirneedsaremet.Itisthereforeimportant limb, andfamilieswithyoungchildren,areallgroupswhichwillbenefitinsomewayfrom income andareusedtotravelling,peoplewithtemporaryimpairments,suchasabroken experience foramuchwideraudience.Thegrowingnumbersofolderpeoplewithdisposable environment offer opportunitiestoimprovethequalityofproductandtourism on you,butbecauseitalsomakesbusinesssense.Adjustmentstoservicesandthebuilt competitiveness andmarketingstrategies,notmerelybecauseofthelegalobligationsplaced authority andindustryasapositivedrivingforce.Theycanhelpimproveyourdestination’s Increasing opportunitiesofaccessandsocialinclusionshouldberecognisedbythelocal Why makeyourtourismproduct more accessible? Industry:understanding whatserviceproviders can 2 Community sectionbelow. Assisting RandalstownCommunity(towards)HarmonyandEconomicSuccess.Seethe Bridging thesectariandividewasamajordriverinNorthernIrelandinitiative,ARCHES– mankind’. ContacttheBlackEnvironmentNetworkatwww.ben-network.org.uk. Iranians…’ Otherslikeneditto‘aspiritualexperience’‘toseewhatbeautyhasbeengiven all sleepingunderoneroof…cookingtogether…eatingtogether…Iraqissittingnextto the different culturesandgroupstoactuallyworktogether…threeorfourdifferent cultures the mainsatisfactions(initiallychildrenthought‘itwouldbeboring’).‘Itwasnicetoget children andpleasureinseeingthem‘splashingeachother–reallyhavingfun’wasoneof separation onoutings,inadequatetransport,and,forsome,cost.’Theexcitementofthe identified included‘afearofgoing(alone),lackinformation,preferenceforgender to drivetheprojectandtakedecisionsabouttripswasimportant.Barriersaccess initiative, andwasallotted300-400placesontripstothecountryside.Allowingbeneficiaries during theMillennium.TheBlackEnvironmentNetworkwasoneofmanypartnersinthis The GatewayProjectwassetuptoprovideaccessthehistoricparksandgardensofWales © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 that ‘reasonableadjustments’ bemadeinordertoavoidtreatingdisabledpeopleless legislation willbeenforced by theDisabilityRightsCommission(DRC).TheDDArequires those withdisabilities.TheDDA 1995giveslegalrightstopeoplewithdisabilitiesand this products atdestinationlevel havenooptionbuttomaketheirservicemoreaccessible to Legal Responsibilities source ofrepeatbusiness. likely tobookholidaysofatleastaweek,theytend book early, andareavaluable more abroad.Disabledpeoplealsoveryoftentravelwith friendsorfamily, theyaremore potential holiday-makerswithdisabilitiesintheUKwho regularlytravel,andmillions The businesspotential do tomaketheirservicesmore accessible/inclusive Service providersandallofthoseinvolvedindelivering tourism ETC researchshowsthatthereareapproximately2.7million 3E ENSURINGACCESSFORALL COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 10 3 3E 3E ENSURING ACCESS FOR ALL

favourably for a reason relating to their disability. This includes changing policies, procedures and practises; providing auxiliary aids and services; and overcoming a physical feature. More information can be found at www.drc.org.uk.

• Social Responsibility It is also important to point out that increasingly conference organisers will not book venues unless they are accessible, and to be aware that as new generations come along, who are more comfortable with issues such as race and disability, they may withdraw business from service providers who do not share their sense of social responsibility.

In a survey by the DRC, the primary reason given by businesses for making adjustments was their moral awareness that they carry social responsibility towards the community. It is important to acknowledge and encourage that attitude, and to ensure that they gain some public relations benefit for their efforts, even when this i not a primary motivation. The same survey also revealed that the majority of such businesses at least earned back the amount they expended, if not exceeded it.

Partnerships

If access is to become an automatic part of the local tourism agenda, partnerships are critical to its success. These partnerships should share a common aim and objective to address access and ensure it gradually becomes a mainstream part of tourism development at the local level. Therefore internal partnerships, such as working with the LA’s access officer and other departments to ensure tourism is developed in an inclusive way and that access is embedded in all policies and strategies are vital. External partnerships will involve working with local access groups, businesses and the community to develop and agree a strategy and action plan which embraces partners at the regional level such as the RTBs, RDAs and regional offices of national government departments and agencies.

How to unlock potential benefits

The following section looks at various elements of the tourism product and how you can unlock the potential of your destination making it more accessible as well as improving the quality of the product:

Accommodation Quality is crucial to the success of tourism. Many local authorities are moving increasingly towards an ‘inspected first’ policy in respect of local accommodation as part of their strategy to raise the quality of the product.

The new National Accessible Scheme (NAS), for hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation can also contribute to this pursuit of quality. The standards have been designed to allow people with disabilities to make an informed choice about where they can go on holiday in the UK.

The national tourist boards for England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland have developed the new NAS following extensive research, consultation and piloting with both consumers and the tourism industry. The new standards were developed so that, as far as possible, they reflect the enormous range of personal and individual needs of disabled holidaymakers. The NAS cannot guarantee compliance with the DDA. However, achieving a rating under the

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new NAS will demonstrate that the spirit of the DDA has been embraced. It will also serve to demonstrate a recognition of, and commitment to, the urgency of the access issue.

Caravan, Holiday Homes and Parks Caravan parks do not come under the new standards but are judged against established Category 1, 2, and 3 mobility standards.

For more information about the NAS, contact your RTB.

Visitor Attractions The ETC Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) has recognised the need for the inclusion of accessible guidance and advice within the Visitor Attraction Best Practice Guide, and as an integral part of assessment debriefs.

The NAS has not yet been extended to attractions, but the PAVA guide (Providing Accessible Visitor Attractions) is being issued free to all VAQAS participants from 2003. The diversity of visitor attractions means that a standard will be difficult, but certainly not impossible to draw up.

The importance of attitude change and recognition of the differing accessibility needs cannot be overstated. This aspect will be worked into assessment debriefs from 2003 enhancing the educative and consultative role of the assessors. While the initial function will be mainly signposting, it will be an important proactive step in guiding operators towards formulating accessible action plans.

For instance, a Grade One built heritage attraction may have some in-built physical difficulties but this does not prevent planning for large print guides, enhanced audio guides. Further work needs to be completed on an accessible standard but initial advice on planning is being made available through VAQAS.

Contact details for VAQAS are: tel 01473 825633 (helpline) or email [email protected]

Museums, archives and libraries Resource – The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries has developed a Disability Action Plan, based on the findings of a national survey on the provision of access for disabled people to museums, archives and libraries carried out in 2001. The survey, based on a sample

Case study of 340 organisations throughout the UK, identified a growing body of good practice in museums, archives and libraries and a range of barriers remaining to be overcome before all disabled people can expect the same high standards of service wherever they live. It provides clear evidence that high performance in access for disabled people is the direct result of a planned approach. For example, high performers are twice as likely to have a formal access plan for disabled people and nine out of ten high performers have carried out an access audit. In addition to the Disability Action Plan and the survey findings, Resource's website provides a wealth of practical advice to assist museums, archives and libraries develop services for disabled people. (www.resource.gov.uk/action/learnacc/00access.asp#3)

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Guidance includes the ‘Disability Directory for Museums and Galleries’ and ‘Library Services for Visually Impaired Users: a Manual of Best Practice’. It also includes a self-assessment toolkit to help museums, archives and libraries make an initial assessment of their current levels of accessibility and identify areas for improvements. This easy-to-use toolkit of 100 questions covers all-important areas to consider from information and services to buildings and management.

During 2003, which is European Year of People with a Disability, Resource will be updating its website with the publication of twelve new guides aimed at managers (April, July and October) and a link to regional databases of disability trainers and auditors, which are being developed in partnership with the new Regional Museums, Archives and Libraries Councils (October).

Contact: Resource, Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, 16 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AA; tel: 020 7273 1408

Transport The ability to get easily to a destination, and once there move around it, is vital for visitors. Transport must therefore be taken into account in any action plan, considering not only the issue of how easy it is to access, but also how easy it is to use. The following offer some links for further information.

• The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee's (DPTAC) is a useful source of information. Their website provides comprehensive information on its role in advising the Government on the transport needs of disabled people and provides an overview of what DPTAC does and the activities of its working groups. It focuses primarily on different transport modes, including air travel, buses, ferries, motoring, rail, taxis and walking and includes a new section on the built environment, where DPTAC also advises the Government. (http://212.20.228.135/index.htm)

• Strategic Rail Authority The Strategic Rail Authority has produced a Code of Practice in respect of train and station services for disabled passengers. This can be viewed and downloaded from their website at www.sra.gov.uk/sra/publications/general_default.tt2

Employment The Employers' Forum on Disability is a major organisation focused on disability as it affects business. They recognise that ‘organisations that employ disabled people are better able to anticipate and respond to the needs of disabled customers. They have in their disabled employees an inbuilt source of information and advice about their potential customers on which they can draw in developing their marketing strategies’. (www.employers-forum.co.uk)

See also ‘employment’ in the Community section below.

Training It is vital that everyone working in the tourism industry has the skills and knowledge to provide facilities and services that meet the needs and expectations of visitors. Training is therefore an important tool to help those who are part of the tourism industry. Welcome All

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is a one-day disability awareness training programme. It is designed to help participants working in the tourism industry meet the needs and expectations of people with disabilities. Further details can be obtained from your RTB or www.welcometoexcellence.co.uk. Other training programmes are also available from a variety of organisations, such as the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

Developing and taking forward the access/inclusion agenda

Listed below are some key points which all of those working within the tourism industry who are looking to develop and take forward the access/inclusion agenda should consider:

1Douse local access/social groups for their practical advice. Involve them in the development of any products/marketing campaigns

Examples • Grosvenor Museum, Chester: recent access improvements were completed after consultation with local disabled people – resulting in a dramatic increase of visitors with disabilities (Contact: 01244 402012) • Cheshire for All Website: Cheshire’s nationally recognised Access Guide has recently been developed into an exemplary accessible website in conjunction with the Cheshire Disabilities Federation (Contact: Jo Wainwright 01244 603180 or Jenny Murphy)

2 Do collect, store and present accurate up-to-date information. Encourage participation in National Accessible Scheme for reliable standards

Examples • NWTB Accessible Marketing Kit (contact: Maggie Bond; tel 01942 764129) • RNID ‘See it Right’ Pack

3Do‘ASK’ every customer what can you do to make their visit more enjoyable. Use the ‘no barriers’ approach encourage businesses in your area to do this.

4Dobe prepared to make changes to your product in order to reach new markets. Research the potential market thoroughly.

5 Don’t stereotype – ASK! Social groups/target markets will have many requirements in common, but they are still individuals with their own likes/dislikes/needs.

3 Community: how the community can both contribute and benefit from improved inclusivity/access

Gaining community support for tourism initiatives is essential to their long-term success. Enabling the local community to enjoy holiday-taking and leisure pursuits themselves is an important key to such support. Moreover, improvements to access, the application of the principles of Universal Design applied to the whole environment (see Environment below), and a Welcome All attitude from all suppliers of goods and services will also benefit the whole community in their daily lives. In such a positive atmosphere, new ideas will be fostered, and a can-do approach replace stagnation in the public sphere.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 14 Case study more interest,creatinga‘virtuouscircle’. positive self-imageofacommunitythusbolsteredthen projectsoutwardsintoattractingyet involvement withandsupporttolocalbusinessesneeds tobeapartofthisprocess.The improving communityfacilitiestobeinclusive,forward-looking andattractive.Appropriate or marketinginitiativecanhelpgeneratenewfundswhich cansubsequentlybeusedin tourism asaprimedriver. Aninfluxofvisitorstoa newattraction,festival,sportingevent Many examplesofsuccessfulcommunityregenerationhave eithercentredonorincluded Community prideandregeneration ‘success’ incombiningsocialinclusionandcountrysiderecreationwere: In theCountrysideAgency’s studyonsocialexclusion,keyfindingsrelatingtowhatcreates including poverty, isolation,discrimination,segregation,powerlessness,andstigma. described bydifferent agenciesasencompassinganumberofmorecommondescriptions opposite, socialexclusion,isoftenusedasashorthandtermforpoverty, buthasbeen Social inclusioncanbedefinedastheperceptionofbeingapartmainstreamsociety. Its Social inclusion development atnationallevel. Lastly, someexamplesofprojectsatalocallevelareshown,withideasforfuture those alreadygivenundervisitorsandindustryabove,thefollowingheadings: This sectionwillcoverthe‘why’andgivesomesuggestionsfor‘how’tosupplement positive’. (www.can-online.org.uk) use ourphysicalspaces;energy, enthusiasmanddrivebystaff andusers;accentuatingthe welcoming, open,respectful,inclusive,lively, fun–demonstratinghowwevaluethosewho projects as‘theunexpected,surprise,wowfactor–attentiontodetail;uplifting,inspiring, positive changeintheirenvironments.CANsetsoutthedefiningcharacteristicsofsuccessful These arepeoplefromallwalksoflifewhohavethevisionandenergytobringabout The CommunityActionNetwork(CAN)fostersthegrowingranksof‘socialentrepreneurs’. © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 • • • • • • • benefits Wider • Healthyliving • Creating andaccessingemployment • Communityprideandregeneration • Socialinclusion • effective marketing. being assessedbyboth‘quantitative’and‘qualitative’indicators having ‘outreach’asopposedtojust‘countryside’staff promoting partnerships having socialcohesionasanobjective having empowermentasanobjective being communitydriven 3E ENSURINGACCESSFORALL COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 15 3 3E Case study Case study Case study For [email protected] of employerstocomeonboard. blocks thatdemonstrateemployer‘bestpractice’andmotivate anever-increasing number challenging taskandonethatwillgrowoverthelongterm throughindividualbuilding employers toimplementpracticalinitiativesthatwillmake arealdifference. Itisa has joinedforceswithdisabilityexpertsandorganisations, JobCentrePlusandcommitted alike, thentasterexperiencesfollowedbyactualrecruitment andretention–Springboard Utilising apipelineapproachofawareness-buildingon the partofemployersandemployees people inHospitality, Leisure,Travel andTourism. Disability EmploymentAction: employment, linksociallybeneficialtourismwithcreatingemployment. ‘soft skills’intermsofgivingpeopletheconfidenceandself-esteemtogointotraining Again, projectslikeonecurrentlybeingdevelopedbyVeritas Projects,designedtoprovide offs in other areasoflife. concept ofwhatispossibleforanindividual,familyorcommunity, whichhaspositivespin- part inaphysicaleventsuchastriporoutingcreatesempowerment.Italsoexpandsthe their work.Theabilitytovisitnewplaces,undertakeadventures,plan,organiseandtake either haveincreasedself-confidenceasanexpressedaim,orreportedthisaresultof Many oftheprojectswhichhaverunschemestoassistaccesstourismandcountryside employment. the unemployedwithtrainingwithinmajorhotelgroups,leadingtopermanent consortium ofHeathrow/Hillingdonhotelstorunafoundationcourseforyoungpeopleand The LondonBoroughofHillingdonhascreatedapartnershipwithUxbridgeCollegeand in combatingsocialexclusion. groups beingprovidedwiththerighttoolsandtrainingtosucceed,thereisadoublebenefit are createdwithafullyinclusiveapproach,localpeoplefrompreviouslydisadvantaged create moreattractiveemploymentopportunities.Moreover, wherenewbusinessesandjobs local communityandincludelow-seasonlow-costoptionscanavoidseasonality, andthus employment andaccountsfor7.6%ofinEngland.Schemeswhichengagethe Tourism developmentalsohelpscreateemployment.Tourism isthefifthlargestindustryby Creating andaccessingemployment such schemes.(www.newstartmag.co.uk) examples ofinitiatives,fromtinytohugescale,andsuggestionsforaccessingfundsback The magazine © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 New Start , whichspecialisesincommunityregeneration,hasnumerous An initiativetoencouragetheemploymentofmoredisabled 3E ENSURINGACCESSFORALL COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 16 3 3E 3E ENSURING ACCESS FOR ALL

Employing people from disadvantaged groups itself helps remove barriers to accessing holidays and leisure while the employment of disabled people is seen as a vitally important aspect of access. Employing people from ethnic minorities means that visitors will not feel that they are the only ‘non-white face’ in a destination or attraction. Increased childcare facilities which enable lone parents to work could extend the childcare facilities for visiting families or parents attending conferences. The Countryside Agency stresses the importance of employing ‘Outreach’ staff in developing access initiatives.

Healthy living

This is again a key priority of local authorities. At a time when the health service is under huge pressure, preventative health becomes increasingly important.

In Just What the Doctor Ordered – The Health Benefits of Taking Holidays (English Tourism Council 2001) a survey of GPs found:

• 89% of GPs believe that a holiday can help alleviate such symptoms as depression, stress- related illness, alcohol and drug dependencies and insomnia • 82% believe that a holiday can benefit a family in alleviating these adults’ symptoms or childhood ones such as behavioural disorders and asthma and allergies.

Also, on average:

• almost half of all patients were expected to benefit from a holiday in increased emotional/mental or physical well-being • one in five would have a reduced need for medication • a quarter would take fewer visits to a health professional • a third would be less likely to take time off work for health reasons.

Moreover, psychologists are increasingly establishing that fun is the essential ingredient in well-being. Fun is about being glad to be alive. It boosts our immune system, bonds us to our fellow beings, and to our environment. Being in touch with nature has been found to boost our immune system. Fun-filled moments create happy memories, which see us through the hard times and inspire us to a hopeful future.

Increased self confidence, is another aspect of holidays. In a survey of holidaymakers commissioned by holiday company Thomsons, a third of respondents resolved to return to work with a more assertive and positive manner. A quarter feel their holiday will make them more decisive in their working role.

Ideas for future development: The Local Government Association’s (LGA) action group for social inclusion in tourism supported ideas both by individual local authorities and some cross-authority or national schemes which it felt have potential.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 17 Case studies schemes. authorities bymutualarrangement,ortheestablishment ofaclearinghouseforsuch One ideafordevelopmentisthatof information managers,administratorsandretailassistants. people withtheskillsinnewtechnologiesordertofind employmentintourismas local labourmarket,particularlythetourismsector. Theprojectaimstoprovideunemployed ‘Portcullis’ isanadvancedvocationaltrainingschemedesigned tomeetskillshortagesinthe Gateshead MetropolitanBoroughCouncil holiday andemploymentopportunitieswithinthearea. Work with theEssexCoalitionofDisabledPeopletochangeindustryattitudesandpromote Essex CountyCouncil requirements oftheDisabilityDiscriminationAct. Council, thelocalcollegeandhotelassociation,includesamoduleonmeeting Eastbourne’s QualityEdgetrainingprogramme,deliveredinpartnershipbetweenthe A widerangeofinitiativeswithparticularemphasisontheneedsoldervisitors. Eastbourne the tourismindustryandtopromotecareeropportunitiesbeyondentry-leveljobs. A jointprojectwithSpringboardUKandTFAC toencouragepeoplewithdisabilitiesenter Disability 2001 register bytrainingthemasself-employedheritageguides. A 12monthtrainingschemetotakeupeightpeopleoff thelong-termunemployment Conwy CountyBoroughCouncil and hardofhearingpeople. the DeafTourism ProjectaimedatpromotingChesterasanaccessibletouristvenuefordeaf A widerangeofinitiativespromotingaccessibletourismwiththelocalindustry, including Chester CityCouncil range ofdisabilities. A Welcome Guideonawebsite,developedwithandsuitableforusebypeoplewide Cheshire Tourism forallForum festivals andevents,whichmeetlocalneedsattracttourists. Birmingham CityCouncilworkswithlocalpartnerstosupportawiderangeofethnic Birmingham CityCouncil and comprehensiveaccessangle. City guidesoffering information,onlivinginandvisitingmajorUKcities,withamainstream Adhoc PublishingLtd the useoftourismasatoolforsocialinclusionandgoodpracticeinaccessibletourism. The followinghavebeendrawnfromtheLGATourism ForAllActionGroupasexamplesof © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 exchange schemes . Thiscouldbebetweenlocal 3E ENSURINGACCESSFORALL COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 18 3 3E Case study For moreinformationseewww.tourisme.gouv.fr/stat-conj/dossierbsv.htm regular basis. 73% ofpeopleinneedmedicalcarehadaccesstoit and continuetheirtreatmentona 60% ofthoselookingforaflathadfoundone. improved andfor18%,theirimageasparentshadimproved. 27% offamiliesindicatedthatwhenholidaysengendered schoolprogress,parent’s authority 24% saidholidayswereanopportunitytoreunitethefamily. achievement inschoolwork. 45% saidtheyhadnoticedimportantadvancesoftheir childrenintermsofsociabilityand 38foradultsand9children responsibilities intheassociation. Average age: 22% indicatedtheyhadfoundajob,courseortraining course.42%tookon 8%below400euros Three monthsaftertheirholidays: 44% ofthoseparticipatingwentonholidayforthefirsttime. 22%over1000euros 42% hadneverbeenonholidayornotforthepasttenyears. Holiday situation: Familyaverageincomepermonth: 30%between400and650euros 18% hadaregularjob 19 %holdtemporaryjobs 40%between650and1000euros 63% unemployed Family situations: 22% aresingles 3% single-parent(father)family 40% single-parent(mother)family 35% arecouples Family composition: charities whichusedtheFundin2001for2000people. on underprivilegedfamilies.Thestudyfocusedasampleof92socialstructuresand A surveywasconductedbyaParisUniversityontheschemetoassesseffects ofaholiday be drawnfromthewholeschemeastoitseffectiveness intermsofsocialinclusion. members. Afterthreeyears,40,000peoplehaveenjoyedthisprogramme.Somelessonscan The Fundmostlytargetsfamiliesinordertocontributeaone-weekreunionofallfamily rest andforanalternativeenvironment,aswellhelpingstimulatethetourismindustry. the gapbetweenoffers anddemandsmeettherecognisedneedoffamiliesforsome The ministrythereforebroughttogethertourismbusinessesandcharitiestotrybridge tourism relatedproductsremainedunsoldbyproviders. mostly forfinancialreasons.Atthesametime,itwasrecognisedthatmanyholidaysor was motivatedbytheregularassessmentthat40%ofFrenchpeopledonottakeholidays, ministry oftourismtopromotetherightholidaysforallandfightexclusion.Theproject ‘Bourse SolidariteVacances’ isapublicinterestgroupestablishedin1999bytheFrench to beextendedandexchangedwithotherEuropeanpartners. holidays tobeoffered todisadvantagedFrenchfamilies,andarelookingforsimilaroffers An exampleistheFrenchscheme,‘BourseSolidariteVacances’, whichenableslowcost © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 3E ENSURINGACCESSFORALL COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 19 3 3E 3E ENSURING ACCESS FOR ALL

This scheme is linked with the idea of a clearing house for offers of donated or discounted holiday product in the UK. A joint project proposal has been drawn up between the Countryside Agency, the LGA and the Youth Hostels Association to develop a website database of offers which can be accessed by groups working with carers, the disabled and disadvantaged families and children. While at present this lacks funding, expressions of interest in this idea can be sent to Jenny Stephenson, the consultant on this project, at [email protected]

Likewise, new initiatives and ideas should be sent to and exchanged with the Tourism for All Consortium, who link all those interested, whether local authority, voluntary organisation, access group, commercial enterprise or industry body, in taking forward access and social inclusion in tourism (www.tourismforall.org.uk).

