A Destination Management Plan for Rural Tourism in East Surrey
A Destination Management Plan for Rural Tourism in East Surrey
Created by Tourism South East & Associates on behalf of the Boroughs and Districts of East Surrey Contents
Background…………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Methodology………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Strategic Context – National Regional.………………………………………………….. 5 Local Context……………………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Economic Impact of Tourism in East Surrey………………………………………….. 9 The East Surrey Experience………………………………………………………………….. 11 What does the East Surrey Experience tell us?...... 42 Market Trends and Opportunities………………………………………………………… 46 Leadership and Partnership…………………………………………………………………..88 SWOT Analysis……………………………………………………………………………………….93 Strategic Principles………………………………………………………………………………..94 Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………..98 Background
The creation of the Destination Management Plan (DMP) for the East Surrey Rural Tourism Co- operation Project was commissioned in April 2017 by Tandridge District Council on behalf of the four Districts and Boroughs of East Surrey – Tandridge, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead and Epsom and Ewell
It was one of five successful bids within the Coast to Capital EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) Rural Tourism Co-operation Project. It links to the parallel Mole Valley District Council’s “Wheels, Feet and Hooves” (WFH) Project which specifically addresses the cycling, walking and equestrian sectors in that district.
For both projects a Rural Intervention Area has been designated by EAFRD which limits the beneficiaries of the projects to specific rural geographic locations within all four districts. However, it should be acknowledged that due to the impact on the rural areas the beneficiaries of some recommendations might extend beyond the designated area.
The Destination Management Plan will show how the visitor economy can increase the value and contribution to the overall economic, social and environmental well-being of the rural areas of East Surrey.
Continuity with the plans and activities already in train is one aspect of this plan; meeting new challenges and opportunities is the other aspect.
The visitor economy is relevant to many stakeholders. This includes visitor accommodation, attractions and events, rural activities, heritage and culture, food and drink, meetings and conferences, hospitality and retailing. Each local authority has a range of responsibilities (such as strategic planning, economic development, visitor management, arts, culture and leisure). Other key players are Surrey Hills AONB and ‘Family’, Visit Surrey, Surrey County Council plus various groups who represent the interests of specific sectors. Methodology
This report draws on the evidence produced from a specific set of research exercises undertaken across the East Surrey area during 2017/18:-
Destination Audit Economic Impact Analysis Visitor Research Surveys Non Visitor Research Survey Local Business and Organisational Surveys Consultation Workshops Business Case Studies Online Marketing Audit
In addition, there have been a wide variety of local , regional and national strategies, policy documents, market studies and other research papers that have been used to inform and support throughout the creation of this DMP. They are all listed together with the commissioned research reports in the References section.
Acknowledgements
TSE and Associates gratefully acknowledge the active and continuous support of various Council officers and members; the input and guidance from a range of key stake-holders; the participation of guest speakers and other key players in the area; and the enthusiastic and positive input from all of the local workshop participants and interviewees. Rural Tourism Select Committee Strategic Context In 2016/17, the Government held a Rural Tourism Inquiry looking into a number National and Regional of matters relating to supporting rural growth and gathered a significant amount of written and verbal submissions from many representatives of rural agencies, destinations and businesses. Tourism Action Plan The UK Government produced a Tourism Action Plan In its submission, VisitEngland identified priorities for rural tourism as greater in August 2016 - it identifies tourism as one of the recognition by all levels of local government, including in all relevant Local UK’s most important industries being directly Enterprise Partnerships’ strategic plans, of the value of the visitor economy; a responsible for 1.6 million jobs at all entry levels and more integrated transport network; nationwide broadband and 4G mobile generating £62 billion in GVA. It particularly signal coverage; and targeted business support for small and micro businesses. recognises the importance of overseas tourism which has been running at record levels in recent Evidence given by the National Association of AONBs years. It identified 5 key areas for action: – included:
Strengthening co-ordination and collaboration in the industry; The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designation is uniquely British. This Skills designation does not exist anywhere else in the world. It is a unique selling Common Sense Regulation point for the English countryside and the NAAONB hopes this can be Transport appreciated by the national agencies. Welcome - especially the visa system. There is a need to improve collaboration between AONB partnerships and DMOs to facilitate the growth in rural tourism. Subsequently, a new Discover England Fund (DEF) was launched, allocating There is a need to unlock tourism potential in AONBs by diversifying and £40 million for product development projects targeting overseas markets modernising the offer, and generating business opportunities appropriate to for the period May 2016 – March 2019.The National Trails (North Downs local environments and communities. Way) was the most relevant beneficiary related to East Surrey. The AONB designation provides a valuable marketing opportunity to individual local authorities who have all or part of an AONB within their Tourism Sector Deal administrative boundaries. In 2017, the Government published the next stage of the Modern Industrial The AONB designation exemplifies partnership working and a collaborative Strategy recognising tourism as a sector. approach to place based solutions pulls together many strands of rural economic development – destination management, marketing, local business The Sector Deal plays particular attention to the needs of rural and coastal support, local transport solutions etc. businesses with regard to rural leadership, lack of digital connectivity, AONBs should be regarded as integral elements of the country’s economic fragmentation of transport, seasonality, business skills and developing new infrastructure requiring improved investment. product. National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
With regard to the Rural Visitor Economy - the NPPF sets out that local and neighbourhood plans should :-
“Support sustainable rural tourism and leisure developments that benefit businesses in rural areas, communities and visitors, and which respect the character of the countryside. This should include supporting the provision and expansion of tourist and visitor facilities in appropriate locations where identified needs are not met by existing facilities in rural service centres”.
Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (C2CLEP) – Rural Statement
The LEP Rural Statement recognises the tourism and hospitality sector as an important contributor to the prosperity of the area.
The major advantages of the area that would support further growth of the rural visitor economy are identified by the LEP as the natural landscapes and environment; the proximity to London; the presence of Gatwick Airport; and fast access to the continent. Generally, the Rural Statement calls for strategies and interventions that would benefit a number of rural visitor economy subsectors including:-
Active tourism - large parts of the South Downs Way the North Downs Way and the Pilgrims’ Way go through Coast to Capital. Food and drink-related tourism Themed attractions - historic houses, market towns or cultural activities and events which could be linked together and make a joined-up offer, possibly including accommodation Encouraging visitors to events to also visit the local area Developing more business-related tourism Local Context Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Local Authority Strategies ‘The Surrey Hills attract millions of visitors every The local authorities generally are supportive of the development of year who contribute to the economy of the area the rural visitor economy but recognise the weaknesses within their in sectors as diverse as wine production and wood fuel. policies to provide tangible actions and/or guidance. The support for The Hills are protected as part of London’s Metropolitan Green Belt and the landscape designations is universal, especially the AONBs – Surrey provide an outstanding natural resource for London and Surrey residents to Hills and High Weald – together with rural heritage. enjoy outdoor pursuits, taste local food and explore market towns and picture postcard perfect villages’ Development has generally been prioritised for the urban locations and still will be for some areas. Mole Valley and Tandridge, as the The AONB Unit is based in Mole Valley and is responsible for taking most rural authorities, are more definitive about the role of the visitor forward initiatives derived from the Surrey Hills AONB Management Plan. economy but are still looking for evidence of need, both in terms of demand and types of supply. The Surrey Hills Brand Values are identified as:
The Green Belt designation dominates the approach to development Distinctive: high quality image of rural Surrey and is generally supported by the resident population too. However, it High quality: the best of its kind doesn’t appear to be totally sacrosanct with some leeway where it can Enhancing: landscapes, life and business be justified but will be assessed against the impact on the rural Fun: positively engaging its communities, visitors and business character of the area. Surrey Hills Family – The Surrey Hills AONB Board has established a Surrey There is an understanding that where rural services or livelihoods are Hills group of organisations to help support the delivery of the AONB under threat that diversifications for example on farms or rural pubs Management Plan. The driver has been the recognition that:- may be viewed positively, as long as they contribute to the continuation of those operations. Similarly, ensuring the rural ‘Government funding is heavily constrained, so working collaboratively population doesn’t deplete is key to the viability of rural communities through the family provides an opportunity to diversify and broaden the and the respective services and facilities. resource base, including access to skills, funding and volunteering.’
The importance of the transport infrastructure and particularly the The ‘Family’ includes the AONB Unit and Board, the Surrey Hills Society, role of Gatwick Airport is highlighted by nearly all authorities. Surrey Hills Enterprises and the Surrey Hills Trust Fund. VisitSurrey
VisitSurrey was established as a CIC in 2011 after the closure of the RDAs and subsequent reduction in funding to the Regional Tourist Board meant that the Area Tourism Partnership structures were disbanded. It is partially funded by the County Council and some of the Districts including Mole Valley and Reigate & Banstead and raises its other funding from website advertising and ad-hoc projects.
The future of VisitSurrey is very uncertain with increasing pressures on its funding and ability to engage with both the public and private sector.
Business Improvement Districts (BIDS)
There are three BIDS in East Surrey - Dorking, Oxted and Caterham - with others potentially in the pipeline.
Only the Dorking BID is within the EAFRD designated rural area and its Business Plan sets out a number of strategic ambitions over the period 2017 – 2022. It incorporates a total spend of over £1 million and includes investment in marketing, infrastructure, events and business support.
Similarly the Oxted and Caterham BIDS will collectively be spending a £1million Economic Impact of Tourism in East Surrey Total Business Turnover per District 2016
An evaluation of the impact of tourism on the economy of East Surrey was undertaken using the Cambridge Model utilising data from the period ending Tandridge £88m December 2016.
Reigate & Banstead It is estimated that the total expenditure by tourists visiting the whole of Surrey £188m is over £1.5 billion supporting 35,000 jobs. Those visiting East Surrey Districts and Boroughs, based on the modelling in this project, have a direct spend of £403m Epsom & Ewell resulting in a total business turnover of £543m which supports over 9300 jobs – £73m 4.6% of the total jobs in the whole East Surrey economy.
Mole Valley Key Indicators from the Cambridge Model 2016 include:- £194m
Total Business Turnover resulting from the visitor economy for East 0 50 100 150 200 250 Surrey (urban and rural) - £543m Direct Expenditure by visitors - £403m Total jobs supported – 9370 Total Jobs in Visitor Economy 2016 Proportion of total jobs in the economy – 4.6% Percentage of total visitors on a day trip – 91% Total 9370 Value of Day Trips - £232m Value of Overnight Stays - £168m 1562 Value of international visitors is slightly higher than domestic staying visitors - £85m v £83.7m 3280 Mole Valley Those staying with friends and relations (VFR) account for 55% of trips and 42% of the value compared to those using commercial accommodation The greatest proportion of expenditure by all visitors is on Food and Drink – Epsom & Ewell £129m 3249 Reigate & Banstead 1279 MORE INDICATORS? Tandridge Economic Impact of Gatwick Airport
The Gatwick Growth Board commissioned a study by Oxford Economics in District Nights by Nights by 2017 to look at the impact of both overseas and inbound visitors to the Overseas Domestic local economy (including London). Visitors Visitors
The report – Gatwick Airport’s Impact on the Visitor Economy - estimates Mole Valley 200,000 50,000 that 390,000 nights were spent in East Surrey by overseas visitors entering the country via Gatwick Airport and 95,000 nights by domestic visitors Reigate & Banstead 90,000 20,000 flying in via the airport. Tandridge 60,000 15,000 The Gatwick report estimates that, under one scenario of passenger traffic growing by around 20% from 2016 to 2025, the Airport’s activity would Epsom & Ewell 40,000 10,000 facilitate an increased economic impact reaching £6.5 billion in GDP terms (measured in 2016 prices) and around 98,000 jobs. Total 390,000 95,000
Some of this would undoubtedly benefit the East Surrey/Gatwick Diamond % of total nights 30% 6% area. The East Surrey Experience
This section of the DMP gathers together 3 areas to establish what the rural products are in East Surrey, what visitors, businesses and other organisations think about the offer and how it is promoted. The three sub sections are:-
The rural product – accommodation (inc. AirBnB), visitor attractions, outdoor activities (inc cycling, walking, equestrian, golf, angling and outdoor pursuits), events and festivals and local food & drink related production and outlets.
A 360°destination perceptions analysis – visitor surveys taken throughout Easter 2017 – October 2017; Non Visitor survey of prospective visitors in London and the South East; interviews with various organisations and businesses involved in the visitor economy; and results from the consultation workshops.
A marketing audit – analysing how the area is promoted using various search terms in Google related to day and staying visits to the area and selective activities. Rural Visitor Accommodation
An accommodation audit of all commercial accommodation identified the Tandridge and Mole Valley have more of their stock in the rural total bedspaces available in East Surrey as 7331 with 63% being in the areas than in the urban areas:- designated rural areas. A further 1000 bedspaces have been identified on the AirBnB platform for East Surrey – only 40% of these are in the Accommodation Bedspaces designated rural area. Urban v Rural Areas 2018
Accommodation Bedspaces All Districts 2018 All Districts
Tandridge
Urban Reigate and Banstead Rural Epsom and Ewell
Mole Valley
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
Rural Urban Rural Accommodation is dominated by serviced provision accounting AirBnB Sharing Economy Accommodation – in East Surrey a total for 64% - there is a very small amount of self-catering and only of over 300 listings have been found for AirBnB provision this detected in Mole Valley. However, AirBnB provision does encompass a accounts for over 1000 bedspaces. Just over 40% are in the rural significant number of self-catering properties. designated areas. This adds about 10% to the total bedspace capacity and is largely either self catering or home share B&B type Rural Accommodation Bedspaces by Type 2016 provision. Tandridge and Mole Valley hold most of the rural supply. TOTAL AirBnB Listings and Bedspaces by District August 2018 Listings % of Bed % of Tandridge Total spaces Total Mole Valley 86 28% 288 27% Hostel/Group Epsom & Ewell 51 16% 197 19% Reigate and Reigate & 110 36% 344 33% Banstead Camping and Banstead Caravanning Tandridge 61 20% 226 21% Self catering Epsom and Total All East 308 100 1055 100% Ewell Surrey Serviced
RURAL ONLY Air BnB listings and Bedspaces by District August 2018 Mole Valley Listings % in Bed % of all % of Rural spaces Bed rural spaces only 0 500 1000 1500 2000 Mole Valley 59 19% 207 20% 45% Quality ratings - 19 (28%) of the 68 establishments had star ratings Epsom & 2 0.65 2 0.19 0.43% from the AA – the only 5 star rating in the area is Trumbles Guest Ewell % % House at Charlwood, Horley. This establishment also topped the Reigate & 21 7% 69 6% 15% TripAdvisor rating for all hotels in Surrey (March 2018). However, Banstead the majority of star rated serviced accommodation operators do Tandridge 46 15% 182 17% 40% carry a 4 star AA rating. Generally the smaller properties are more Total Rural 128 42% 460 44% 100% likely to have a 4.5 or 5 star rating from TripAdvisor – the larger the Only East establishment, the more likely the rating is at 3 – 4 star. Surrey Rural Visitor Accommodation Map – 68 establishments (exc AirBnB) https://drive.google.com/open?id=1e-3BJBCNwNTSSer5BDuDtSK-Y3JiI2Zx&usp=sharing Rural Visitor Accommodation Map – AirBnB Rural Visitor Attractions
Within the rural area of East Surrey the following discrete attractions have been identified:-
Vineyards: Denbies Vineyard; Godstone Vineyard Country Houses: Polesden Lacey; Titsey Place and Gardens Farm and Wildlife Parks: Bocketts Farm; Godstone Farm Park; Hobbledown Farm Park; The British Wildlife Centre Dorking Museum; Dorking Halls Arts: Fire & Iron Gallery; Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden Horse racing: Epsom Downs Racecource ; Lingfield Park Racecourse Other Outdoor sites: Horton Country Park; Priory Park; Mercers Country Park; Ashstead Common, Chart Park, Deepdene; Earlswood Commons; Banstead Commons National Trust Key Sites – Box Hill, Leith Hill Tower and Place; Denbies Hillside; Holmwood Common; Abingers Rough and Netley Park; Bookham Commons; Headley Heath ; Gatton Park/Reigate Hill and Reigate Fort; Harewoods; Limpsfield Common Golf Courses – 29 courses including some with accommodation Angling/Fishing – 15 sites comprising 50 separate lakes – mostly coarse fishing; some river fishing Equestrian/ HorseRiding/Polo Centres - 19 centres Outdoor Pursuits/Team Building …Action Days Out at Henfold Lakes …Single track school mountain biking …The Green Escape …Surrey Hills Adventure Company (SHAC) …Surrey Outdoor Learning & Development (SOLD) …Aqua Sports at Mercers Country Park …Clay and Country Sports UK …Go Paintball, Warlingham …Green Dragons Paragliding and Hang Gliding The VisitEngland Monitor of Attractions for 2016 for the County of Surrey had Polesden Lacey (361,483) and Godstone Farm (242,460) ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively for visitor numbers with RHS Wisley top visited attraction with over 1 million visitors. However, this list is not comprehensive as not all attractions submit their figures e.g. Denbies is not listed (and claims over 400,000 pa) and neither are Epsom and Lingfield racecourses. All Attractions and Activities Map 2018 Visitor Attractions, Golf Courses, Equestrian Centres, Fishing Lakes, Outdoor Pursuits https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_7wqNfMu3LZsf1jmHyL9SMk5zklWk7bL&usp=sharing Cycling and Walking Infrastructure
Cycling Cycling tourism has a wide definition, from professional road racing to mountain biking to leisurely family cycle routes. Mole Valley in particular, is a very popular cycling destination stemming from its association with the 2012 Olympics and the PrudentialRide London Surrey event. For health and sustainable transport reasons there has been a strong strategic push at national level to increase the participation in and opportunities for, cycling. This has been picked up at local level in planning and transport policy in facilitating more and safer provision.
Local Cycle Plans exist for Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead and Epsom & Ewell but are very focused on supporting and promoting cycling for the local population. County Council routes include cycle tracks, greenways, advisory routes, cycle lanes etc. Cycle Parking at train stations is common but only Dorking and Ewell have the new state of the art cycle hubs. There are 7 Mountain Bike & Road Routes in Surrey Hills including Box Hill. Sustrans National Cycle Routes - Routes 20, 21 and 22 pass through the area. The Surrey Cycle Way - uses quiet country roads and lanes and stretches across most of East Surrey. Other routes include the Epsom RBHB an off-road route approximately 20 miles long that joins up the green spaces in Epsom and Ewell and the Yew Tree way a 15 mile route circular cycle running through Lingfield and Hurst Green. Cycle Hire – 5 establishments have been identified in the rural area. Cycle Cafes – 9 refreshment stops that welcome cyclists have been identified some combined with cycle hire, repair and servicing. Case Study – Cycling – PrudentialRideLondon - Surrey
“A true legacy of the 2012 Games”
Developed by the Mayor of London and his agencies in 2013, Prudential RideLondon is a world-class festival of cycling and normally takes place at the end of July. The event is managed by the London & Surrey Cycling Partnership (LSCP). The Partnership comprises London Marathon Events Limited, The Sweetspot Group, London Borough Councils, Surrey County Council, The Royal Parks, the London Legacy Development Corporation and British Cycling.
The professional race, involving 150 top international cyclists, is broadcast live on TV in the UK and overseas.