4 Environment

When considering the environment it is helpful to recognise two significant models of disability. The first, in very simple terms, is the medical model which equates a person's impairment with their disability, without placing it in any broader context. The second approach is the social model which places a person's impairment in the context of the social and environmental factors which create disabling barriers to their participation in society. For example, employing the social model of disability would mean that a wheelchair user cannot get into a building because of the planning and design of the building or the attitudes of the owner, rather than being unable to climb steps.

The environment and attitudes have therefore a significant impact on the accessibility of the tourism product.

In order to stop the physical environment creating barriers for people it is necessary to begin to consider universal design, that is creating an environment that is usable by everyone. Universal design will not only help visitors but also the local community. When implemented properly it can remove many of the problems associated with planning regulations and the Disability Discrimination Act.

The Centre for Accessible Environments can offer advice on the accessibility of new buildings and in identifying workable, cost-effective and aesthetically appropriate solutions to the access problems of older buildings. (www.cae.org.uk)

Further information on the principles of universal design can be found at www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea/publications/publications.html This is a publication produced by the city of New York on this issue.

Below is a checklist of policy areas which local authorities seeking to create and accessible destination need to look at:

• The social environment Generating community pride, regeneration, forward looking quality approach – as the Community Action Network describes • Service culture Welcoming to all; overcoming prejudice/stereo-typing; training in disability awareness; looking at communications and information-giving

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 20 Case study developing trainingforCityGuidestoenablethemdeviseroutesaroundheritageareas • incorporating informationaboutaccessforallinnewandexistingprint • emphasising policiesandapproachwithintourismstrategieslocalplans • taking theleadonimprovingaccesstotourismattractionswithinlocalauthoritycontrol • workingwithprivatesectorrepresentativebodiesandindividual businessestoencourage • promotion oftheNationalAccessibleSchemeaspartharmonised gradingscheme • provision ofinformationatplacesandinformatsaccessiblebyeveryone (includingforeign • developmentofguidedtoursbyChester-based BritishHeritage,thatmeettheneedsof • awareness-raisingofsocialinclusionandtheneedspeople withdisabilitiesviaEqual • production ofanewChesterAccessGuide • developmentofanewCheshireWelcome websitefeaturingcomprehensiveaccess • emulate theirachievements.Thisincludes: demonstrating goodpractice,settingthetoneforbusinessandencouragingthemto Chester CityCouncilhasdevelopedastrategythatincludesleadingbyexampleand issue andthesecouldprovidethefocuscontentofanactionplan. There aremanygoodexamplesoflocalauthoritieshavingstrategiestotakeforwardthis including theroleofbusinessesandothersinvolvedindeliverytourism. help createandmanageideasforexpandingthelinksbetweensocialinclusiontourism, influencing thedevelopmentoftourismproduct.Theproductionanactionplancan As statedalready, thelocalauthorityplaysakeyroleinsettingagendaand and inclusionbedeveloped? Preparing anactionplan:howcanaccess • © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 that meettheneedsofall. improvements ofover£500,000mainlythroughheritage lottery community andinspiringemulation;egCityCouncil'sGrosvenor Museum,securingaccess as ameanstodemonstrategoodpracticeotherbusinesses, providingleadershipinthe benefits ofmakingprovisionforthispotentialmarketandthesocialjusticeimperative. funding schemes;egRuralRecovery, andmakingpresentationsemphasisingtheeconomic provision offacilitiestomeettheneedspeoplewithdisabilities,includingawareness language print/guidesinBrailleandlarge-printformats) partially sightedpeople the NorthWest in2002toencourageparticipationWelcome Hostcoursesgenerally sponsored toencourageparticipation).Chesterwasthemostsuccessfullocalauthorityin Opportunities/Welcome Alltrainingcourses(subsidisedbyNWDAandCityCouncil- information framework/requirements; economicmeasurement;monitoringbenefits. inclusiveness forvisitors,localresidents,business,andemployees;legal Policy development Joined-up thinkingwithinlocalauthoritiesaboutbenefitsof 3E ENSURINGACCESSFORALL COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 21 3 3E 3E ENSURING ACCESS FOR ALL

Monitoring and review of the action plan

The action plan which you prepare should be relevant to local circumstances, and the needs of all the stakeholders involved. It should have specific actions and timescales that are agreed by all involved. It should be monitored and reviewed regularly and adjusted as necessary when circumstances change.

Promoting your work

It is vital that the work you undertake to improve access and inclusion in your area is recognised and acknowledged. The government’s tourism strategy recommends membership of the umbrella organisation Tourism for All as a means of giving ‘indication of intent and commitment’ which can help with recognition of your work and can be taken into account in demonstrating compliance with the DDA. For more information, contact www.tourismforall.org.uk or email [email protected]

References

The following list of contact details and websites is not definitive.

Accessibletourism Created by the English Tourism Council www.accessibletourism.org.uk

Centre for Accessible Environments Nutmeg House 60 Gainsford Street London SE1 2NY Tel: 020 7357 8182 Fax: 020 357 8183 www.cae.org.uk/

Countryside Agency John Dower house Crescent Place Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL50 3RA Tel: 01242 521381 Fax: 01242 584270 www.countryside.gov.uk

Department For Transport Disability Policy Branch DfT Mobility and Inclusion Unit Zone 1/18 Great Minster House 76 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DR Tel: 020 7944 8021 Fax 020 7944 6102 www.mobility-unit.dft.gov.uk/index.htm SECTION 3

COMPONENT 3E

Department for Work and Pensions Disability Unit Department for Work and Pensions Level 6, Adelphi 1-11 John Adam Street London WC2N 6HT email: [email protected] www.dwp.gov.uk or http://194.202.202.185/

Disability Rights Commission (DRC) Second Floor, Arndale House The Arndale Centre Manchester M4 3AQ Tel: 08457 622 633 Fax: 08457 622 611 email: [email protected] www.drc-gb.org.uk

Employer’s Forum on Disability Nutmeg House, 60 Gainsford Street London SE1 2NY Tel: 020 7414 1494 Fax 020 7414 1495 www.employers-forum.co.uk/www/index.htm

Heart of England Tourist Board Access Agenda 21 Project Heart of England Tourist Board Larkhill Road Worcester WR5 2EZ Tel: 01905 761100 email: [email protected] www.hetb.co.uk/

Holiday Care Holiday Care Information Unit 7th Floor Sunley House Bedford Park Croydon Surrey CR0 2AP Tel: 0845 124 9971 Fax: 0845 124 9972 Minicom: 0845 124 9976 email: [email protected] www.holidaycare.org.uk

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IndividuALL Chris Grace Manager IndividuALL Wooden Spoon House 5 Dugard Way London SE11 4TH Tel: 020 7414 1494 Fax: 020 7414 1495 email: [email protected] www.disabilitypartnership.co.uk/Individuall/bh.htm

Mencap 123 Golden Lane London EC1Y 0RT Tel: 020 7454 0454 Fax: 020 7696 5540 email: [email protected] www.mencap.org.uk/index.htm

National Register of Access Consultants C/o Nutmeg House 60 Gainsford Road London SE1 2NY Tel: 020 7234 0434 Fax: 020 7357 8183 www.nrac.org.uk/

North West Tourist Board Maggie Bond Tel: 01942 764129 email: [email protected] www.nwtourism.net

Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR) 12 City Forum, 250 City Road London EC1V 8AF Tel: 020 7250 3222 Fax: 020 7250 0212 email: [email protected] www.radar.org.uk

Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) 105 Judd Street London WC1H 9NE Tel: 020 7388 1266 Fax: 020 73882034 email: [email protected] www.rnib.org.uk

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Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) 19-23 Featherstone Street London EC1Y 8SL Tel: 0207 296 8000 Fax: 0207 296 8199 Minicom: 0207 296 8001 email: [email protected] www.rnid.org.uk

Springboard UK Limited www.springboarduk.org.uk

Social Exclusion Unit Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 7th Floor, Eland House Bressenden Place London, SW1E 5DU Tel: 020 7944 3548 Fax: 020 7944 5550 email: alan.parsons@odpm.gsi.gov.uk

Tourism For All Consortium Jenny Stephenson, Director 3 Broomfield Hall Enmore Somerset TA5 2DZ Tel: 01278 671863 email: [email protected] www.tourismforall.org.uk/

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COMPONENT 3E

3F Identifying and developing local distinctiveness

Introduction

What is local distinctiveness?

How do you integrate aspects of local distinctiveness into your destination’s marketing activities?

Encouraging visitors to make the most of local distinctiveness

Product development

What can influence success or failure?

Case studies

Further reference

3F Identifying and developing local distinctiveness

This component will help destination managers to audit the qualities that contribute to their destination’s local distinctiveness. It also suggests ways in which aspects of the area’s distinctive character can be incorporated into key marketing activities and brand creation. Finally it examines ways in which partnerships can be set up between local suppliers and tourism operators to facilitate increased retention of visitor expenditure within the destination thus ensuring that communities can capitalise and visitors benefit from local distinctiveness.

This component also relates to:

• 1A Surveying visitor satisfaction • 1B Determining the local economic impact of tourism • 1C Surveying local community attitudes to tourism • 2B Developing tourism partnerships • 2D Tourism and the planning system: gaining value locally • 3I Sustainability schemes and awards for industry and destinations • 3J Marketing.

Introduction

Local distinctiveness is a combination of all the things that give a place its unique character. It is one of the most important ways of giving your destination a competitive edge; it differentiates your destination from the competition. This component explains how local distinctiveness can be identified and used to differentiate a location and provide a strong foundation for effective marketing.

What is local distinctiveness?

Local distinctiveness can draw on any of the following:

• Natural features the landscape, characteristic habitats, vegetation and indigenous species • Man-made features urban landscape, architectural styles, building materials, field boundaries, visitor attractions and historical sites • Heritage, culture and traditions its history, famous people, cultural mix, events, festivals, dialects and arts • Produce and ‘industries’ food and drink, crafts, shops, and means of production such as farming, fishing, mining, textile manufacture

It is a powerful tourism marketing tool as it can help to:

• differentiate a destination from others and form the basis of a brand strategy • provide product development opportunities • protect and enhance cultural diversity and biodiversity • provide the basis of themes for products and promotion.

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There are a number of ways that destinations can derive benefits from local distinctiveness, including:

• creating employment by stimulating demand for local produce from visitors and tourism businesses • attracting new/more visitors and spreading the benefits of tourism more widely by developing new products and marketing themes • preventing damage to sensitive habitats and species and enhancing the natural environment through interpretation, raising awareness of conservation issues and encouraging visitors to make contributions to environmental conservation • enhancing the built environment through raising awareness, interpretation and visitor payback schemes • supporting local producers by setting up distribution systems for tourism businesses.

How do you integrate aspects of local distinctiveness into your destination’s marketing activities?

In order to gain maximum benefit from aspects of local distinctiveness you will need to incorporate elements into your marketing activities. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to design your brand identity around key characteristics of your area. ‘A brand is the total response of the customer – past, present and future – to the symbol or name that states who you are or what you offer and that differentiates you from your competitors.’

Successful destination brands are associated with high product differentiation as well as highly distinctive quality and value. Local distinctiveness can play a big part in successful tourism destination branding.

In order develop a brand based on your destination’s unique characteristics you will need to:

• establish what local people value about the area • identify the rational and emotional benefits of your destination’s product offering • produce a positioning statement.

Establish what local people value about the area

If you are going to build a truly successful destination brand, you need to get the buy-in of the local community, and their views as to what they believe the areas unique characteristics to be. It is also good interpretation practice to let people decide how they and their locality could be promoted to the outside world and visitors. By hosting open meetings for the community and discussions with industry operators and other key stakeholders, you will be able to build up a picture of what local people think makes the area distinctive. These partnerships can be built on overtime, which in turn will mean that the final destination brand will benefit from maximum usage as increasing numbers of people and local businesses become familiar with its message.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 2 Case studies Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 heart, offering relaxingandrejuvenatingexperiences. Cumbria to thecontinent,offering enrichingandintriguingexperiences. Rye Destination positioningstatementsthathavebeendeveloped: publicity material,signageetc.Itisthegraphicsymbolism ofthebrandconcept. marque issometimesreferredtoasalogoandusedpromotethedestinationon produce amarquethisisgoodopportunitytotestrangeofconcepts.Amarketing and thatitpositivelyinformsinfluencesyourpotentialmarket.Ifyoualsowishto credible, thatthedestinationappearssufficiently different fromtherestofcompetition from yourtargetmarkets.Throughthisresearchyouwillbelookingtoseeifbrandis Finally, youwillneedtotestthepositioningstatementthroughresearchwithrepresentatives consistency acrossallmarketingactivities. about themainmarketingandpromotionalmessages.Itwillalsohelptoensurethatthereis The reasonforproducingapositioningstatementistoensurethatallstakeholdersareclear but isusedtobriefallthepromotionalactivitiesfordestination. which sumsupalloftheabove.Oftenpositioningstatementitselfneverappearsincopy different tomakeitstandout.Onewayofdoingthisisdevelopapositioningstatement The nextstepistoaudityourcompetitionandestablishthatoffering issufficiently Produce apositioningstatement friendly, exciting,welcoming,caring. you aredescribingyourdestinationasaperson;mayusewordslike:exotic,warm, develop thepersonalityofyourdestination.Thebestwaytothinkaboutthisisimagine Once youhaveidentifiedtherationalandemotionalbenefitswillthenbeableto about yourdestination;forexample,relaxed,stimulatedorrevitalised. Emotional benefitsarethosewhichwilldeterminehowyourpotentialmarket‘feel’ your brand,whileatthesametimefocusthoughtsonpotentialmarkets. opportunities andthreats,youwillequipyourselfwithmaterialtohelpformthebasisof in theformofaSWOTanalysis.Byidentifyingyourdestinationsstrengths,weaknesses, One ofthebestwaystoidentifyyourdestination’s rationalbenefitsistocarryoutanaudit all-important competitiveedge. distinctiveness, ensurethatyourdestinationisuniqueandgive promote totheidentifiedtargetmarketsshouldaccentuateyourdestination’s local Rational benefitsarethetangibleofdestination.Thosethatyouchooseto Identify therationalandemotionalbenefitsofyourproduct offering , acaptivatingwell-preservedmedievalhilltoptownin the SouthEastofEngland,close , aninspiringareaofnaturalbeauty, with spectacularlakesandmountainsatits 3F IDENTIFYINGANDDEVELOPINGLOCALDISTINCTIVENESS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 3 3 3F 3F IDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS

Encouraging visitors to make the most of local distinctiveness

Once visitors have arrived at a destination their understanding of the brand can often affect their behaviour during their stay. For example, if a beach resort promotes itself as a youthful, trendy, fun-filled destination you will find the clientele will behave accordingly. If on the other hand a destination promotes its breathtaking landscapes and opportunities for relaxation and recuperation, you will find that visitors will go there to rest and enjoy the scenery. Similarly, if a destination becomes famed for its cultural events or fine local food and wines people will be inclined to investigate the local offerings, hopefully stay for a while and purchase.

Your marketing messages need to be carefully designed, as the way in which you promote

Tip your destination can affect the type of visitors you attract and the way they behave during their stay.

A leaflet distributed to visitors in Constable Country encourages visits to local food, drink and craft producers in the Dedham Vale of East Anglia. An unexpected side-effect has been improved understanding and co-operation between public and private sector players in

Case study the area.

Information on the types of local products and special attractions of the area should be accessible both prior to a visitor landing in the destination and further afield through travel agents and other intermediaries so that it can be used it to influence their decision to visit.

Product development

Once you have produced the positioning statement for your destination you may decide that you need to develop products to make your destination more distinctive. However, just because an event, festival or product exist it does not necessarily mean that it is locally distinctive. Many events are replicated through out the country; if they are easily copied they probably don’t have local roots.

Development of products should be planned to conserve aspects of local distinctiveness.

The following are examples of tourism products that are based on aspects of local distinctiveness, which you may consider developing:

Making events and festivals work

• Events and festivals can be based on a wide range of topics: local natural features; habitats or species; local produce or crafts; a historical event, person or people; an historical period where there is a strong local connection; sports or activities. • Be clear about the purpose of the event and ensure that all partners agree.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 4 Tip © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 successful groups,youcanhelptoreducetheseconcerns andencourageparticipation. Small localproducersoftenviewsimilarbusinessesascompetition. Byusingexamplesof • • • groups. Localproducergroupsareaneffective wayof: of thewaystomaximiseitsbenefitsforlocaleconomymaybesetupproducer If oneofthekeycharacteristicsyourdestinationisitshighqualitylocalproduce, Setting uplocalproducer groups • • • • Making interpretation work • • • Making toursandpackageswork • • • • • • increasing revenueandjobswithlocalproducers. encouraging thetourismindustrytobuylocalproduce promoting localproducetovisitors Most museumsservicesandcountrysidehaveinterpretationexperience. Effective interpretationcancreateawholenewproduct,butitisspecialistarea. types oftourscanreallyopenupareasthatwerepreviouslyoff thebeatenvisitortrack. cycling toursareextremelypopular. Basedonathemeofonevarietyoranotherthese Signage, leafletsandmapsforvisitorsasselfguidedwalking,publictransport,drivingor Never underestimatethevalueofgoodqualityclearinterpretation. independent packages. Packages canbeeitherescortedorindependent.Try tousepublictransportfor elements, suchasshorttalksbyafarmer, wardenorlocalhistorian. Minibus toursrequirehighoccupancylevelstoturnaprofit–tryincludeexclusive Operators MarginScheme)canbecostlyandtimeconsuming. with legislation(theEUpackageDirective)andtheVAT accountingrequirements(Tour Try tofindlocaloperatorswhocandeveloptoursandpackagesforyou;complying circumstances. management planandthatorganisersstewardsknowexactlywhattodoinall Make sureyouhaveasiteplan,safetyplananemergencyandtraffic you mayneedtogetspecialisthelp. Ensuring youhavetherightlicences,healthandsafetyfundraisingareareaswhere and runassociatedtrainingcourses. has aneventorganisersmanualandtheNidderdaleAONBrecentlyproduceda Involve partnerswhoareexperiencedatholdingevents;theNationalTrust forexample or ChambersofTrade, whoalsobenefitfromfundraisingorincreasedtrade. Help inorganisingeventsandfestivalscanbefoundfromlocalgroups,suchastheRotary and festivals. Do notunderestimatethetimeorresourcesneededtoplan,organiseandholdevents group. Define yourtargetaudienceanddeveloptheeventpromotionalmaterialforthis 3F IDENTIFYINGANDDEVELOPINGLOCALDISTINCTIVENESS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 5 3 3F 3F IDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS

Key stages in setting up a group are:

• Agree criteria for inclusion in projects A peer group should define local distinctiveness. • Audit Compile a definitive list of producers in the area (lists are usually available from economic development departments, trade associations, tourist boards, tourist information centres). • Survey Contact producers to gain an understanding of their development and marketing needs and their views on joining such a group. • Develop the proposal Use the information to propose how the group might be set up and what its main activities should be. These might include: - developing a strong brand identity for the group - producing and distributing a leaflet aimed at visitors - providing advice and assistance for the development of facilities for visitors to workplaces - developing a website - holding producer fairs - promoting producers to local tourism businesses and setting up a distribution system - training in skills that will help to sustain local distinctiveness, such as merchandising and customer care. • Resources The group’s capabilities will depend on the resources available. In addition to pump priming finance, an individual’s time will be required to co-ordinate action, although this will reduce as the producers themselves become active. • Consult producers To test the proposal and encourage participation, develop a strategy and action plan. • Establish the group Implement the action plan.

The HETB Food and Drink Project The Heart of England Tourist Board have been working for several years on a food and drink project designed to raise the profile of local food and drink amongst tourism operators. The reason for this is that research into visitor satisfaction revealed that the quality of food and

Case study drink are important factors in the overall visitor experience and present a great opportunity to emphasise the area’s local distinctiveness.

The project’s main aim was to develop and celebrate what makes the region special, while retaining and maximising the benefits of visitor spend to the region’s economy and local community.

By working in partnership with the farming, speciality food, food processing and tourism industries they aim to:

• strengthen the links between tourism and food and drink sectors • encourage tourism businesses to source food locally and use seasonal produce • develop locally distinctive cuisine • celebrate excellence through awards schemes • create added value for visitors and increase visitor spend

Initially, it was clear from research into tourism operators’ attitudes towards and use of local produce that there were serious misunderstandings about consistency of supply and quality of locally-produced goods. To address this, HETB has been involved with setting up supplier networks to ensure reliability of supply and consistently high quality standards for operators.

continued

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continued

There also appeared to be a skill and knowledge gap among operators in terms of how to prepare and serve locally-produced foodstuffs. This led to the development of a training programme aimed at increasing skills in these areas. Initiatives have now been set up with Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies as well as with Derby University where students are trained in how to prepare and serve local produce-based menus.

In order to raise the profile of local produce with visitors and tourism operators, HETB have conducted research into consumer branding. Out of this the locally-sourced produce brand marque was developed, and is now being piloted in Lincolnshire as part of the ‘Tastes of Lincolnshire’ SRB Project. In addition, to increase interest among tourism operators the Board created the food and drink excellence awards, which celebrate the use of local produce in menus by tourism operators.

The project is well on its way to achieving its aims.

What can influence success or failure?

• Experiences must be genuine They need to have local traditional roots, although they do not specifically need to be historic. • Ensure sufficient resources for planning and delivery Financial planning is important for sustainability when pump-priming money runs out. • Develop projects that benefit all stakeholders to ensure active participation. • Meet producer groups’ key needs Made up of small businesses, most producer groups need continued support for co-ordination and administration. • Involve producers and tourism businesses in the project’s planning and evaluation This ensures that it meets their needs and encourages ownership and participation.

Case studies

Hampshire Walking and Local Food Festival The first Hampshire Walking and Local Food Festival held in 2002 linked 35 guided walks and events over nine days to a variety of local produce. Most of the walks include lunch stops where local food and drink is on offer and some focus around local produce, such as ‘Oyster

Case study Catcher to Oyster Tasting’, a 5-mile coastal walk with oyster tasting at the end and ‘Something Fishy’, an 8-mile walk which visits producers of smoked fish, local cheese and Hampshire sherry.

Registration cost £11.75 and participants could book on any number of walks or events. There was free transport between the festival office in Winchester and the start and end of each walk, and most walks were accessible by public transport. Promotion included a website, flyer, advertising and press work, as well as mailing to previous festival-goers to generate enquiries for a festival brochure. Including a sponsored walk promoted by Mencap was an effective way of raising awareness of the festival.