Amateur cyclists also participate in the Prudential RideLondon -Surrey 100 – a 100-mile challenge on the same closed roads as the professionals, with the added incentive of raising money for good causes.
The event also features the Prudential RideLondon - Surrey 46 – a 46-mile sportive created specifically for newer and also younger cyclists.
The 100 takes in Leith Hill, Box Hill, Dorking and Leatherhead on multi circuits through these locations. Dorking has two big screens in the town for spectators to follow the race.
An economic impact study was undertaken in 2015 – the event’s third year. It estimated that it contributed £23.8m to the economy and drew in more than 200,000 spectators. Up until 2015 the event had raised more than £29m for good causes. Case Study – Cycling – Tour de France 2014 and Tour De Yorkshire
The impact of the Tour De France coming to the UK in 2014 was a £128 million total boost to Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and London - £102 million to Yorkshire. “The Tour de France was great news for lots of businesses, especially those working in tourism, hospitality and cycling. The boost to our economy is a significant return on the investment and has created a strong pipeline of trade and investment deals. And that was only in the run up to, during and just after the event – we expect additional spending in the future.’
“The most memorable and rewarding thing for me was the complete cross section of the local communities who got involved. It was a delight to see so many people talking and enjoying the vibrant atmosphere.” Cllr Ann Naylor, Essex County Council
The Tour inspired people to have a go - from adapted bike sessions, cycling lessons in schools to charity rides for amateurs. “Participation in cycling has never been so high. Young people responded enthusiastically to the Tour and all the cycling opportunities that came with it. We expect this to lead to people being healthier and happier in the long term.”
The race appeared to have enhanced the image of Yorkshire as a place to visit. Over half a million visited again in the three months after the race and research showed that around 800,000 visitors strongly agreed they would recommend the area to friends and family. Organisers also claimed it enhanced the profile of business generally. The International Business Festival showcased Yorkshire and the UK to over 2,000 participants from 10 different nations. The programme of exhibitions, seminars and briefings was “designed to drive business growth and raise the profile of the opportunities that the UK has to offer.”
Since 2014 The Tour de Yorkshire arose as a legacy event following the significant success of the Tour De France with the first event in May 2015. From 2015 to 2017 it was a three day race and in 2018 expanded to four days. To date, the race has always taken place over the three days before the May Day bank holiday In 2015 it generated £50 million, £60 million in 2016 and £64 million in 2017.
At the Walking and Cycling Workshop in November 2017 Peter Dodd from Welcome to Yorkshire reported that the 2017 event race was shown on ITV 4 in 180 countries with an audience of est. 832 million and over 2 million people spectators lined the route. Over 6000 articles were published with 70 pieces in national press and 3000 mentions on TV. 1.5 million people were on the website over the weekend; 63% more than the year before and Facebook Live broadcast across the globe with 715,000 views of the video.
He stressed that the competitive cycling was only “20% of the event” – the rest was about the community events with the organisers undertaking 45 roadshows around the region prior to the event to get the local communities involved. The event raised funding for charitable causes, stimulating cycling as a health benefit, started a Yorkshire Bike Libraries project to enable easy access to bikes (36,000 children rode bikes as a result). Walking Greensand Way - is a long distance path of 108 miles from Walking has a wide definition and is primarily undertaken by day Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent. It follows the visitors. There are scores of short walks in the countryside and Greensand Ridge along the Surrey Hills and Chart Hills. In Surrey, protected landscapes. Local rambler organisations, civic societies, the County Council has split it into ten sections half of which run health groups, the AONB’s, the National Trust, Surrey Wildlife Trust, through East Surrey including Dorking, Reigate Park, Castle Hill, Surrey County Council and environmental groups are extremely active Oxted and Limpsfield Chart. in providing for guided and self-guided walks. The County Council also has a link to commercial provider iFootpath which has an Explore Surrey collection of 51 digital guides on an App created in partnership North Downs Way with the Council. About half are in East Surrey.
Notable trails include the Deepdene Trail in Mole Valley; routes around Horton Country Park in Epsom and Ewell; Banstead Wood Nature Trail, The Millenium Trail, Downlands Circular Walk, Shabden and Upper Gatton Circular Walk and Banstead Countryside Walk in Reigate and Banstead; and Lingfield Nature Reserves, Titsey Place & Gardens trails, Tandridge Border Path and Oxted and Godstone circular routes in Tandridge.
In addition, there are several long distance walking trails that run across the DMP area:- The North Downs Way - is one of 14 National Trails in England and Greensand Way is a 153 mile route from Farnham in Surrey to Canterbury and on to the White Cliffs of Dover. Oxted, Reigate and Dorking are used as stop over points for walkers on this trail. The National Trail website itself identifies nearly 30 East Surrey accommodation providers near to the trail. The Pilgrims Way - is the historical route taken by pilgrims from Winchester to Canterbury cathedral. The route also links with the South Downs Way at Winchester. The Pilgrims Way website identifies a number of churches to visit from the route and other refreshment, hostel accommodation and one B&B. Equestrian There is extensive provision of enterprises related to equestrian activity – this includes stables, livery yards, stud farms and riding/ equestrian centres. Over 150 establishments were identified with most in Tandridge (70) and Mole Valley (62). However, it is considered that only a limited number of these will have an impact on the visitor economy and these will primarily be equestrian and riding centres. The audit has identified 19 establishments in this category:-
Oldencraig Equestrian Centre, Lingfield was voted in the Top 5 equestrian centres in the world by the Financial Times and the top show centre for the last 12 years running by British Dressage. Three sites are offering residential or on-site accommodation – Oldencraig, Lingfield has a B&B and co- operates with local accommodation including the Lingfield Marriot and Starborough Manor; Littleton Manor. Reigate has camping based residential camps and Crockers Farm at Coldharbour offers on-site self- catering accommodation. Paschesham Equestrian Centre Leatherhead is a dedicated competition centre - show jumping, dressage, showing, hunter trials, ODE’s and training clinics. Disabled /special needs riding at Sandra’s Riding School draws visitors from across Surrey and Sussex and Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association. The venue provides over 3000 rides and is looking to develop new facilities to cater for the excessive demand; Kingsmead Equestrian Centre, Warlingham specializes in catering for children with emotional, behavioural and social challenges. Classical and holistic teaching and alternative therapies including equine hydrotherapy can be found at Lomond Classical Riding, Horley and Beechwood Riding School, Woldingham. Daniel Brown Carriage Driving in Dorking provides carriage driving lessons for both group and individual with advanced training for experienced carriage drivers for both horse and owner. Horton Country Park, Epsom has extensive provision at the Epsom Riding School with Europe’s largest indoor arena which is used by Epsom Polo Club. Little Manor Equestrian Centre, Reigate was a 2012 pre Games training camp and held the Littleton Horse Trials in 2016. Smallfield Riding School, Horley focuses on childrens’ parties and kids clubs, toddler groups and Bownie/Beaver Rider Badges. Badgers Farm, Leatherhead includes an on-site farm shop which sells a variety of free range home bred beef, lamb, pork, eggs etc. Corporate training and personal development including communication, group skills and leadership is offered at Kingsmead Horses, Warlingham. Equestrian (con)
In addition to the centres there are two racecourses at Epsom Downs and Lingfield:- The Surrey Hills Equestrian Working Group
Epsom Downs Racecourse is situated on the North Downs and is a site of major The Equestrian Working group was established in November 2015 to importance to the horseracing industry with racing dating back to 1661. It has a promote horse riding in the Surrey Hills. The membership comprises history and heritage unmatched anywhere else in the world. Its proximity to London local resident horse riders, carriage drivers, a journalist, and a also offers huge opportunities. Every June it stages the Investec Derby, one of representative of the British Horse Society. Britain's great national sporting events and as well as attracting up to 130,000 spectators on the day it has a large worldwide TV audience. However, racing is The Aim of the working group is to ensure that:- limited to 16 days in any one year so the venue is also used for weddings, dinner dances and awards events, exhibitions, product launches and for location filming. “The Surrey Hills is promoted, managed and enhanced as an area of Epsom Downs also houses the third largest racehorse training centre in the country. safe enjoyment for horse riding and carriage driving through a network There are currently 12 different trainers using the gallops with around 200 horses of trails that benefits the rural economy.” between them and 170 horses on average being trained on the Downs in any given month. The objectives of the working group are:
The Lingfield Park Resort is set in 450 acres of countryside and has been a Creating a network of trails for hacking and carriage driving racecourse since 1890. It has an 18 hole golf course that opened in 1987 and a £20 Promoting long distance equestrian routes million 116 bedroom 4 star hotel under the Marriott brand, that opened in 2010. Clearance and surface improvements, including protecting and The all-weather track at the racecourse enables all year round jump and flat racing enhancing access for horse riders and carriage drivers and has hospitality facilities such as a trackside restaurant. Reviewing opportunities to claim bridleways and permissive routes Raising awareness of horse safety with other users Polo is played in the area at two venues - at Horton Country Park and Epsom Polo Ensuring effective promotion, signing and waymarking of all Club. The Epsom Polo Club stages both indoor and outdoor Polo events in one of bridleways ‘Europe’s largest indoor arenas’ enabling polo, riding and corporate lessons all year Reviewing parking for horse boxes and trailers and associated round. Although just outside the East Surrey boundary but still within the Surrey infrastructure Hills AONB there is Hurtwood Park Polo Club at Ewhurst Green. This will have an Liaising with other users (Mountain Bike Working Group, Surrey influence on equestrian activity in the surrounding area and the potential to benefit Countryside Access Forum and SCC Horse Riders Working Group). the visitor economy. It not only provides an extensive number of polo matches Considering horse riders and carriage drivers when new between May – September but has a venue that is promoted for weddings, parties, developments are in the planning stage corporate events and general events and claims to be ‘the only polo club in the UK offering a wide range of social and leisure facilities year round’ Outdoor Activities
Across East Surrey there are a number of diverse activities that take place in the outdoor environment that are considered to be relevant to the visitor economy. The Audit has identified providers for mountain bike skills; watersports; country sports; paintballing; para-gliding and hang-gliding; assault course/mud-runs; outdoor learning and development. Many of these work extensively in team building and corporate markets as well as with educational groups. Some also have accompanying accommodation facilities including ’glamping’ provision – shepherd’s huts, teepees and cabins.
Angling Angling covers a range of types of fishing - river fishing is available on the River Mole and River Tillingbourne; there are numerous coarse lake angling facilities and some Game/Fly fishing provision. The audit identified 15 sites comprising 50 individual lakes – mostly for coarse fishing. There are also some facilities for fly fishing. Several have clubhouse, tackle shops and café, parking facilities but only a few have associated accommodation facilities - primarily camping or caravanning. A number are ‘historic sites’, on private estates and/or connected to nature reserves and Country Parks. One particularly focuses on providing for anglers with disabilities.
Corporate Days and Team Building The Audit revealed a number of facilities in the rural areas that are promoting themselves to the Corporate Away Day and Team Building markets.
This includes Aqua Sports, SHAC, Singletrack School in Dorking, Clay and Country Sports, Green Dragon Paragliding, Go Paintballing, Horton Country Park Golf Club, Kingsmead Horses – some are combining with local glamping and other accommodation – i.e. Action Days and The Green Escape at Leith Hill; Ember Events at Polesden Lacey; Golf Clubs with accommodation.
Many of them are using proximity of London as a major selling position.
“We came to The Green Escape for a work overnight / away day in December and used the corporate package and it was fantastic - the setting is beautiful, ideal for an escape from London. Everyone at the company loved the stay and came back raving about the experience.” Golf
Surrey is recognised as the premier county in English golf with more golf courses in the Top 100 in the world than any other English county. It's has 115 golf clubs affiliated to the Surrey Golf Union. The audit identified 29 golf courses across the rural area in East Surrey. Typically:-
The majority are multi functional facilities with venue hire for weddings, meetings, conferences, leisure activities etc. Many have ample provision for car parking.
Some have accommodation incorporated within or adjacent to the golf course e.g. Lingfield Park, Kingswood Golf & Country Club, Reigate Hill (new Honeymoon Lodge in 2018). Kingswood works together with Walton Heath to provide golf break packages.
The majority welcome external visitors who pay green fees although tee times may be restricted – many accept the Surrey County Card whereby members from across the County can play at other clubs and is now UK wide (over a 1000 clubs involved)
Many promote easy access from London including one that claims to be ‘London’s Premiere Golf Course’.
A small number are group owned and benefit from collective marketing and professional management and promoting their local supply chains e.g. for weddings– others are more intimate, community based, family owned and run.
A small number are leading with ’cutting-edge’ approaches to golf i.e. Cosmic Golf, Fling Golf, ‘ Just have Fun’ Golf and other ways to get young people and families involved in the game. Cultural Events and Festivals
Events can take many forms but are often drivers of visitors to an area both for day trips and overnight stays. In rural areas, they often emanate from the local community and frequently comprise significant elements of the local culture, history, food and drink, sports etc so are an important way that visitors could have an authentic rural experience. An audit of events during 2017/18 found the following:-
Cycling occurs extensively across the whole area and East Surrey is often part of a route east to west and also routes in and out of London. The largest cycling event is Prudential Ride London-Surrey Classic and 100, on 30 July 2017 which involved 150 of the world's top male cyclists and 25,000 amateur cyclists. Live coverage was shown on BBC TV. There are a lot of organised walking programmes but there is no significant Walking Festival - The Mole Valley Ramblers Spring Walks Festival had over 100 people taking part in April 2017. Many events are initiated by visitor attractions. Most notable in this are Denbies, the National Trust sites and properties, Godstone Farm Park and Epsom and Lingfield Park racecourses. Lingfield Park in particular, due to its all weather turf, holds over 80 race events throughout the whole year including add on music concerts (Craig David appeared in September 2017). Epsom Racecourse has less frequent race meetings but, of course, holds one of the UK’s largest and most iconic sporting events, in June – the Investec Derby - attracting in the region of 130,000 visitors from across the world. It also stages regular antique and wedding fairs and music events and acts as a centre for business conferences and meetings. Denbies has a significant event calendar(over 120 events pa) mostly focusing on various food and drink experiences but also including wedding and antique fairs and music, arts and crafts events. It holds a number of significant running events – Bacchus half and full marathon and fun run. Leith Hill Place and Polesden Lacey appear to be the most event focused of National Trust properties covering not just countryside activities but also arts, crafts, music and sporting events. The Brockham Bonfire Celebrations in November is one of the single biggest community events and is attended by over 15,000 people filling local accommodation as well as attracting many day visitors.
Arts, music and theatre generally has a strong showing in terms of number of events, with festivals and fairs (largely attracting family audiences). Formal organised walking and cycling activity is, as expected, very popular. The types with least attendance are history and heritage and, if Denbies is excluded, food and drink events. Food and Drink
The Cambridge Model for East Surrey estimates that the highest proportion of visitor spend is on food and drink with between 30 - 40% of expenditure taking place in this sector in 2016. This is an actual spend of over £129 million by visitors to East Surrey. The Food & Drink audit focused on two areas - Production and Hospitality. Production Increasingly in many rural communities there is growing awareness of how important locally produced food and drink can be to the economic, environmental and social well being of that community and in recent years there has been greater encouragement to produce locally. The Food and Drink Audit identified a number of significant producers:-
Vineyards – Denbies is located in the Surrey Hills AONB and, at 265 acres, is the largest single estate vineyard in the UK producing international award winning wine which is distributed through the main supermarket chains. It has a farm shop and a micro brewery and provides vineyard tours and food and drink experiences on site working with local accommodation operators. The other major vineyard is Godstone Vineyard, also in the Surrey Hills AONB and covering 50 acres. The sparkling wine is only available from its onsite shop and it has tasting packages and tours for groups as part of its offer.
Breweries – there are a number of smaller craft breweries scattered across the area including the Surrey Hills Brewery at Denbies; Leith Hill Brewery at the Plough Inn; Dorking Brewery, Capel; the Pilgrim Brewery at Reigate; Godstone Brewers and Oxted Brewery at Flower Farm; Godstone and Titsey Brewing Company, Warlingham.
Farm Shops – farm shops and markets are often the route to consumers for local production. The main farm shops in the area include The Flower Farm Shop in Godstone; Priory Farm Shop , South Nutfield; Butchers Hall and Country Grocer, Forest Green; Kingswood Farm Shop, Abinger Hammer.
Farm Producers – there are some notable local farms that provide local trade deliveries - Halliloo Longthorn cattle Woldingham; Rookswood Farm, Outwood; Shabden Park Farm, Chipstead; Glebe House, Godstone . Food and Drink Hospitality Local food and drink can be consumed through a variety of outlets in a rural area. The audit identified the most relevant as :-
Country Pubs – East Surrey has nearly 150 pubs located within the designated rural area. It is not possible to catalogue the food and drink offer of all of the pubs but there are some very good examples of how local produce is sourced and promoted in the pub sector.
Cafes/Restaurants – outside the country pubs there appears to be little evidence of a ‘local foodie’ offer in catering outlets across the area. There is no Michelin star or other quality rated provision.
Visitor Accommodation – There are a small number of hotels using local food and drink as an attractor but this does not include the larger hotels close to Gatwick. Some have corporate social responsibility policies that advocate support for the local communities in which they are based. This includes support for developing local skills and careers in hospitality and to use local produce where possible, but actual use of local producers appears limited. Other non-serviced visitor accommodation sectors use local food and drink to help in promoting their location. Local pub food is often used by AirBnB Hosts as a positive aspect of the area.
National Trust - In line with its status as a UK Conservation charity the National Trust operates a Sustainable Procurement Policy throughout all of its properties. It comprises ‘getting the best price whilst minimising damage to the environment, supporting local communities, treating suppliers fairly and encouraging them to uphold a sustainability ethos.’ This manifests itself in the eating and drinking provision with the use of local food and drink suppliers and local volunteers.
Visitor Attractions - the larger visitor attractions certainly utilise local produce in the provision of their own refreshment facilities. The provision at largest attractions in the area i.e. Denbies - is well documented Another example is Bocketts Farm. The Old Barn Tearooms supply homemade preserves and chutneys made from ingredients taken from its own kitchen garden, herb garden and orchard throughout the year.
Golf Clubs – the audit reveals that many of the golf clubs in the area provide event and function services especially weddings often with their own in-house chefs and catering. But again, there is little evidence of the use or promotion of locally produced food and drink generally at golf clubs in the area. Food and Drink - an Experience in East Surrey
The White Horse, Dorking Polesden Lacey (National Trust) Part of the Bespoke Hotels Group and after a recent ‘We always use seasonal, local produce in our £4 million refurbishment offers a new concept dishes, and you can’t get much more local restaurant, the Dozen, which is working extensively in than our own gardens and estate. We have a partnership with local producers. volunteer-run vegetable garden within the “From the Dozen sausage, produced exclusively with formal gardens that produces many of the the help of Dorking Butchery, to the cheese board and vegetables we use. We also work with our its input from Debbies’ local chutneys, as well as tenant farmers to bring you the best of their Kingfisher watercress in our soups. Even the drinks list The Seven Stars, Leigh produce. All the meat we use is supplied by F stems from the Surrey scene, with English sparkling ‘We source as much as possible from Conisbee and Son, and we sell gelato by Grey’s wine from Greyfriars in Wanborough, a desert wine local suppliers. For instance, meat comes Dairy, based at Goldstone Farm.’ from Denbies just down the road, as well as tap ales from a butcher in Cheam, eggs from Ash and lagers from the Dorking and Wimbledon House Farm, cheese from Norbury Park Breweries.” Farm at Mickleham and ice cream from St Joan’s Farm just down the road at Botley Hill Farmhouse, Warlingham. Leigh. It’s great to seek out these special It has established itself as not just a pub with a strong producers so customers can get literally The Plough Inn at Coldharbour food offering (98% of customers eat at the eat the view around them.’ It is located in the Surrey Hills AONB and has 6 letting establishment) but also has a tea room and gift shop – rooms and its own micro-brewery – Leith Hill. ‘The the Sheep Shed - a micro-brewery and a relatively great thing about our location is the abundance of large car park which is used by customers, walkers delicious local produce. Our menu varies regularly, and cyclists and for regular “car meets”. It sources depending on the season and availability of certain beef, lamb, game and venison from the Titsey Estate, ingredients. In the shooting season/winter, you can eggs from a local farmer and herbs are grown in its expect some delicious wild game dishes or, if you’re a own garden at the pub. It uses beer from the local keen fisherman, just ask us about the best local Westerham and Pilgrim breweries as well as the range spots. We’re always happy to cook your catch for of wines from Olivers of Copthorne. It is estimated you.’ A shop has been incorporated into the pub and that the business caters for 1,000 customers a week as well as an outlet for fresh local produce, it across the year with over 1,800 during the peak provides tea and coffee and is popular with cyclists periods. The main customer types are “ladies that and walkers. lunch” and “empty nesters” with 80% being from the local area. Food and Drink - an Experience in East Surrey
“As a not-quite-your-typical Brit (my father is British and I'm a citizen but Botley Hill Farmhouse was everything we had hoped for and more. haven't ever lived in the UK) and a traveller who seeks out opportunities to Particularly for an American and a Spaniard (my fiancé), getting to visit 'live like a local' I recently leapt at the opportunity to do a week of house- old fashioned historic farms and pubs like this in England, is a treat. So sitting in the Surrey region of England with my fiancé. I'd never been to typically 'English' (at least in our minds)! Everything from the sweeping Surrey but it sounded grand and when I did my research on Google (looking views of the North Downs and grazing Botley Hill sheep, to the for local food, cider and wine as is my habit) I found that there were quite a charmingly old fashioned yet comfortable, warm and tasteful décor and few farms or farm shops nearby where I'd be staying as well as a few unique variety of smaller and larger dining rooms was picture perfect. To wineries. Challenge accepted! (I thought to myself). We'll make it a point to top off the fantastic ambiance and views, all of the servers at Botley Hill eat as much local food and try as much local drink as possible. Though we were smiling, welcoming, fast and professional and the food was were without a car for much of our trip, our house was fortuitously located flawlessly executed as well as surprisingly reasonably priced. We left less than a mile from a lovely farm and farm shop called Flower Farm Shop. Botley Hill sadly after dinner, wishing we could stay all night but excited Flower Farm is more than just a patch of land and a farm shop, it’s a full-on to spend some time at our little shepherd hut on the Surrey/Kent fully functioning farm with lambs, cows, pigs and chickens, extensive veggie border at Broomlands Farm Our hut, though tiny, was adorably gardens, pick-your-own berry fields and a lovely café serving delectable appointed and featured an incredibly comfortable bed as well as wood baked treats, stellar cappuccinos, farm fresh egg scrambles and (what we burning fireplace, outdoor barbecue and fire pit and a mini-kitchen for us heard to be) an excellent cream tea. I can now say, with some authority, to make tea and coffee in. We enjoyed an evening on the farm, by our that the sausages at the Flower Farm Shop are some of the finest I've ever little fire, while drinking local Surrey cider we'd picked up at Priory had (particularly the Lincolnshire and Cumberland sausages - we are suckers Farm earlier in the day. In the morning we dug into our breakfast basket for a sage spiced filling!). And buying chicken or lamb straight from the farm (which the owners normally drop off outside our hut at a prescribed time) it was raised on really does make it taste that many times better. We to find croissants, fresh gluten-free bread for toast, four eggs, roasted (with herbs from the farm), broiled, sautéed and baked away for a marmalade, a little yoghurt and a few berries. Top on our list of favourite whole week-trying something different every day-without ever needing a spots were the hiking trails around Dorking (particularly the long hike to supermarket run. My fiancé also couldn't get enough of the Flower Farm’s Leith Hill) and the views from Box Hill. If we'd had more time we would sausage pies and Godstone Brewers beer (made on-site!). Next up though - have loved to do more hiking as we now know that Surrey is just as great our goal was to find a local restaurant serving up farm-to-table fare (why a spot for hiking and nature as it is for farm to table food and drink. “ not? There are plenty of farms in Surrey!) forour special 'night out' over the weekend. We found one by chance, after booking a night's stay at the Brooke Herron, Travel Blogger 2017 glammed up Shepherd Huts on Broomlands Farm in Oxted and seeing on https://angel.co/difkindoftravel their website that the hut owners also owned a nearby 16th century farmhouse restaurant serving primarily locally products. We made a reservation immediately. What a good decision! Food and Drink Local Food Britain Local Food Britain is based in South Nutfield and is a food and drink finding platform used by businesses and consumers seeking locally sourced produce. Membership provides suppliers, buyers and outlets with increased visibility and marketing tools to boost business. It started in Surrey and Sussex and now covers most of the South East. It aims to be the 'go to' place for organisations seeking local food and drink support - from food festivals to events and PR initiative. Surrey Hills Enterprises Surrey Hills Enterprises was established in 2012 and exists alongside the Surrey Hills AONB to promote the use and development of local produce under the Surrey Hills brand including through the Trademark Surrey Hills initiative. It is very focused on the business community within a 6 miles of the AONB boundary and through its Food and Drink Working Group it is currently investigating events such as Meet the Buyer to encourage the development of supply chains locally and creating events and festivals to showcase local producers and artisans e.g. the Surrey Hills Wood Fair. Surrey Life Food & Drink Awards The Surrey Life Food and Drink Awards were launched in 2013 and currently (2018) has 15 categories including Best Local Food Event, Best Surrey Pub and Best Farm Shop. The winners for 2017 included The Flower Farm Shop at Godstone, Dorking Butchery and The Cock Inn at Headley. Sponsors Partridge, Muir & Warren support the initiative because:-
"At Surrey Life, we love nothing more than celebrating the fantastic creative talent bred within our home county and when it comes to the food and drink industry, Surrey has talent in abundance….they have grown to become one of the biggest events in the county’s foodie calendar. ’ Rebecca Younger Surrey Life Editor Visitor Survey
Between April and October 2017, there were 1146 face-to-face Visitors originated primarily from Greater London (51%) or from within the interviews with visitors conducted at a range of locations. The interviews South East (38%). 16.4% were from within the county itself and the next were carried out at Easter, the summer holidays and the half term in largest counties being East Sussex (5.3%),Hampshire (4.5%), Kent (3.8%) October as well as at specific events at Epsom (The Derby) and Lingfield and West Sussex (0.6%). Park and during the Prudential Ride in 2017. The two venues that recorded the most interviews were visitor attractions , Polesden Lacey A small number were from overseas with the top source countries being and Godstone Farm Park , although other interviews were undertaken at the USA, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. publicly accessible sites i.e. Box Hill, Leith Hill and Reigate Fort.
Key Findings The vast majority of visitors (78%) were on a day trip from Visitor Origins East Surrey 2017 home with just over 20% staying away for at least one night. Type of Visit East Surrey 2017
2% 5% 4% 21% Greater London
Day Trip from South East Home 51% East of England 38% South West Staying away from Home Other 78% Visitor Survey (con) The majority of visitors travelled by car (82%) to the locations with only The majority (63%) were visiting without children, with 38% of this group 9% using a train 5% cycling and 2% on a coach/bus. being between the ages of 25 – 44 years, 36% between 45-64 and 20% aged 65+. Of the 37% with children only 19% were over 45 years. Visitor Mode of Transport East Surrey 2017 Visitor Group Composition East Surrey 2017 Three or more adults plus one or more 2%1%1% Car 5% child(ren) 9% Two adults plus one or more child(ren) Train
Cycle One adult plus one or more child(ren)
Coach/bus Three or more adults and no children Motorbike Two adults and no children 82% Walked One adult and no children Equal numbers were staying with friends or relatives (VFR) as hotels, 9% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% in B&B or Guest Accommodation and 8% in camping/caravanning. Only 3% The majority of visitors (73%) were on a leisure day out whilst 12% stated they were staying in self catering accommodation. Nearly 70% of were on a short break. those staying in commercial accommodation were in hotels. Visit Purpose East Surrey 2017 Overnight Stays Type of Accommodation Used East Surrey 2017
Leisure Day Out 73% Hotel 39% VFR 39% Short Break 12% B&B 8% Camping 4% VFR 9% Self Catering 3%
Holiday 3% Motorhome 2% Touriing Caravan 1% Education 1% Guest House 1% Youth Hostel 1% Business 1% Static Caravan 1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Quality of Experience in East Surrey 2017
Visitor Survey (con) Very Good Good Just OK Poor
Traffic and Parking Quality of Experience 31% 39% 22% 8% When asked to rate various aspects of the area either Very Good, Good, OK, Range of Accommodation 33% 44% 23% 0% Poor or Very Poor the highest ranked were ‘quality of the countryside’ (72%) and ‘access to the countryside’(64%). However, quality of places to visit and Quality of Accommodation 40% 39% 21% 0% things to do was only given a 46% ‘Very Good’ score. Price of accommodation 21% 34% 31% 14% Range of Places to Visit and Range of Accommodation (33%) and Quality of Accommodation (40%) scored Things to see and do 42% 38% 17% 3% even lower. Traffic & Parking (31%) and Prices of Visitor Attractions (29%) Quality of Places to Visit and 46% 41% 13%0% were the lowest ranked. Things to see and do Prices of Visitor Attractions 29% 39% 25% 7%
Motivations to Visit Quality of Countryside 72% 23% 5%0% Those that stayed with friends and relatives identified overwhelmingly (83%) that they were motivated to visit because of the friend or relative and not due Access to Countryside 64% 31% 5%0% to the area or an event in the area. Only 7% gave that as a reason
Across all the locations the main activity undertaken during the visit was given as “enjoying fresh air/countryside” or “enjoying nature and wildlife of the area”. Nearly 20% claim to have visited a restaurant or café whilst on their trip. Only 2% were cycling whilst on their visit whilst 22% were walking. Visitor Survey (con) Motivations/Influences to Visit in the Future With regard to what would encourage visits in the future, the main responses focused on the countryside and nature and wildlife or visiting a specific tourist attraction. Other main drivers were identified as experiencing the history and heritage, walking, visiting an event or festival, going to a country pub and sampling local food and drink. The main influences on visiting the area were identified as Recommendation by Friends or Family (inc by social media), Search Engine listing, Online Review Sites e.g. TripAdvisor. Websites of particular attractions, events, activities, destination, accommodation etc. were all potential influencers too. Printed material was also mentioned and the use of a Visitor Information Centre.
Reasons for visiting East Surrey in the future 2017 Communications which influenced decision to visit 2017
None of these Previous visit 34% Other sports activity Recommendation by Friends/Family 24% Opportunities for equestrian activity… Search Engine(eg Google) 15% Tour around in car/bus/coach Online Review sites(eg Tripadvisor) Spa break 8% Shopping/window shopping Friends/Family via social media 7% Opportunities for cycling Website of an attraction/event in the area 6% Educational visit Brochure/leaflet about attraction/event in area 5% Visiting a coffee shop or tea room Horse Racing website 5% Visiting a restaurant or cafe Guidebook(or online guidebook) 4% Visiting or meeting relatives Visitor Tourist Information Centre 4% Local food and drink Online Maps 4% Country pubs Visiting an event or festival Website for walking/countryside 4% Visiting or meeting friends Website of local council/region 3% Opportunities for walking Website for cycling 2% Experiencing the history and heritage of… Advertising Online 1% Visiting a tourist/visitor attraction TV or Radio Programme 1% Enjoying nature and wildlife of the area Accommodation website 1% Enjoying fresh air/countryside None of these 13% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Visitor Survey (con) AirBnB Host/Guest Feedback An analysis of host and guest entries on AirBnB provides good insight into Guests - AirBnB appears to be used for a wide diversity of reasons why visitors may be using this type of accommodation in East Surrey. depending on location:-
Hosts - A high proportion of hosts promote their location using the The nearer the property to Gatwick Airport the more it is used following:- for 1 night pre or post flight stays including parking car and taking taxi or host dropping off. Distance/travel time to Gatwick Airport and (less so) Heathrow Visiting London – ease of access and low cost being important Travel time to London - entries have a ‘Things to Do in London’ guide factors Proximity to the M25 Visiting Friends and Relations(VFR) – including use for guests Proximity to train stations and access to Waterloo/Victoria/London attending wedding in the area; parties; hospital visit Bridge Extended family having an event/break needing a large Travel time to the coast and especially Brighton property The Surrey Hills AONB, Box Hill, Leith Hill, North Downs and the Business travel – working or training at local business such as countryside generally especially properties in Mole Valley Pfizer, Fidelity Investments, Legal & General, ExxonMobil. Includes London Olympic Cycle route and Prudential Ride event airline crew. Dorking, Guildford Leisure/holiday breaks – particularly in the Mole Valley/Surrey Specific attractions commonly mentioned – National Trust, Polesden Hills area Lacy, Hever Castle, Chessington, Wimbledon, Denbies, Legoland, Temporary accommodation whilst moving or renovation of Hampton Court Palace, Epsom Racecourse and golf courses generally. property Local facilities such as eating out, supermarkets, takeaways, taxis Non Visitor Survey
Over 400 participants living in London and the South East were surveyed via an online panel. The participants were required to be regular leisure trip takers to rural areas but not to have visited the East Surrey area in recent years.
East Surrey was only considered by the minority (one-in-five) as more appealing than other destinations, with the same proportion saying the area held lower appeal. The majority (more than half) thought Surrey was ‘about the same’ as other UK destinations.
Findings indicate various strong aspects of East Surrey as a destination which may be used to develop the visitor economy - countryside and rural aspects; walking and cycling history & heritage; culinary aspects – country pub; events – personal, weddings, horse racing.
The County of Surrey is perceived mainly as ‘rural’, ‘expensive’, ‘a good place to visit’ and ‘upmarket’. Local Business Survey
At the end of 2017 and into 2018 a total of 79 visitor economy business were interviewed in East Surrey including 37 as part of the WFH project. The questions were primarily about the visitor economy in the area and their own business performance and needs. The sample comprised 22 accommodation operators, 16 visitor attractions, 14 pubs, 8 retailers, 7 cafes/restaurants, 8 retailers , 6 cycle shops, 3 golf courses and 3 stables.
The survey results reflected a very buoyant rural visitor economy with business performance having improved in the past 5 years and the majority looking forward with confidence to further growth in the next few years.
Most businesses viewed the attractiveness of the environment and the proximity to London as the key strengths of the area. In line with the visitor survey, the customer base identified by businesses themselves is primarily a local London and South East market although some identified certain overseas markets - the main countries being USA, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and France.
Business tourism was also identified as an important sector.
Only a third think the area is being promoted well and less than 20% work with VisitSurrey.
Most seem to depend on self promotion via digital methods.
Nearly half of the businesses interviewed said they networked with other local organisations in East Surrey to discuss business and tourism. The areas in which East Surrey businesses would most welcome business assistance are:- networking with other local businesses, marketing, website design and planning advice.
In an additional survey with equestrian centres in the WFH Project a need for training and skills support in marketing and digital skills was specified along with a reduction or relief from business rates.
Marketing skills and planning advice were identified generally as key areas for business support. Consultation Workshops A series of local workshops were held throughout late 2017 and early 2018 :-
Walking & Cycling Workshop – guest speakers Peter Dodd – Tour de Yorkshire and Peter Morris – National Trails Equestrian Workshop – guest speaker Anne Clarke, Equestrian Business Consultant Visitor Accommodation Workshop – guest speaker Andrew Keeling, Hotel Solutions Cultural Events Workshop – guest speakers - Denbies and Brockham Bonfire Business Support Workshop – guest speakers Andrew Dennis, Business Navigator Growth Hub; Cathy Miles, Rural Surrey LEADER Programme Outdoor Pursuits Focus Group Food & Drink Survey – due to extreme weather conditions, workshops for Food and Drink were cancelled a online survey undertaken instead.
A full record of the workshops is available in a separate report but participants were all asked to work on two themes – Favourable Situations and Interesting Difficulties. The results are summarised using word clouds:- Favourable Situations Interesting Difficulties Food and Drink Survey
Due to the cancellation of the consultation workshop an online survey was sent to over 150 identified food and drink related establishments including pubs, cafes, farm shops, attractions and accommodation providers. Eleven responses were received – the main findings were:-
The range of local produce used was extensive – the most popular being meat, vegetables, fruit& berries, honey and preserves and savoury baked goods.
Around half sourced from within the local district.
8 went direct to local producers and 3 used wholesalers.
When asked what advantage using local produce gives their business answers included: …Increases customer interest in their business. …Sense of support and goodwill towards other local businesses …Traceability, freshness, uniqueness, seasonality, honesty, part of a community of producers, growers and makers …Reciprocal supply making suppliers into customers; cross selling. …Reduces food miles and keeps small farms running
The main barriers to sourcing locally included: …Awareness of supply. …Delivery – no central delivery hub. …Only one mentioned affordability.
The respondents included pubs, an attraction, camp sites, a B&B, a farm shop and a café. Marketing Audit
A Marketing Audit was undertaken at the beginning of 2018 and VisitSurrey does not recognise East Surrey as a location and only focussed on websites and other information that appears on various features Mole Valley and Reigate & Banstead as districts but searches for search terms in Google that relate to East Surrey, Surrey, Surrey Hills accommodation and attractions can be refined by the four areas. and also some key product offers within the project area - cycling, VisitSurrey is unable to compete with the OTAs in terms of searches for walking, equestrian, golf, outdoor activities and events hotel accommodation in particular but does appear regularly in the top of lists for most other searches at all levels. Key Findings
The difference in results from search terms East Surrey and Surrey is The tendency for searches to bring up articles and recommendations marginal and indeed the term ‘East Surrey’ appeared to only have been for the ’10 Best ’ hotels, glamping sites, walks, cycle rides etc type recognised in relation to it being the Hospital or College. Surrey Hills is features indicates how important it is to secure PR both in specialist recognised across a variety of websites including the globally marketed magazines but also through local media like GetSurrey. They also appear OTA sites. to stay in the searches for a year or more.
The results on Days Out searches tend to be led by the family Many destination are featured on TripAdvisor but at this stage it does attractions – Bocketts Farm, Godstone Farm and British Wildlife Centre not recognise the term East Surrey and Surrey Hills produces a wealth of leading the way. Polesden Lacey and Denbies are also popular returns. information about Surrey Hills in Australia. It does carry destination features for the Cotswolds, the Malvern Hills, the Gower Peninsular but The self-catering and Glamping search results re-enforce the very few other AONB related areas. However, Surrey, as a county, is accommodation audit findings that show a dearth of such featured and has lots of information including lists and ratings for 124 accommodation provision even relative to the rest of the county. The Hotels/B&B, 130 holiday rentals, Things to do ( a list of 339 entries with Surrey Hills Yurts appears frequently in both searches. Although OTA various themes including sights and landmarks; outdoor activities; food sites are dominating the first page of searches they tend to have little or and drink; nature and parks; events.) A number of other locations in East no product for East Surrey and will provide neighbouring counties such Surrey have an entry on Tripadvisor - Dorking, Reigate, Epsom, Oxted and as Sussex instead. Horley.