A website was created showing the routes for all of the walks, To encourage further access, it will remain online and visitors can download O/S maps of the walks to do themselves.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 7 Case study Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 environment andbenefitedfromsharingcommonvisions andvalues. of theirholywell,thecommunityhasgainedagreater understanding oftheirlocal profile looksatjustoneofthesesmallprojectsandhow, byparticipating intherestoration projects havecontributedtoconservingandsustaining local distinctiveness.Thisproject monuments comparabletoanyothersimilar-sized areainEngland,aseriesofsmallscale In northCornwall,alarge,sparsely-populatedruralareawithrichtraditionofreligious www.sbbc.co.uk/resources/pp/pp_83.htm North PetherwinHolyWell Project Contact theLocalDistinctivenessOfficer on01905766727 archaeological serviceplaysakeyroleindefininglocaldistinctiveness. pride andagreaterawarenessofthenaturalhistoricenvironment.Thecounty and topromoteelementsof‘localdistinctiveness’.Itishopedthatthiswillenhancelocal Worcestershire CountyCouncil Norhumberland, tel:01434602505 Contact Tamsin Beavor, Hadrian’s Wall Tourism Partnership,14bGilesgate,Hexham, Wall to giveahigherpresencetolocally-produceditems. applied toproducts.Adisplayunithasbeendistributedavarietyofoutletsalongthe A strongbrandidentityhasbeendevelopedandappliedtotagsstickerswhichcanbe Partnership toincreaseawarenessandsalesoflocalproduceamongstvisitorstheWall. ‘Hadrian’s Wall LocallyProduced’branding,developedbytheHadrian’s Wall Tourism Hadrianic theme,whileanyproducefromwithin50milesoftheWall canusethenew Any producemadewithintenmilesofHadrian’s Wall andproducewithaRomanor Hadrian’s Wall LocalMarket www.access.hampshire.gov.uk SO23 8UJ,tel:01962845478;email:[email protected] Contact: AndrewBateman,HampshireCountyCouncil,TheCastle,Winchester, Hampshire outside ofthecountyandstayedforseveralnights. Most walksandeventswerefullybooked.Asignificantproportionofparticipantscamefrom continued is seekingtoencouragecommunitiesexploretheirlocality 3F IDENTIFYINGANDDEVELOPINGLOCALDISTINCTIVENESS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 8 3 3F Case study Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 South DevonTQ95NE,tel:01803861267;email:[email protected] Contact: CarolTrant, SouthHamsDistrict Council,FollatonHouse,PlymouthRoad,Totnes, District Councilwhohelpprovideadministrationandco-ordination. The association,oftenusedasabenchmarkingtool,works inpartnershipwithSouthHams is alsounderconstructiontocreateaforumforchefs. and developtraineeprogrammesthatraisetheprofileofcookingasaprofession.Awebsite South HamsExecutiveandheadchefsareworkingwithcollegesbusinessestoencourage • • • • • • Membership benefitsinclude: members, manyofwhomarenowawardwinners,andtourismoperators. The SouthHamsFoodandDrinkAssociationhastwotypesofmembership:Producer to attractadiscerningclientele. houses, andspecialityfoodretailerswhoserespectivereputationsforexcellencecontinue and drinkproducers,but,alsoenjoysthepatronageofmanyrestaurants,hotels,public association notonlyencouragesamembershipofhighqualityfarmingandspecialityfood the varietyandexcellenceoffooddrinkproducedservedinSouthHams.The The SouthHamsFoodandDrinkAssociationwasformedin1992,tomarketpromote South HamsFoodandDrinkAssociation to explorethecountrysideandstayinarea. publication, toencouragespendinthelocaleconomy. Theleafletsprovideafocusforvisitors from popularnearbycoastaltowns.Pubsofarchitecturalinterestarepromotedinasister opportunities toenjoytheexpansivelandscapeofMarshandattractingpeopleaway Marsh communities.Churchesareaccessiblebyfootpathsandonbicycle,providing church's history, vernacularinterest,folkloreorsmugglingassociationswiththeRomney possess religious,architecturalandhistoricalappealtotourists.Aleaflethighlightseach parish churches.Thechurcheshavealong-standingfocusattheheartofcommunityand Shepway DistrictCouncilinKenthasdevelopedaruraltourismproductaroundtheirunique Church tourismontheRomneyMarsh promotional eventssuchasshows,festivalsandcookingcompetitions. guide tothebestineatinganddrinking’ production ofanannualfoodanddrinkdirectorywitheffective distribution,‘anessential press andmediacoverage newsletters networking opportunitiesbetweentourismproviders&primaryandspecialityproducers and marketingopportunities group membershipofTaste oftheWest whichprovidesaccesstotraining,grantfunding 3F IDENTIFYINGANDDEVELOPINGLOCALDISTINCTIVENESS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 9 3 3F 3F IDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS

Further reference

Bateman A and Horsey N. To be a pilgrim – Hampshire Millenium’s pilgrims’ trail, Locum Destination Review, Summer 2002

Briggs S. Brick Lane, East London & Leicester Promotions: Destinations with a difference: attracting visitors to areas with cultural diversity, Insights, Vol 12: C1-8 2000

Countryside Commission. Sustainable tourism rural: opportunities for local action, 1995.

Food from Britain is the UK’s leading strategic international food and drink export marketing agency. It has a mission to foster the development of British speciality food and drink sector, helping manufacturers grow their sales in the UK. Food from Britain, 123 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1 9FA. www.foodfrombritain.com

Grant M and Le Pelley B. Destinations and local distinctiveness – Devon Case Study, Insights, Vol 14: A21-A27

Hawkins R and Middleton V. Sustainable tourism: a geographical perspective, Butterworths, 1998.

Information about the Heart of England Tourist Board’s Food and Drink Project is available at www.hetb.co.uk or by contacting Jo Jury, Project Manager on tel: 01905 761124 or email: [email protected] Herefordshire Tourism, PO Box 44, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 8ZD www.flavoursofherefordshire.org.uk

Middleton V. More Sustainable Tourism: A Marketing Perspective, Insights, Vol. 10, 1999, A165-172.

Soil Association, The Soil Association campaigns for organic food and farming, and sustainable forestry. Bristol House, 40-56 Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6BY www.soilassociation.org

World Tourism Organisation. Guidelines for the Development of National Parks and Protected Areas for Tourism, Madrid, 1992.

Other examples include:

Whitstable Oyster Festival www.whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk/

Blossom Trail – Worcester + Blossom Trail Cycle Route www.evesham.uk.com/blossom.html

A Taste of the West www.tasteofthewest.co.uk/index.htm

High Weald Landscape Trial www.highweald.org/landscap2.htm SECTION 3 COMPONENT 3F

3G Biodiversity Action Plans for tourism

Introduction: biodiversity and sustainable tourism

English Nature’s Tourism Biodiversity Action Plan

The long-term objectives of the Tourism BAP

Case studies

3G Biodiversity Action Plans for tourism

This component will help destination managers draw up biodiversity action plans for their destination and equip them with information to assist local businesses that are interested in developing their own plan.

This component also relates to:

• 1D Determining local carrying capacities in an area • 2A Addressing tourism in local authorities • 2D Tourism and the planning system: gaining value locally • 3D Setting up a visitor payback scheme • 3I Sustainability schemes and awards for industry and destinations.

Introduction: biodiversity and sustainable tourism

It is now widely accepted that the local environment and distinctiveness of a region is the main driver and core product for the tourism industry. After all, it is the natural and cultural heritage of an area and the living culture of the local people that attracts tourists. Many organisations are increasingly recognising that an integrated approach between the tourism and environmental sectors is the only way forward. This sustainable approach will ensure that the needs and interests of the visitor and the host community are met without compromising the environment, now and in the future. Visitor activities, such as wildlife watching and walking, should be encouraged but at the same time must be sensitive to the requirements of our natural biodiversity. By linking environmental needs and action with economic and social impacts, it is anticipated that local authorities and tourism businesses will become more sustainable and play an equally responsible role in conserving England’s biodiversity and landscape.

The quest for sustainability was the theme of the Earth Summit in Rio, 1992, and biodiversity was seen as one of the key indicators of success. The Convention on Biological Diversity, a product of the Rio conference, committed signatories to develop national strategies for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity, or to adapt existing programmes to that end. The British Government published its own strategy in 1994, Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan (DoE, 1994). The idea of developing a Tourism Biodiversity Action Plan has evolved from the purpose and features of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).

The primary aim of the UK BAP is the opportunity for linking biodiversity action nationally and locally, on habitats and species. The UK BAP provides for the creation of local Biodiversity Action Plans to ensure that the national strategy is translated into effective local action. A Tourism BAP is intended to generate commitment and resources to achieving positive wildlife gain through the tourism sector, and in the long term to promote pride, appreciation and enjoyment of England’s high quality natural environment.

Tourism BAPs will assist local authorities, tourism businesses and other influential bodies in identifying impacts that they have on the UK’s priority species and habitats and identify opportunities for improved management or interpretation.

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English Nature’s Tourism Biodiversity Action Plan

English Nature has been developing a national initiative called the Wildlife and Geo-tourism Initiative from the Area Team in Cornwall. The initiative has addressed the needs of the visitor, local communities and the environment by proposing three A’s of sustainable tourism. To make tourism more sustainable this there is a need to:

• improve Access to wildlife and to information about it • promote Accreditation of sustainable providers • facilitate Action for the enhancement of the wildlife resource.

A pilot project within the initiative has looked at developing and implementing a Tourism BAP. Initially, the pilot highlighted all the species and habitats action plans from the UK BAP that occur in Cornwall. The document identifies impacts that the tourism sector has on the UK’s priority species and habitats and identifies mitigation measures and targets to reduce these impacts. New action plans have been produced for each species and habitat, focussing on specific impacts from the tourism sector, action targets and possible mitigation measures. The pilot has generated considerable support and interest from leading agencies and businesses within the environmental and tourism sectors. It is anticipated that eventually the Tourism BAP will be rolled out nationally, covering all regions in the UK.

The types of tourism related impacts identified in the Tourism BAP are as follows:

• Visitor Activity trampling, diving, rock climbing, noise pollution, vandalism and causing damage to features, loss of natural materials by collecting fossils and picking wild flowers • Visitor Pressure transport, increased energy consumption, pollution • Development marina/harbour developments, land development (housing) changes in drainage, pollution, interruption of migration routes, introduction of alien species

The long-term objectives of the Tourism BAP are to ensure:

1 Clear, collaborative thinking and actions between conservation organisations and all aspects of the tourism sector

2 Strengthened recognition of the economic value and importance of the local landscape features and their distinctiveness

3 Raised awareness of the links and opportunities between the tourism sector to protect the landscape and biodiversity upon which most tourist businesses and destinations will be reliant

4 Positive involvement by a range of tourism businesses in protecting and enhancing the rich landscape and biodiversity upon which their businesses rely

5 Increased commitment to delivering SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, trackable) BAP targets through a wider audience

6 A base for informative and appropriate interpretation on priority species and habitats and how specific tourism impacts on them can be reduced or eliminated

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 2 Case study Case study • • • • particularly interestedinareasencompassing: looking tosupportprojectsacrossawidespectrumofgeological conservationbutis research, education,recreationandtourism.Overthenext twoyearsEnglishNatureis associated withaggregateextractionandimprovedaccess forthepurposesofscientific scheme willsupportthemanagement,conservationandinterpretationofgeologicalfeatures and geomorphologicalfeaturesinareasaffected byaggregateextraction.Thenewgrants Nature isinvitingapplicationsforprojectsthataimtoconserveandenhancethegeological two yearsthroughthenewAggregatesLevySustainabilityFund.Inresponsetothis,English English NaturehasbeenselectedbyDEFRAtoawardgrantstotallingaround£9millionover Geodiversity ActionPlans For furtherinformationpleasecontacttheEastofEnglandTourist Boardon01473822922 29 speciesandninehabitats. was producedbytheNorfolkBiodiversityPartnershipandcurrentlycontainsActionPlansfor many LBAPsacrosstheUKthatarehelpingtomeetnationalbiodiversitytargets.Theplan The NorfolkBiodiversityActionPlan Case studies developing athriving,sustainabletourismindustry. is toensuretheconservationandenhancementofEngland’s landscapeandwildlifewhilst that attracttouriststoparticulardestinationsandregions.Theoverallaimofthedocument key partofourcultureandheritage,itistheseelementsthenaturalenvironment Biodiversity andgeodiversitytogethermakeourlandscapewildlifespecial.Theyarea Opportunitiesforuseofmanagementandvisionstatementstourismbusinessthat 9 Anefficient methodformeasuringenvironmentalperformanceinrelationtonatural 8 Theeffective useofincentiveschemessuchasVisitor Payback,GreenAccreditation,and 7 © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 specimen rescueandrecovery access includingintellectualaccess;ieinterpretation landscape heritage framework forconservation,accessandinterpretationof earthscienceand strategic workincludingGeodiversityActionPlans.Such plansprovideastrategic direct work have existingorproposedinterestroleinenvironmentalmanagement businesses’ sustainable tourismindicator, ‘NumberofBiodiversityActionPlanssigneduptobytourism assets andtheircontributiontosustainabletourismbytheuptakeofanewnational targets the uptakeofGreenAuditKitandAdvantageCoursesindeliveryBAP was officially launchedinJanuary1999andisoneof 3G BIODIVERSITYACTIONPLANSFORTOURISM COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 3 3 3G 3G BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLANS FOR TOURISM

The Partnership for the North Pennines AONB is currently in the process of applying for GeoParc status, a new European designation that recognises the international geological importance of an area and its tourism potential. The partnership has also made a bid for funding from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund to produce a Geodiversity Action

Case study Plan for the North Pennines AONB through the British Geological Survey (BGS).

Further reference

For further information on Tourism Biodiversity Action Plans or the UK/Regional and local Biodiversity Action plans please contact: Enquiry Service, English Nature, Northminster House, Peterborough, PE1 1UA, Tel: 01733 455100 www.english-nature.org.uk

Further examples of biodiversity plans can be found on the following websites:

Center Parcs www.thetimes100.co.uk/document.asp?HeaderID=16&SectionID=82

Cornwall Biodiversity Initiative www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/cornwall/wow/audit2/wowaudit.htm www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/cornwall/wow/

Lincolnshire Bio-diversity action plan www.lincsbap.org.uk/index.htm

Dart Biodiversity Project www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/dnp/factfile/dartbiosum.html

Cambridge Biodiversity action plans www.camcnty.gov.uk/sub/cntryside/biodiv/plans/plans.html

Norfolk Biodiversity Action Plans www.norfolkbiodiversity.org/Action%20Plans/actionplans.htm

Exmoor National Park’s Biodiversity Action Plan www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/About_Exmoor/ExmoorBiodiversity.htm

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3H Assisting tourism businesses with waste management

Introduction: the problem with waste

The Government’s approach to waste management

Waste and tourism

What can local authorities do?

What can businesses do?

Case studies

Further reference

Appendix How to calculate waste volumes from a hotel business

3H Assisting tourism businesses with waste management

This component provides guidance for both destinations and tourism businesses on how to develop more sustainable waste management practices, recognising the need for a joined-up approach to this issue. The information included here aims to help:

• businesses to reduce purchasing and waste disposal costs • local authorities to reduce pressure on landfill sites • local authorities to meet government recycling targets for the proportion of hospitality waste that enters the domestic waste stream • waste management companies to meet government recycling targets.

This component is related to:

• 2A Addressing tourism within local authorities • 2C Engaging tourism micro-businesses • 3I Sustainability schemes and awards for industry and destinations.

Introduction: the problem with waste

Managing the waste we generate is recognised as a significant and increasing national problem, with implications for local communities, businesses and the environment. A number of factors have determined the current scale of this problem:

• The amount of waste being generated in the UK has continued to increase steadily and is currently rising at around 3% per year. • The cost of waste disposal also continues to rise rapidly in response to increasingly stringent regulatory controls.

However the main underlying cause of the problem has been the UK’s historic reliance upon landfill as a relatively cheap and convenient means of disposal. Around 400 million tonnes of waste is currently generated per year in the UK and, of this, approximately 83% of domestic and 66% of commercial waste is sent to landfill sites.

The use of landfill as a viable waste disposal option has become increasing difficult to justify in sustainability terms. As well as the local impact of landfill, this option has further environmental consequences through the permanent loss of limited resources when discarding materials without further use. The desire to address these concerns has resulted in increasingly tighter regulatory controls and as a consequence the number of landfills available to accept the types of waste being generated is declining. This, plus a gradual shift in policy towards promotion of more favourable options, as outlined below, has significant implications for both industry and the public.

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The Government’s approach to waste management

The growing waste problem has been recognised for some time and more effective solutions are being sought with increasing urgency. The Government’s latest thinking on waste management has been outlined by their Strategy Unit in the November 2002 Report Waste not, Want not – A strategy for tackling the waste problem in England. This can be found at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk. It identifies a variety of potential actions in the future, focussing on each level of a suggested hierarchy of waste management options, which in preferred order are:

• Reduce • Re-use • Recycle • Mixture of pre-treatment and disposal options.

The fourth option recognises the need to identify the Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) at local level for waste disposal where this is absolutely necessary; this may thus include options such as landfill and incineration.

In terms of current controls to try and reduce landfill volumes and promote more favourable options, the Government has initiated two key mechanisms:

• imposing recycling targets on local authorities for domestic waste • charging commercial waste disposal companies a landfill tax.

1 Recycling targets for local authorities

The Government’s intention to set performance standards for household waste recycling and composting, for 2003, 2005 and 2010, is contained in Waste Strategy 2000. These standards are to be introduced for 2003/04, in effect requiring all authorities to double their recycling rate, subject to a ‘floor’ of 10% and a ‘ceiling’ of 33%. The Government proposes to adopt the following standards:

• authorities with 1998/99 household waste recycling and composting rates of under 5% to achieve at least 10% • authorities with 1998/99 household waste recycling and composting rates of 5%-15% to at least double their recycling and composting rate • remaining authorities to recycle or compost at least one-third of household waste.

Those authorities with low recycling rates will need to make more effort to catch up with the better performers. With this in mind, the Government requires authorities to treble their 1998/99 recycling rate by 2005/06, subject to a ‘floor’ of 18% and a ‘ceiling’ of 36%, with the best performers expected to reach at least 40%. The proposed standards are:

• authorities with 1998/99 household waste recycling and composting rates of under 6% to achieve at least 18% • authorities with 1998/99 household waste recycling and composting rates of 6%-12% to at least treble their recycling and composting rate • authorities with 1998/99 household waste recycling and composting rates of 12%-18% to reach at least 36% • remaining authorities to recycle or compost at least 40% of household waste.

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2 Landfill tax

Landfill tax is a separate surcharge for disposing of waste, levied upon the waste disposal contractors. From 1 April 2002, the surcharge is £13 per tonne of waste, rising by £1 per tonne each year to £15 in April 2004. As an economic instrument, this additional tax has an inflationary effect on waste removal costs for both local authorities, industry and ultimately the public, as the increased disposal costs are inevitably passed on to them. This should lead to waste reduction and selection of other options for disposal.

The proceeds from landfill tax are distributed through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) to encourage and enable landfill operators to support a wide range of environmental projects by giving them a 90% tax credit against their contributions to environmental bodies (see ‘What can local authorities do?’ (5) below). This can be a valuable source of funding for local community projects, although recently the Government has decided to allocate two- thirds of the money generated to public spending to encourage sustainable waste management, leaving only one-third (£47million) for independent initiatives.

Waste and tourism

Implications of Government Policy

The amount of waste being produced by tourism businesses is not accurately known, although it has been estimated that the UK hospitality sector generates some 3.5 million tonnes per year alone. Recent studies have also shown that accommodation establishments produce an average of 1.3 kilograms of solid waste per guest per night (Waste Counts, 2002). Given this, it is evident that increasing disposal costs through the above measures will have a significant knock-on effect for tourism businesses.

As an illustration, for larger businesses paying a commercial waste disposal company to dispose of their waste, a medium-sized (85-room), mid-range, hotel with a moderate glass recycling programme is likely to produce around 60 tonnes of waste a year, with standard waste disposal costs of £70-£110/tonne.

For smaller tourism businesses that use domestic waste collection, the changes mentioned above may mean that the local authority already provides a recycling box that is collected on a regular basis. Some local authorities have also limited the number of dustbins collected to one per household or reduced general rubbish collections from once a week to once a fortnight to encourage recycling. Therefore, businesses which dispose of their waste through the domestic waste stream may have fewer regular collections and must reduce their waste accordingly.

Barriers to effective waste management

Although there are plenty of opportunities for addressing the issue, a number of obstacles exist generally or for tourism specifically, namely that:

• Whilst there are many schemes for recycling and composting, there are few unified nationwide schemes and most depend on the initiative of individual local authorities. Consequently the availability of recycling facilities varies greatly and, where long distances are involved, transportation costs may negate the value of recycling.

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• The market for recycled materials has been unreliable. Recent growth in the number of recycling organisations has brought a glut of recycled material to the market, reducing material prices and putting some organisations out of business. This has discouraged entrepreneurs from entering the recycled goods market. In response, the Government has funded the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to stabilise these markets and increase the demand for recycled materials.

• Disposal companies tend to concentrate on large collections and may have minimum amounts they will collect. For example, one company sets its minimum collection of cardboard at 500kg. Lack of storage space for recyclable goods can be a problem in the tourism industry, especially in hotels.

• Material that can be spoiled by foodstuffs and outside exposure may be rejected as unsuitable for recycling, an issue for the catering trade in respect of cardboard and paper. Labour-intensive hand sorting also raises the issue of economic viability.

• The foot and mouth epidemic of 2001 has resulted in new legislation that specifies the waste streams that can and cannot be composted, and places limits on the locations used for composting. Community composting schemes and separate collection of compostable waste by local authorities is currently inhibited by the confusion surrounding these restrictions.

The benefits of effective waste management

Despite the current challenges, taking a proactive approach to managing waste efficiently will have a number of benefits in addition to reducing waste removal and disposal costs:

• reduced purchasing costs through the careful management of products used and selection of products with minimal packaging • less waste going to landfill • recognition from customers, who are becoming more aware of environmental issues, and are increasingly taking their custom to environmentally aware and environmentally pro-active businesses.

When implementing waste minimisation programmes, many hotels report amazing results: some have reduced waste disposal volumes (and associated costs) by as much as 25%. Businesses should therefore not look at waste minimisation as a burden, but as an opportunity. By reducing their waste output, they can reduce their operating costs and publicise a sustainable waste management policy (perhaps with other green initiatives) to help to attract more trade.

What can local authorities do?

Local authorities can play a vital role in creating effective waste management by addressing the infrastructure barriers, promoting good practice to industry and by doing so achieving their recycling targets. Key activities to achieve this are:

1 Encourage recycling

Many local authorities operate recycling boxes for domestic properties, with newspaper, glass, and steel and aluminium cans being the most commonly recycled materials. Some

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COMPONENT 3H

smaller tourism businesses, particularly bed and breakfast establishments, will be part of these schemes.

Small businesses that use domestic refuse collection must be made far more aware of the need to recycle all possible products. Many do not participate in such schemes and therefore do little to help with recycling targets. Councils may also wish to expand domestic schemes to include commercial tourism enterprises with similar or similarly-sized waste streams to domestic homes.