In addition to the OTA results for hotels, individual hotel sites appear consistently – Nutfield Priory, Langshott Manor and Beaverbrook in particular and will generally be featured in the ‘Best Hotels in Surrey’ lists. What does the East Surrey Experience tell us? From the full 360⁰ view of the rural tourism experience in East Surrey we can draw the following key conclusions :-
Economic Impact The visitor economy is an important part of the East Surrey economy with over half a billion pounds accruing to the local economy supporting over 9000 jobs much of which takes place at establishments and facilities in rural communities , particularly in Tandridge and Mole Valley. The area is very reliant on day trips (90%) relative to overnight stays – this can be explained by the lack of commercial accommodation available and/or proximity to one of the main source markets - London. The majority of staying visitors use serviced accommodation (hotels, guesthouses, B&B) or stay with friends or relatives. A small number of visitors use self-catering or caravan/camping accommodation although AirBnB is providing a significant amount in home stay/self catering type accommodation. The value of overseas visitors (£85m) staying overnight is actually more than domestic visitors (£83.7m) – having Gatwick Airport nearby is clearly a factor with 30% of overseas visitors coming via that entry point. Gatwick is also important for domestic visitors coming to East Surrey for overnight stays. Across all types of day and overnight visitor expenditure food & drink and shopping are the most popular activities. Rural Visitor Accommodation The majority (63%) of bedspaces are in the rural area – the largest being in Mole Valley which has 77% of its stock in the rural area. AirBnB adds about another 9% to the available stock. The dominant type of accommodation is the serviced sector (Hotels, B&B, Guest Houses) with 73% of the stock. The largest hotels tend to be near to Gatwick Airport. There are some examples of glamping in the area – Surrey Hills Yurts; Green Escapes -Shepherds Huts; Broomlands Farm, Oxted - Shepherds Huts and Longacres, Lingfield - Bell Tents/Tipis and some Air BnB. Hostel/Group accommodation is primarily found at residential learning and development centres in Mole Valley particularly associated with the Surrey Hills. Rural Visitor Attractions East Surrey contains a number of very popular attractions with high footfall that act as prime motivators to visit the area – most notable are Denbies Vineyard, National Trust sites in general (but especially Polesden Lacey), the two race courses at Epsom and Lingfield, a number of Farm Parks and a relatively large number of golf courses and fishing lakes. The County of Surrey has a particularly historic association with horse racing and golf. The mapping shows how the majority of attractions are in or within a short distance of the Surrey Hills AONB. What does the East Surrey Experience tell us? (Con) Outdoor Activities East Surrey has a diverse range of opportunities for outdoor activity. In addition to walking and cycling in the Surrey Hills there are significant numbers of equestrian centres, golf clubs, outdoor pursuit centres and fishing lakes. A number of operators are using their facilities to develop the corporate team building markets especially for clients in London. Many use the proximity to London to promote their facilities. Some have also developed a strong corporate entertainment and event packages e.g. weddings, parties - in particular golf clubs and equestrian centres. In addition to the more obvious physical health benefits, there is a conscious effort by providers to promote the mental health benefits of outdoor activities - from the interaction with horses at the equestrian centres for children with special needs to the morale building and self- realisation of competitive ‘staff days out’. There is only little evidence of encouraging a staying market with on site accommodation or linking with local providers. Cultural Events East Surrey stages two of the UK’s largest sporting events – Epsom Derby and PrudentialRide . Lots of small scale cycling and walking events. Importance of visitor attractions such as Denbies , National Trust and Racecourses in having a regular programme of events and contained within a controlled environment. Brockham Bonfire Celebrations exemplifies the need for professionally run community events to minimise disruption.. No area wide event. Food and Drink East Surrey has, at its heart, the largest vineyard in the UK which is very proactive in not only its wine production but also in its ambition to attract visitors. There are a number of pockets of local producers, farm shops and those in hospitality that are starting to utilise locally produced food and drink as a marketing advantage. It would seem to be significantly under developed with the area lacking a ‘signature’ food or drink offer or brand and/or a cohesive event to gather around. There is a relatively well developed web platform to facilitate local supply chains but this probably needs more support. Major barriers to using local produce include awareness of suppliers and delivery logistics – affordability didn’t appear to be an issue. The Surrey Hills brand for food and drink is being developed by Surrey Hills Enterprises, with plans to showcase and build supply chains for local products generally. This may be present the most effective way forward. What does the East Surrey Experience tell us? (Con) Visitor Surveys The area is very reliant on the day visitor (78%) the vast majority of which are travelling by car (88%) which has implications for environmental and infrastructure issues. The area is also very reliant on hotel stock to accommodate those staying visitors that are not with their friends or relatives. The predominance of day visits means that the origin of visitors to the area is largely confined to London and the South East. The source countries of overseas visitors reflect those for the region as a whole i.e. USA, Germany, Netherlands, and Australia. The even split between couples and family groups (bearing in mind that the majority of survey work took place during school holiday periods) is indicative of rural, inland locations whereas coastal areas tend to be popular with family groups. The area encouragingly attracts an even spread of ages with just 37% over 45 years of age. The quality of the countryside and easy access are clearly important factors in drawing visitors to the area and encouraging repeat visits. Specific visitor attractions, history and heritage, local food and drink, country pubs and events also play their part in attracting visitors. Only a very small proportion of visitors were cycling in the area – walking is a significantly more popular activity. Visitors tend to be regular visitors and although the survey found 20% on their first visit, this was much higher in Mole Valley than other research locations. The propensity to return again was high (90%+) with satisfaction with the previous visit leading to ‘have visited before’ as the most frequent reason for deciding to visit this time. Similarly, the power of personal recommendations (including through social media) and digital media in influencing visits in the future is clearly evident. The AirBnB analysis shows the importance of Gatwick Airport and the proximity of London in attracting visitors into the area. However, many of these visits will be transient which will ultimately limit the spend directly in the locality. There is evidence that AirBnB is also used for leisure and holiday breaks where the Surrey Hills and rural areas are generally seen as attractors. Box Hill, Denbies, the National Trust, Epsom racecourse, local food and drink and walking and cycling are frequently mentioned by hosts and guests as things to do. VFR and business travel are also important reasons to visit.
Non Visitor Survey There seems to be a significant level of interest in visiting the area and it is perceived as largely rural and good for walking and cycling. Surrey generally is perceived as rural, up-market and a ‘good place to visit’. However, there is nothing particularly distinctive that they associate with the area compared to other destinations. Heritage, food and drink and events are reasons why they might visit. A greater knowledge of the area and particularly about what sort of accommodation is available could influence decisions to visit. A significant number from London would be potentially willing to travel by train to get to the area. What does the East Surrey Experience tell us? (Con) The Business Survey The survey reflects a very buoyant rural visitor economy with business performance having improved in the past 5 years and businesses looking forward with confidence to future growth. Most businesses view the attractiveness of the environment and the proximity to London as the key strengths of the area. The customer base is identified by businesses themselves as primarily the local London and South East market although some have identified some overseas markets. Business tourism is also identified as an important sector. Only a third think the area is being promoted well and less than 20% work with VisitSurrey. Most seem to depend on self promotion via digital methods. Marketing skills and planning advice are identified as key areas for business support. Local Consultations Consultees saw the area as having several advantages – the Surrey Hills AONB, proximity and access to London, M25, M3 and Gatwick Airport, trends for healthy living, staycations, local produce, new local plans being produced and events. The main issues mentioned included a general lack of awareness of the Surrey Hills, planning, connectivity in transport and digital infrastructure, lack of quality visitor accommodation, business support and skills, local authority resources, funding sources and local attitudes. Marketing Audit The difference in results from search terms East Surrey and Surrey was marginal and indeed the term ‘East Surrey’ appeared to only have been recognised in relation to it being the Hospital or College. The Surrey Hills are recognised across a variety of websites including the globally marketed OTA sites but aren’t well recognised on Trip Advisor. Days Out searches tend to be led by the family attractions – Bocketts Farm, Godstone Farm and British Wildlife Centre leading the way. The self-catering and glamping search results indicate a dearth of such accommodation provision even relative to the rest of the County. Individual hotel sites appear consistently – Nutfield Priory, Langshott Manor and Beaverbrook in particular and will generally be featured in the ‘Best Hotels in Surrey’ lists. VisitSurrey does not recognise East Surrey as a location. VisitSurrey is unable to compete with the OTAs in terms of searches for hotel accommodation in particular but does appear regularly in the top of lists for most other searches at all levels. The tendency for searches to bring up articles and recommendations for the ’10 Best ’ hotels, glamping sites, walks, cycle rides etc type features indicates how important it is to secure PR both in specialist magazines but also through local media like GetSurrey. TripAdvisor - East Surrey is not recognised although a number of locations are - Dorking, Reigate, Epsom, Oxted and Horley. Surrey, as a County, is featured and displays a lot of information on hotels/B&B, holiday rentals and things to do. Market Trends and Opportunities VisitEngland / VisitBritain (2017) identified certain trends in visitor markets:- Future opportunities will depend as much on the external environment, in the UK and internationally, as on the situation within the destination. The Changing Demographic Landscape: especially the growth in the Hence, it is important to consider general economic, social and proportion of the population that will be 65+ by 2020. The coming of the environmental trends as well as more specific visitor economy trends. “Zoomers” – the Baby Boomer generation who are more active and independent than ever before. Rural Tourism – overall the positive trends indicate:- The Filter Bubble: future travellers will live in a filter bubble created by Rural areas are seen as safe, as opposed to cities personalisation algorithms and homogenous social networks. Tourism Tourism is a good way of transferring value from urban to rural areas products will have to work hard to stay on the traveller’s radar. It gives added value within rural areas that cities are unable to provide The Death of Risk: with limited budget and holiday time available, via outdoor experiences future travellers want to find out as much as possible about their It offers “trophy hunting” – finding experiences to put on social media destination before getting there. They expect travel providers to empower them by providing enough upfront information about tourism products Brexit Impact - The potential impact of the withdrawal of EU funds and Conversational Commerce: making enquiries about or booking tourism wider but unknown Brexit implications for the rural economy generally, products will be easier than ever for future travellers, as they will not have will need to be considered. The visitor economy relies on a high to leave their own messaging apps to do so. There will be less need for proportion of overseas labour particularly in the hospitality sector and tourism products to develop their own expensive apps or websites. early indications suggest that workforce recruitment and retention may Performative Perfection: future travellers are social media conscious become a growing sectoral issue. The agricultural sector, in particular, and will have a strong preference for tourism products that are benefits from EU subsidies and the EU itself as a key market. If the sector contributing to their social capital, worth sharing and easily shareable. is affected negatively, diversification into visitor economy activity may be The Pursuit of the Real: seeking authentic experiences and fully an alternative route for landowners and farming businesses particularly. immersing oneself in a local culture and atmosphere, has become a driving force behind the desire for travel for many. Travellers want to go off the Beyond London - There is a proactive Government policy of encouraging beaten track and understand what it is like to live, feel, eat and drink like a more international visitors to the UK and particularly in encouraging local – and are often consulting these same locals to understand how they them out of London so with East Surrey’s proximity to the capital and can do this. with Gatwick Airport nearby, this is an opportunity to exploit. The The Leisure Upgrade: even though travellers still want their holidays to Gatwick Growth Board is looking particularly at how it can generate a be pleasure-rich, so too do they seek pursuits which allow them to express greater benefit to the local economy from inbound visitors. The Discover a wide range of interests – learning additional skills, undertaking self- England Fund Initiative is supporting the development of tourism in improving activities or trying new experiences. rural areas such as the National Parks, National Trails and AONBs. Key Visitor Markets
The Discover England Fund Research Market Guidance (2017) identifies two groups in particular which will be relevant to the rural visitor economy in the future:-
Outdoor Enthusiasts: Families and empty nest couples, a wealthy segment of nature lovers who love to get close to nature on active breaks. Discovery and learning are an integral part of their holidays, given their keen interest in local heritage and cultures as well as spending time in the great outdoors. Those from overseas tend to be from France/ Germany / Spain with a preference for accommodation such as independent hotels, B&Bs, camping, Air B&B especially something quirky, close to nature and adventurous.
Mature Experience Seekers: A more mature segment best defined by their attitude – “young at heart”. With greater freedom, money to spend and time to enjoy themselves, travel is a key pastime that satisfies their desire for new experiences and learning. Those from overseas tend to be from Australia / France / Germany / Spain / USA and are interested in time outdoors – walking, learning about local heritage and culture; trying a new activity / learning a skill; sampling local food. Outside cities they are predominantly looking for accommodation with character (e.g. B&Bs, guesthouses, inns and small hotels). Trends and Opportunities in Rural Visitor Accommodation
There is a relatively low level of accommodation in the rural areas. Restrictions imposed by its special landscapes and Green Belt status and perhaps the need to redress the imbalance between day and staying visitors to create more value over more volume, suggest it is important to carefully consider the possibilities for additional rural visitor accommodation. With increasing pressure on the environment and at the same time needs of rural businesses and changing customer expectations, the market has responded with a diverse range of accommodation options both at new locations as well as at existing leisure and tourism facilities.
Socio and Economic trends (Hotel Solutions 2017)
Contemporisation: less “chintz”’ and more contemporary style; reinvention of the country house hotel (“shabby chic”, kitchen gardens); shepherd huts; boutique bunkhouses.
Gastronomisation: food is central to the offer; gastropubs with rooms; restaurants with rooms; cookery schools; themed hotels; accommodation at vineyards.
Socialisation: celebrations, getting together and groups; super cottages with large spaces for dining; glamping sites; camping pod parks.
Weatherproofing: extending the season; camping pods; hard standings; spas and leisure facilities; lodges with hot tubs; luxury holiday resorts.
Quirkiness: treehouses; tree camping; glamping; champing in churches; bubble camping; vehicle conversions.
Informality: Air B&B; private house hotels; small scale hotels where visitors can go anywhere they like (kitchen, no set meals, menus or rules); poshtels i.e. contemporary hostels Luxury Country House Hotels Pubs & Inns Chains such as The Principal Hotel Company, Another Place and the Gidleigh There has been a demonstrable growth in the supply of Collection have chosen areas such as National Parks as their preferred boutique inns in terms of the conversion of pub premises to locations. This has primarily been refurbishments as opposed to new build. gastropubs with boutique guest bedrooms. A number of Similarly, the development of smaller boutique country house hotels regional pub accommodation companies have developed in through the conversion of country mansions, upgrading and repositioning some parts of the country, acquiring and upgrading inns with of existing hotels or development of redundant outbuildings at country rooms – locally, Red Mist Leisure has done this in Surrey and house properties is a growing trend. Hampshire.
Country House Wedding & Events Holiday Cottages The conversion of redundant farm buildings to self- Venues with Accommodation catering accommodation has been a key trend over Recent years have seen the opening of an Rural Visitor the past 30 years, fuelled by farm diversification increasing number of country house wedding grants and a planning policy framework that has venues with accommodation and the emergence Accommodation generally supported the re-use of redundant of a number of companies that specialise in the agricultural buildings. The supply of this form of self- development and operation of such venues. Growth Areas catering accommodation continues to grow and looks set to increase further. Boutique self-catering is an emerging product development trend.
Glamping Holiday Lodges Encompasses a wide variety of innovative, quirky, Sharing Economy Holiday lodge parks offering timber holiday lodges for unique opportunities to stay in rural locations. Research into the growth of AirBnB outright or timeshare purchase and/or rental are a Developments tend to be viewed as small scale, in Surrey shows that there has new offer to emerge over the past 20 years. They temporary structures in planning terms so can often been an annual growth of listings of have developed primarily in inland locations, often be more acceptable in sensitive environments. 78% since 2010. As well as home woodland or waterside settings and/or associated Examples include Wigwams, Bell tents , Yurts, Safari stays the types of accommodation with other developments and activities such as Tents, Shepherds Huts , Camping pods ,Champing on the AirBnB website in rural marinas, golf courses (golf lodges), fishing lakes (camping in churches), Cargo Pods, Tree camping, areas include the unusual and (fishing lodges), watersports or alongside hotels. Bubbles and Domes quirky glamping offer as well as country houses, farm stays, cottages and cabins/lodges. Rural Visitor Accommodation Case Study
BestLogCabin – Newdigate – AirBnB
A very private luxurious log cabin, set in the middle of an island in its own 5 acres with your only neighbours being our herd of highland cattle!
Ideally suited as a romantic retreat for two. Our guests have access to all of the cabin, the island and the lake which is excellent for fishing. There is also a rowing boat available.
Guest Comments
‘This log cabin is outstanding. The location is absolutely phenomenal - providing you are looking for a secluded and peaceful get away. Located in the middle of a lake surrounded by fields; with the only onlookers being highland cattle and geese. The lake is full of fish which excellent if you partake in this sport!’
‘I booked the cabin as a surprise for my boyfriend’s birthday, we have both done a lot of travelling and both agreed this was one of if not THE most amazing places we have ever stayed.’
‘This place is far beyond any other place we have stayed at. It’s beauty is unbelievable. We had the most romantic and amazing time at the cabin. We bbq’d we took the rowing boat out for a row, we went and said hi to the Highland cattle! The most amazing copper bath!’ Implications for Rural Visitor Accommodation Development in East Surrey
Compared to urban areas the range and scope for innovation in accommodation development in rural locations is much more diverse and is increasing relevant to the demands and expectations of new consumer markets. ‘With falling crop prices, loss of EU subsidies and However, it is rightly bound by the need to protect and conserve the rural landscapes, Green Belt and other economic uncertainty following Brexit, cultural assets but the often small scale and temporary nature of the facilities could prove easier to there has never been a better time for farmers adopt and implement. and landowners in the UK to find other ways to generate revenue from their land. With their rich The trend for accommodation in renovations and refurbishments in country houses, at pubs and inns, agricultural heritage, Shepherd Huts are the ideal golf courses, fishing lakes and water based recreational facilities may offer opportunities within existing guest accommodation to place on a farm. Funds development envelopes rather than impinging on virgin green belt. and grants from several organisations exist to help farms invest in new infrastructure and many With the uncertainty of Brexit and particularly its impact on the farming community, the opportunity for of these grants can help pay towards an diversification into visitor accommodation by farmers and landowners, is made easier with such a range investment.’ of accommodation options. The English Shepherd Hut Co.
The growth of AirBnB also offers more potential to provide accommodation without new build but also provides examples of the more quirky, unusual offers that would attract guests to rural areas. Visitor Attraction Trends Key Operational trends Rural Visitor attractions can take many forms and fall into the following broad categories:- Marketing spend at attractions is increasing – 2016 saw a net increase of +7%. Attractions that Historic Homes and Gardens reported an increase in their marketing spend were Vineyards and Breweries more likely to increase their total admissions and Farm Parks gross revenue. Wildlife Attractions Use of digital communications accelerated in Heritage – e.g. Steam Railway, Castles, Forts 2016. Provision of a website is now almost universal In recent years organisations such as the (95%) and online booking facilities are offered by National Churches Trust and the Churches 38% of attractions (increasing from 29% in 2015). Conservation Trust have opened up churches, Image sharing sites (Instagram/ Pinterest) saw the urban and rural, to visitors including the biggest growth, with attraction use increasing by development of ‘champing’ – camping in Churches 64%, with over a third of sites now using these communication platforms. VisitEngland’s report on attractions performance in Cars/ motorbikes are used by the majority 2016 identified a 2% annual increase in total visits (around two thirds) of visitors travelling to to visitor attractions in 2016. This is a continuation attractions. Coach trips are more likely to be used to of growth since the Olympics in 2012 albeit at a travel to attractions based in rural and coastal slower rate in the past two years. Day tripper visits settings. to attractions remained stable with growth Employment within the attractions sector was continuing at 4%. This was supported by growth in fairly buoyant in 2016. This trend for growth looks domestic holidays (both stand alone, and holidays set to continue into 2017, with 11% of attractions staying with friends & relatives) of 2% in 2016. anticipating an increase in permanent and seasonal staff. The trend of recruiting unpaid volunteers is There was significant variation in the annual change also continuing, with these staff up by 20%. in visitor admissions across the different attraction The most common additional activities offered by categories. But attractions common in rural areas attractions to increase footfall, in order of performed better - gardens, (+8%) wildlife popularity, are membership schemes, public events, attractions/ zoos (+8%) and historic houses/ castles temporary exhibitions, public venue hire, corporate (+7%). events, late or unusual opening hours and multi attraction passes. Rural Churches Recent Initiatives
There are an estimated 15,000 rural churches in The National Churches Trust Ride +Stride event England and the majority (est. 70%) are Grade I or involving 10,000 churches open for walking and II* listed making them the largest group of most cycling visitors in September. important historic buildings in the country. With Churches are also the largest group of buildings declining congregations, churches are increasingly taking part in the annual Heritage Open Days, and looking at tourism as a way of generating various organisations run church open events sustainable income to maintain and repair heritage across the country. buildings and connecting with their community and Champing – camping in Churches. Currently run encouraging volunteers, particularly in rural by the Churches Conservation Trust there are 26 communities where the tourism offer may be the churches available across the UK that allow whole village. However, rural churches with no overnight stays between March and September. ‘passing trade’ have more issues than their urban There are none in Surrey currently. counterparts and also suffer from other concerns:- The Pilgrims Way, which was established in the Poor information on opening times Victorian period , runs from Winchester to Ineffective promotion Canterbury passing through the East Surrey area. A Few and ageing volunteers lacking welcoming number of churches are highlighted off the route skills and positively encourage visitors to explore their Interpretation of heritage heritage– these include St Mary’s the Virgin, Security Bletchingly and St Nicholas, Godstone. Lack of support from their local destination marketeers (DMO) In the Discover England Fund Project for the National Trails, The North Downs Way will be ‘The potential for churches to attract visitors and for focusing on a “Valleys, Vineyards and Viewpoints – visits to be enjoyable and worthwhile is huge. ….visiting four days in Surrey Hills in the footsteps of Pilgrims” churches (both old and new) is one of the most popular building on the already established Pilgrims Way pastimes in the country, and such sites also attract route. foreign visitors.’ National Churches Trust Food and Drink Events Food and drink has become increasingly important as part of Events can grow organically year on year with new elements the visitor experience. However, authenticity of the food added to continue to attract local resident and visitor markets. offer is important. This could be discovering or resurrecting Other businesses in a locale will benefit from and help to create real local customs or lost delicacies and cuisine, farmers’ critical mass and ultimately attract more overnight and day markets and local products /crafts. ‘The food cost may be visitors from a wider range of markets. Where an attraction has higher than average but the quality sells.’ large amounts of space then options for music events, country fairs, car rallies, steam fairs should always be considered. Retail Visitor Access A quality retail offering can be an attractant in its own Access for All – wide doors, flat pathways that are all right but it is important that the retail offer is wheelchair and buggy accessible. Changing areas, a authentic and appropriate to the attraction and adds Best Practice for comfortable seating area for less able visitors and their to the overall visitor experience. The quality of retail carers, dog relief area and coach driver facilities. offering in visitor attractions is key to boosting the Visitor Attractions average spend. Making it easier for the visitor to ‘Visitor Attraction Best Practice Study’ Tourism Resources Company (2016) Educational outreach spend will increase sales i.e. credit cards, contactless An imaginative schools and education outreach and an online sales capability canboost the appeal of programme, with a high degree of interaction and activity is attraction retail offers. an asset. It is felt outreach programmes can lead to Quality Monitoring additional attraction visits. To encourage the younger Accommodation Attractions that carry out visitor visitor, entrance admission is free to all education visits at some attractions and seen as an investment in the future. Either on a pop-up option at events or on a permanent surveys on a regular basis, basis - lodges at wildlife parks are increasingly popular. monitor social media and Port Lympne Safari Park in Kent now has tree houses, Tiger undertake mystery shopping Other Revenue Generating Opportunities and Lion Lodges, Camping pods and Luxury Safari Tents. visitors to gauge visitor Film location hire; third party rent of on-site facilities – satisfaction levels often identify farm shop, micro-brewery unit; careful installation ways to improve the quality of and placement of indoor and outdoor seating can Technology the experience. boost onsite dwell time and increase spends in café Embracing of technology and innovations, sympathetically, and shop; collaboration with local groups including reflecting the scale and type of attraction – in many instances renting out the attraction; brand association with simplicity and ease may be the key, rather than expensive and mutual benefits to the brand and the attraction. technically complex options. Visitor Attraction Case Study - Denbies Wine Estate
Denbies was established in 1986 it is family owned and operated. At 265 acres, it is the UK’s largest vineyard and one of the south east’s busiest tourist venues with an annual footfall of over 400,000. It has developed a range products and services that attract all types of visitors.
The main parts of the offer are wine production, winery and vineyard tours, wine and gift shop, two restaurants, conference and banqueting including weddings, meetings, events and team building, art gallery, farm shop, micro-brewery and outdoor events catering for up to 5,000 people. It holds over 120 events each year.
There is also a 7 bedroom bed & breakfast on site – Denbies Farmhouse. Local customers account for 70% of the trade but the visiting, friends and relations market also brings visitors from further afield including overseas. The venue is particularly popular with visitors from London at weekends and for weddings, using the train as the main form of transport. The B&B runs at 97% occupancy and Denbies also works with 6 hotels locally to deliver wine tasting packages mainly for couples so is also stimulating other staying visits. It has recently received approval to extend its visitor accommodation from 7 rooms to 17 rooms.
The car park is free and tends to be used by walkers as a start and finish point for rambles and dog walks, due to easy access to footpath networks and use of the catering facilities. It is considering providing a more dedicated facility to attract more cyclists and to include covered outdoor seating and separate access to main building.
The annual turnover has seen specific tourism related growth of 21% between 2013 and 2016. The growth for the business overall is 49% for the same period, with the winery expansion accounting for the majority of that.
In addition to the growth of accommodation provision and wine production there are plans to extend the events programme including a Sports Festival and Food & Drink Festival and more fun runs.
Denbies has been working with Croydon College since 2013 with employees achieving NVQ qualifications including hospitality, housekeeping, cooking and business administration. Turnover of staff is extremely low, running in the region of 2 % annually.
Surrey Hills and Box Hill are considered to be key destination brands for Denbies but the North Downs is very relevant because of its chalk geology which makes the area particularly good for growing vines for sparkling wines. Implications for Rural Visitor Attractions in East Surrey
There has been an increasing need in recent years for attractions to innovate, diversify and provide add-on opportunities to increase footfall, revenues and profits. By widening the audience base and spreading the risk, attractions can survive seasonality, poor periods of weather and random economic and social shocks.
The majority of regular events in a destination are staged at visitor attractions. The addition of accommodation at various attractions also provides much needed cash flow throughout the year.
Rural churches are increasingly becoming visitor attractions including providing for overnight stays through ’champing’ – they often feature on or are adjacent to walking and cycling routes.
The importance of adapting to new forms of marketing and technology generally is key to staying relevant to changing visitor expectations. Attractions that adopt a Welcome All approach can tap into new markets and generally, ‘old fashioned’ customer service particularly in the context of the growing use of volunteers by visitor attractions, is still vital.
There seems to be a need for local DMOs to support and promote the smaller rural attractions more than they do. Market Trends and Opportunities in Food and Drink
Food and Drink – Enhancing the Tourism Offer Defra ICF Consulting Services (2015)
Increasing the attractiveness of Encouraging greater tourism Extending the tourism season. Increasing the retention of tourism rural destinations and attracting expenditures. Seasonal unemployment is a expenditures in the local economy additional visitors. A localised food and drink offer can major issue in many rural (economic multiplier effects). A strong local food and drink offer enhance the quality of the local locations. However, a localised By definition, local food and drink can influence the choice of tourism product. This can help to food and drink offer is less has a more localised supply chain destination for visitors and can be attract additional tourism dependent on the weather and than non-local produce, which an important factor in expenditures and encourage peak holiday periods and can help means that a greater share of these encouraging return visits. It can greater expenditures per visit, to support year-round tourism. tourism expenditures are retained in also enhance the local identity thereby supporting more Food festivals, markets and other the local economy, providing and reputation of areas and offer productive jobs and higher added initiatives also provide additional benefits for local food and new recreational shopping value and providing support for opportunities to attract visitors at drink suppliers and the wider opportunities for visitors. economic regeneration. different times of the year. economy.
29% of respondents chose the UK when asked to rate countries In 2017, VisitBritain and Defra commissioned further on whether they offer 'attractive food and drink options to tourist‘ research to understand perceptions of Britain's food and drink offer amongst 4000 international travellers in eight 41% agree that 'British cuisine is part of what attracts tourists to markets: Germany, France, China, Japan, GCC, India, the UK‘ Australia and the USA. 56% believe that Britain is a good place to try local specialities. Food & Drink Festivals Hampshire Fare There are many food and drink festivals throughout the UK each year with a diversity of themes and sizes – some Hampshire Fare is a not for profit examples include:- organisation that supports over Isle of Wight Garlic Festival 400 local food, drink and craft Whistable Oyster Festival producers involved in rearing, growing and Taste Cumbria Food Festival making an array of produce including cheese, The Great British Beer Festival, West London wine, beer, meat, charcuterie, pies, spirits, cider West Dean Chilli Fiesta, Sussex and more. The Big Feastival in Cotswolds Lincoln Sausage Festival It organises perhaps the UK’s largest Food and Vegfest, Brighton and Bristol Drink event taking place over the whole of July The Foodie's Festival is one the most popular food and involving over 60 food and farming events events and tours around the country bringing together across the County including pop-up dining, a Michelin star chefs and Masterchef winners to cook their wine festival, farm tours, cookery master classes favourite recipes and give revellers their insider top tips. and artisan markets.
Farm Shops Pubs, restaurants and cafes put on Hampshire- themed menus and offers throughout festival According to the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets month. Association (FARMA), there are some 4,000 farm shops in the UK with turnovers ranging from £1,000 to more than £6 million per annum. Often such facilities are tourist destinations in themselves, with cafes and farm related tourist activities. Even service stations focusing on farm produce, such as the Tebay services (in Cumbria) are acting as tourist destinations in their own right. The farming and local food on offer, available through farm shops and farmers markets can form a key part of the tourism marketing, from photographs of sheep on remote landscapes through to Cornish pasties and Melton Mowbray pork pies. Creating a Food Destination Following a recent evaluation by VisitBritain (2017) of established food hubs in urban, rural and coastal locations around the world, a matrix has been developed that brings together the key components of what would makes a successful food destination:- Implications for Food and Drink Tourism in East Surrey
There is undoubtedly a significant and worthy growth in food and drink as a key offer in the rural visitor economy and some East Surrey businesses have been exploiting these opportunities. Having the UK’s largest vineyard in the destination is a significant advantage. The Surrey Hills Tour takes you on a journey through the However, the trend has also produced some powerful competition even in the neighbouring region in search of wineries, counties of Hampshire, Kent and Sussex. breweries and distilleries To improve the strengths of East Surrey as a potential food and drink destination there are a hidden in the valleys. You will number of weaknesses to be addressed – establishing a brand, having more distinctive lead get to taste delicious wines, products, having more effective supply chains and capacity and marketing a ‘story’ beers and gins right where individually and collectively. Adopting the Food Destination Framework would be a positive they are made and meet the step towards that ambition. people who make them. The Surrey Hills ‘brand’ may offer the umbrella under which this particular sector could Grape and Grain Tours 2018 gather so it is an area that the DMP should give consideration to. Market Trends and Opportunities in Outdoor Pursuits
In 2015, Sport England and the Outdoor Industries Association undertook a major study on the demand and supply of outdoor activities. At that stage 8.9 million people in the UK were active engaged in outdoor activities but a further 18.2 million, although not active, wanted to re-engage. Against a background of declining participation in many traditional and formal team sports, outdoor recreation is seen as playing a valuable role in increasing physical activity with potential to grow. Alongside this, environmental and educational trends have been supporting families in getting active outdoors. The increase in mass participation events such as the Prudential Ride and the ‘Staycation’ phenomena enjoyed by the UK after the 2008 financial crisis has helped boost visitor numbers to rural outdoor locations. Hence, the potential for market growth is very positive.
The study identified eight individualised outdoor participant segments - groups of current and potential participants who desire slightly different experiences from their involvement with the outdoors. Three of the segments seem particularly relevant to the East Surrey rural offer:-
The Explorer The Challenger Fitness in Nature Accounting for 33% of Active Outdoors Market – Accounting for 21% of the market. They are Accounts for 17% of the market. They these participants have a sense of being part of the focused on personal achievement/reaching a goal choose to keep fit outdoors for the fresh natural world and enjoy exploring. Physical activity is and like to control the battle against nature. They air and freedom in preference to the driven by emotional needs and revolves around probably don’t enjoy the majority of the gym or indoor sports. exploring and learning. It can be secondary to other experience, enjoyment comes from gaining a sense hobbies such as bird watching or photography. It is of control and learning about themselves. To Sense of physical and mental wellbeing the segment most likely to participate in the challenge self or achieve something is of high and challenging self is important. countryside (89%); 31% hill walk/ramble which is importance along with health benefits. Quality of Competing is not important. significantly higher proportion than other segments; experience is actually more important than the 60% are National Trust Members; it is also the quality of the company; it is not so much about They tend to prefer hill walking; segment with the highest proportion of female having fun, enjoyment and spending time with mountain biking; outdoor fitness classes; participants. Their prime motivation is to explore friends and family. This segment is most likely to running; climbing, orienteering, scenery whilst spending time with friends and family; travel over 10 miles to participate (72%) and favour canoeing/kayaking, angling, horse riding relaxing and unwinding are more important factors mountaineering, hill walking, running and mountain and outdoor swimming. than health and exercise. biking. Breaking down Barriers to Participation in Outdoor Activities
General barriers to participation are weather, lack of time, lack of local opportunity, lack of confidence, girls not welcome, negative perceptions for younger age groups, poorly maintained environment and lack of interpretive information. So these need to be addressed in the marketing and provision of facilities. A number of proposals are suggested to increase participation of young people, families and the older aged segments:-
Young people Families Older people
A high percentage of young people Families are attracted to activities that:- Older generations choose more leisure- participate for functional and lifestyle based activities. A higher percentage of older reasons, not ‘sport’. Regardless of their Are easy to find out about and easily people (55-65 years) hill walk/ramble and motivations for participating outdoors, accessible (within 2 mile of home for regularity) are attracted to activities that provide the young people are attracted to activities Offer a good place for a picnic (‘squashed following:- that provide the following:- lunch’) Have great facilities: clean, child friendly, a A ‘Keep fit‘ element but don’t want to be Activities that allow them to interact and good choice of food and drink (for lunch or tea pushed beyond their limits spend quality time with friends - social and cakes as a treat at the end), easy access Great facilities: clean, good choice of food occasion/ shared experience, creating parking and good services and drink for lunch or tea and cakes as a memories. Provide value for money with family treat at the end), easy access parking and Activities that are often spontaneous; promotions or money back guarantees good customer service simple to organise, appealing, accessible Offer a range of modern varied activities for Readily available information in advance and in interesting settings. all ages Well signposted safe routes Activities such as lifestyle and extreme give great photo opportunities Opportunities to ‘stretch the mind’ sports that offer a buzz or a tangible Fit with parental working patterns and Opportunities to meet like minded people. reward for their investment. schedules Activities that connect to part of their Can be rewarding for a short time as well as current repertoire e.g. shopping, drinking a long day out. Cycling Trends and Opportunities
Around 8% of the population in England participate in cycling with 4% doing so at least once a week. The 2012 Olympics and the lead up to the event had a positive effect on participation levels, but 2015 and 2016 saw a fall in participation. There were 1.95 million regular participants in cycling in England in 2016.
Around three in ten adults take part in some form of cycling with participation concentrated around the age ranges 30 to 59 and is prevalent amongst students and higher managerial and professional occupations. There is a 70/30 gender split in favour of males. Broadly, around 67% is road cycling and 33% is off-road. The majority of off-road cyclists are white British and male with high household earnings. Most also participate in on-road cycling. Other popular add-on activities were rambling and low-level hiking, hill-walking or mountaineering and dog-walking.
The strategic push for cycling under the national sustainable transport and health agendas undoubtedly means that the participation in cycling should at least be sustained and the infrastructure to improve.
Spinlister (May 2017) identified the three biggest trends influencing the cycling industry as:-
Bike Sharing and rentals – dockless bike Electric Bikes - the global e-bike market is Cycle Tourism - bicycle tourism has steadily rentals and “last mile” bike rentals – those expected to reach more than $24 billion in sales grown from a niche market into a booming designed to carry riders short distances to their by 2025. China already has some 200 million global industry. ITB Berlin in March 2017, the final destinations. Mostly applicable to urban electric bicycles on the road. world’s largest tourism trade fair, placed bicycle centres. tourism front and center, citing its focus on sustainability as the driving force behind its burgeoning popularity. Cycle Tourism in the UK Generally, cycle tourism in the UK is growing and particularly in rural areas:-
Saddle Skedaddle, based in Newcastle, claims to be the largest independent cycling holiday specialists in the UK, offering UK and overseas holidays for all types of cyclists – leisure, family, road and mountain bikers. Its founder Andrew Straw observes that the market has been increasing for some years helped by the Tour de France and Team GB success in the Olympics. He also feels that the increase in cycle commuting has equipped and inspired people to use their bike for leisure. They arrange trips for around 4,500 cyclists p.a., of whom around 1/3rd are in the UK where the average duration is 4-5 days – an extended weekend. They use a range of accommodation, mostly small-scale. Innovation is evident in the rental of e-bikes (electric cycles), which are really popular in Europe and now taking off in the UK. However, the company currently offers nothing in Surrey and very little in the South East. It does offer breaks in the Cotswolds and the Chilterns including a Guided Mountain Bike Weekend in the Chilterns.