2 Encourage composting

In a similar vein, there are councils that provide free or subsidised compost bins and aerobic digesters. Subject to regulations, and bearing in mind that aerobic digesters will accept all food waste, small tourism businesses such as pubs could be encouraged to use these where appropriate.

The general rule of thumb is that no cooked food waste or animal by-products should be composted, and that composting should not take place on or near land used by livestock. New regulations are also likely to mean that composting of all but garden waste can only take place on the premises that generated the waste.

3 Establish local collection of recyclables

When establishing recycling schemes, it is important to remember that there is a distinction between commercial and domestic waste, and that current regulations require that the two waste streams are kept separate. There are, of course, some cases in which the distinction can appear vague and very small enterprises will often dispose of their waste through the domestic waste stream.

Economies of scale also make recycling difficult for smaller enterprises that do not produce enough recyclable waste to be collected economically but, at the same time, are excluded from domestic collections. This is where local authorities have a significant role to play. An initiative setting up a local collection point for recyclables or, better still, a frequent collection service, would facilitate recycling.

4 Encourage reduction in packaging

Businesses can also bring about improvements. Packaging is a major area in which tourism businesses, especially catering businesses, can reduce their waste, and local authorities should actively encourage them to do this.

Packaging is necessary for protecting products in transit, and maintaining safety and hygiene standards. Hospitality outlets can request that suppliers take back packaging. The EC Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) was introduced in the UK by the Government as the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Waste) Regulations 1997 to increase the amount of used packaging that is recycled, composted or used in energy recovery. If a company has an annual turnover exceeding £2 million and handles more than 50 tonnes of packaging a year, it must recover 56% of the packaging and recycle at least 18% of it. Although this is aimed mainly at larger companies, it is likely that some suppliers to tourism businesses fall under this obligation to recover packaging and should therefore take it back.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 5 Case study Tip Tip was undertakenbytheCentre forEnvironmentalStudiesintheHospitalityIndustry (CESHI) the typesandvolumesofwastethatcouldbereduced or re-directedfromlandfill.Research sample ofaccommodationprovidersinWest Oxfordshire.Thedata has beenusedtoidentify This projectaimedtoidentifytheamountandnatureof wasteproducedbyarepresentative Waste Counts:HospitalityWaste inWest Oxfordshire • • • copy [email protected] The Waste Counts projecthasalreadydevelopedonesuchdirectoryandyoucanobtaina • the wastegeneratedthroughtourism.Thesepartnershipscaninclude: other wastemanagementcompanies,localauthoritiescanplayasignificantroleinreducing By buildingproactivepartnershipswithenvironmentalorganisations,tourismbusinessesand Otheroptionsforreducing hospitalitywaste 6 • • • • Other potentialsourcesoffundinginclude: www.ltcs.org.uk. www.entrust.org.uk andforfurtherinformationontheLandfillTrust CreditSchemevisit with EnTrust. To understandhowEnTrust andeachofthelandfilltrustswork,visit To qualifyforlandfilltrustfunding,youmustfirstberegisteredasanenvironmentalbody landfill trusts–charitablefundsfinancedbythemoneygeneratedfromtax. around £50,000tocomplete.Waste minimisationprojectscanoftenbefundedthroughthe activities orpublications.TheWest Oxfordshireprojectdescribedbelow, forexample,cost External fundingisoftenrequiredtofacilitatethedevelopmentofanyawareness-raising Obtainfundingforwaste-related projects 5 © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 in stimulatingbusinessestoimplementwaste-reduction initiatives. components ofwasteproducedbytourismestablishments andcanplayasignificantrole cost ofthistotheirbusiness.Awasteauditcanhelp quantify theweight,volumeand Raising awarenessoflocalbusinessesaboutthevolume ofwastetheygenerateandthe fresh foodthathasnotbeenconsumedbyguests. that willcollectanduseproductsfromthetourismindustry, suchasoldnewspapersor Working withlocalcharities, schoolsandotherstoidentifyanetworkoforganisations their products. Working toestablishcentral collectionsiteswhichsmallerbusinessescanusetorecycle take backtheirpackaging. a directoryoflocalbusinessesthatarepreparedtorecycleproductsinsmallvolumesor Such adirectoryincludesreferencetowasteminimisationandmanagementpractices The development/distributionofawasteminimisationdirectoryamongtourismbusinesses. organisations suchastheWaste andResourcesActionProgramme. environmental charitiessuchasWWF The EnvironmentAgency EU structuralfunds 3H ASSISTINGTOURISMBUSINESSESWITHWASTE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT continued SECTION PAGE 6 3 3H 3H ASSISTING TOURISM BUSINESSES WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT

continued at Oxford Brookes University and funded by Biffaward, a multi-million pound environmental fund that uses landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services.

The research revealed that accommodation establishments in West Oxfordshire produce around 1.3 kg of waste per guest per night. In total, accommodation providers account for 2.5% of the region’s waste. The research also showed that, in principle: around 8% of this could be eliminated through a change in purchasing led by the larger hotels; 2% could be re-used; 38% could be recycled; and 20% could be composted. This means that around 68% of total waste by weight could be diverted from landfill.

Hotels in urban areas tend to be larger and can often benefit from the economies of scale associated with urban recycling schemes. They are likely to have even greater opportunities for waste diversion and we propose that these are explored by a further study.

Overall, some 60% of waste could be removed from the waste stream in West Oxfordshire – providing a saving of £1.7 million a year for the local collection and disposal authorities and potential savings of up to £2,600 a year for larger accommodation providers. Each option requires a significant investment in education and infrastructure and requires an ongoing partnership to deliver results.

What can businesses do?

A recent study in West Oxfordshire, Waste Counts, has shown that up to 68% of waste from accommodation establishments can be diverted away from landfill. Businesses have much to be gained, therefore, through the relatively small investment in time and effort needed to establish more efficient waste management.

1 Taking the right approach

Better waste management should focus on the options that are at the top of the waste hierarchy indicated above, referred to as ‘the three R’s’:

• REDUCE waste by removing unnecessary potential waste You could, for example:

– reduce the range of products you buy Many tourism businesses, and especially those that have adopted decentralised purchasing practices, buy a wider range of products than required for their business. A review of purchases often reveals unnecessary stationery supplies, cleaning fluids that are no longer used and much else. Use the table in step 2 below to help review your purchasing. – reduce waste volumes by eliminating packaging Hospitality businesses can, for example, reduce waste volumes by up to 35% by selecting products with minimal packaging, or by asking suppliers to take packaging away with them. – reduce waste volumes (and disposal costs and risks of prosecution) by replacing hazardous materials such as caustic soda with more benign alternatives.

• RE-USE everything possible In recent years, individual servings of milk, sugar, etc have become commonplace, along with disposable tablecloths and consumer goods such as detergent bottles. Switching to re-usable options (such as refillable detergent bottles or ceramic crockery) wherever possible can reduce waste weights by 2%.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 7 Tip Tip because thiswillproducethemostimmediatecostsavings. It’s alwaysbesttostartbyreducingpurchasesofheavilypackaged andonce-onlygoods points whichno-onehastimetotakeforward. to carryouttenactionswell,deliveringsignificantbenefits, thantodevisealistof30action that actionsarebeingcompleted.Phaseyouractivities carefully: itisfarbettertoundertake improvement. Rememberthatyouwillneedtohostareview meetingeverymonthtoensure that product.Listthepotentialforimprovementandpersonresponsiblemaking product, identifyhowmuchispurchasedandthepotentialtoreducewasteburdenof department inthebusiness,listallproductsthatarecurrentlyroutinelypurchased.Foreach Photocopy thereviewandactionplantemplatebelowand,workingthrougheach Step 2Undertakeapurchasing review some fromwww.wastewatch.org.uk althoughthisisnotspecifictothehospitalityindustry. Staff training materialshavebeenpreparedbyanumberoforganisations.You candownload expectations thatwillbeplacedonthemasaresultoftheprogramme. is establishingawasteminimisationprogramme,ofthebenefitstobusinessandany vegetable matterreachesyourcompostbin.Your staff willneedtoknowwhyyourbusiness composting, youwillrequirethecommitmentofkitchenstaff toensurethatonlyuncooked establishing arecyclingprogramme,youwillrelyonstaff toseparatewastesand,ifyouare will ultimatelydependontheenthusiasmandcommitmentofyourstaff. Ifyouare As inallotheraspectsofyourbusiness,thesuccesswasteminimisationprogramme Step 1Train staff these steps: Tourism businessescanhelpthemselvesandtheenvironmentbytakingsomeorallof Ten stepsforbusinessestoreduce waste 2 on tel:01865483894,oremail:[email protected] copy ofthis,pleasecontacttheCentreforEnvironmentalStudiesinHospitalityIndustry example, recyclingcontractorsthatwillhelpcompaniestoimplementa‘3Rstrategy’.For The full • © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 waste disposalcosts. hospitality wastebyweight.Simplyrecyclingbottleswillhelptoreduceweightand commercial wasteatthesesites.Bottles,forexample,canmakeup10%to30%of supermarket orlocalauthoritywastedisposalsite,althoughtheremaybeachargefor stream (iftheyusethisastheirnormalwastedisposalroute)throughthelocal and themarketvalueofproduct.Smallbusinessescanrecycleusingdomesticwaste businesses topursuebecausefacilitiesforcommercialarelimitedbygeography recycled orcomposted.Recyclingissometimesadifficult optionformediumandsmall RECYCLE Waste Counts or compostanythingthatremains.Upto60%ofhospitalitywastecanbe report providesadirectorytohelphospitalitybusinessescontact,for 3H ASSISTINGTOURISMBUSINESSESWITHWASTE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 8 3 3H 3H ASSISTING TOURISM BUSINESSES WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT

Solid waste review and action plan Annual saving Cost of action Target date Target June 2002 July 2002 Responsibility F & B manager Front-office administrator Potential for improvement Replace with individual refillable milk jugs for internal catering. Reduce order to one crate a week for external catering. Purchase recycled paper and investigate the potential to install recycling bins in all office areas to encourage recycling of used paper Disposal method Packaging and jiggers sent to landfill Packaging and used paper sent to landfill Amount purchased 5 crates a week 3 reams Item Disposable milk jiggers Paper Department Example: Food and beverage Example: front office TOTAL Carried out by: Date: be reviewed on: (date) To

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Step 3 Replace once-only products with re-usables wherever practical The use of refillable containers where possible will also reduce the volume of goods brought in and hence the amount of waste thrown out. Examples include refillable soap dispensers and cleaning materials. The use of more concentrated cleaning fluids will also cut down packaging waste, as long as housekeepers are trained to use correct amounts. Other ways of reducing waste include: using re-chargeable batteries; using low-energy long-life light bulbs; using coffee mugs instead of disposable cups; using email instead of printing notices and memoranda to staff; and using a central notice board instead of individual notices. Single servings of jam, sugar, milk and coffee in individual sachets and jiggers, as well as plastic disposable tea and coffee stirring sticks are convenient, but increase waste by as much as 2%. By switching from single portions of milk to using jugs topped up from containers, the Trusthouse Forte Group saved £400,000 in a year and removed 29 million plastic jiggers from the waste stream.

Step 4 Tell your waste disposal contractor about your waste reduction programme Ask them to re-evaluate waste disposal costs and, if necessary, the number of times they visit your site in the light of your anticipated waste reduction. The appendix on page 19 of this component demonstrates how to calculate waste volumes and weights.

Waste disposal costs – a cautionary tale

Tip If your waste is collected by a commercial contractor, any reduction in waste weights and volumes should reduce the amount you pay for your waste disposal. Some contractors, however, charge per lift (the number of times a skip is removed) rather than by weight. If your skip is collected regularly (for example, three times a week), you will only benefit from reductions in waste disposal costs if the skip is collected less frequently.

If you are successfully reducing the amount of waste you are producing, you will need to:

• either renegotiate your contract so you are charged by the weight of waste (many contractors do not have the appropriate weighing facilities to do this) • or ask for your skips to be collected less often or only when full. Some waste disposal contractors can now fit modems to their skips that indicate the fill-level at head office. Once the modem shows that the skip is at a specific fill-level, the collection is arranged.

Step 5 Tell your suppliers about your waste reduction programme Larger businesses can ask suppliers to reduce packaging on the products they buy. This can often reduce costs and the amount of waste.

Working with suppliers to reduce packaging and purchasing costs By examining the amount of packaging that singly wrapped servings of sugar were delivered in, Trusthouse Forte discovered that outer boxes contained 12 further boxes each holding 144 single portions. These inner 12 boxes were deemed unnecessary, and the company

Case study negotiated a price reduction, resulting in significant savings on the price of the sugar. The same principle was applied to single portions of jam. These savings are on the purchase price, and it must be remembered that there are additional savings on the cost of waste removal as the volume is reduced.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 10 Tip cleaning. Therearealsoregional wasteclubsandexchangesforone-off orongoing items themselves.Oldsheets canalsobeconvertedtolaundrybags,orusedasrags for relevant locationsoratrecycling centres.Alternatively, manycharities willpickupbulky While onroutineschedules,companyvehiclescoulddrop off some oftheseitemsatthe communities andpreventsitemsfromendingupinlandfill. and housingcharities).Thisreduceswastedisposalcosts, buildsrelationshipswithlocal local communitiesorcharities(seewww.computersforcharities.org.uk, theSalvationArmy furniture, beddingandelectronicequipmentincluding computers couldbepassedonto the tourismindustrywillreplaceitemsbeforetheyare worn out.However, discarded Everything reachestheendofitslifeatsomepointand, withtheneedtomaintainquality, functional life Step 7Makecontactwithlocalcharitiesforotheritems thathavereached theendoftheir than torecycle. Remember thatitismoresustainabletoreturnbottlesforre-usewhereverpossible,rather colour, andcollectionisfree.Detailscanbefoundatwww.valpak.co.uk. collect glassfromhospitalityestablishments.Thedoesnotneedtobeseparatedby Funded aspartoftheEUpackagingdirective,Valpak haslaunchedanationwideschemeto Glass makesuparound16%ofhospitalitywastebyweight,andisrelativelyeasytoseparate. market forrecyclableproducts. Hospitality managerscanplaytheirpartherebybuyingrecycledgoods,helpingtocreatea facilities thattakerecyclablewaste,plustheunpredictabilityofmarketsforrecycledgoods. Barriers hinderingtherecyclingofgoodsincludenon-availabilityschemesand The mostcommonitemssuitableforrecyclinginthehospitalityindustryareglassandpaper. Step 6Findoutaboutrecycling inyourarea and re-used,minimisestransportcostsmayallowfreshersupplies. for re-use.Theuseoflocalsuppliersincreasesthepossibilitythatpackagingcanbereturned uses theirowntransport,itwouldseemlogicaltoreturnpackagingfromthepreviousdelivery as cardboard(althoughyoucanstillaskthemtoreducepackaging),butwherethesupplier third-party couriersfordeliveries,whichdecreasesthepossibilityofreturningpackagingsuch take backthecardboard,hopefullyforre-use,orswitchtoreusablecrates.Somesuppliersuse existence areusuallyonalargescale.Theidealoption,therefore,istorequestthatsuppliers presents problems.Therearefewschemesfortherecyclingofcardboardandthosein In mosthospitalityestablishments,especiallywherecateringisprovided,cardboardpackaging email: [email protected] obtained fromTheIndustryCouncilforPackagingandtheEnvironment:www.incpen.org, businesses, theycanbeaskedtotaketheirpackagingback.Furtherinformation regulation isonlyrelevanttosomelargesuppliers,butifyourcompanyusesthese packaging ayear, itmustrecover56%ofthepackagingandrecycleatleast18%it.This company hasanannualturnoverexceeding£2millionandhandlesmorethan50tonnesof amount ofusedpackagingthatisrecycled,compostedorinenergyrecovery. Ifa Producer ResponsibilityObligations(PackagingandWaste) Regulations1997toincreasethe Waste Directive(94/62/EC)wasintroducedintheUK1997byGovernmentas Hospitality outletscanalsorequestthatsupplierstakebackpackaging.TheECPackaging © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 continued 3H ASSISTINGTOURISMBUSINESSESWITHWASTE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 11 3 3H 3H ASSISTING TOURISM BUSINESSES WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT

exchanges or donation of unwanted goods that would otherwise be dumped. Waste Exchange UK (www.wasteexchangeuk.com) offers a service for businesses wanting to dispose of materials.

Step 8 Start composting The Foot and Mouth epidemic in 2001 has led to new regulations on the composting of food and kitchen waste, therefore limiting the possibilities for composting schemes. However, this should not prevent hospitality establishments creating composting facilities in their own grounds. Ideally the materials used for compost should be restricted to fruit and vegetable peelings, old fruit and vegetables, coffee grinds and tea leaves. Poorly-managed compost heaps, which also contain meat and cooked food waste, can emit odours and attract vermin. The compost can be used as a bulking and soil-enriching agent and, depending on the scale of the composting done by the establishment, there is the potential to use the compost for a vegetable or herb garden. The herbs or vegetables can be used to supplement the establishment’s menu. Further investigation and detail can be found through organisations such as the Compost Association (www.compost.org.uk) and the Community Composting Network (CCN) (www.othas.org.uk/ccn).

An alternative method for smaller establishments is the use of an aerobic digester that can handle all food waste, including cooked food, meat, fish and bones. These digesters work best in warm and sunny locations and need to be sited where liquid can drain away. They cost a similar amount to a small compost bin and are intended primarily for domestic use, but may be suitable for small bed and breakfast units with gardens. The cone needs to be emptied periodically of waste residue, but aerobic digesters have the advantage of avoiding the need for separation.

Larger establishments in urban environments with little or no grounds for composting could consider investing in a large container composter (an in-vessel system). However, with new regulations pending on the sale of compost from hospitality establishments, it may be more profitable and feasible to reduce vegetable wastage in the short term.

Step 9 Tell guests, the local community and other businesses about your programme Additional benefit from improved and more sustainable waste management can come from the communication of these practices to guests and the general public. This move towards more environmentally beneficial and green practice could be used as a marketing tool, as more people are using this as one of the criteria when selecting accommodation. According to a MORI survey on behalf of ABTA (2001), 70% of UK holidaymakers questioned considered the reputation of a holiday company on environmental issues as very or fairly important in holiday choice. In the ETC survey Visitor Attitudes to Sustainable Tourism, two- thirds of consumers claimed that they would be willing to pay higher prices to sustainable tourism businesses. Notices in guest packs explaining why, for example, the bin has different compartments will encourage them to participate and help to separate discarded items at the front-end. Depending on legislation covering the distinction between domestic and commercial waste in the area, it may be possible to open up recycling facilities on the hospitality unit’s premises to the public to make them more viable.

Step 10 Monitor and review progress and then re-assess priorities Remember to review the revised waste management practices that have been implemented. Use the review and action plan template, and compare waste weights, volumes and disposal costs with previous results. The improvements should be apparent, illustrating the benefits of a more efficient waste management programme.

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 12 Case study The containers toreducewastage. encouraged totalktheirsuppliersinorderreceivegoodswashableandre-usable businesses ofthemostappropriatefacilities/recyclingnetworksforthem.Businessesare Waste minimisation credit onthescheme. Waste, energyandwaterarejustthreeoftheninesectionsinwhichbusinessescangain and particularlycreativeideascangainextracreditinthebonussection. scheme concentrateonenergy, wasteandwater. Businessesareencouragedtobeinnovative most appropriatetotheirtypeandsizeofbusiness.64outthe140measuresfor The schemeincorporates140measuresfromwhichbusinessescanchoosethosethatare energy andwaterreduction. encouraged touse,andarecreditedforimplementingmeasuresrelatingtheirwaste, commitment totheenvironment.Aspartofthisgreengradingscheme,businessesare The SouthHamsGreenTourism BusinessScheme(GTBS)rewardsbusinessesfortheir Waste, EnergyandWater targetedintheSouthHamsGreenTourism BusinessScheme Destinationcasestudies 1 Case studies email: [email protected] District Council,FollatonHouse,PlymouthRoad,Totnes, DevonTQ95NE,tel:01803861249; For moreinformation,pleasecontact:SallyPritchard,Green Tourism Officer, SouthHams acknowledged greendestinationby2005.’ award winnersaswellhelpSouthHamsreachitsgoal ofbecomingthe‘UK’s leadingand Hams GreenHolidayGuideinSpring2003willcreateextrapromotionalopportunitiesfor well asprovidingvariedmarketingandpromotionalbenefits.TheproductionoftheSouth The schemeaimstoreducebusinessenvironmentalimpactsandprovidefinancialsavings,as of whichhelptoreducewaterconsumption. businesses intheschemeuseself-closingtaps,waterbuttsandhosereleasemechanismsall sensors, mechanismstoreducetheflushintoiletsandre-useofgreywater. Anumberof Water use lighting backofhouse. Hams hotelactivelyinvolvesstaff inanenergy‘switch-off’ campaignwhichhascolour-coded efficient formsoflightingaswellheatingandhotwatersystems.ForexampleoneSouth © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 energy includes issuessuchaslowflowtapsandshowers,washroomcontrollers section includeslookingatandadvisinguponappliancesused,themostenergy includes lookingatthere-useandrecyclingofmaterialsadvising 3H ASSISTINGTOURISMBUSINESSESWITHWASTE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 13 3 3H 3H ASSISTING TOURISM BUSINESSES WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT

The Supply Chain Environmental Management Programme is a multi-partner project operating in the North West of England and designed to improve business competitiveness through better environmental performance. This is achieved by recognising the need to build partnerships within supply chains and beyond. Small- to medium-sized companies can

Case study get help with adopting cleaner technologies, good environmental practice and with the development of products related to customer strategies for sustainability. Larger companies can benefit from the shared expertise and networking opportunities available from the Environmental Supply Chain Forum.

This was established in 1992 by chief executives of the world’s leading hotel groups with the overarching aim to bring about continuous improvement in the environmental performance of the global hotel industry. The following website link, www.benchmarkhotel.com/ was more recently launched and is a result of the IHEI partnership with WWF-UK and support from Biffaward. This tool has been designed specifically to help hotels improve environmental performance and make cost savings. It will help improve performance in the areas of energy management, fresh water consumption, waste minimization, waste water quality, purchasing programs and community relations and biodiversity.

Best Value Waste Network www.bestvaluewastenetwork.org Aims of the network:

• to develop effective partnerships between local authorities and the private and voluntary

Case study sectors to help achieve best value waste management targets and comprehensive integrated waste management • services • to learn the lessons of such joint working for central government • to share examples of good practice including those achieved as a result of the Best Value review process and the Beacon Council Scheme • to develop mechanisms which would aid the delivery of the National Waste Strategy targets

Greening your tourism business workshop Huntingdonshire District Council, in partnership with the Huntingdonshire Association of Tourism (HAT), hosted a Greening Your Tourism Business Workshop in conjunction with the East of England Tourist Board (EETB) at Hinchingbrooke Country Park Visitor Centre in June

Case study 2002. Local accommodation providers and attractions have been invited to attend this event, which reflects the commitment of the council and HAT to promoting the sustainable development of tourism within the District and encouraging local tourism providers to adopt environmental management systems and practices. The half-day workshop which was organised by the East of England Tourist Board included information about:

• the benefits of going green • ideas for energy efficiency and waste reduction • how to support the local area whilst adding to your customers' satisfaction.