Chilterns AONB - the AONB website promotes the Chilterns Cycleway (173 mile circular route) for two day breaks, ‘staying overnight in B&B accommodation and providing a chance to sample some of the excellent food available in local pubs and restaurants.’ It then refers to the Chilterns DMO for further information. The DMO also promotes e-bikes as a way to enjoy the Chiltern Hills. Bikes can be hired from the local Chilterns Cycle Hire and there are also guided rides by Electric Bike Tours a specialist tour operating providing e-bike experiences in Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire.
Cotswolds AONB – the Cotswolds is much better served by cycling tour operators. This includes those that have been set up locally as in the case of Cotswold Cycling Breaks between a local hotel – The Ormond - and a local cycling club, the Tetbury Velos. Cotswolds Adventures is a small husband and wife team based in the Cotswolds that incorporates cycling breaks alongside walking holidays and private tours. The Cotswolds is also well established on many international specialist cycling holiday operators’ packages. Cycle Tourism – Case Study – Bikecation in the Surrey Hills
East Surrey is clearly visited by thousands of cyclists every year but the destination and marketing audits have identified only one cycling holiday package to the area - Bikecation one of Europe’s leading independent cycling travel businesses. ‘The ideal way to experience the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is by bike. The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty embraces an amazing variety of countryside, from the rolling chalk downs of yew and box woodland and flower meadows, to the heaths and woodland of the Greensand Hills that rise to form the highest point in south east England at Leith Hill. The picturesque medieval town of Guildford is located in the centre of the Surrey Hills and is perfectly situated for cyclists looking to explore the area. It has also hosted the finish to a stage of the Tour of Britain, when in 2012 Mark Cavendish won on the cobbled hill climb to the top of Guildford high street.’
The package includes staying at the Harbour Hotel or Holiday Inn Guildford where there is secure bike storage and customers also receive a cycle information pack containing 6GPX/Strava routes from the town centre.
‘The climbs in the Surrey Hills are short but do pack a punch as many can be well over 15% in places. There are plenty of routes you can ride depending on how much climbing you would like to undertake and the weather conditions are fairly good most of the year.’
Bikecation does recognise that the area is notoriously busy :
‘The Surrey Hills are always teeming with cyclists, especially on the weekends but the increase in traffic during Saturday and Sunday does put people off. It’s best to spend a few week days riding around and between April and October to extend the daylight hours.’ The Growth of Cycling Apps The increasing ownership of smart phones and the obvious need for maps when cycling on new routes has resulted in the development of a vast number of cycling apps. These allow users to easily track and record rides, navigate and plan routes, keep on top of training and the more tourism oriented apps also provide information on points of interest, accommodation and services along the way.
Strava www.Ridewithgps .com Since launching in 2009, Strava has become the Very popular with cyclists planning long- most popular cycling app in the world and has distance rides. As well as route mapping now branched out into running and other sports tools, the app can be used as a cycle to become the ‘social network for athletes’. It computer to provide navigation and live provides distance, speed and other metrics, but tracking, and even supports Bluetooth the stand-out features are: the use of accessories for adding heart rate, cadence “segments” allowing comparison with others and speed data. Searches found 11,683 rides who have cycled the same road and the social . within 5 miles of Dorking and 3000 within 5 Google maps functionality that allows registered users to miles of Lingfield. It offers the facility to Cycling routes have been offered for some time, follow the weekly progress of cycling friends, join work with destination websites with easy to and it can provide the prized turn-by-turn clubs and take part in challenges. use route embeds, indexed and sortable navigation instructions if required. It can be also points of interest and printable maps for helpful in finding a café or a pub for a mid-ride riders. break. Mapmyride A free cycling app in which users can map all www.Routesyou.com their routes and save or chose from over 70 Extensive route mapping and identification of million routes already available. The option local points of interest and enables booking of to share your progress with friends starts accommodation through links to Online Travel friendly competition or a chance to Agents(OTAs) also has walking routes. encourage others. Also encourages a healthy lifestyle all round with food log alongside a fitness log to track overall health. Closed Circuit Cycle Parks
During the consultation process and business interviews a number of suggestions were made about having a ‘closed circuit facility’ within Mole Valley that could provide a safe cycling environment not only for the local community but also for visiting cyclists of all types. This would also be seen as a true 2012 legacy of the association of Mole Valley in particular with the Olympic Cycle route – it could also have wider benefits for East Surrey. There are a number of similar facilities that operate in London and the South East – Cyclopark at Gravesend, Kent; Betteshangar Sustainable Park, Kent and Minet Park, Hillingdon.
Closed Circuit facilities may have a number of benefits:-
They can be part of a wider outdoor environmental experience including walking, orienteering, nature study, geocaching, etc They are safe spaces especially as a learning environment for schools and community clubs They cater for many different types of cycling – road, mountain, cyclocross They are suitable for groups that don’t currently cycle on the public roads – women, children and disabled They enable controlled racing, time trial, sportive events, charity events relieving the necessity to close public roads They enable other activities that wouldn’t normally be safe or acceptable on public roads – inline skating, Nordic skiing, roller skating They can provide opportunities for youth involvement – volunteering, apprenticeships, coaching They can provide commercial outlet opportunities - cycle café/cycle hire/cycle servicing Case Study - Cycle Surrey Hills/Active Multi Tourism Initiative
In June 2018 a new off road cycle network was launched by the AONB Partnership called Cycle Surrey Hills with an initial route of over 80km of off-road cycling trails in South West Surrey.
Its stated aim is to ‘encourage residents and visitors to get active, improve fitness and experience the spectacular scenery of the Surrey Hills AONB’.
The project was initiated in conjunction with Cycling UK and capital funding from the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
The new trail is intended to be the first phase in an extensive network spreading out across the entire Surrey Hills. To this end an expression of interest was submitted in June to secure additional funding from EAFRD for the Active Multi Tourism (AMT) project to extend the network across East Surrey. The initial proposal includes:-
A suite of 10 circular multi-use routes of way for active family use at strategic locations across all seasons. These will be fully signposted with links to local rural villages, businesses and attractions.
At least 3 gateway locations at car parks or train stations from which the routes can be accessed. Supporting facilities such as drinking water taps, wash-downs, public bike pumps and tool kits, repair tables and information boards with local maps will be provided. The gateways have been chosen to stimulate local trading in bike hire and the ability to support new ventures of adjacent businesses.
The creation of a GIS based online digi-tool for visitors to plan their visit in advance, connect to local businesses and attractions close to their active tourism destination, and download before their visit.
If successful the project aims to be completed by the end of 2019. Walking Trends and Opportunities
The Ramblers Association states that “walking is Britain's most popular outdoor recreation by far and still an important mode of transport”.
Over 9 million adults in England, or 22% of the population, walk recreationally for at least 30 minutes every four weeks. In a similar way to cycling, the national agenda on health and well-being is encouraging walking as one of the main forms of exercise and campaigns, particularly involving the Ramblers and moves to improve access to, and facilities in the countryside, should see walking grow as an activity.
This should be a stimulus for simple leisure walks as well as more holiday based activity.
Patrick Dixon, Futurist and Founder and Chairman of Global Change recognises how walking is becoming a prime motivator and facilitator of holiday experiences:-
‘A generation brought up on sun, sand and sea has moved on in a major shift which has caught many package tour operators by suprise. Ecotourism, themed holidays, archeological explorations, historical tours, mountain ascents, rain forest trails - all these variations on walking holidays are eroding traditional holiday spending.
Those taking walking holidays are often higher income explorers who enjoy history, local customs, spectacular scenery, and learning something new every day. Walking holidays range from rambles along well-marked routes to major expeditions with professional guides across the Himalayas or even to the North Pole’. Walking Trends and Opportunities
Walking Festivals The Growth in Walking Apps
Walking Festivals in the UK are increasingly popular with In a similar fashion to cycling, although to a lesser degree, the over 70 events throughout the country for 2018. number of walking apps that have come on to the market in recent years has been extensive. Many provide the facility to Many of these are associated with National Parks or AONBs – create and share routes between walkers. Exmoor, Dartmoor, New Forest, Chilterns, Isle of Wight, North Pennines, Malverns and the Cotswolds Some of the more popular are:- (Winchcombe,Corsham, Bathscape and Dursley). RouteBuddy - supplies topographical, aerial, road and Also several of the Walkers are Welcome accredited towns Ordnance Survey mapping including Harvey maps which are and villages hold such events to re-enforce their dedicated maps for walkers, hikers, mountaineers and cyclists in commitment. the British Isles. Also offers custom course maps for long distance walking events.
“Four years ago, the Cotswold village of Winchcomb Outdoors Great Britain offers the full range of Ordnance was in economic decline. Visitor numbers were Survey maps all in one app. OutDoors will work anywhere falling and shops were closing leading to a regardless of phone signal and with an internet connection it will downward spiral. The Winchcombe Walking Festival find the users location in seconds. was set up to reverse the trend, by attracting visitors to Winchcombe and by providing a platform for iFootpath – used by Surrey County Council. iFootpath brings publicity to raise awareness of Winchcombe as a together turn-by-turn directions, photography and detailed base for walking. Just four years on, the festival is a information about the history and the environment. Users can great success, walkers come to Winchcomb year follow real-time progress around the live satellite route map, add round and businesses in the village are thriving.” their own comments and ratings and create and share their own walking routes.
Several Apps now include cycling and walking – Google mapping, Strava, routeyou.com, Sustrans. Walkers are Welcome Network
Walkers are Welcome is a UK wide, community led network of over 100 accredited towns whose purpose is to develop and promote walking in areas with something different to offer. Its aims are to help towns to:-
Attract more people to visit the town to enjoy local walks Create economic benefit for local shops, B&Bs, Hotels, Pubs, Cafés, Restaurants, etc. through increased footfall “The Walkers are Welcome Strengthen the town’s reputation as a walking destination when signed walks/walk guides are available Scheme is a truly innovative Promote local visitor attractions project. It’s such a simple Compliment towns’ economic generation/tourism plans and strategies concept: set up an Demonstrate that walkers will be given a warm welcome by the local community accreditation scheme for walk-friendly towns, then “Walkers Are Welcome has grown at an astonishing pace. Now walkers know that, if they see the friendly footprint logo, encourage the towns to they are assured of a warm welcome throughout the town, and a good path network and waymarked walks round about. network together for So everyone benefits – visitors, residents and the local economy.” Kate Ashbrook, Walkers Are Welcome patron and support, advice and ideas. Ramblers vice–president. That simplicity has led to jaw dropping success…” The Cotswolds’ has several Walkers Are Welcome towns and villages - Bradford on Avon, Charlbury, Corsham, Dursley, Julia Bradbury, Longborough, Stroud and Winchcombe – but there are currently no towns in Surrey within the network although there are broadcaster and walking three in Kent and four in Hampshire. enthusiast Case Study - Packaged Walking Holidays – North Downs Way National Trail There are a number of walking holiday operators active in the UK but very little evidence of them providing holidays in East Surrey – the only product that includes the area is part of a North Downs Way National Trail package provided by Contours Walking Holidays. A recent Discover England Fund project for promoting National Trails to overseas visitors will also include the North Downs Way.
Contours Walking Holidays specialises in organising The VisitEngland / VisitBritain Discover England Fund recently self-guided walking tours across the UK and Ireland. awarded a £1 million grant to a project that aims to develop One of the routes on offer is the North Downs Way bookable walking tours on seven of England’s National Trails, from Farnham to Rochester and includes aimed at the overseas markets. accommodation stops in Oxted and Dorking. It offers:- One of these is the North Downs Way which runs for over 150 7 nights accommodation in en-suite rooms with private bathrooms (where miles through the Kent Downs and Surrey Hills AONBs. available) in selected hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail. The key aspects of the tours are:- Breakfast each day. Door to door luggage transfer. 3 to 14 days duration, extending the tourist season Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing Quintessentially English, rustic, quirky and outstanding the trail. Promote the landscape and local businesses especially food and An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find drink accommodation each night and a kit list. Packaged and bookable through trade operators and online Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of the holiday and back Target primarily German and Dutch markets with USA and from the end of it. French as secondary markets
‘The west section of the North Downs Way clambers through the chalk The North Downs Way will focus on a “Valleys, Vineyards and landscape of the Surrey Hills, where butterflies and wildflowers abound. Viewpoints – four days in Surrey Hills in the footsteps of Pilgrims” Accessing the crest of the escarpment takes some stiff climbs – one so theme, building on the already established Pilgrims Way route memorable that Jane Austen immortalised it with a depiction in Emma – but the which was established in the Victorian period and runs from views over the flourishing rural landscape below are always worth the extra Winchester to Canterbury. effort.’ The project will be running until March 2019. Contours also offers Trail Running Holidays on the North Downs Way. Equestrian Trends and Opportunities
The economic value of the equestrian sector is over £4 billion of consumer spending across a wide range of goods and services each year. Riding for pleasure is the most popular equestrian activity, with most riders taking part in non-affiliated competitions. Females represent three-quarters of the riding population. The overall number of those who ride has fallen from 3.5 million in 2011 to 2.7 million in 2015 with a decline in regular riders. At the same time there has been significant growth in the number of riders aged between 16 and 24.
An estimated 3 million people have taken a riding holiday in the past 12 months. Older riders, 55 and over, are more likely to do this.
The Rural Planning Practice (RRP) in its paper “The Provision of Equine Tourism” in the UK has identified opportunities for the development of equine tourism. It contends that bed and breakfast on horseback, trekking, horse hotels and hunting holidays are all popular options for both domestic and international visitors. It believes that the diversification of farms and livery yards into providing horse hotels is an option to be explored on the basis that many avid riders who enjoy hacking and trail riding can take their horse with them. RRP also suggest that providing facilities for hire such as cross-country schooling and farm rides, staging events such point-to-points, horse trials and hunter trials can also be financially rewarding and make use of unproductive agricultural land.
Horse racing is Britain’s second most popular sport in terms of attendees behind football , generating a spend of £3.5b and employing over 17,000 FTEs. Due to the significant land requirements and specialist facilities required to train or breed racehorses racing has always played an important role in the rural economy and communities. Numbers of race-days are often restricted so the ability to grow non-race day revenue has been an important part of many racecourse developments in recent years including hotel, conferencing, catering, leisure and event facilities. Case Studies – Equine Tourism Cholsey Farm Riding , The Chilterns - Take a ‘Neighcation’ Cotswold Riding, Stanton, The Cotswolds
‘With foreign travel becoming more expensive, staycations have become Jill Carenza’s Cotswold Riding at Washpool Equestrian Centre is in the increasingly popular, but have you ever considered a ‘neighcation’? There are village of Stanton, a few miles from Broadway and has been offering riding, lots of wonderful places to ride in the UK with the Welsh coast, Scottish and bed & breakfast in her 17th century Cotswold stone house, The Vine, Highlands, the Norfolk Broads and the South Downs often featuring on people’s since 1975. The riding includes lessons and hacks for all levels of rider with bucket lists, and the Chiltern Hills should certainly be another one to tick off’. over 50 horses and ponies for children. The riding centre and bed & breakfast are open year-round. There are pub rides stopping en route for Cholsey Farm is a 200 acre site in Ibstock, Buckinghamshire in the Chiltern Hills lunch. Fun rides, often on private estates , offer the option of jumping a AONB. The owners Ted and Jackie Howard Jones diversified into equestrian variety of cross country jumps. activity, accommodation and a small camp site . They don’t consider the facility to be a riding school or livery (avoiding the need for planning permission) but The Centre also provides:- they do provide riding holidays, self guided and guided. Riding for corporate events (catering for mixed levels) ‘Many of the routes have been conveniently marked which is ideal if you’re not Hacks for parties of 10 or more persons so great at reading a map and there are plenty of places to stop en route for Package deals on short breaks for both accommodation and horse riding coffee, cake and lunch and you never know you may even end up featuring in a combined Midsomer Murders episode as they are always filming something in the local Livery, both long and short term (bring your horse on holiday with you!) area!’ Breaking and schooling of horses Childrens’ parties In terms of accommodation, Cholsey Farm Riding has two options for the riders Childrens’ pony camp days during the school holidays and their horse. The Old Piggery – a twin bedded self catering unit with fully equipped kitchen and bathroom, TV and WIFI. There’s also an option to sleep in Cotswold Riding has a 5 star rating on Tripadvisor:- the riders lorry with electric hook up and also tent and caravan pitching options elsewhere on the farm. ‘Absolutely loved riding at Washpool Equestrian Centre and staying at The For the horses, there are post and rail paddocks or luxury stables to choose Vine. Washpool is a well organized, professional, and fun facility where you from. can take lessons and hack through the beautiful Cotswolds Countryside. The Vine is just down the road from the equestrian centre, and exudes Cotswold ‘After you’ve finished riding, there’s also plenty of time to explore the area and charm. Anyone staying for an equestrian holiday can't help but adore the heaps of National Trust properties nearby. There are plenty of options for dinner horsey decor. I definitely want to return in the future and highly recommend with great pubs within walking distance, cooking facilities at the farm or why this place!!’ not enjoy a BBQ on site, watching your horses grazing peacefully whilst enjoying HorseCastleLover, New Jersey USA a glass of wine.’ Horse Racing Tourism
The County of Surrey has a long horse racing heritage stretching back to the first Epsom Derby in the 1700s – the county has 4 racecourses in total – Epsom, Sandown, Kempton and Lingfield. The Epsom Investec Derby is renowned as the greatest flat race in the world and receives global coverage every June.
In a Horse Racing Authority commissioned study in 2013 - the Economic The British Horse Racing Society in its evidence to the RTSC stated that in Impact of British Racing - Deloitte held that ‘Due to the significant land locations where there is a significant horseracing presence, dedicated requirements and specialist facilities required to train or breed racehorses agencies have been established to promote racing tourism to the area based racing has always been a rurally based industry at heart and as such plays around a visit to the racecourses or tours around training yards and studs to an important role in the rural economy and communities.’ meet equine stars. Examples include Go Racing in Yorkshire and Discover Newmarket:- The report also concludes that given race goers often combine other activities with racing, the sport generates substantial additional Go Racing Yorkshire – has brought together 9 courses in the region and expenditure, compared to more than many other sports, partly because the has developed various promotions such as Go Racing in Yorkshire Summer occasion is relatively infrequent so race goers tend to make a major and Winter Festivals. Under the theme ‘Yorkshire Racing, Yorkshire beer, occasion of the day. The areas surrounding racecourses benefit from a large Yorkshire Music’ the courses have events such as beer festivals on race days proportion of this secondary race day expenditure, which includes transport to promote local produce. to and from the meeting, accommodation, food and drink and entertainment for those staying in the area overnight. Discover Newmarket offers visitors a ‘unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at racing’s headquarters to see the equine stars at work and learn For many leisure focused businesses in the nearby area their takings on about the fascinating history, heritage and culture of the town.’ It has over race days are amongst the highest of the year. The report estimates that, 14 tour guides who have all been trained to deliver tours for groups and on average, one in 20 (5%) race goers include an overnight stay depending individuals from a ‘morning at a racing yard to an afternoon at the National on the scale of the fixture. Stud, our tours will give you a true insight into the headquarters of thoroughbred breeding, racing and training.’ Newmarket is also the home to The surveys at the Epsom Derby and Lingfield Park, undertaken as part of The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art and is situated this study, suggest that as many as 30% stay overnight whilst attending in Charles II’s sporting palace and stables on a five acre site. horse racing events. The Sport of Kings Project established in 2017 brought together Ascot, Newmarket, York and Chester racecourses to develop new bookable product targeting the Gulf States with a luxury experience based around horseracing. Case Study - Epsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is situated on the North Downs and is a site of major importance to the horseracing industry with racing dating back to 1661. It has a history and heritage unmatched anywhere else in the world. Its proximity to London also offers significant opportunities.