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Project Integra is the name given to the integrated waste management strategy in Hampshire. Project Integra was formed on the basis of the following seven-point action plan.

1 Action on waste minimisation 2 Action on composting 3 Action on recycling 4 Support for anaerobic digestion 5 Use of recovery technologies, including incineration 6 Three to five waste processing facilities (not exceeding 200,000 tonnes per annum) 7 Residual waste to landfill

To date Project Integra has achieved a collective recycling rate of over 25% (2000/2001), with over 90% of Hampshire's households having access to a kerbside collection of recyclables.

2 Business case studies

Waste Neutral: a sustainable approach to waste and resource management for the Eden Project The Eden Project aims to become Waste Neutral by:

Case studies 1 reducing waste wherever possible by liaison with suppliers to ensure that items such as packaging are reduced 2 reusing items wherever possible 3 ensuring that when items cannot be dealt with by either reduction or re-use, the materials used in the production of the remaining items are, wherever possible, recyclable 4 adopting a policy of buying in items that are made from the recycled materials either for use within the site or for sale in the retail outlet. In the long term Eden aim to use as many of its own recyclates as possible. With some waste streams this will not be possible but they aim to compensate and balance their waste production by providing a market for waste produced by other organisations/communities.

The ultimate target is that, within different waste streams, the volume of recyclates leaving the site is equal to or less than the volume of products made from recyclates bought in. This would then make Eden Waste Neutral. This is an exciting and positive next step to the normal view of the waste hierarchy (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) that stops short of buying in products made from recyclates, the vital step to having a sustainable approach to waste and resources.

Their primary environmental impacts come from bringing many people together into one small place. The volume and nature of the wastes that this generates mean that they are unlikely to be able to re-use them all on site – zero waste does not seem an option in the short term. This concept is innovatory and important because it stimulates waste recycling markets. Weaknesses in the market are one of the biggest challenges to successful waste management, as the recycling companies that are needed are often missing or long distances

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continued apart. By encouraging recycling markets they not only reduce waste, but also help to grow small businesses and the local economy.

As the concept grows Eden plan to explore the possibility of developing a system of ‘waste credit trading’ in the same vein as carbon trading. It is a concept that they feel could have regional or even national application.

Six Continents Hotels - Glass collections www.sixcontinents.com/environment/2002/pages/success_stories.htm www.sixcontinents.com/environment/2002/pages/success_stories.htm# A new scheme in collaboration with waste management company, Valpak, is enabling over 900 of Six Continents Retail's pubs, bars and restaurants to enjoy a weekly collection of their used bottles. The scheme has been specifically designed to make the recycling of waste glass simpler for licensed premises operators.

Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel, Birmingham, UK www.ihei.org/HOTELIER/hotelier.nsf/content/b1c2g3e4.html#8 www.ihei.org/HOTELIER/hotelier.nsf/content/b1c2g3e4.html#8 Since installing a waste processor and compactor, the 802-room Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel has dramatically cut its waste removal costs as well as increasing the amount of waste it recycles. Like many large hotels, the Metropole was using a compactor which had been on site for several years. One of its inefficiencies was that waste being sent for landfill contained large quantities of liquid and the only material being separated for recyling was glass.

Madame Tussaud's – Waste Compaction www.tonyteam.co.uk/cstudy.html www.tonyteam.co.uk/cstudy.html Mr Sean Sayers, Technical Service Manager at Madame Tussauds states: 'This new compactor is a considerable improvement over the previous machine. We have now created much better conditions for both our staff using the area. We have also had an excellent service from the Tony Team company. I would certainly be prepared to recommend the machine to anyone looking for improved waste handling.’

Chez Gerard Restaurants www.ihei.org/HOTELIER/hotelier.nsf/content/b1c2g3e4.html#8 www.ihei.org/HOTELIER/hotelier.nsf/content/b1c2g3e4.html#8 In 1999 the Chez Gerard Group, which operates 22 restaurants across London's West End, commissioned a waste consultancy to recommend efficiencies in the way waste from the bar and kitchens was handled.

The Gibbin Bridge Hotel has adopted several recycling practices: bottles are recycled, kitchen cooking oil is taken away by a specialist company for recycling, and the owner is discussing opportunities for recycling paper with the local school.

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Fax paper at Strattons Hotel, Swaffham is reused four times: originally as fax paper; then the telephone log is printed faintly on the reverse side; then the paper is cut up into scrap to form restaurant pads; and finally it is composted before being used on the garden.

South Hams For All Seasons Awards for 2002: Winning Environmentally Responsible Business The Royal Castle Hotel has won the above award as most Environmentally Responsible Business for their dedication to environmental practices for the environment and the operation of their business

Almara Bed and Breakfast - Scotland www.green-business.co.uk/CaseStudyDetail.asp?id=7> www.green-business.co.uk/CaseStudyDetail.asp?id=7

Stratton's Hotel www.wishyouwerehere.com/cgi-bin/view_factfile.pl?resort_id=2025> www.wishyouwerehere.com/cgi-bin/view_factfile.pl?resort_id=2025

Further reference

Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation provides information on the recycling of aluminium cans and food packaging. Information about collection sites in your locality may be found at www.alupro.org.uk

Centre for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism at Oxford Brookes University cover a wide range of subject areas including event management, recreation and sports science. Centre for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP www.hlst.ltsn.ac.uk

Community Composting Network is a fast growing network comprising over 125 members across the United Kingdom involved in community composting. Members include community composting projects, local authorities and other supporting organisations. Community Composting Network, 67 Alexandra Road, Sheffield, S2 3EE www.othas.org.uk/ccn

Composting Association is the UK’s membership organisation that researches and provides best practice in composting and the use of composts. It provides a central resource for composting, researching, collecting and disseminating information. Composting Association, Avon House, Tithe Barn Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8-1DH www.compost.org.uk

Computers for Charity, established in 1993, is a voluntary, non-profit making organisation improving access to Information Technology for community groups. If offers an easy way to recycle redundant computer equipment in a reliable, efficient and secure way that will help to protect the environment and assist communuity organisations. Computers for Charity, PO Box 48, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 8BL www.computersforcharity.org.uk

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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs www.defra.gov.uk

English Tourism Council. Visitor Attitudes to Sustainable Tourism, English Tourism Council, 2001.

Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk

Green Cone Limited is an environmental company providing local authorities, private sector and individuals around the world with a system solution to the growing need to encourage organic recycling in the home. The Green Cone System includes the Green Cone, a kitchen caddy for easier removal of food waste and specially formulated accelerator powder that promotes the natural break down of organic food. With food waste on average accounting for some 25% of all household waste, this system dramatically reduces the amount of household waste which needs to be collected by local authorities and private sector contractors. Green Cone, Sales Head Office, PO Box 6788, Nottingham, NG2 4JE www.greencone.com

The Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment is a UK non-profit making organisation, established in 1974. It researches the environmental and social effects of packaging in order to show a better understanding of the issues involved. INCPEN, Suite 108, Sussex House, 6 The Forbury, Reading, RG1 3EJ www.incpen.org

Mercury Recycling is the first UK’s fluorescent tube recycling plant for all types of lighting and a range of other mercury containing products. Mercury Recycling, Unit G, Canalside North, John Gilbert Way, Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 1DP www.mercuryrecycling.co.uk

RECOUP promotes and facilities post-consumer plastic container recycling in the UK. RECOUP, 9 Metro Centre, Welbeck Way, Woodston, Peterborough, PE2 7WH www.recoup.org

Recycle-more is an initiative established by Valpak, the UK’s largest compliance scheme for packaging waste legislation. It aims to increase total glass recycling levels by 1 million tonnes over 5 years to 2006 making the UK comparable with mainland Europe. Recycle-more, Valpak Limited, Vantage House, Stratford-upon-Avon Business and Technology Park, Banbury Road, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7GW www.recycle-more.co.uk

SCRIB (Steel Can Recycling Information Bureau), Port Talbot, South Wales, SA13 1NG. www.scrib.org

Waste Connect is the UK public recycling database providing comprehensive information about all recycling points throughout the country. The site has been re-designed to make searching for your nearest recycling point even easier. You can search by entering the name of your town. www.wastepoint.co.uk

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Waste Watch is the leading national organisation promoting and encouraging actions on waste reduction, reuse and recycling. The organisation works with community organisations, central government, local authorities and the public to raise awareness and effect change on waste. Established as a national charity in 1987, Waste Watch is supported by DEFRA, Landfill Tax Credits Scheme, National Lottery and private members. Waste Watch, 96 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2TH. www.wastewatch.org.uk

Appendix How to calculate waste volumes from a hotel business

If a hotel currently disposes of waste via a contractor and you wish to work out waste disposal costs, use the following table to help you. Fill in the data only for waste that is sent to landfill, not for those products that are recycled, donated to a charity or composted. Even if waste is disposed of through the domestic refuse collection, the table will help you work to out how much waste is generated:

1 If a contractor disposes of the waste, ask them to calculate the weight of waste disposed of and the total cost. Some contractors may not be able to provide this information. 2 If the contractor cannot tell how much waste is generated, identify the number of each type of skip/dustbins used and note the average weight of waste for each container.

For each waste container, complete the information below:

A B C (A x B x C)

Volume xx=Number of Number of Waste of skip skips with times volume (litres) this capacity removed each year

Total volume of waste (add up the results to estimate waste volume):

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To assess the likely weight of waste, multiply the volume estimate by the factor that best relates to the hotel type:

Total volume of Average weight Weight of waste (from of waste per waste above) 100 litres

Bed & Breakfast x 7.9 =

Hotel x 5.0 =

Hotel with restaurant x 6.4 =

Pub x 10.0 =

To assess the weight of waste you generate per guest per night, simply divide the total waste weight by the number of guests you accommodated over the last year.

For example, a hotel with a restaurant, with two 1,280-litre continental steel containers and one 240-litre domestic waste bin, each removed twice weekly, will complete the tables as follows:

Volume of 1280 x Number of 2 x Number of 104 = Waste 266,240 skip (litres) skips with times removed volume this capacity each year

Volume of 240 x Number of 1 x Number of 104 = Waste 24,960 skip (litres) skips with times removed volume this capacity each year

Total volume of waste (add up the results to estimate waste volume): 291,200

A ‘rule of thumb’ assessment of the total weight of waste is calculated as follows:

Total volume of Average weight Weight of waste (from of waste per waste above) 100 litres

Bed & Breakfast x 7.9 =

Hotel x 5.0 =

Hotel with restaurant 2,912 x 6.4 = 18,637

Pub x 10.0 =

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The case-study hotel is in an area in which paper, cardboard and glass-recycling are widely available. An estimate of the hotel’s potential savings from using these facilities is made as follows:

Enter your Reduction Reduced total waste factor waste weight weight

Recycling: Newspaper x 0.053 =

Magazines x 0.031 =

Directories etc x 0.05 =

Cardboard packaging x 0.087 =

Glass x 0.166 =

Metal cans x 0.025 =

Replacing once-only Plastic jiggers, jam x 0.007 = items with re-usables portions etc

Composting Serviettes x 0.016 =

Kitchen waste x 0.169 =

Garden waste x 0.019 =

Total weight of waste removed from the waste stream:

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3I Sustainability schemes and awards for businesses and destinations

Introduction

1 The value of sustainability schemes to the tourism industry

2 Principles for sustainability schemes in tourism

3 Examples of sustainable/environmental awards

Further information

3I Sustainability schemes and awards for industry and destinations

This component specifically looks at sustainable and environmentally focussed initiatives, demonstrating:

• how they can be used to develop and instil more sustainable practices within tourism • why they are becoming an increasingly important factor for influencing visitor choice.

This component should be read in conjunction with the introduction to section 3, which provides an overview on quality and the use of schemes and awards.

Introduction

Schemes and awards are a valuable way of creating a structured approach to improving quality across a range of tourism activities and instilling sustainable principles. Encouraging their use will create a better experience for both visitors and local communities. Through their involvement, participating industries will also gain recognition, prestige and marketing advantages, while the environment will benefit where sustainable principles are being championed. All this adds up to a strong argument why a destination should seriously consider their involvement with these initiatives and this component considers the volume of research that supports this view.

Currently there is a diverse range of awards in operation to promote responsible tourism practices. These may cover destinations as a whole or particular aspects of the services being provided, and are usually branded as either:

• sustainable aiming to cover environmental, economic and community issues • environmental ‘green’ awards, with primarily environmental objectives, although they may also cover some economic and community issues.

Given this, it is important to understand the distinction between the various awards in terms of their scope, value and achievability. A first logical step is to consider the range of awards and schemes currently that are available to the destination or service in question.

Part 3 of this component gives some examples of current awards and schemes. A further source of information on the wider range of awards that are available is EnvironmentAwards.net, www.environmentawards.net

At the time of writing there is also much development in progress at both European and national levels to specifically recognise sustainable tourism management:

• the developing European Ecolabel on tourist accommodation • the proposed establishment of a national quality scheme for Sustainable Tourism Certification, lead by ETC in partnership with the Countryside Agency.

This development is founded upon principles summarised in part 2 of this component, identifying valuable points to consider for any initiative of this type. The more detailed

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research and analysis underpinning the proposed development of the national scheme is also a good source of information and should be read in conjunction with this component. This work can be found on the ETC website, along with a wealth of other information on sustainable tourism: www.englishtourism.org.uk

Whether branded as sustainable or environmental, in most cases the range of subject areas covered by these initiatives is broad, hence the need for considerable supporting advice and guidance. There are many relevant connections between this and other components within this handbook. This in itself demonstrates that destinations can play a key role in the development, delivery and promotion of many of the activities covered under these awards.

To take this further in the future, it is intended that the guidance within the handbook will develop, to interact closely with further developments on sustainability schemes, thus providing the means for destinations to directly support businesses aiming to achieve these standards. It is also hoped that the current Green Audit Kit, which provides a guide to tourism businesses on sustainability, will also evolve within this consistent framework, so that the three systems (the Kit, the handbook and the certification scheme) co-ordinate together.

1 The value of sustainability schemes to the tourism industry

According to MORI (1999), one of the most fundamental changes in consumer attitudes over the past few decades has been the importance that consumers now place on what can be broadly described as environmental or ethical issues. In 1999, more than nine million consumers in Great Britain said they avoided using the services or products of a company they considered to have a poor environmental record.

There is also a growing body of research to illustrate that some consumers would prefer to select holiday/business travel choices that are, broadly speaking, sustainable (environmentally responsible and which support the communities in which they are based). That is not to say that travellers would select an accommodation establishment or attraction purely on its environmental credentials, given the complex issue of motivation to travel. The research would, however, indicate that (given the choice between two holiday options with the same facilities, at the same price in the desired destination) an increasing number of consumers would select the environmental choice if those credentials are clearly promoted. A sample of the key conclusions from research that has been produced to illustrate this trend is shown below:

ABTA research conducted with UK residents proposing to take an overseas holiday in the next year:

• 70% of tourists considered the reputation of their holiday company on sustainable issues to be very or fairly important to their holiday choice. • 78% of all respondents considered the provision of social/environmental information by their holiday company as important.

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Visit Scotland research conducted with visitors to Scotland:

• 18% of travellers to Scotland would not return to a hotel that did not care about the environment. • 39% of respondents selected one product over another because of environmentally friendly packaging, formulation or advertising.

Plymouth University research conducted with visitors to Cornwall:

• 60% of all visitors rate peace and quiet as the feature they most like on holiday. • 47.3% of companies interviewed agreed that customers were interested in environmental issues. • 8.9% of companies believe that customers are willing to pay extra for environmental quality.

ETC research on visitor attitudes to sustainable tourism (2002):

• 84% of consumers said they would choose an attraction or accommodation provider that was part of a green accreditation scheme over one that was not, if such a scheme existed. • 68% would do the above even if the prices of the green accredited business were slightly higher. • 76% of consumers stated they believed it was important that their holidays in England should benefit the local people where they are staying. • 65% of consumers said they would be willing to pay extra to stay with an accommodation provider that was committed to good environmental practices. • 58% state that a commitment to being environmentally-friendly is important when selecting accommodation.

This range of research illustrates the opportunity that exists for destinations and businesses through schemes and awards to influence customer behaviour and choice.

Industry benefits

As well as the marketing advantages, there are further strong arguments that can be used to promote industry participation. A key selling point will be the financial benefits that are realised through energy, water and waste savings, often required elements of schemes and awards. There can be a number of barriers to making this aspect work as a genuine incentive to businesses:

• the initial investment required for some measures and the rate of pay-back • the provision of adequate support and advice to assist businesses to make these changes.

Perhaps the most convincing argument will be to demonstrate how businesses have approached implementing the measures and to quantify the actual savings they have made. The need for this information should be taken into account when setting up a scheme, as well as making sure that the support structure is effective; eg the assessments and advice, training, workshops and communication. These issues are considered further in the next section.

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2 Principles for sustainability schemes in tourism

A range of assessed schemes currently operate in England, some addressing specific types of tourism business and a number primarily focussing on environmental management. Although the choice of scheme will probably be restricted by local availability, it is worthwhile addressing the key aspects to be considered, especially in the context of setting up a national scheme. A number of these aspects that are highlighted below specifically relate to formally accredited schemes, in which participants are audited and performance determines membership. However, non-accreditation schemes should not be ignored as a means of engaging with industry and can be an excellent vehicle for instilling sustainable principles (see examples in section 4).

In terms of basic principles, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development identified characteristics that sustainable tourism certification programmes must have to be credible to both businesses and the travelling public. They must:

• require companies to comply with national and regional regulations as a minimum • have the potential to surpass regulatory requirements in a way that is cost effective • be developed with multi-stakeholder participation • include monitoring, assessment and verification systems to generate confidence and support from all parties • include reference to the need for education, focussing on travellers, investors, workers and host communities.

In real terms, the success of certification programmes relies upon their ability to enable businesses to:

• make considerable financial savings • improve the quality of service offered to customers • improve market image • ensure that they are complying with the increased range of environmental regulations • support other local businesses • benefit from the grants and loans that are available to encourage businesses to operate more sustainably • support the local area and environment that attracts visitors.

The proposed national scheme

ETC’s recent analysis of how to establish a national certification scheme, undertaken in consultation with government, industry and existing schemes, has highlighted many important considerations. This work and the structure of the preferred approach is comprehensively addressed within a framework document, scheme template and draft business plan. These can be found on the ETC website, www.englishtourism.org.uk

In summary, the key conclusions are that:

• A national scheme should be established to embrace the whole tourism sector as soon as possible. This scheme should address environmental, economic and social aspects of tourism development.

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• To be effective, implementation of the scheme must be addressed at local level and supported by a regional agency such as the RTB/RDA. • The national scheme must therefore build on the broad-based support established by the range of regional and sector-specific initiatives that are already operating in England. These include, among others, the David Bellamy Conservation Award, the New Forest Little Acorns LA21 Kit, Green LANtern (Lancashire), the South Hams and East of England Green Tourism Business Scheme and the Cumbria Tourist Board Responsible Tourism Initiative (implemented by the Lake District Tourism and Conservation Partnership). • A three-stage award should be developed where the lowest level is achievable by about 70% of all businesses, the mid-level of award achievable by a smaller number of businesses and the highest level achievable only by a small number of businesses that are operating at best practice standard (say 5%). • The programme should include a combination of process and performance criteria and include a core, compulsory set of management, monitoring and training criteria. In addition it should use a menu-driven approach to ensure applicability to the widest possible range of businesses. The highest level of award should allow some flexibility, allowing businesses to complete actions on say 75% as opposed to 100% of all items on the menu. • The scheme must be compatible with national quality and accessibility standards, although migration to a single standard that integrates all of the three elements should be reviewed at a later stage. Membership of an appropriate national quality scheme should be a compulsory requirement to entering the sustainability scheme (where there is a relevant quality standard available). Very small businesses should be able to access integrated quality and environmental audits should they so wish. • The programme will initially apply to individual tourism sites and not to corporate entities. This means that each individual unit must apply for membership and be audited. • In establishing a National Sustainable Tourism Certification Programme, an accreditation body and certification scheme need to be created. The accreditation body, or standards organisation is a multi-stakeholder organisation that both seeks to stimulate the production of sustainable tourism ‘services’ and ensures that certification is being conducted in an objective and transparent manner throughout England. The accreditation body may accredit a number of existing certification schemes based on the high quality of the principles and standards they embrace. • To avoid a conflict of interests, the advisory role specified for auditors within the certification mechanism should be removed/clarified. This conflicts with international guidance on auditing and produces a conflict of interest when an auditor is required to assess the performance of a property to which s/he has offered advice.

The major challenge for the national sustainable tourism certification programme, therefore, is to ensure that those businesses which join the initiative:

1 have the opportunity to benefit from a unified source of information that enables them to maximise the economic benefits of sustainable tourism, while 2 promoting and pursuing the consumer perception of sustainable tourism in marketing and promotional materials.

At the time of writing, a decision is awaited on whether the project will continue, given the current national review of Quality schemes and the reorganisation of the ETC and BTA in 2003.

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3 Examples of sustainable/environmental awards

Some good examples from the range of current awards and schemes are listed below:

South Hams Green Tourism Business Scheme As part of the South Hams Green Tourism Pilot Project the Green Tourism Business Scheme rewards businesses for their commitment to the environment. As part of this green grading scheme, businesses are encouraged and gain points for implementing measures relating to their waste, energy and water reduction. Water conservation with 'Hippos' – plastic bags in Case study toilet cisterns to reduce water consumption – is just one part of the innovative new scheme in which local action can help towards protecting the environment.

Energy, waste and water are just three of the ten sections in which businesses can gain credit on the scheme which includes looking into appliances, lighting, space heating, draughtsealing, special showerheads and washers as well as the re-use and recycling of paper, cardboard, and glass products for instance. For example, one South Hams hotel actively involves staff in an energy 'switch-off' campaign which has colour-coded lighting back of house. Businesses are also encouraged to talk to their suppliers in order to receive goods in washable and re-usable containers to reduce wastage as well as encourage back-of-house use of used envelopes as notepads.

A bullet-point analysis of the critical success factors for the project:

• The green grading scheme incorporates over 140 measures from which businesses can choose those that are most appropriate to their type and size of business. • Sixty-four out of the 140 measures for the scheme concentrate on energy, waste and water. • Businesses are encouraged to be as innovative and creative as possible when looking at implementing environmental measures on the scheme and may actually gain extra credit for those extra special ideas in a bonus section.

Contact details for further information Sally Pritchard, Green Tourism Project Officer, South Hams District Council (01803) 861249, email: [email protected]

The Green Tourism Business (GTBS) is also an accredited VisitScotland Quality Assurance scheme and is also provided by East of England Tourist Board www.green-business.co.uk www.eastofenglandtouristboard.com/gogreen

The New Forest Little Acorn New Forest District Council, in partnership with New Forest Tourism Association launched the Little Acorn in 1999 to recognise those businesses who are pursuing wise social and environmental practices. Case study

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© ENGLISH TOURIST BOARD AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE 2003 PAGE 6 Case study © ENGLISHTOURIST BOARDANDTOURISMMANAGEMENT INSTITUTE2003 www.ukparks.com tel: 01452526911;email:[email protected] Chichester House,6PullmanCourt,GreatWestern Road,Gloucester GL13ND, British HolidayandHomeParksAssociation Foundation. out independentlybyDavidBellamyhimselfinconjunction withtheConservation inspection oftheparkbyalocalconservationgroup.The assessmentofeachparkiscarried The judgingisbasedonexaminationofquestionnaires in additiontoanindependent management. and thecriteriaincludeareassuchasparklandscaping,habitatcreation,recyclingwaste responsibility forcarefulenvironmentalmanagementanddevelopmentareeligibletoapply The schemehasthreelevelsofaward:gold,silverandbronze.Parkownerswhoshow owners arecreatinganenvironmentaloasistoincreasethevitalityofnaturalhabitat. and HomeParksAssociation.Theaimistolettheawardsguidepeopleparkswhose The DavidBellamyConservationAwards areawardedinconjunctionwiththeBritishHoliday David BellamyAwards Lyndhurst, SO437PA, [email protected] Contact AnthonyClimpson,LeisureServices,NewForestDistrictCouncil,AppletreeCourt, operational. desinged toalsoactasasteppingstoneintotheNationalCertificationschemewhen data onabi-annualbasis.By2003,87businesseshavesigneduptothescheme,whichis The schemeisvoluntaryandnon-accredited/audited,butparticipantsprovideperformance usekeyenvironmentalandculturalmesssagesinallmarketing. • contributeenvironmentaldatafordestinationresearch • participateintheNewForestHospitalitytrainingprogramme • participateinthelocalcommunitytourismgroup • provide accessforall • promote theNewForestvisitorstewardshipschemetoallguests • promote healthyactivitiesandeatingoptions • provide smoke-freeareasforeatinganddrinking(BREATHE INN) • promote theNewForestvisitortransportinitiativetoallguests • establishwalking,cyclingandothercar-free activitiesfromsite • increasetheuseoflocalfoods,suppliersandservices • improvewaterandenergyefficiency • improvewastemanagementandrecycling • setasideatleast10%oftheirgroundsforwildlife • help tourismandvisitorbusinesses: participating intheNewForestLittleAcornsLA21Tourism KitProgramme,whichaimsto Accommodation providerswhohaveaLittleAcornsymbolintheiradvertisementare continued 3I SUSTAINABILITY SCHEMESANDAWARDS FORINDUSTRY ANDDESTINATIONS COMPONENT SECTION PAGE 7 3 3I 3I SUSTAINABILITY SCHEMES AND AWARDS FOR INDUSTRY AND DESTINATIONS

Green Flag Award Scheme The Green Flag Award Scheme represents the national standard for parks and green spaces across England and Wales. It was originally planned to encourage good environmental practice and to promote ways of managing public places without the use of pesticides. However, it was soon realised that good environmental practices in themselves did not make Case study for a good park, but that the park itself needed to be well used and held in high regard. A comprehensive period of consultation ensued out of which the eight green flag award criteria were developed. These criteria are key to the operation of the award scheme and continue to be relevant over six years after they were first developed.

It is an independent award that aspires to give voice to public expectations about what parks can and should offer. It aims to set standards for management and to promote the value of parks and green spaces as social places as well as places for walking, play, informal sports and for contact with the natural world. Although the award was set up for public parks, it was recognised that a wider range of green spaces needed to be included if the quality of public green spaces across the United Kingdom was to be improved.

The Green Flag Award has now become the benchmark against which the quality of public parks and green spaces can be measured. It also recognises the diversity and value of green space to the local community and includes:

• town parks • country parks • formal gardens • nature reserves • local nature reserves • cemetery and crematoria • water parks • open space • millennium greens • doorstep greens • community-run greenspace.

A new development this year is the Green Pennant Award scheme. This is the first of a series of specialist awards under the Green Flag umbrella and it is designed to recognise community managed green spaces.

The Green Flag Award scheme is not yet available in Scotland and Northern Ireland though there are plans to extend it to these areas in the future.

The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards The Blue Flag and the Seaside Awards aim to improve the quality of beaches. Both are administered in the UK by ENCAMS. ENCAMS (Environmental Campaigns) is an environmental charity which aims to achieve litter-free and sustainable environments by

Case study working with community groups, local authorities, businesses and other partners.

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The Seaside Awards recognise clean, well-managed resort and rural beaches. These need to have achieved at least the minimum legal standard of water quality and fulfil 28 land-based criteria, in the case of a resort, and 12 in the case of a rural beach. They are reviewed annually and co-ordinated by ENCAMS. A distinctive flag or plaque is on display at each beach along with useful information. A guide is also available free of charge from ENCAMS or any TIC.

The Blue Flag compares beaches throughout Europe and South Africa that meet high standards of cleanliness and management, promote coastal environmental care and have attained the higher guideline standard of water quality. It refers only to the busier 'resort' beaches. It is reviewed annually and administered by ENCAMS on behalf of FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education). A distinctive blue flag is on display at each beach along with useful information. Blue Flags are also given to Marinas which meet high standards of management and cleanliness. A guide is also available free of charge from ENCAMS or any Tourist Information Centre. www.seasideawards.co.uk

For further information, please contact: Jose Stanton, Seaside Award Office, ENCAMS, 5 Chalk Hill House, 19 Rosary Road, Norwich NR1 1SZ, email: [email protected]

Other awards:

Association of Heritage Interpretation: Interpret Britain Awards Annual competition to recognise and publicise outstanding interpretive practice in Britain and Ireland. Information is available from: Awards Organiser, 25 Park Road, Richmond-upon- Thames TW10 6NS, tel: 020-8940 7741 www.heritageinterpretation.org.uk Awards

Biffaward: investing in the environment Biffaward aims to support schemes and projects that will be of lasting environmental benefit by improving community facilities in areas where Biffa is opperational and by accelerating sustainable waste management.

Biffaward was created in 1997 when Biffa Waste Services agreed to donate landfill tax credits to the Royal Society for Nature Conservation (RSNC) to administer under the fund name Biffaward.

The guiding principle behind Biffaward`s Strategy for Giving is sustainability and more information on how to apply and eligibility is found on the website.

Brecon Beacons National Park Award Brecon Beacons National Park Authority presents the National Park Award every two years for the most outstanding contribution to the National Park's aims.

The aims of the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority are:

• conserving or enhancing the park’s landscape

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• promoting the public enjoyment or understanding of the park in a way that does not conflict with its conservation. • promoting the cultural conservation or socio-economic well-being of the local community.

The award is open to any individual or organisation but projects nominated for the award must be within the Brecon Beacons National Park.

British Airways: Tourism for Tomorrow Annual international award for sustainable tourism. Categories include:

• Protected Areas and National Parks (includes Sites of Scientific Interest and heritage sites) • Accommodation (including camps, hotels, cruise ships and resorts) • Tourism organisations (including profit or not-for-profit, non-governmental, voluntary, tour operators and wholesalers) • Built Environment (including old and new buildings refurbished with advanced technology; renovations of old; and siting and style of new buildings) • Environmental Experience (including attractions, integrated accommodation with wildlife experience, environmental innovation and use of technology) • Large-scale tourism (over 200,000 visitors per annum).

Information from: Sustainable Business Unit – Community & Environment, British Airways plc, Waterside (HBBG), PO Box 365, Harmondsworth, Middlesex UB7 0GB tel: +44 (0)20 8 738 5816; fax: +44 (0)20 8 738 9850 www.britishairways.com/tourism/index.shtml

BURA Award The BURA Best Practice Award Scheme is concerned with strategic regeneration schemes, projects and programmes. The award scheme involves assessing applications against the comprehensive criteria which allows overall judgement to be made of environmental, social and economic performance. Particular emphasis is placed on the extent to which a scheme, project or programme has acted as a catalyst for further regeneration.

Business Environment Awards Annual independent award scheme encompassing all business in the UK

Information from: Christine Henshaw, BCE Administrator, Groundwork Environment Centre, Shaw Road, Higginshaw, Oldham OL1 4AW

CERT Kitemark and Environmental Award The Centre for Environmentally Responsible Tourism (CERT) was established in 1994 as an independent organisation, to demonstrate how responsible tourism can protect the environment, wildlife and cultural aspects of holiday destinations.

Conde Naste Traveler: Ecotourism Award Annual award through the international travel magazine. Categories are hotel/resort, tour operator and destination

Information from: Brook Wilkinson, Assistant Editor, Conde Nast Traveler, 4 Times Square, New York, NY 10036, email: [email protected]

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Conservation International: World Legacy Award International award for companies and individuals. Applicants are judged on environmental commitment, sensitivity to environmental issues, cultural sensitivity and cultural benefits and leadership and innovation. Information from: www.ecotour.org

Excellence Through People Award Sponsored by the British Hospitality Association Excellence through people is a nation-wide programe which aims to encourage hotel and catering employers to introduce best practice to their establishment and then to measure it against the best in industry generally. Establishments agree to adopt a ten-point code of good employment practice and are independently assessed against it.

The award scheme is in three categories, according to the number of employees and is designed to highlight an innovative low-cost employment idea which can be replicated by other employers throughout the country.

The ultimate aim of the scheme is to encourage best employment practice throughout the hospitality industry so people want to work and make a satisfying career in it.

For further information including a directory of employees with Excellence through People certificates visit the British Hospitality Association website.

Green Globe: Green Globe 21 Path International membership scheme providing information and support for companies and destinations working towards sustainable tourism

Information from: 7 St Stephens Court, St Stephens Road, Bournemouth BH2 6LA, tel: +44 (0)1202 312001; fax: +44 (0)1202 312002; email: [email protected] www.greenglobe21.com

IH&RA (International Hotel and Restaurant Association): Green Hotelier of the Year International competition for hotels and restaurants which can demonstrate how they are promoting sustainable development while safeguarding local culture and protecting the environment.

Information from: IH&RA, 251, rue du Faubourg St-Martin, 75010 Paris, France, tel: +33 (0) 1 44 89 94 00; fax: +33 (0) 1 40 36 73 30 www.ih-ra.com/awards/

Queen’s Awards for Enterprise The Queen's Awards are the UK's top awards for business performance and are awarded in three categories: international trade, innovation and sustainable development.

All organisations, large, medium or small, which operate regularly as a 'business unit' of the United Kingdom economy, and which can meet the criteria, are eligible to apply. www.queensawards.org.uk

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Further information

Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council The Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council is a proposed global accreditation body for sustainable tourism and ecotourism certifiers. If this body is found feasible, it will set international standards for certification of tourism industry organisations that want to claim being sustainable or practising ecotourism. A wide range of stakeholders are being consulted about the proposal. www.rainforest-alliance.org/programs/sv/stsc.html

EnvironmentAwards EnvironmentAwards.net provides a focal point for sponsors, organisers and entrants of awards as well as those seeking details of the most up to date best practice in the environment and sustainable development field. www.environmentawards.net

European Ecolabel for tourist accommodation In March 1999 the European Commission re-launched the ‘Eco-labelling initiative in tourism’ started by the Greek and the French Competent Body as early as 1994, when legislative restraints hindered a follow-up. The new feasibility study (FEMATOUR) started in January 2000 and the study was carried out by a Dutch and Spanish consultancy firm and involved several tasks, as follows:

• analysing the nature of the European tourism market • characterising the different main types of services, grouping them and analysing options for product groups • assessing best environmental practices and environmental impacts • identifying barriers and success factors • commenting on options for flexibility • investigating synergies and links to the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) • setting up an indicative priority list for feasibility and action at European level.

At the time of writing this report, the proposed criteria for the ecolabel for tourist accommodation are due for discussion by the European Eco-labelling Board, with a vote to be taken in December 2002. See: europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ecolabel/producers/pg_tourism.htm for more information.

VISIT (Voluntary Initiatives for Sustainability in Tourism) is the joint European initiative for the promotion of ecolabels and sustainable tourism. In Europe there are about 40 regional, national and international ecolabels for tourism. In 2001 VISIT started to co-operate with ten leading ecolabels in Europe, including the Green Tourism Business Scheme and Green Globe 21, and to develop common basic standards for their criteria and verification procedures. It is hoped that the common basic standards will be agreed by the autumn of 2002.

In 2003 VISIT aims to promote certified accommodation enterprises in Europe to consumers and tour operators and in 2004, VISIT shall be established as European accreditation body for Ecolabels for Tourism. www.yourvisit.info

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3J Marketing

Introduction

How to capitalise on sustainable tourism management

How to develop a marketing plan

Summary

3J Marketing

This component will help you capitalise on your sustainable approach to tourism management. It therefore takes you through the issues you need to consider and sets out how to develop a basic marketing plan. Much has already produced on destination marketing, and consequently, this component is only a brief summary containing the basic steps for consideration.

This component is related to all the other components in the handbook.

Introduction

It is often said that tourism marketing is about selling dreams, but in reality it is much more. Tourism marketing is a complex process by which the product, ie the tourism destination, is promoted to the potential visitor only after careful research, development and design has gone on behind the scenes. The aim of a good destination manager is to ensure that all the hard work in researching visitor needs and satisfaction, developing appropriate products, ensuring high quality standards, and capitalising on the area’s local distinctiveness pays off through well-targeted and designed products and promotions. That is why marketing is so much more than advertising: it’s an integral driver in the management process of all successful destinations.

How to capitalise on sustainable tourism management

Throughout the handbook we examine ways in which you can develop and manage tourism in your destination in the most sustainable ways possible. It’s a complex task, which means that as a destination manager you have to be thinking laterally most of the time in order to see the opportunities and connections that are needed to develop tourism sustainably. What you need to do now is capitalise on the hard work and promote your achievements to the market place.

Recent research by the ETC into visitor attitudes to sustainable tourism management revealed that:

• The vast majority of consumers are interested in, and concerned with, sustainable tourism issues and that there is very strong support from consumers for tourism organisations and operators to do more to protect the environment and help sustain local communities.

• In addition to this desire for tourism organisations and operators to invest in sustainable tourism practices, consumers consistently claimed they would be willing to pay higher prices in order to provide the necessary investment that would be needed. The majority of consumers claimed they would be willing to pay higher prices to accommodation providers that were committed to sustainable tourism practices that also benefited the local community. Two-thirds of those interviewed said they would be willing to make a donation while on holiday to help pay for the upkeep of the local environment.

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• When asked about what motivated them to select one destination over another, 63% of consumers stated that a well-managed environment was an important feature in choosing the destination of their last holiday or short break in England. Interestingly, 79% of consumers agreed that it was important to set limits on tourism development.

These results show that there is potential marketing advantage if tourism managers implement and advertise their sustainable approach to tourism management.

By looking at what you’ve achieved in your destination, or what you are planning to achieve, you will be able to develop a clear picture of the type of destination you are dealing with. Once you have that image in your mind you can start to develop communications that promote that image to your potential visitors. You may want to consider the following:

Information needs • What do you know about your customers and your product mix? • What do you know about your non-visitors? • Can you match visitor and non-visitor needs with your offer? • Having identified target visitor segments, how can you best communicate with them?

Destination planning You then consider what can be done to improve your destination to meet your targeted visitors’ expectations. You may think that the destination could benefit from greater synergy between the four key stakeholder groups. By developing better working relationships with these players, you will be able to focus their collective energies on improving ways in which tourism needs can be integrated into the key planning objectives of the area. Subsequently, you will set your destination on the way to becoming one that is welcoming to visitors, a profitable location for tourism operations and an attractive home for the local community.

Destination development You may have discovered during your information search that there were some aspects of the destination that needed more attention or work to raise standards. These may have been local businesses needing more support, or your own destination management systems were in need of updating. Alternatively, you may have found that: visitors were having difficulty getting to and from, or indeed around your destination; or that you were lacking a key hook to attract tourists; or that visitors were put off by poor environmental management such as the standard of cleanliness of the beach. These are things that you can work on and once they’ve been rectified you can in turn use them to your advantage.

This is where you begin to see the advantages in taking a marketing and product development approach to the way in which you go about managing your destination. The following is a basic approach to developing a marketing plan. It may help you identify what you need to do in order to capitalise on your sustainable approach to destination management.

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How to develop a marketing plan

This section will show you how to put together a basic marketing plan. You should bear in mind that, as with most things, there is always more than one way to set out a marketing plan; this is only a suggested framework but it covers most of the issues you will need to consider.

1 Corporate strategy

It’s always helpful to consider the corporate plan and objectives of the organisation you work for early on in the planning process, to establish where tourism sits and what it needs to do to help achieve the overall corporate objectives. This is useful to you for two reasons: first, it helps you position tourism as a key activity in the organisation particularly in view of its non-statutory status and second, it helps to raise tourism’s profile within the local authority.

2 Opportunities analysis

You also need to consider the opportunities available to you to develop tourism locally. This analysis should be informed by your research into facts about the market and the resources that are available to you. You may like to draw on some of the ideas put forward in the destination audit section of the handbook to help you conduct research into visitor and non-visitor attitudes. The results will give you an idea of the needs of your current market and the possibilities for developing your market further.

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3 SWOT analysis

Vitally, you need to audit your own destination’s product offering in terms of its own strengths and weaknesses and the possible threats and opportunities that are likely to impact from changes in the political, economic, sociological and technological arenas. Once you have the results of this analysis you will be able to pinpoint your destination’s strengths and where the areas for improvement lie. This will then help inform your product development decisions. At this point you may need to consider aspects of your destination’s local distinctiveness or other aspects of product development such as the cleanliness and safety of the beach or the quality of accommodation and attractions in the area.

4 Competitor analysis

Your marketing plan should also be informed by your understanding of the competition. Without a firm grasp of what other destinations are up to you might not be able to differentiate your own product offering sufficiently. Similarly, you will have problems in terms of considering how best to utilise branding, promotion and other marketing tools. Hence a thorough investigation of the competition will help you benchmark your own destination’s product offering.

5 Gap analysis

Through thorough interrogation of the information you have assimilated so far you will be able to develop a picture of where your destination is at currently. You should then be able to formulate a clear idea of where you would like your destination to be in the future. By comparing your current position with your intended one, you should be able to identify what you need to do to get there. This is what a gap analysis is all about, namely identifying the gap between the reality and the desired. This is where ideas generated by the destination development section of the handbook may come in useful.

6 Market opportunities

Interrogation of your market research, ie visitor satisfaction surveys and other aspects of the destination audit, will enable you to develop a feel for the opportunities that are available in terms of product development and new target markets. This will help inform your destination development plans, your overall use of promotion tools and assist in setting your marketing objectives.

7 SMART marketing objectives

This is where you should set down what you hope to achieve in terms of specific, measurable, achievable, resourced and time specific objectives.

8 Marketing Mix

Identification of your marketing mix is your opportunity to put together your promotional plans, how you intend to promote your destination, the types of messages you want to impart and how you want to communicate them. It will also be helpful to identify which promotional tools you intend to use, for example: traditional visitor information leaflets, brochures, TICs, websites, direct mail and advertising, amongst others.

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9 Tactics

When setting out your tactics you may like to consider how you intend to brand and position your destination. For helpful tips on branding your destination refer to component 3F, Identifying and developing local distinctiveness. You may also want to set out your promotional schedule in the form of a Gantt chart.

10 Budget

This is the crucial bit. You now need to match your budget to your plans.

11 Implementation

By stating how and when you will implement your plans and what resources you are dedicating to the job you will be able to track progress and monitor effectiveness.

12 Monitoring

You should of course be monitoring your activities the whole way through. Effective monitoring will enable you to react to changing circumstances and keep your marketing on track. By monitoring issues you will be able to reassess the feasibility of your plans, tweak the objectives if necessary and revisit your budgets and tactics accordingly. Remember you do not work in a static bubble. The world of tourism is particularly susceptible to change, hence flexibility in approach is crucial if you are to achieve the goal of sustainable tourism management and marketing.

Summary

By applying a marketing approach to the management of your destination, you will be one step closer to managing your destination sustainably. If you implement the ideas put forward in this handbook you will automatically improve your product offering and give your destination a distinct marketing advantage.

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Section 4 Monitoring performance

Introduction

Key components of monitoring performance

Benchmarking

Key points

References

Appendix 1 Visitor survey

Appendix 2 Tourist Information Centre satisfaction survey

Appendix 3A Operator satisfaction survey

Appendix 3B Accommodation providers’ satisfaction survey

Appendix 4 Brochure survey

4 Monitoring performance

This component explains how to go about monitor overall tourism development in destinations and how this relates to Best Value, benchmarking programmes and indicators of sustainable tourism development.

This component relates to all the other components.

Introduction

Not that many years ago little attempt was made to evaluate any aspects of performance within tourism destinations. As long as the visitors kept on coming then there wasn’t a problem. This complacency, particularly in resorts, meant that underlying trends weren’t picked up and there was a failure to respond to changing markets and customer expectations. The decline of the traditional seaside resort is well documented and should serve as a salutary reminder of what can go wrong if little or no account is taken of destination performance and positioning.

A detailed understanding of all facets of a destination is of paramount importance. This needs to be followed by a comprehensive plan, strategy or action plan that recognises issues, problems and needs and sets out, with community support, a structured way of dealing with them. Unless the information on which the planning is based is accurate, timely and regularly reviewed and the effect of any actions is regularly evaluated, the management process will be flawed.

Regular monitoring of performance against plans and the assembly of up to date information should be a fundamental component of the destination management handbook. At the very simplest level it should be a checklist of actions completed but to be effective it needs to encompass a broader range of activities and interrogate performance. The process needs to be seen as an integral part of an effective management system. It should be formulated to suit the needs, aspirations and resources of the individual destination but most importantly it should be simple, effective, easy to administer and be seen as a continuous process.

Key components of monitoring performance

Performance against strategies

Action plans should:

• include target dates for delivery and regular monitoring (at least monthly) • review progress towards the completion of these actions • set out the responsibilities for delivery and any remedial action or plan change required to meet changing or emerging situations or opportunities.

Volume and value of tourism data

An assessment of the number of visitors to a destination and the value to the economy of these visits is the most basic but significant piece of information required for an area. It is an

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essential part of the understanding process and has been more fully covered in section 1. Once collected the information needs to be regularly updated so that basic trends can be established. Unfortunately none of the models available at present, to evaluate volume and value, fully meet the manager’s needs for current, regularly comparable data.

There is a cost in using either of the main models currently available, but as the data provided is essential for understanding, planning and development purposes, it is well worth the investment. For the purpose of identifying trends it is important to continue to use the same model and to obtain the data on a regular basis, preferably annually.