Every June it stages the Investec Derby and popularly known as The Derby, one of Britain's great national sporting events and as well as attracting up to 130,000 spectators on the day it has a large worldwide TV audience. However, racing is limited to 16 days in any one year so the venue is also used for weddings, dinner dances and awards events, exhibitions, product launches and for location filming. The racecourse employs 40 FT and hundreds of part- time staff and houses the third largest racehorse training centre in the country. The racehorse training industry is estimated to add £13 million to the local economy.
However, the owners, the Jockey Club claim it’s future is hanging by a thread and have the ambition to create a ‘Globally recognised 21st Century Centre of Excellence for the Horseracing Industry” through the ‘Vision for Epsom’ plan.
This includes working across the horseracing industry to develop wider economic and social proposals to benefit the Epsom area by:-
Increasing the number of horses in declared training Making Epsom a Global Centre for Digital Innovation in horse racing Increasing the economic value of the local horse racing industry an raise local employment Conserving and improving the Downs for the local horse racing community Case Study – Equine Tourism – Normandy Home of the Horse
With 300 horse riding centres, two national studs and around 24 private stud farms, Normandy has been crowned France’s ‘home of the horse’ and embraces this aspect of Norman culture to enhance visits to the region.
‘What could be better than riding through Normandy’s idyllic countryside, taking in half-timbered houses and verdant pastures, all while moving at a relaxing pace and reinvigorating your senses?’
Visitors are invited to visit studs and equestrian centres to organise horse riding to suit their plans, whether it’s a tour around the farm’s grounds or a ramble through the countryside. Normandy’s National Stud Route is a 190km-long route, divided into nine different stages . Visitors can do the whole route over the course of a week staying at horse-friendly accommodation options along the way.
Horse-racing is very much seen as part of the offer even for families – ‘For a day out with the family, head to the beautiful seaside town of Deauville, home of La Touques race course.’ The first horse race took place here in 1863 along the beach. Horse racing is organised over six months of the year, alongside a polo championship, show jumping, dressage and horse ball competitions.
More than 3,000 events are organised each year including international competitions, auctions, competitions for amateurs and young horses, and a host of fairs and festivals.
‘A symbol of the spirit of the French equine industry, Normandy is a land of breeding, competitions, champions and passion. The region, which boasts considerable assets, has become a leader in equine research and innovation. Normandy is also reliably distinguished in the three major domains: equestrian sports, trot and gallop.’ Laurent Beauvais, President, Regional Council of Basse-Normandie. Outdoor Activities – Corporate Team Building Trends and Opportunities
In recent years there has been a growth in the corporate meetings, incentive, conference and events (MICE) market and in particular, the use of team building activities both indoors and outdoors to boost staff morale, help with change and improve staff retention. The uncertainty in the economy and surrounding Brexit may be one of the reasons for this.
‘The first quarter of 2016 has seen record growth in companies investing in staff development and retention, leading to a resurgence in team building events and company days boosting the industry value to over £200 million.’ (Daily Mirror 2016)
A market study by Technavio on the global corporate entertainment market (conventions, retreats, office parties, team building) is forecasting a growth of more than 7% for the period 2017 - 2021. “The global corporate entertainment market is in the growth stage. These events are organized to motivate the employees, which has a positive impact on their efficiency and productivity. Team-building activities which are an inherent part of these events help to break the ice, increase teamwork and improve interpersonal communication. These activities benefit employees by making them aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their coworkers and enhance team spirit,” Case Studies - Corporate Team Building
Tough Mudder The Green Escape Team Building at Denbies One of the most successful outdoor events Based at Leith Hill, The Green Escape offers Denbies Wine Estate has also recognised that the in recent years is Tough Mudder which is Corporate Package activities that include economic uncertainty could be a reason for an extensive assault course that draws Falconry, Bushcraft, Cocktail Making, Ukulele, companies to use this type of activity to help between 10,000 and 15,000 participants Willow Weaving, Yoga & Meditation and business stability for the future :- per event. The first Tough Mudder Martial Arts. There is the added benefit of ‘ 2017 is likely to be the most interesting and challenge was held in the United States in facilities on site that include a large straw bale dynamic year for team building trends, with 2010 and to date, more than 3 million building for conferences, workshops, seminars uncertainty and change on the horizon it’s people worldwide have taken part making or as a central hub to gather and dine. becoming more paramount that companies need it one of the world’s fastest-growing to invest in team building events for employees. athletic activities. A total of 18 Tough Seven shepherds huts provide sleeping …..Team building will be used as a tool to smooth Mudder and Tough Mudder Half events accommodation with 15 individual beds, all over uncertainty and change with Brexit on the took place in the UK in 2017. A similar type with woodburning stoves and it is also horizon. Companies are starting to shift their focus of activity is provided at the Action Days towards more tactical team building strategies to venue at Henfold Lakes in Mole Valley and ‘off-grid with no internet, no phones, no help their employees deal with change better. To also includes an Army Boot Camp Day, Raft distractions, allowing complete focus on your become sharper at spotting trends and learning Building and Racing, Minefield Challenge, aims.’ how to cope and adapt to changes.’ Target Shooting, Tyre Challenge and Treasure Hunt. Golf Trends and Opportunities
Overall numbers playing golf in the UK has been falling since its high in 2007 (4.1 million) and in 2016 was already below 3 million. However, golf returned to the Olympics in Rio in 2016 and there are a number of initiatives by England Golf and the Golf Foundation to increase participation by young people, women and families. These include Girls Golf Rocks, Golf Sixes Academy, Golf Roots Family Kit Bags and new formats such as Fast Golf, Flexible Golf, Fling Golf and Cosmic Golf that are aiming to move the game away from its traditional image as elitist, discriminatory and unwilling to embrace change. The Hotel Solutions study of trends in Rural Visitor Accommodation 2017 identified an increasing number of golf locations developing not just hotel accommodation but lodges and other forms of self-catering provision. The 2016 Golf Club Membership Questionnaire by England Golf shows that 30% of clubs increased their membership during the year and it highlights trends and ideas which are working.
A warm welcome – a dedicated reception area, welcome packs and new members’ events are all winners. Catering for different needs – a range of flexible membership packages to suit different lifestyles can attract more members. A major trend over the past two years has been for clubs to offer junior, adult academy and trial memberships. Regular communication with members and visitors – this will help to retain as well as recruit members, but it’s important to use the right contact methods. One-third of clubs are missing the opportunity to connect with visitors who could be potential members. Making more use of the club to increase income – opportunities include weddings and conferences, but these must be balanced with the members’ needs. A coffee shop is a big plus for attracting members, as is a crèche or children’s play area. Becoming part of the local community – using a social media strategy will help to connect with local schools, clubs and other organisations. Highlighting beginner coaching, academy membership and added value deals can help to increase membership. Case Studies - East Surrey Golf Clubs
Horton Golf Club Walton Heath Golf Club Kingswood Golf and Country Club
A beautiful park land setting….a convenient All visitors are welcome, on and off the golf Enjoy the best of Kingswood by staying in our treat for golfers across London, with easy courses, both of which feature in the U.K. Luxury 18 bedroom lodge whilst testing your access from the A3 and M25. It boasts the 18 and Ireland’s top 50. Walton Heath’s Old golfing skills on our Championship golf course. hole Millennium Course and a 9 hole Course has featured in the World’s Top 100 Academy Course. Also available is the rankings every year since their inception in fantastic 18 hole Jungle Island Adventure 1938. This is a serious golf course. Golf course and 2 especially designed FootGolf courses.
Farleigh Golf Club Woldingham Golf Club Reigate Hill Golf Club We have truly memorable meeting and event The stately ambience and tranquil setting With stunning views over our Lake and Golf space with state of the art facilities. A perfect of Woldingham Golf Club provides a Course, the new Lakeview Honeymoon Suite is setting for any type of event. Our Clubhouse perfect contrast to the vibrancy of Asian, a beautiful and practical option for your offers 4 suites overlooking the 350 acre estate; African and Caribbean celebrations! wedding accommodation. the perfect backdrop for any occasion. Angling Trends and Opportunities
Angling is reputed to be the most participated in sport in the UK. In 2016/17 2.6% of the population took part in angling activities representing 1,151,600 people.
Further evidence comes from market research carried out for the Angling Trust in 2016 based on lifestyle interviews which found that 2 million UK adults either occasionally or regularly coarse, game or sea fished. In addition:-
70% of current anglers said that combining angling with short breaks and other activities would encourage them to go more frequently. 56% said they would go more frequently if there were events where they could fish with family or friends. 33.4% said that combining angling with other outdoor sports would encourage them back to angling.
The highest first preference motivation for current anglers to participate was to ‘relax and de-stress/get away from modern life’ with 40.5% saying this was the most important reason they went angling.
The report concludes that:-
‘In terms of opportunity, there is a large reservoir of people who have tried angling, many of whom would like to try it again and many of those who have participated in the last two years would like to do more of it.’ Increasing access to Information provision visiting anglers It found that in some rural areas, Through angling passport schemes to especially where recreational angling is encourage visits to more than one in an provided by more than one area, angling festivals and working with supplier/landowner, information for local accommodation providers. visitors can be piecemeal and this could be addressed through a bespoke website The Report of the Social and to provide a one-stop information point Community Benefits of Angling and online mapping of angling locations, (2012) as well as feedback tools for visiting anglers. Clustering businesses and Recognised ‘The valuable contribution that co-operative competition angling tourism can make to rural communities in terms of economic impact and wider tourism Marketing of ‘accommodation and development’. fishing’ packages. Packages to Promoting angling within a promote low demand periods of the The report also identified a number of ways in wider outdoors experience year, such as multiple activities for which angling tourism could be enhanced. families, food initiatives such as ‘eat Research shows that anglers often what you catch’ offers at local enjoy other outdoor recreational restaurants, signposting between activity – hill walking, nature study, businesses to ensure visitors use local watersports, mountain biking. services. Implication for Outdoor Activities Tourism in East Surrey
East Surrey looks well positioned to take advantage of the growth in outdoor activity participation – especially in association with the Surrey Hills ‘brand’ – and not just in walking and cycling.
Mental and physical well being benefits run consistently throughout all of these activities and act as a prime motivator.
There are already very good examples of businesses in the area that are taking advantage of this diverse market and are putting in place innovative and sustainable products to address changing expectations.
There could be a case for greater collaborative working across some of the sectors to raise the profile and all round benefits for the rural community – this includes festivals as well as marketing initiatives.
There may be some potential in further exploiting the heritage associated with horse racing in the area particularly because of the global awareness of the Epsom Derby and its new Epsom Vision and perhaps in combination with other racecourses in the county. This could have potential appeal to international visitors.
The location of East Surrey relative to London makes it ideally placed to exploit the corporate team building market and meetings, incentives, conference and events (MICE) market generally.
Existing locations such as golf courses, fishing lakes and lakes generally as well as visitor attractions could provide opportunities for small scale accommodation development to help increase staying visitors.
There are very few packaged holiday/ short break offers for the area but when compared to other AONB related locations there would seem to be some future opportunities, including in overseas markets, that could bring more value. Cultural Events and Festivals Trends and Opportunities Events and festivals tourism is one of the fastest growing forms of tourism. They are becoming increasingly popular in rural areas as a means to revitalize local economies. Festivals and special events play important roles in destination development, image making, animators of static attractions and catalysts for other developments.
Benefits of festivals to communities can be extensive, particularly when the draw is from outside the region. Research shows that the more involved local people and suppliers are in terms of provision of services, food, beverages, and attractions, the greater the economic benefits to the region. Local vendors, artisans, craftspeople, restaurateurs, hoteliers and innkeepers may make a large portion of their annual income during the course of an event. VisitScotland, in its strategy Tourism Scotland 2020, identified the key benefits of events and festivals as being:-
Improved reputation – a successful event or festival can highlight the best of what an area has to offer and send out a positive message to future visitors. PR/media coverage – an event or festival raises awareness among potential visitors of what there is on offer and can increase local pride and community spirit. Community involvement – bringing the community together to promote the area helps to create a more joined-up experience for visitors and encourages working together to target more visitors for all. Extending the tourist season – the fixed length nature of events and festivals encourages visitors to stay for the duration of the event and for longer than they might have. Spreading the expenditure – events and festivals can boost an area’s off-season, and help to spread spend by geography and season. ‘The ripple effect’ – it’s not only the businesses directly involved with an event or festival that will benefit from the spend. Visitors will also be looking for places to stay, places to eat and local attractions to visit while there. Legacy – a themed event or festival can also attract visitors that would otherwise not have come to an area, which means businesses can reach a whole new audience. Environmental Sustainability – if handled sensitively, an event or festival can support the local economy and allow preservation of its natural assets. Preservation of heritage – by celebrating the unique culture of an area, events can help to preserve that heritage while giving visitors an authentic experience. Case Study – Brockham Bonfire Celebrations
The annual Brockham Bonfire celebration attracts over 15,000 into a small village including over 2000 that take part in a torchlight procession. The 25ft Bonfire takes six weekends to build and over four tons of fireworks are detonated on the night. Off road parking is arranged for 2000 cars in six fields whilst extra busses are laid on from Dorking and Reigate accumulating over 3500 movements.The event is primarily run by volunteers with a 100 core workers that expands to 250 for the 48 hour period around the event itself.
Over time the increasing requirement with regard to conforming with regulations and licencing has resulted in Brockham Bonfire being established as a limited company with 20 Directors most of whom have responsibility for Public Safety or Fireworks or catering on Bonfire Night and share equally all aspects of safety. Organisers also need experience in crisis management, event management, legal, insurance, health and safety, finance and company administration.
The formal compliance includes :-
Annual Application to the MVDC Safety Advisory Group Risk Assessments Road Closures Traffic Management Public Liability Insurance to the value of £5 million. Professional and personal accident insurance costing £16k pa Police, SFRS, SECAM, Highways, Licensing
The main Community Benefits are:- Engages all ages 16-80 No Gender issues or barriers Teamwork Leadership Village revenue - shops, pubs, B&B Family Gatherings Income stream for local groups Engagement of Police with community Fun! Implications for Events and Festivals in East Surrey
The Events Audit demonstrates that East Surrey has a diverse range of activity taking place across the rural area including a number of very high profile events - the Epsom Derby and the PrudentialRide stand out above the rest.
However, there are some concerns about how much benefit accrues to the local community from such large scale events and, hence, consideration should be given as to how these events could inspire more economic and social gains.
Visitor attractions in the area are key drivers for regular and diverse event programmes particularly the National Trust properties, Denbies, Lingfield Park and Godstone Farm Park. Events are core to both attracting visitors to the area all year round and to the viability of attractions.
However, not one event draws visitors to the area over a prolonged period, as for example the Isle of Wight Walking Festival or the Chilterns Food and Drink Festival.
It is also true to say that Surrey as a County (or the Surrey Hills) doesn’t have an event at that level either, although there are County-wide themes such as walking, cycling, golf, horse- racing/equestrian and food and drink that may offer potential.
Modern day event organising is subject to many more regulations and licensing arrangements so a more professional approach should be positively encouraged. The sharing of local experience and guidance from public authorities would be important in achieving this. Leadership and Partnership
The agreement on and delivery of, a Destination Management Plan is dependent on having a cohesive effective leadership structure that brings together the majority of public and private sector ‘players’ in the visitor economy. Moreover, in a world of increasing austerity and uncertainty, finding a financially sustainable structure is essential but increasingly problematic.
In the East Surrey area the current situation on leadership for the general visitor economy is acknowledged as weak and perhaps the biggest challenge.
It is increasingly difficult for local authorities to take on the leadership role, particularly with regard to the commercial sector, albeit they are still fundamentally responsible for many aspects of infrastructure and product quality so need to remain actively engaged. Around the country, this has resulted in many authorities ‘out-sourcing’ to bodies known as Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) which earlier or later in their lives, are expected to become self-funding. For most, surviving without public sector subsidy becomes their single biggest challenge and many do not survive. Visit Surrey is still facing an uncertain future because of the challenge of sustainable funding for core costs.
In addition, new structures have emerged forged from the rising tide of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) starting off at town or city centre levels but some have been created with a wider geographical remit and sectoral focus. More recently, the recognition that bodies such as National Parks and AONBs can be economic drivers as well as landscape conservators is seeing them take on roles associated with DMOs.
When it comes to establishing a partnership arrangements to take forward the South East Surrey Destination Plan, it will be vital to take this context into consideration. In particular it will need capable of engaging all public and private players who can play a role in delivery and be financially sustainable in the longer term. To achieve this it will need to build on existing structures rather than duplicate, have a logical geographical remit. Tourism Business Improvement Districts (TBIDs) A BID is a business-led and business funded body formed to improve a defined commercial area and originally came into being in England and Wales following legislation that was passed in 2003. Funding is raised primarily from a levy applied to business rates which is retained for a pre-agreed purpose. Annual income is typically £200,000-£600,000 but can be as little as £50,000 and as much as £2 million+. They can take 2-3 years to get approved but have guaranteed funding for 5 year periods, renewed if the majority of levy payers agree. The levy, once agreed in a ballot, is compulsory and collected by the local authority.
In the UK, the majority of BIDs exist in town and city centres. However, they are also in industrial, commercial and mixed-use locations. In recent years a number have been established for the tourism sector (known as T BIDs) and in tourism destinations (D BIDS). Visit Inverness LochNess (VILN) Isle of Wight Herefordshire VILN was the first Tourism BID in the UK, After consultation with over 1200 eligible Destination Management Plan established in March 2014. The organisation businesses on the Island a TBID was In a similar EAFRD supported project the covers a large geographical area that includes established in 2016 alongside an existing Herefordshire Tourism and Food & Drink Loch Ness and rural surrounds, the City of DMO – VisitIsleofWight and raises Partnership is developing an application for a Inverness (excluding the city centre) and £300,000 pa. from the levy, this will be in TBID to be implemented for 2023 – 2028 as a Inverness Airport. It has 400 levy paying force until August 2021. core pillar of its DMP. members ranging from major hotel chains and visitor attractions to guest houses, self- Other sectors such as retail can opt in catering properties and restaurants. It also has through voluntary donation or sponsorship. over 50 businesses not automatically included, which have chosen to ‘opt-in’ The Island, albeit, a single destination is voluntarily. It has raised over £200,000 each comprised of several towns and resorts and year spending it on marketing, business a large rural area but has one local tourism, access and infrastructure, customer authority – the Isle of Wight Council – that service training and support for events and collects the levies. festivals. Place Shaping and Destination Management in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)
In its evidence to the Rural Tourism Select Committee in 2016, the Association of AONBs (NAAONB) set out five key recommendations:-
The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designation is uniquely British. This designation does not exist anywhere else in the world. It is a unique selling point for the English countryside and the NAAONB hopes this can be appreciated by the national agencies. There is a need to improve collaboration between AONB partnerships and DMOs to facilitate the growth in rural tourism. There is a need to unlock tourism potential in AONBs by diversifying and modernising the offer and generating business opportunities appropriate to local environments and communities. The AONB designation provides a valuable marketing opportunity to individual local authorities who have all or part of an AONB within their administrative boundaries. The AONB designation exemplifies partnership working and a collaborative approach to place-based solutions and pulls together many strands of rural economic development – destination management, marketing, local business support, local transport solutions etc.