Tourism satellite accounts are emerging as a potential process for gathering more reliable volume and value data but it is likely to be some time before these can be made directly applicable to individual destinations. Regional and sub-regional trend data is useful, but there is an urgent need for robust and reliable data at the destination level. The Foot and Mouth crisis of 2001 highlighted the gross inadequacy of locally based tourism data. In view of their role and function, the RDAs should to be encouraged to help develop and fund more accurate data collection systems that work well at the destination level and can be compared nationally. There is little point in the RDAs developing or using systems that are not directly comparable across the regions.

Overall visitor satisfaction

Visitor surveys are essential to evaluate customer perceptions of a destination and to identify needs. Again, it is imperative that surveys are carried out on a regular basis and that the data collected is consistent to allow for comparison to enable the monitoring of trends, to evaluate the impact of new developments and to assess changing needs.

In-depth surveys should be carried out at least every five years and it is possible, by selecting core questions, to carry out interim check surveys using a smaller sample and/or students/volunteers to administer the surveys to reduce costs.

A suggested basic visitor survey questionnaire is given in appendix 1. This contains the core questions that have been found to provide the range of information needed. The questions can be tailored to suit the needs or circumstances of a particular destination while use of the basic format will allow for comparison across destinations (benchmarking).

TIC satisfaction

A suggested survey form for use in assessing customer satisfaction with TIC/s is given in appendix 2. This can be handed out to a percentage of TIC visitors to provide some feedback on satisfaction levels. Incentives can be offered to encourage completion and return and attempts should be made to secure the views of a full cross section of visitors.

Industry satisfaction

Regular surveys of the local tourism service providers are essential to ensure that the resources devoted to tourism are being used to best effect and satisfying the needs of local businesses. A suggested questionnaire for evaluating local business satisfaction is given as appendices 3A and 3B. The form should be sent to all tourism businesses, preferably on an annual basis.

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Evaluating the effect of marketing

It is important that some method is used to evaluate the success and impact of marketing exercises, particularly brochures. A simple response form included in the brochure (see appendix 4) with an incentive will help to provide important feedback on the brochure’s impact. Survey forms can also be sent out subsequently to those requesting a brochure and questionnaires can be made available in local accommodation to help assess what influenced someone to visit.

Quality issues

A regular review of the tourism businesses operating in an area and an awareness of quality standards is a fundamental part of basic intelligence and monitoring. Information about changes and the opening of new establishments should be gained from fellow local authority staff; eg environmental health officers, building control officers, planning officers and rating staff by creating an integrated collaborative framework for regular intelligence- sharing.

Organisational capacity

A number of authorities are now using business planning techniques to understand and improve the individual components of their management processes. Integrated quality management, the EFQM Business Excellence Model and LSO 9000 are the main techniques being used. The processes include an evaluation of the key components of management: planning, leadership, understanding, resources and most important of all, monitoring.

Three documents produced by the European Commission relating to the development and application of integrated quality management in rural, urban and coastal destinations give very clear advice for the establishment of a structured approach towards destination management and the monitoring processes that need to be applied.

Environmental considerations

These should be an integral part of the service planning and delivery process. Monitoring systems need to be put in place to ensure that sustainability issues are adequately addressed. At the simplest level, the impact of each new development needs to be assessed in broad environmental terms. An evaluation of the effectiveness of environmental management processes instituted; eg energy management systems, local produce sourcing, recycling programmes or carrying capacity, needs to be a key part of the monitoring process.

Performance/comparative indicators

Recognising that monitoring is an important process is one thing but organising and managing it is another. It can be tempting to try to quantify and measure everything that happens, but in essence all that is needed is the identification of a few key performance measures that you know can be easily collected, that are reliable and that can be compared year on year; hence the emergence of performance indicators.

At a basic level indicators can be a simple numerical record of activity. More complex ones can be used to evaluate the outcomes of particular activities. Whatever process is used, they are, as the name implies, simply a relative indication of activity to assess trends and evaluate

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relative positioning. To be of any benefit to the monitoring process indicators or performance measures are needed that relate to key areas of activity.

These can be identified as:

• strategic objectives • cost/efficiency • service delivery outcomes • satisfaction and quality • access • sustainability.

The quality of performance indicators is often debated; it seems very difficult to devise ones that appear to have any intellectual rigour yet can still be easily collected on a regular basis. Perhaps intellectual rigour isn’t that important, but what is essential is that there are sufficient checks in place to provide the destination manager with the knowledge required to inform decision-making and planning, evaluate overall performance and allow for easy comparison.

For each of the key components, the following is a list of suggested core and supporting indicators.

1 Strategic objectives

• Do you have an up-to-date tourism strategy? • Does the local authority have a cultural strategy provided in accordance with BV114? • Is the tourism strategy comprehensive? • Was the tourism strategy prepared in consultation with key stakeholders, the community and elected members? • Does the tourism strategy include an action plan and implementation schedule? • Are action plan monitoring arrangements in place? • Does the tourism strategy include actions in relation to sustainability (Agenda 21)? • Does the authority have an up-to-date business plan for the T/VIC?

2 Cost efficiency

• Overall council net spend on tourism versus overall value of tourism (ie how much does every £1 spent generate in tourism revenue?) • Overall council net spend per visitor • Overall council net spend on tourism per head of population • Cost per T/VIC user • Annual sales income per TIC • Proportion of overall spend met by income • Value of conference bookings • What proportion of income is raised through commission?

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3 Service delivery outcomes

• Average spend per visitor in your destination • Number of FTE jobs supported by tourism • Percentage of local tourism businesses involved in local tourism partnership association arrangements • Number of visitors to tourist attractions operated by the authority • Percentage of local industry participating in tourism publications • Conversion rate for marketing companies • Survival rates for local businesses/new tourism formation.

4 Satisfaction and quality

• Percentage of inspected accommodation • Percentage of local tourism industry who consider the tourism service to be excellent/good • Percentage of visitors/users who consider the range of services of the TIC to be excellent/good • Percentage of visitors who overall rate the destination excellent/good (destination benchmarking) • Percentage of attractions inspected • Percentage of accommodation/attractions participating in Welcome to Excellence courses • Satisfaction levels with individual aspects of service, eg website conference bureau, call centre • Percentage of industry engaged in training activities.

5 Access

• Percentage of local accommodation/service providers participating in welcome all or other relevant disability awareness courses • Is specific information provided for people with disabilities or whose first language is not English? • Is information available in alternative formats?

6 Sustainability

• Does the authority have a Local Agenda 21 strategy or community plan? • Does the strategy or plan refer specifically to tourism issues? • Percentage of tourism businesses that use environmental management systems or participate in activities such as green audit • Percentage of local businesses who source more than 25% of their supplies locally.

It must be emphasised that the above are suggestions and should not be viewed as prescriptive or definitive.

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Apart from using the information to check your own performance against objectives and targets and to determine trends, is the information collected of any wider use? If other authorities collect data on a similar basis then it will be possible to compare your data with others. This comparative analysis or benchmarking is one of the most useful facets of performance indicators/management and is dealt with below.

In addition to indicators collected at the local level, the ETC has set up a suite of National Sustainable Indicators to identify progress towards sustainable tourism in England. Whilst looking mainly at issues on a national basis, some of the data presented is aggregated from local information; eg the percentage of local authorities with Tourism Action Plans, the percentage of destinations with a LA21 plan that includes sustainable tourism and the percentage of local authorities with a cultural/tourism strategy.

Benchmarking

The collection of key or core performance data in a standardised format agreed with other destinations enables a direct comparison to be made of overall performance within a specific section or grouping. Benchmarking clubs have been in existence for a number of years but their distribution is patchy and they have highlighted the lack of accurate, simple and timely locally based comparative data. The emergence of individual benchmarking clubs has also highlighted the need for more universal recognition of the role and value of core comparable information to support more effective performance management in destinations.

In England the establishment of the National Tourism Best Value Group was, at its simplest, an attempt to standardise baseline data collection processes for all local authorities.

Benchmarking also has a much broader application. Across Europe destination groupings and networks have been seeking the ‘holy grail’ of the perfect set of sustainable performance indicators to be used for Europe-wide benchmarking. Without co-ordination a plethora of different processes have been emerging. In addition the apparent need to be exhaustive and visibly rigorous has led to the creation of endless sets of potential indicators that do not pass the acid tests of simplicity, collectability, comparability and reliance. There is much to be learnt from fellow practitioners across Europe and there are benefits to be gained from the ability to share information with a much broader range of destinations.

Recognising the need for improved co-ordination and consistency, the European Commission is now funding a study to identify ‘Measurement tools and methods needed for monitoring the availability of tourist destinations and services indicators and benchmarking’. The study is expected to formulate and test a framework for the establishment of a European benchmarking system that will allow core information to be entered and analysed online, with additional sections tailored to meet the data and performance management needs of specific types of destination.

Destination benchmarking

In addition to self assessment benchmarking processes, RTBs offer specific processes that can be bought in to provide destination and TIC benchmarking.

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Destination benchmarking consists of administering and analysing a standardised set of visitor survey information for comparison directly with the scores from other destinations. They are very useful for providing a definitive baseline or starting point and regular reviews are essential. If the full benchmarking process is carried out every five years then, as identified earlier in relation to visitor surveys, interim data can be collected as a check using less expensive techniques. The cost of carrying out a full benchmarking survey can be around £4,000-£5,000. The survey questionnaire given in appendix 1 covers the majority of the areas dealt with in destination benchmarking.

ITC benchmarking

To provide a definitive baseline, a professionally carried out TIC benchmarking survey is an extremely useful exercise. If the surveys are carried out say every five years, interim data can be obtained by using the TIC customer satisfaction survey referred to in appendix 2.

Best Value

Since the mid 1980s central government has been striving to make local government more accountable for its actions and expenditure. An evaluation of the effectiveness of individual authorities in delivering their services was seen as an essential prerequisite in being able to assess value for money. The Best Value initiative was created to translate government rhetoric into action making it a statutory requirement for all authorities to measure performance and review all of their services. The starting point is an authority-wide Best Value Performance Plan that has to be drawn up each year. This must include current and expected performance against a series of statutory indicators set by the Audit Commission together with a range of local indicators that an authority considers best demonstrates their effectiveness at service delivery.

Currently there are no National indicators for tourism laid down by the Audit Commission and very few authorities seem to have included specific reference to tourism, as local indicators within their own Best Value Performance Plans. However, the Audit Commission has identified the areas of performance that it will focus on and for which they will expect some performance measurement to be in place for tourism services.

These include:

• whether or not an up to date tourism strategy exists which has been prepared on a partnership basis • whether or not an up to date business plan exists for the TIC and any other facility operated by the tourism department • level of customer satisfaction with the tourist service – minimum 75% satisfaction (customers include visitors, local community, the tourism industry, environmental groups • cost per use of TIC/s • cost conversion rate of the main brochure (whilst there is still some debate about the ways in which this can actually be measured the main objective is to be able to demonstrate value for money ie that you know how much is being spent and what its impact is).

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The National Tourism Best Value Group is working with the Audit Commission to continually refine and define performance measures and to provide guidance to authorities to ensure that they get the best from their services.

In overall terms because leisure and tourism services have to be more aware of their impact, have to be able to recognise competition and know their market, the Best Value regime has been more readily assimilated. It is after all only good management practice to be able to assess, with a degree of accuracy, relative performance and progress. If you are organised, know what you are spending and its impact, and the customers are engaged in the process and supportive then the Best Value review process should not be a cause for concern.

There is a view that the emerging Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) process will eliminate the need for Best Value reviews. Whilst it might lessen the need for individual in- depth service reviews, CPA relies heavily on the assumption that good practice is being pursued and can be adequately evidenced and demonstrated. Annual Best Value Performance plans are still an integral part of the process, as is a clear demonstration that service delivery is set within a robust and comprehensive strategic framework, that performance and customer satisfaction are regularly monitored and that actions are reviewed. The use of comparative data and evidence of iterative benchmarking is an integral part of that process. Authorities need to be able to demonstrate clearly that they can set their performance in the context of other similar destinations making comparative benchmarking an essential part of the management process.

National Tourism Best Value Group

Created by the amalgamation of individual benchmarking clubs and following a pilot test phase the National Tourism Best Value Group (NTBVG) launched its Baseline Data collecting system in April 2001.

The NTBVG was set up some four years ago with the object of establishing a self-help forum for tourism officers preparing for Best Value. From those small beginnings almost half of the local authorities in England and Wales now subscribe to the processes and benefit from support in their comparative benchmarking activities. The NTBVG is run by a management team comprising representatives from the ETC, the RTBs, LGA, the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management, British Resorts Association, the TMI and the Tourism Society, together with the 14 category group heads from the county, city, rural, coastal and London sub-groups.

For a modest subscription the 170-plus destination managers who belong to the NTBVG also belong to a category sub-group chosen as being closest in nature to their individual destinations,ie coastal, rural, London, city or country. It is here that the greatest benefits accrue. These regular meetings are much valued as a source of new ideas, best practice, increased knowledge, networking and general support. Shared activity in the category groups has produced a wealth of best practice information on diverse topics relevant to tourism; eg measuring accommodation stock, event management, TIC performance, measurement of customer satisfaction, conference destination marketing, and techniques for improving TIC income generation. The work of the category groups is continually establishing new standards of tourism professionalism across the country.

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Underpinning the work of the category groups is the annual benchmarking survey ‘The Baseline Statement’. This questionnaire, which started as a simple comparison of core tourism data, has now reached an advanced level of refinement. The information provided in answering this questionnaire generates the data required for an effective Best Value assessment. The confidential data is analysed and reports are generated within and for the category groups. This enables members to compare their own performance year on year and to benchmark themselves against comparable destinations on a continuous basis.

The NTBVG is in regular consultation with the Audit Commission to ensure that all information is current. They also work closely with ‘Tourism-Site’, a pan European destination management initiative aimed at sharing information and best practice electronically.

Key points

• Monitoring needs to be seen as an integral point of the management process and should be carried out continuously. • Choose a range of performance indicators for your destination that provide the information you need to manage your performance, only collect the information though that is of use. • This should be at two levels: level 1 should be core data that can readily be compared with others; level 2 should be more service or activity specific to ensure that sufficient management information is available to make realistic service delivery decisions. • Volume and value data, using the best available comparable model, needs to be collected on an annual basis. • Visitor surveys need to be carried out on a comprehensive basis at least every five years. Interim surveys on a smaller scale should be used to provide monitoring checks. • Satisfaction surveys need to be carried out for TIC customers and tourism businesses on an annual basis. • All surveys should be based on a set of standardised core questions to enable comparison and benchmarking with other destinations. • Joining a benchmarking club such as the National Tourist Best Value group is a cost effective way of information and experience sharing. • Using core performance indicators establish a set of performance measures for your own destination. • Investigate the opportunities for detailed sustainable tourism benchmarking at the European level through organisations such as Tourism-Site. • Give careful consideration to the use of performance management techniques; eg EFQM to assist you in refining and improving your management processes.

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References

Tourism and Resort Action Plan Guidelines (available from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council)

Best Value Baseline Questionnaire and Guidance (National Tourism Best Value Group)

Tourism Towards Sustainability. DCMS 1998

National Sustainable Tourism Initiatives. ETC

Towards Quality Urban Tourism; Towards Quality Rural Tourism; Towards Quality Coastal Tourism. European Commission 2000 (available online)

Tourism-Site www.tourism-site.org

Tender specification for measurement methods and tools necessary for monitoring the quality of tourist destinations and services – indicators and benchmarking. European Commission Directorate, General Enterprize

Sustainable Urban Tourism Project www.sut.itas.fzk.de

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Appendix 1 Visitor survey

Core questions

The survey includes questions that relate to beach/resort issues, these can be amended to suit the attributes of a particular destination

1 Purpose of trip Question 1 What is the main purpose of your visit to this area? Holiday/recreation etc Attending a conference Other business Visiting friends or relatives Normal shopping or normal workplace Other (specify):

Question 2 If on holiday or short break, is this your: Main holiday this year? Second holiday this year? Third or more holiday?

Question 3 Which of the following groups would you place yourself in? Local resident of this area Day visit from home outside this area Day visit whilst staying outside this area Independent visit >1 day Inclusive package holiday Other (specify):

2 Details of visit Question 4 If staying overnight, what is the main type of accommodation used? Hotel/motel/inn Guesthouse Bed and Breakfast/farm accommodation Rented self-catering Caravan Static owned Static not owned Camping Timeshare Youth Hostel Homes of friends or relatives Second home Other If applicable, what is the name of the place they are staying

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Question 5 What do you think of your accommodation ? Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

Question 6 How many nights are you staying? In this area? Away from home in total?

Question 7 What is the country and postcode of your normal home/place of residence? Country Region Postcode

Question 8 What was the main method of transport used to travel to this area? Train Regular bus/coach Organised coach tour Car (own, friends, ﬁ rms) Car (hired) Motorcycle Bicycle Aircraft Lorry/truck/van Walk/hiked Boat Other

Question 9 Have you stayed overnight in this area on holiday before? Yes No (go to question10)

If yes, a) When did you last holiday here? Within last month Within last year Within last 2 years Within last 5 years Within last 10 years Longer

b) How many times have you holidayed here? Once 2-5 times More than ﬁ ve times

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Question 10 Have you been on a day visit to this area before? Yes No (go to question 11)

If yes, when did you last visit? Within last month Within last year Previous year More than two years ago

Question 11 How did you ﬁ nd out about this area? A previous visit Friends/relatives Tourist Information Centre Newspaper/magazine article Newspaper/magazine advertisement Tourist brochure/leaﬂ et Which one/s?

Question 12 What were the main characteristics of the area that made you want to come here? (tick one or more) Beach facilities Accessibility Historic interest Peace and quite Sporting facilities Entertainment and recreation facilities Quality of accommodation Scenery and countryside Particular activities Friendliness and hospitality of locals Other (specify):

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Question 13 Please rate the following destination features on a scale of 1 (Very poor) to 5 (Excellent) and circle the appropriate number

Resort feature Excl Good Avge Poor V Poor Poor/wet weather facilities 5 4 3 2 1 Places for families to visit 5 4 3 2 1 Places for adults to visit 5 4 3 2 1 Shopping 5 4 3 2 1 Evening entertainment 5 4 3 2 1 Tourist accommodation 5 4 3 2 1 Signposting 5 4 3 2 1 Ease of being able to walk around 5 4 3 2 1 Surrounding countryside 5 4 3 2 1 Restaurant/eating facilities 5 4 3 2 1 Public transport 5 4 3 2 1 Parking facilities 5 4 3 2 1 Overall appearance 5 4 3 2 1 General cleanliness 5 4 3 2 1 Value for money 5 4 3 2 1 Cleanliness of beach 5 4 3 2 1 Quality of seawater 5 4 3 2 1 Beach facilities 5 4 3 2 1 Access to beach 5 4 3 2 1 Sporting facilities 5 4 3 2 1

Question 14 Is car parking a problem? Yes No (go to question 15)

If yes, why ? Too far from town Too expensive Insufﬁ cient spaces Badly signposted Insufﬁ cient disabled provision Other (specify):

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Question 15 Are there sufﬁ cient beach facilities available? Yes No (go to question 16) If not, what would you like to see? More for children Beach sports Deckchairs Refreshments Others (specify):

Question 16 How important to you are the following features with respect to a seaside resort?

Feature Very important Not important Availability of activities away from beach 12345 eg golf, mountain biking, walking Easy access to/availability of attractive 12345 natural environments Easy access to/availability of historic urban 12345 environments Easy access to/availability of urban area 12345 with wide range of facilities

Events 1 2 3 4 5

Things to do in poor weather 1 2 3 4 5

Question 17 Please tell me roughly how much you will have spent or will spend on yourself or on the behalf of others in your group TODAY on the following: Accommodation Entrance Fees Snacks/meals/drink Gifts/postcards/souvenirs Travel Car Parking Amusements Other non domestic shopping Unlikely to spend anything

Question 18 Please indicate your agegroup A 15 – 24 B 25 – 34 C 35 – 44 D 45 – 54 E 55 – 64 F 65 +

Question 19 Please indicate your marital status A Single B Married C Widowed D Divorced/separated

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Question 20 Which category best describes you? A In full-time employment (30+ hours per week) B In part-time employment (<30 hours per week) C Student D Unemployed E Retired/Pensioner F Housewife/husband

If employed full- or part-time: Which industry/company Job title

Are you the main wage-earner? Yes No (go to question 21)

If the main wage-earner is employed full- or part-time: Which industry/company Job title

Question 21 Who is with you? (insert number where appropriate) Nobody Husband/wife/partner Other adults (15+) from own household Any children under 15 from own household Adults 15+ from another household Children under 15 from another household

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Appendix 2 Tourist Information Centre satisfaction survey

At (insert TIC name) Tourist Information Centre we are continuously monitoring our services to bring you the highest standards and we would value your comments. Please would you spend a few minutes completing this questionnaire to help us? (Optional free prize draw)

1 About you

A local resident in (destination) Are you here on holiday A resident in the (county or region) Or short break A day visitor from outside (destination, If so, in which town or village are you staying? county or region) Please state where you have travelled from today How long are you staying? (nights)

Are you here for a Are you visiting Are you Conference Business Friends Work in

Festival Special event Relatives (destination) Group visit Studying in (destination)

2 Please rate the following aspects of your visit to the TIC: (Please tick the most appropriate box for each)

Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor V. Poor Speed of service Quality of customer service Range of information Range of service available Range of goods available Quality of goods available Ease of entry Circulation in the TIC Easy to ﬁ nd TIC Layout of the TIC Overall impression Did you receive the information or If no, have you been referred to someone else who service you required? might be able to help with your enquiry? Yes No Yes No

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3 Did you make use of the services provided or purchase any goods from the TIC? (Please tick all that apply)

Accommodation enquiry Accommodation booking UK holiday information Transport information Coach tickets/tours Maps/guidebooks Information on leisure pursuits (walking, cycling, etc) Cycle packs Local directional Guided walks Local services information information Local attraction Local attraction tickets Local events information information Local events tickets Theatre tickets General information Purchase of souvenirs Postcards and stamps Books and magazines or gifts

Other services (please state) What suggestions do you have for the improvement in the selection or quality of our souvenirs/sales goods?

4 Following your visit today, do you have any comments or suggestions for improvements to this TIC or its services?

5 How often do you use the TIC? Daily Weekly Once a month 2 – 3 times a year Rarely

6 What is your agegroup? Under 16 16 – 24 25 – 44 45 – 64 65+

7 Are you: Male Female

8 Please describe your ethnic origin: Black Caribbean Pakistan White European Chinese Indian White UK Black African Other (please specify)

9 Do you have a disability? Yes No

10 Date of visit to TIC 20

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Thank you very much for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Please place it in the box provided. Alternatively, you may wish to return it by post or complete the questionnaire on our website:

(web address or postal address.)

Name: Address:

Postcode:

Date:

Staff name:

Data Protection Act The above information will be kept on computer and be accessible only to Ofﬁ cers of the Council to help improve the services we are providing you. You may be contacted subsequently to take part in a quarterly TIC customer survey. If you do not wish to be contacted in the future please tick this box

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Appendix 3 Operator and accommodation provider satisfaction surveys

Appendix 3A Operator satisfaction survey 2003

1 In general, how was business in 2003 compared with 2002? Better The same Worse

2 What is your main guest market? (select one only) Leisure (tourism) Business/conference Overseas Other

3 Which, if any, of these market areas has grown in 2003? None Leisure (tourism) Business/conference Other

4 What is the overall average length of guest stay? 1 night 2 nights 3 nights 4 nights more than 4 nights

5 Do you have guests from overseas? Frequently Infrequently Very rarely

6 From which countries do visitors come from? USA Canada New Zealand Australia Holland Belgium Germany France Italy Scandinavia China Japan Other

7 Have you seen any recent growth in these overseas markets? Yes No Don’t know

8 Have you seen the emergence of any new overseas markets? Yes No Don’t know (if no/don’t know, go to question 10)

9 If yes, which countries? (state)

10 Do local events provide beneﬁ t to your local business? Yes No Don’t know

11 Did you know the council provides Tourist Information Centres? Yes No Don’t know

12 Do you use the services of the local Tourist Information Centre? Yes (go to question 14) No Don’t know

13 If no, why not? (state)

14 If yes, how do you rate the range and quality of services they provide? Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

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15 How do you rate the quality of the visitors’ guide? (please see enclosed) Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

16 Did you advertise in above guide? Yes No Don’t know

17 How do you rate the quality of the events guide and attractions guide? Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

18 How would you rate the overall marketing and promotion of ? Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

19 How would you rate the website? ( ) Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

20 How would you rate the partnership? ( ) Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

21 How do you rate the contact, information and feedback from the local authority tourism service? Excellent Good Average Very poor Poor

22 Do you have an internet site for your business? Yes No Planning to

23 Do you have any comments or suggestions which may help improve our services to both you and our visitors?

Thank you for completing the above survey. This will enable to us to improve our service to yourselves and incoming visitors.

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Appendix 3B Accommodation provider satisfaction survey 2003

1 In general, how was business in 2003 compared with 2002? Better The same Worse

2 What is your main guest market (select just one)? Leisure (tourism) Business/conference Overseas Other

3 Which, if any, of these market areas has grown in 2002? None Leisure (tourism) Business/conference Other

4 What is the overall average length of guest stay? 1 night 2 nights 3 nights 4 nights more than 4 nights

5 Do you have guests from overseas? Frequently Infrequently Very rarely

6 From which countries do they come from? USA Canada New Zealand Australia Holland Belgium Germany France Italy Scandinavia China Japan Other

7 Have you seen any recent growth in these overseas markets? Yes No Don’t know

8 Have you seen the emergence of any new overseas markets? Yes No Don’t know (if no/don’t know, go to question 10)

9 If yes, which countries? (state)

10 Do local events provide beneﬁ t to your local business? Yes No Don’t know

11 Did you know the council provides Tourist Information Centres? Yes No Don’t know

12 Do you use the services of the local Tourist Information Centre? Yes (go to question 14) No Don’t know

13 If no, why not? (state)

14 If yes, how do you rate the range and quality of services they provide? excellent good average poor very poor

15 How do you rate the quality of the visitors’ guide? (please see enclosed) Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

16 Did you advertise in above guide? Yes No Don’t know

17 How do you rate the quality of the events guide and attractions guide? Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

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18 How would you rate the overall marketing and promotion of as a tourism destination? Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

19 How would you rate the website? ( ) Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

20 How would you rate the partnership? Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

21 How do you rate the contact, information and feedback from the local authority tourism service? Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor

22 Do you have an internet site for your business? Yes No Planning to

23 Do you have any comments or suggestions which may help improve our services to both you and our visitors?

Thank you for completing the above survey. This will enable to us to improve our service to yourselves and incoming visitors.

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COMPONENT 4

Appendix 4 Brochure survey

How did you obtain your copy of this brochure? Tourist Information Centre which one? Responded to advertisement which publication? Other

Which, if any, describe the reasons why you obtained the brochure? To decide between different destinations? To book holiday accommodation? To decide on places to visit and things to do? Other (please specify)

In which month did you obtain your brochure?

Have you visited in the past? Yes No

Which of the following best describes you? I had already decided to visit the area prior to seeing the brochure I will be visiting/have visited the area as a result of seeing this brochure I will not be visiting the area within the next 12 months

Do you plan to visit the area in? 2003 2004

How long in advance of your visit did you/are you likely to make your booking? Less than 2 weeks in advance 2-4 weeks in advance 5-8 weeks in advance 9-12 weeks in advance Over 3 months in advance Will not make a booking in advance

How many nights did/do you plan to stay?

What was/will be the main purpose of your visit? Holiday 4+ nights Short break 1-3 nights Day visit Visiting friends/relatives Business/conference Other (please specify)

Including yourself, how many were/will there be in your party? Adults Children TOTAL

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What type of accommodation did you/do you plan to stay in? Hotel Guesthouse/ B&B Self-catering Caravan/camping Staying with friends/relatives Other (please specify)

In which area did you/do you plan to stay in?

Please name the establishment you stayed or plan to stay in?

Which of these are of greatest interest to you? Walking Sailing Shopping Churches Sport Historic sites/buildings Cycling Museums Bird watching Entertainment (cinema, theatre) Eating out Beach activities Touring by car

How would you rate the following aspects of the brochure? (Please tick 5 for very good, 1 for very poor) Relevance to your request 5 4 3 2 1 Ease of use 5 4 3 2 1 Range of accommodation 5 4 3 2 1 Range of events/things to do 5 4 3 2 1 Front cover 5 4 3 2 1 Use of Photos 5 4 3 2 1 Introductory pages 5 4 3 2 1 Maps 5 4 3 2 1

Which national magazines/newspapers do you read regularly?

Please send me a priority copy of the 2004 brochure

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COMPONENT 4

General references

Specific component references

Section 1 Destination audit

Section 2 Destination planning

Section 3 Destination development

5 Where to go for help: contacts and references

The following section gives details of where to go for help, with further references and information relating to each of the individual components. For enquiries regarding the handbook as a whole, please contact Anthony Climpson in the Leisure Services Department of New Forest District Council at Appletree Court, Lyndhurst, Hampshire SO43 7PA, tel 023 8028 5102, fax 023 8028 5457, email [email protected].

General references will be given first, followed by references relating to each of the specific components in the order in which they appear in the handbook.

General references

Green Audit Kit – Investing in Business and the Environment The Green Audit Kit is a self-help manual developed by the English Tourism Council and the Countryside Agency. It is aimed at tourism businesses and is distributed through the RTBs. It demonstrates the quality and other advantages that environmental improvement can bring to tourism businesses’ marketing, products and customer experiences.

Taking a step-by-step approach, the Green Audit Kit puts an environmental slant on key business activities, generating extra business and saving money. It offers advice on maximising benefits and is has the following key features:

• allows self-completion and local customisation • encourages sustainable tourism • allows integration in tourism business support programmes • supported by the Green Advantage training course • encourages business review, action and checklist monitoring • includes 22 case studies across England and contact details • includes monitoring forms for user completion • available from regional tourist boards • links in with a user-participation website at www.greenauditkit.org

For copies of the Green Audit Kit, please contact your RTB.

Regional Tourist Boards

Cumbria Tourist Board Ashleigh, Holly Road, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 2AQ Tel: 01539 444444, Fax: 01539 444041 www.golakes.co.uk

East of England Tourist Board Toppesfield Hall, Hadleigh, Suffolk, IP7 5DN Tel: 01473 822922, Fax: 01473 823063 www.eastofenglandtouristboard.co.uk

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Heart of England Tourist Board Woodside, Larkhill Road, Worcester, WR5 2EZ Tel: 01905 763436, Fax: 01905 763450 www.hetb.co.uk

London Tourist Board 1 Warwick Row, London, SW1P 5ER Tel: 020 7932 2000, Fax: 020 7932 0222 www.londontouristboard.com

Northumbria Tourist Board Aykley Heads, Durham, DH1 5UX Tel: 0191 375 3000, Fax: 0191 386 0899 www.e-northumbria.net

North West Tourist Board Swan House, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan Pier, Wigan, WN3 5BB Tel: 01942 821222, Fax: 01942 820002 www.nwtourism.net

South East England Tourist Board The Old Brew House, Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5TU Tel: 01892 540766, Fax: 01892 511008 www.tourismsoutheast.com

Southern Tourist Board 40 Chamberlayne Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 5JH Tel: 023 8062 5500, Fax: 023 8062 0010 www.southerntb.co.uk

South West Tourism Woodwater Park, Pynes Hill, Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2 5WT Tel: 0870 442 0830, Fax: 0870 442 0840 www.swtourism.co.uk

Yorkshire Tourist Board 312 Tadcaster Road, York, YO24 1GS Tel: 01904 707961, Fax: 01904 701414 www.yorkshiretouristboard.net

EnglandNet 4 Bergham Mews, Blythe Road, London, W14 0HN Tel: 020 7603 9763, Fax: 020 7751 1943. www.englandnet.co.uk

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This section refers to many articles which can be found in the ETC publication, Insights. For copies of Insights, please contact: Insights: The Tourism Marketing Intelligence Service Thames Tower Black’s Road London W6 9EL Tel: 020 8563 3000 Fax: 020 8563 0302.

Further information on many of the issues covered in this toolkit can be found in World Tourism Organisation Guide for Local Authorities on Developing Sustainable Tourism, 1998 www.world-tourism.org

National Tourism Best Value Group The National Tourism Best Value Group was set up approximately four years ago with the object of establishing a self help group for local authority tourism officers preparing for their Best Value Review process. The group now represents some 180+ subscribers, about half of all tourism officers in England and Wales.

There are two prime benefits of membership:

• Subscribers attend the regular meetings of their chosen category group. These meetings are much valued by subscribers as a source of new ideas, best practice, increased knowledge, networking and support. • Data collection, analysis and reports enable subscribers to compare their own performance year on year and benchmark against comparable destinations. This data is in line with the Audit Commission performance indicator requirement and forms the foundation necessary for an effective Best Value assessment.

The group is supported by a management team including representatives from the RTBs, the Local Government Association, the Tourism Society, the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management, the British Resorts Association and is managed under contract by the Southern Tourist Board. It is also recognised by the Audit Commission as being a valuable support system for those going through Best Value. For more details contact Judith Barratt at [email protected] or telephone 01256 811660. Annual subscription £225.00.

Specific component references

Introduction

Including taking an integrated approach to sustainable tourism management

British Tourist Authority. Sustainable Tourism Strategy: A Strategy for the Sustainable Growth of Tourism to Britain, BTA, 2002. www.tourismtrade.org.uk/pdf/sustainable_tourism.pdf

Countryside Agency. Green Audit Kit. Countryside Agency, Cheltenham, 2001. Details can be found above.

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Countryside Agency. South Hams Tourism and Marketing Strategy 2000-2005. Please contact The Countryside Agency, John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, GL50 3RA www.countryside.gov.uk

Denman J and Denman R. Big Apple ’89: An Initiative in Green Tourism, Insights, Vol. 11(3). English Tourism Council, 1990, p.263-264.

English Tourism Council. Green Labels for the Travel and Tourism Industry: A Beginner’s Guide. Insights, Vol. 9. ETC, A11-19.

English Tourism Council. Time for Action: A Strategy for Sustainable Tourism in England, ETC, April 2001.

English Tourism Council. The National Accessible Scheme, 2002. www.accessibletourism.org.uk

English Tourism Council. www.englishtourism.org.uk

Exmoor National Authority Park. The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism. www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/Projects/Euro_Charter/Report_Evaluation.htm

Fieldfare Trust The Fieldfare Trust works with people with disabilities and countryside managers to improve access to the countryside for everyone. 67a The Wicker, Sheffield, S3 8HT; tel: 0114 270 1668, fax: 0114 276 7900. www.fieldfare.org.uk

Holiday Care Holiday Care is a source of travel and holiday information and support for disabled and elder people, families, friends and carers. 7th Floor, Sunley House, 4 Bedford Park, Croydon CR0 2AP. www.holidaycare.org.uk

New Forest District Council. Our Future Together – A Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy. New Forest District Council, Town Hall, Avenue Road, Lymington, SO41 9ZG

Tourism Management Institute Regional Network Contact details about regional representatives may be found at www.tmi.org.uk

1A Surveying visitor satisfaction

Please refer to individual component.

1B Determining the local economic impact of tourism

British Resorts Association www.britishresorts.co.uk

Carpenter H. The Economic impact of visitors: data collection and evaluation at local level – Discover Islington, Insights, Vol 11: C47-55 2000

Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Guidance on Measuring Sustainable Tourism at the Local Level, DCMS, 2002. Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London, SW1Y 5DH www.culture.gov.uk

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Information about the Cambridge Economic Model may be obtained from your RTB.

Information about the STEAM Economic Model may be obtained by contacting Global Tourism Solutions (UK) Ltd, 2 Barleycroft, Filey Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 3AR.

Information about the PRIME (Project Impact Appraisal Model) may be obtained by contacting Northumbria Tourist Board.

1C Surveying local community attitudes to tourism

Briggs S. Friends and family reunited: customers queuing on your doorstep, Insights, Vol 14: A13-A19 2002

Coming home to St. Agnes – Community partnerships, Leisure Manager, March 2002

Godfrey K and Clark J. The Tourism Development Handbook, Cassell, 2000

English Historic Towns Forum. Making the Connections – A Practical Guide to Tourism Management in Historic Towns, EHTF, 1999

Martins C and Martins C. Birmingham Visitor and Convention Bureau: Local Tourist Campaign Selling tourism to the local community, Insights, Vol 12: A139-145 2001

Waites N. Community Planning Handbook, Earthscan Publications, 120 Pentonville Road, London, N1 1JN www.earthscan.co.uk

Where Do We Go From Here, JIGSO, 1998 (Available from Wales Council for Voluntary Associations, Cardiff)

1D Determining local carrying capacities in your area

Boissevain J (ed.) Coping with tourists: European reactions to mass tourism, Berghahn, 1996.

Canastrelle E and Costa P. Tourist carrying capacity: a fuzzy approach, Annuals of Tourism Research, Vol. 18, 1991, p.295-311.

Lime D and McCool S. Tourism carrying capacity: tempting fantasy or useful reality, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol. 9(5), 2001, p.372-388.

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2A Engaging local authorities

Godfrey K. Attitudes towards Sustainable Tourism in the UK: View from Local Government, Tourism Management, Vol. 19(3), p.213-224.

Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) Sustainability Team, Layden House, 76-86 Turnmill Street, London, EC1M 5LG. www.idea.gov.uk

Worldwide Wildlife Fund. Mainstreaming Sustainability Resource Pack, WWF, 2002. Worldwide Wildlife Fund, Panda House, Weyside Park, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1XR www.wwf.org.uk

2B How to develop tourism partnerships

Augustyn M and Knowles T. Performance in Tourism Partnership: A Focus on York, Tourism Management, Vol. 21(4), 2000, p.341-351.

Clark J and Kerry G. The Tourism Development Handbook: A Practical Approach to Planning and Marketing, 2000.

Curtis-Brignell D. Bicester Village: Partnerships are for life, not for a crisis, Insights, Vol 13: A119-A128, 2002

Day G, Knight P and Morris E. Participation: Where do we go from here? An Introduction to Different Techniques in Community Participation, JIGSO - Wales Council for Voluntary Action, 2nd edition, 2001.

English Historic Towns Forum. Making the Connections – A Practical Guide to Tourism Management in Historic Towns, EHTF, 1999. EHTF, PO Box 22, Bristol, BS16 1RZ www.ehtf.org.uk

Fyall A and Leask A. The Hampsire & Dorset Benchmarking Project: Managing visitor attractions; a collaborative approach, Insights, Vol 13, 2002

South Warwickshire Tourism Partnership is a non-profit making company representing over 430 local tourism businesses around Kenilworth, Royal Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon- Avon and Warwick. South Warwickshire Tourism Partnership Limited, Conoco Centre, Warwick Technology Park, Gallons Hill, Warwick, CV34 6DB www.shakespeare-country.co.uk

Waites, Nick. Community Planning Handbook.

2C Engaging tourism micro-businesses

Business Link www.businesslink.org

Department for Trade and Industry www.dti.gov.uk/guidance

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English Tourism Council. Managing Micros: A Practical Guide for Tourism Advisors, ETC, 2002.

Small Business Service www.sbs.gov.uk

2D Tourism and the planning system: gaining value locally

PPG 21, Tourism – available from DTLR website. www.dtlr.gov.uk/planning

The Royal Town Planning Institute has a reading list on village design statements. Tel: 0207 929 9452, email: [email protected]

Village Design Statements, Countryside Commission, 1996. Available from The Countryside Agency’s website, www.countryside.gov.uk

2E Developing visitor management plans

Clark J and Godfrey K. The Tourism Development Handbook, Cassell, 2000.

English Historic Towns Forum. Making the Connections: A Practical Guide to Tourism Management in Historic Towns, EHTF, 1999.

World Tourism Organisation. Sustainable Tourism Development: A Guide for Local Planners, WTO, Madrid, 1993.

Grant M, Human B and Le Pelley B. Embracing tourism – Cambridge Tourism Strategy Review, Insights, Vol 13: C41-49 2002.

3A SME training and business support

Please refer to individual component.

3B Using technology for effective e-business

Please refer to individual component.

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3C Developing sustainable visitor transport

Downward P and Lumsdon L. Cycle and see: developing a cycling package for visitors (The Staffordshire Moorlands), Insights, Vol 10: C1-9 (1998)

English Tourist Board. English Walking Holidays Toolkit, ETB, 1999.

Local Authorities A wide range of local information about cycle routes in your area and the implementation of plans for improved cycle routes may be obtained from your local cycling officer.

Information about the Local Transport Plan (LTP) process and related initiatives, including guidance and best practice may be found at www.local-transport.dft.gov.uk

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walking and cycling. Information about the ‘Tourism without Traffic’ campaign may be found on www.transport2000.org.uk Transport 2000. Tourism without Traffic: A Good Practice Guide, Transport 2000, 2000. Transport 2000. Easy Arrivals: A Visitor Travel Plan for Harewood House, Transport 2000, 2000. Transport 2000. Gateways to the Downs: An Action Plan for Sustainable Travel and Tourism in the East Sussex Downs, Transport 2000, 2001.

3D Setting up a visitor payback scheme

Ashcroft P and Denman P. Visitor Payback: Encouraging tourists to give money voluntarily to conserve the places they visit, The Tourism Company, 1997.

Countryside Recreation Network. Visitor Payback: Looking at the Realities behind the Success Stories, Countryside Recreation, ed. Emma Barratt, Vol. 9(2), Summer 2001, p.4-7.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Tomorrow's Tourism: A Growth Industry for the Next Millennium, DCMS, July 1999.

Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund www.disney.com

English Tourism Council. Time for Action: A Strategy For Sustainable Tourism in England, ETC, April 2001.

Friends of Yosemite (2001). Help Your Park. www.yosemite.org

Morgan H. A Taxing Time, In Focus, 2000.

Suffolk Coast and Heaths Project – This AONB initiative has developed a number of visitor payback schemes. Dork Lane, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1PE www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org

Sustainable Travel & Tourism (2001). Spain’s Balearics Approve Tourist Eco-Tax. www.sustravel.com

Tarka Project (1997). Visitor Payback Project. www.tarka-country.co.uk

3E Ensuring access for all

Please refer to individual component.

3F Identifying and developing local distinctiveness

Bateman A and Horsey N. To be a pilgrim – Hampshire Millenium’s pilgrims’ trail, Locum Destination Review, Summer 2002

Briggs S. Brick Lane, East London & Leicester Promotions: Destinations with a difference: attracting visitors to areas with cultural diversity, Insights, Vol 12: C1-8 2000

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Countryside Commission. Sustainable rural tourism: opportunities for local action, 1995.

Grant M and Le Pelley B. Destinations and local distinctiveness - Devon Case Study, Insights, Vol 14: A21-A27

Hawkins R and Middleton V. Sustainable tourism: a geographical perspective, Butterworths, 1998.

Information about the Heart of England Tourist Board’s ‘Food and Drink’ project is available at www.hetb.co.uk or by contacting Jo Jury, Project Manager on 01905 761124 or email:[email protected]

Herefordshire Tourism, PO Box 44, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 8ZD www.flavoursofherefordshire.org.uk

Middleton V. More Sustainable Tourism: A Marketing Perspective, Insights, Vol. 10, 1999, A165-172.

Soil Association The Soil Association campaigns for organic food and farming, and sustainable forestry. Bristol House, 40 – 56 Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6BY www.soilassociation.org

World Tourism Organisation. Guidelines for the Development of National Parks and Protected Areas for Tourism, WTO, Madrid, 1992.

Other examples include: Whitstable Oyster Festival www.whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk/

Blossom Trail – Worcester + Blossom Trail Cycle Route www.evesham.uk.com/blossom.html

A Taste of the West www.tasteofthewest.co.uk/index.htm

High Weald Landscape Trail www.highweald.org/landscap2.htm

3G Biodiversity action plans for tourism

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Further examples of biodiversity plans can be found on the following websites: Center Parcs www.thetimes100.co.uk/document.asp?HeaderID=16&SectionID=82

Cornwall Biodiversity Initiative www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/cornwall/wow/audit2/wowaudit.htm www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/cornwall/wow/

Lincolnshire Bio-diversity action plan www.lincsbap.org.uk/index.htm

Dart biodiversity project www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/dnp/factfile/dartbiosum.html

Cambridge Biodversity action plans www.camcnty.gov.uk/sub/cntryside/biodiv/plans/plans.html

Norfolk Biodiversity Action Plans www.norfolkbiodiversity.org/Action%20Plans/actionplans.htm

Exmoor National Park’s Biodiversity Action Plan www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/About_Exmoor/ExmoorBiodiversity.htm

3H Assisting tourism businesses with waste management

Centre for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism at Oxford Brookes University covers a wide range of subject areas including event management, recreation and sports science. Centre for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP www.hlst.ltsn.ac.uk

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs www.defra.gov.uk

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Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk

RECOUP promotes and facilities post-consumer plastic container recycling in the UK. RECOUP, 9 Metro Centre, Welbeck Way, Woodston, Peterborough, PE2 7WH www.recoup.org

SCRIB (Steel Can Recycling Information Bureau), Port Talbot, South Wales, SA13 1NG www.scrib.org

Computers for Charity, established in 1993, is a voluntary, non-profit making organisation improving access to Information Technology for community groups. If offers an easy way to

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recycle redundant computer equipment in a reliable, efficient and secure way that will help to protect the environment and assist communuity organisations. Computers for Charity, PO Box 48, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 8BL www.computersforcharity.org.uk

English Tourism Council. Visitor Attitudes to Sustainable Tourism, English Tourism Council, 2001.

Middleton V. Fouling the Nest? Environmental Impact of Small Business, Insights, Vol. 9, D13-19, 1997.

3I Sustainability Awards for Industry and Destinations

ENCAMS website www.seasideawards.co.uk For further information, please contact Jose Stanton, Seaside Award Office, ENCAMS, 5 Chalk Hill House, 19 Rosary Road, Norwich, NR1 1SZ, email: [email protected]

3J Marketing: making the most of your destination

Please refer to individual component.

4 Monitoring performance

Please refer to individual component.

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