The work undertaken in the course of developing this Plan has shown that the Surrey Hills AONB runs through the very essence of the rural area. It does not encompass, geographically, all of the District and Borough boundaries but it has powerful presence and the mapping clearly shows that the majority of the rural tourism product is in it or within touching distance.
The AONB brand can be a powerful one – perhaps best demonstrated in the UK by the Cotswolds but also evident with the Chilterns, the Malverns , the Mendips and the Quantocks. Some of these areas cross boundaries at county and district level so have had to forge wider partnerships. Most have both DMO and AONB websites which seems increasingly inefficient and unnecessary in view of the NAAONB interpretation of the role of the AONBs in ‘rural economic development’. The Surrey Hills ‘Family’ Although AONBs may have a reputation for conserving, protecting and enhancing, in reality they achieve a much broader range of ambitions:-
Make things happen, translating vision and national policy into local action Work with local communities and value their skills knowledge and energy Provide value for money by securing additional funding, resources and project partners Develop innovative approaches to achieve beneficial results though collaboration Promote a sustainable rural economy that conserves and enhances the natural environment for the benefit of society NAAONBs – The AONB Family With the current lack of resources both at the local authority levels and at VisitSurrey, and a fragmented rural tourism industry, a more pragmatic and efficient path to create a viable, effective and stable partnership may be better served by building on and around the Surrey Hills ‘Family’ partnership - the AONB Unit, the Surrey Hills Society and Surrey Hills Enterprises. This group was established by the Surrey Hills AONB Board to help support the delivery of the AONB Management Plan. The driver has been the recognition that :-
‘Government funding is heavily constrained, so working collaboratively through the family provides an opportunity to diversify and broaden the resource base, including access to skills, funding and volunteering.’ Surrey Hills Enterprises Surrey Hills Society Established in 2012 its mission is to promote the Established in 2008 the Society Surrey Hills as a national asset for the benefit of is a membership organisation local businesses in order to enhance the community and conserve the unique established as a charity to recruit heritage. It offers membership to commercial partners to use the Surrey and inform individuals with an interest in the Surrey Hills Hills Trademark on behalf of the Surrey Hills AONB Board. by running a range of walks, talks and awareness raising activity. Membership is open to any organisation, business or charity operating within the Surrey Hills or within a 6 mile radius in Surrey. The organisation also operates a website to showcase members and their products and Surrey Hills Trust Fund services, promotes through PR and e-communications and social media and A dedicated fund established runs events. under the umbrella of The Community Foundation for It provides training and support for businesses including coaching and Surrey to attract donations from individuals and mentoring and workshops, seminars and networking meetings. companies to support the work of the AONB Unit. The Case for the Surrey Hills Brand The Surrey Hills AONB and associated Areas of Great Landscape Value permeate through East Surrey’s rural community as indeed they do for the other parts of the county.
Established brand and sub brands and emerging trademark An AONB that is contained within a singular county. The ‘Halo’ effect – benefitting those not within the formal boundary The ‘uniquely British’ designation differentiates the destination from others but draws it into the select family of AONBs some of which have excellent reputations in domestic and international markets – the Cotswolds, the Chilterns. Access from London and major international airports Brand guardians – balancing the commercial and environmental sustainability. Community, business and environment engagement and leadership. Funding ‘magnet’ in a post Brexit world SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
Quality and management of countryside – AONB/AGLV/Green Belt designations/National No cohesive brand/Unique Selling Point Trust/Wildlife Trust/ Woodland Trust Industry leadership Surrey Hills Family –Society/Enterprises/Trust Fund Sustainability of VisitSurrey Countryside Access – rights of way, walking trails Lack of marketing of the area Proximity to London Awareness and appreciation of visitor economy in public and private sector Proximity of Gatwick Airport Heavy reliance on day visitors Olympic Cycling Legacy and cycling activity Cycling congestion and honeypots Iconic events - Epsom Derby, Prudential Ride Lack of accommodation stock – particularly self catering Popular visitor attractions – Denbies, Polesden Lacey, Godstone and Bocketts Farm Parks Lack of packaged holiday offers Golf provision and venue diversification Planning restrictions in Green Belt Equestrian provision Digital Connectivity Changing demographics making rural areas more attractive – authenticity; safe; accessible Transport services – public provision Meets needs for physical and mental health & well being Transport infrastructure – maintenance and safety; lack of car parking Team building/Learning provision Local Authority resources MICE markets provision Business Skills Business Performance and Confidence Labour supply Local food & drink offer – production and hospitality B to B Food & Drink Supply chains Country Pubs Knowledge of Market Trends Additional rural capacity via AirBnB Evaluation of economic impact Opportunities Threats
Leadership and Brand development through the Surrey Hills AONB/Society/Enterprises structure Rural funding post Brexit Co-operation with BIDs Economic conditions post Brexit Attracting more staying visitors – domestic and international Local authority austerity Engagement of Gatwick Airport Planning restrictions Accommodation development at existing leisure sites – temporary and permanent Labour and skills shortage Development of more ‘rural planning friendly’ type accommodation – glamping,, AirBnB Industry fragmentation and apathy Farm diversifications Business Rates and Red Tape Country Pub development as rural hubs Increased traffic congestion and visitor pressures in honeypot areas Exploit 2012 Legacy with a ‘Cyclopark’ development Online Booking Agencies (OTAs) - commissions Area wide Festival – walking, equine, food Air B’n B’ competition to commercial accommodation Developing a foodie destination Competition from other National Parks/AONBs Further development of team building market Business Support Programmes Infrastructure improvements Digital connectivity improvements East Surrey Rural Destination Management Plan Strategic Principles
The Strategic Principles cover:- The Vision
The Vision This Destination Management Plan (DMP) proposes that the long term ten-year vision for the East Surrey Visitor Economy is:- The Outcomes ‘East Surrey’s visitor economy is renowned for the quality and sustainability of its special The Resources places and rural landscapes, the quality of life within local communities, its contribution to prosperity, local jobs and skills, leading with authentic experiences which boost the The Growth Targets and economic value of the visitor economy’ Monitoring
The Visitor Economy Aims Strategic Principles (con)
The Outcomes
This Plan is an important stepping stone to reach the vision which is rooted in the principles of quality and sustainability. This DMP is based on outcomes that:
Welcome, involve and satisfy visitors visiting or passing through East Surrey Support a profitable and prosperous visitor economy industry - for the operators in and around the area Engage and benefit the East Surrey communities Protect, enhance and create better appreciation of the built environment, the heritage and culture of the rural area Establish the Surrey Hills brand as being the driving force for the destination, its image and product quality
The Resources
Collectively, resources for the visitor economy will inevitably be limited, so in order to maximise them the following key actions are recommended: -
Strategic partnership work to achieve economies of scale and ability to deliver on the ground with a particular focus on the Surrey Hills AONB Surrey Hills Society and Enterprises Partnership Effective engagement with local businesses and community More effective use of existing resources with a joined-up approach between and within Local Authority services and activities Continued focus on bidding for external funding from the best suited partners An approach that enables and facilitates investment through informed and effective structural planning
Even so, the number of initiatives that can be covered with modest resources will be limited, so the emphasis must be on prioritising activity. Local Authority funding should only be used where intervention is warranted. Partnerships need to be adequately resourced in terms of staff time as well as funding.
All partners will need to prioritise in order to get the best out of the various partnership activities. Phased change may be needed as partnerships grow and evolve. The Growth Targets
The five-year visitor economy growth targets must reflect the scale of local authority resources to support the visitor economy, the highly competitive market place with other UK and overseas destinations and the potential (and currently) unknown impacts associated with Brexit.
The growth principles are based on:
Increasing the economic value of the visitor economy in terms of spending and employment Making the most of existing assets and resources Spreading the value across East Surrey
It is wise to set a strategic growth target in line with national and sub-regional forecasts. Hence an annual growth target of 3% to 4% in value (excluding inflation) is reasonable for the sector as a whole. However, this might need to be adjusted to account for Brexit implications. This represents cumulative growth of 15% to 20% over five years from 2019 to 2024 (at 2018 values).
The economic impact survey for East Surrey commissioned as part of this project provides the best baseline data for the DMP:- Monitoring Total Business Turnover East Surrey 2016 - £543m Jobs The challenges lie in the capacity and affordability of continuing to Supported measure this each year and the ability to compare it to other in the destinations to identify competitiveness. Standard economic impact Tandridge Visitor models like the Cambridge Model are a cost-effective way to monitor £88m Economy growth in general terms, but ideally a basket of local indicators is required which can be measured quickly and easily to provide more Reigate & detailed and periodic snapshots of growth: Banstead £188m 9370 Collect annual visitor numbers across a sample of visitor attractions Epsom & Ewell and events £73m Measure average annual bedroom occupancy across a sample of accommodation places Mole Valley £194m Calculate annual web hits to a sample of sites that promote the area – and the number and value of bookings 0 50 100 150 200 250 Include visitor economy businesses within any wider economic or business surveys Monitor social media to identify visitor satisfaction Visitor Economy Aims
The DMP proposes that the aims for the East Surrey visitor economy are to:-
Facilitate investment in new provision and infrastructure to enhance local economic benefits and relieve the pressures of activity on sensitive areas
Protect the superb landscape which attracts visitors in the first place and respect and safeguard the area’s natural assets
Increase the satisfaction and enjoyment of visitors, encouraging them to return and recommend the area
Enhance the success of businesses relying on visitor spend, encouraging higher standards and reinvestment
Change the composition and value of the visitor market for the economic benefit and quality of life of local businesses and communities, increasing their buy-in and economic return, generating more overnight trade
Address the issues associated with the area’s increasing popularity for cycling by managing volumes and maximising value
Understand and manage the current uncontrolled pressures on the local environment and communities
Adopt an approach of “equal opportunity” to appeal to minority and disadvantaged markets, specifically regarding rights of way and access
Ensure the recommendations and delivery structure are consistent with wider strategic plans and partnerships in and around the County of Surrey East Surrey Rural Destination Management Plan Recommendations
The recommendations of the East Surrey Destination Management Plan are grouped under topic headings –
Product Development Visitor Management Business Support Marketing and Communication
An early task for the delivery partnership will be to take ownership, prioritise from this ‘menu’ and create a set of practical actions over the first 18 months. This will need to assess roles and responsibilities, resource implications, performance indicators, the relative priority attached to the actions and the first or next immediate steps.
The recommendations are a mix of continuity with existing plans and projects plus new initiatives to meet challenges and exploit opportunities. Recommendations - Product Development
Accommodation capacity: encourage more development of high quality accommodation in line with rising market expectations and desire for choice, specifically contemporary types of provision that are particularly suited to and ‘planning friendly’ for, rural areas. To accept the principle of looking to develop in existing development envelopes – racecourses, equestrian centres, golf courses, fishing lakes, waterparks, farms, rural churches and visitor attractions. To consider a balanced approach to AirBnB type accommodation.
Business diversification: allow the conversion of redundant and under-used properties and land for visitor use as part of wider farm diversification initiatives – specifically holiday cottages, glamping, group bunkhouse accommodation, and countryside attractions and amenities
Distinctiveness: Continue to invest in the hotel offer in order to exceed future customer’s expectations, especially through boutique and distinctive accommodation and services in rural localities but with the priority on renovations and restorations and not new build.
Horse racing: support contemporary and distinctive hotel development which is aligned to the horseracing sector, specifically endorsing the Epsom Vision and appropriate development at Lingfield Park Resort, recognising the induced economic benefits across the wider rural areas
Walking: engage with local businesses to seize the current opportunity to use Discover England funds to create and promote bookable walking packages on the North Downs Way and the Pilgrims Way to international and domestic markets.
Walking: encourage towns and villages to join the Welcome Walkers Network to increase the product offer and welcome for walkers to add to visitor choice and satisfaction.
Cycling : to consider the creation of a Cyclopark facility in the area to establish a tangible legacy from the 2012 Olympics and enable the provision of a range of safe, diverse and flexible cycling and other outdoor pursuits.
Cycling: to support the extension of the Cycle Surrey Hills/Multi Tourism initiative into East Surrey to create wider opportunities for off road cycling activity and rural pursuits.
Equestrian: explore opportunities to maximize the equine heritage of the area and bring together all forms of equestrian activity in a more cohesive offer. To provide specific business support and expertise for equestrian operators to develop their business.
Equestrian: to identify new and improved horse riding routes, horse box parking and other infrastructure developments to support growth and value. Recommendations - Product Development (con)
Country Pubs: recognise the role that pubs potentially play as visitor hubs offering characterful accommodation, good hospitality, food and drink for people staying in the area (including those at friends and relatives) or passing through, acting as front-line ambassadors for East Surrey. More should be encouraged to be potential ’staging posts’ and access points to the countryside as well as refreshment stops for visitors pursuing an outdoor activity.
Golf: explore opportunities to maximise the golfing heritage of the area through appropriate development and services, reflecting Surrey’s position as a centre of excellence
Golf: help the golf sector to look at business diversification opportunities to be open and accessible to new markets (i.e. no longer, members only) through accommodation, corporate hospitality, weddings and health and leisure, thereby creating more capacity to draw a diverse range of visitors.
Community events: build the profile of existing community events which are high quality, professionally run and managed, with capacity for growth
Event growth: identify constraints to the growth and diversification of existing events (often regulatory and linked to transport issues, health and safety and insurances) and share knowledge and best practice.
Event Growth: to explore the possibility of area/county–wide rural festivals under a Surrey Hills brand particularly under Food & Drink, Walking, Equine and Sport themes.
Outdoor pursuits: ensure the outdoor pursuits and activity operators keep abreast of contemporary facilities to reflect demographics and market expectations, through a flexible planning and regulatory approach.
Outdoor Pursuits: to develop a cohesive and co-operative approach between outdoor pursuits providers and local accommodation to attract longer stays and greater value from the Team Building and Corporate Market from London.
Fishing/Angling: to encourage where appropriate for fishing lake owners to increase their value to the rural community through greater co- operation and clustering, creating accommodation provision on site and facilitating wider outdoor pursuits. Accommodating visitors with disabilities would be a priority.
Natural Attractor sites: support, where appropriate, should be given to the development and improvement of natural attractions – woodlands, SSSIs, country parks – to increase visitor experiences. Recommendations - Visitor Management
Dispersal: encourage dispersal across East Surrey by promoting lesser-known and used areas through signage and promotions / communications to link and join-up existing walking and cycling routes, specifically identifying family trails.
Cycle routes: ensure all designated cycle routes become priorities for maintenance work, specifically the speedy repair of potholes, creating a volunteer warden scheme to report problems to Rights of Way authorities.
Rights of Way: encourage visitor dispersal through a scoping exercise of rural car parking locations and capacities in relation to Rights of Way to identify potential pinch-points and signage requirements - specifically promote the range and choice of lesser known and used walking routes.
Rail trails: Support and extend the North Downs Line rail partnership initiatives to use off-peak rail capacity to encourage cyclists from London to enjoy circular cycle trails from stations.
Rail trails: work with Train Operating Companies to develop (1) a series of rural linear walks between specific stations and (2) circular walks starting and finishing at selected stations - both aimed at South London markets utilising off-peak capacities and special fares (such as Brit Rail London Plus passes for overseas markets), incorporating station walks to well-known visitor attractions and rural event venues. Recommendations - Business Support
Sourcing: create an online signposting service for local businesses in the visitor economy covering, for instance, raising match funds, career opportunities, accreditation schemes and the emerging new local plans and pre-application processes.
Local supply chains: encourage the hospitality sector to “think and source locally” to create a more distinctive visitor offer and support local supply chains.
New media: offer training and business support services to exploit social media opportunities as a new and inexpensive route to markets.
Bookability: increase the online visibility and bookability by working with agencies and operators who take commission on bookings yet potentially deliver genuine new business to the area.
Ambassadors: ensure that accommodation owners and operators can act as local visitor ambassadors, recognising the high churn rate of businesses as they dip in and dip out of the market particularly AirBnB operators. To encourage more ‘Superhosts’ in the AirBnB sector.
Welcome :To establish a Welcome Surrey Hills programme that engages businesses, organizations, local communities and volunteers.
Equestrian support: To provide specific business support to the equestrian sector including mentoring, training on marketing, digital skills and business management. Recommendations - Business Support (con)
Event planner: create a comprehensive and visible calendar of events for existing and potential event organisers – linked to a signposting service covering aspects such as regulations, sponsorship and promotion to visitors.
Volunteers: gather a clear understanding of the business support needs of those in the voluntary sector (especially community events and charitable trust attractions) including quality control and visitor expectations, volunteer recruitment and retention plus opportunities for diversification.
Volunteers: encourage networking between people and organisations in the voluntary sector to share knowledge and best practice (especially amongst those connected to temporary exhibitions, events and open days).
Accreditation: encourage appropriate local businesses to participate in the national Cyclists Welcome and / or Walkers Welcome accreditation schemes and act as ambassadors for cyclists and walkers - which encompasses special facilities and services, bespoke food arrangements and information provision, with subsequent joint promotions to encourage overnight business - linking up with accommodation, cafes, pubs and attractions.
Farm Diversifications: to offer specific support to farms and landowners on the potential for diversification into visitor economy related activities.
Labour Supply: to work with local colleges to ensure that the training and qualifications available meet the skill needs of rural tourism businesses. Recommendations - Marketing & Communication
Marketing Leadership: to establish the most effective brand that reflects the true rural offer of the area and has the capability of significantly raising the profile to attract domestic and international visitors. Then ensure it is used consistently and appropriately by local businesses and relevant local, regional and national organisations.
Connectivity: acknowledge and add to the voice across East Surrey for comprehensive and state-of-the- art broadband coverage for all local businesses plus prospective and actual visitors is essential if East Surrey Brand Values wishes to compete in the global visitor economy.
Global brands: exploit the role of local iconic events such as the Epsom Derby and PrudentialRide that Distinctive: high quality give the area a global reach. image of rural Surrey Bookable Product: to ensure that bookable product, once developed for the area, is supported and distributed via the most effective means. High quality: the best of Places to stay: ensure accommodation providers including Sharing Economy providers, have ready access to up-to-date visitor information which can be supplied to visitors through leaflets and displays, its kind virtually through online channels and through personal recommendations from front-line staff.
Distinctiveness: build the profile across East Surrey of genuine local food and drink, artisan produce, local Enhancing: landscapes, history and heritage and great outdoors. life and business Local events: develop stronger links between professional rural event organisers and quality rural accommodation providers to create themed short break packages. Fun: positively engaging Routes to market: take advantage of the established and proven routes to market – such as TSE, Visit England / Visit Britain and Gatwick Airport to reach overseas segments particularly in near Europe and the its communities, visitors USA and maximise opportunities of any further programmes of the Discover England Fund. and business
BIDs: combine with, recognise and support the role of the Business Improvement District town centre partnerships in the area to maximise resources in raising the profile of the rural areas. Community VICE Model Visitor
Industry Environment