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03 COTSWOLD EDGE AND SEVERN VALE A u g u s t 2019 TOURISM NETWORK

The Cotswold Edge & Severn Vale Tourism Network this issue Tourism in is Stop Press - Government Industrial Strategy: the Tourism Deal P.1 worth an estimated £1 billion Behind the Scenes P.2/3 annually to the local economy and attracts in excess of 16 What’s Coming Up P.3 million visitors. News Update P.2/3 Marketing on a Budget P.4 Established in 2016 in response to the growing need Government Industrial Strategy Tourism Deal to provide a focus for all tourism related organisations The recently published Industrial Strategy The full text of the Tourism Sector Deal is at: in the area, create a specific Tourism Deal has created a wave of https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ marketable tourism product to excitement and anticipation, right across support and reach new tourism-sector-deal the tourism and visitor economy sector. markets and broaden the So, what does it mean for us? When we range of opportunities for What is the Tourism Deal, I hear you ask? began to develop our own Tourism Strategy tourist businesses to attract some 3 years ago, our biggest challenge was more visitors to the area and In fact, what is the Industrial Strategy? The extend the visitor season, the Strategy was launched by the grandly the fragmented nature of tourism at every Network now has over 50 named Department for Business, Energy level, from individual businesses right members. and Industrial Strategy in November 2017 through to the local councils, tourism and as a vision to transform the UK economy by destination management bodies and even Who are we? building on the “significant economic the national organisations. As a local strengths, improving productivity and Network we’ve tried to build partnerships and Membership is open to any making the most of the UK’s untapped relationships across all of these diverse organisation with a role in potential in innovation, one of Britain’s interests to gather strength from working developing or promoting greatest historic legacies”. together to deliver a better visitor tourism including local experience. businesses, local councils More on the Strategy can be found at: and individuals involved in https://www.gov.uk/government/topical- Surprise, surprise the main thrust of the running, supporting, training Tourism Deal is just that. However, there are and marketing the tourism events/the-uks-industrial-strategy some important new initiatives including the offering. So what is the Tourism Deal? In order to rollout of two new T level courses to help deliver the Strategy, Government proposed deliver the hospitality and tourism workers of the establishment of a raft of partnerships the future and creation of 5 new pilot between themselves and the industries, on “Tourism Zones” to address the “failure of sector – specific issues to create significant local markets in the visitor economy”. opportunities to boost productivity, We’ll be focussing on the detail of the Deal employment, innovation and skills. at our next Network Event in September. Tourism is the latest of the industrial sector Dursley Town Council kindly Driving Tourism and

provide admin support for the deals to be published. Mike StuddenEconomic, Chairman Development Network. Cotswold Edge & Severn Vale Tourism Network The Cotswold Edge Behind the Scenes & Severn Vale The decision to close the The Network Event at Coordinating & NEWS UPDATE Cattle County only Council funded Visitor Driving Awareness Information Centre at the Wotton Walking Our December Network Subscription Rooms in From the outset we Meeting last year at Cattle , was a blow to recognised that a major part Festival 2019 Country near Berkeley, was maintaining, developing of our problem in developing tourism in our The 3rd Wotton Walking well attended and despite and promoting tourism. area is that we don’t Festival was held from 10th - the inclement weather promote ourselves very 12th May. The walkers enjoyed attracted a large number of Closure was apparently well. great weather, with one new and existing Members. travelling 100 miles to take linked to the decision to

part! The walks, which varied transfer the running of the If we are to succeed then in interest, length and difficulty, Our focus was to create new Subscription Rooms to we need to make the world took place in and around partnerships around the Stroud Town Council, out there know that we exist Wotton and the surrounding area, to enhance and saving £500,000. and are ready to do villages and towns. broaden the visitor business. The next Festival will take experience through joined As a token gesture, in place 15th -17th May 2020. up working. Some exciting www.wottonwalkingfestival.com March the Market Towns in Our Business Strategy ideas were put forward and the district were given the recognises that there are by introducing businesses to opportunity to apply for a countless organisations and our embryo local hubs, we one off grant payment of individuals involved in the were able to generate £2,000 for the tourism industry and seeks specific and very practical development of tourist to create channels through

proposals for development information. which we can work together The Dursley Walking during the coming months. with others toward common Festival 2019 is taking In our area Dursley, aims. place on 2nd to 6th In theory, the local hubs will Berkeley and Wotton- October. Details at: put you in touch with under-Edge have all been The uncertainty over the www.dursleywelcomeswalkers.org businesses and other awarded the grant future role of Stroud District Cotswold organisations close to your payment following Council in driving the location, to share successful applications. tourism and visitor economy Gateway Towns information, ideas and locally is of grave concern. Wotton and Dursley are set to visitor feedback and Critically, however, the become Cotswold Gateway critically to offer wider shared tourism officer post However, Gloucestershire Towns. This follows successful access to those businesses. at the District has been First Local Economic bids for inclusion in the deleted and the Partnership (GFirst LEP) Cotswold Gateway Project, We see this informal which is being coordinated by postholders made has now established a the Cotswold Conservation structure perhaps leading to redundant. Tourism and Visitor Board and funded by the Rural “local networks” and this will Economy Business Group Development Programme for be followed up at the next This leaves us with no focal with clear objectives to England. Network Meeting in point for tourism at Stroud “ensure Gloucestershire is a This is great news for our area September. and uncertainty as to how vibrant year round as there will be a selection of the District will maintain the destination for visitors of all high quality, waymarked, Lobbying website pages and profiles ages both global and circular walking and cycling of the towns and villages domestic, offering a variety routes with which residents and Last year we reported on our around the area, which is a of activities and visitors can explore the area. invitation to give evidence to key source of information experiences, so that tourism Stroud District Council’s New Car Park for potential visitors. makes a significant task and finish group on the contribution to the in Dursley future of tourism support. We are currently seeking to economic, social and A new free long stay car park The Group completed its has opened in Dursley, clarify the situation with the environmental sustainability evidence gathering phase benefitting shoppers and District Council. of the Gloucestershire and reported to the full visitors. It is situated on Long economy”. Street, on the Cotswold Way. council in December 2018.

The Cotswold Edge & Severn Vale

NEWS UPDATE

Market Town There are lots of hidden gems in our area GFirst LEP Tourism & Visitor Grants which if judiciously promoted would bring in Economy Business Group Following Stroud District new visitors and help to establish longer Whilst the remit of the new Business Group Council’s review of the Tourism stays through themed breaks and other encompasses the whole of the County of Service, all of the Market Town offers. it was felt that we should be able Councils in the district were given the opportunity to apply Eating & Drinking Map to represent the interests of our Network for a one off grant payment of Area and we’ve successfully lobbied for a Last year the Network Steering Group £2000 for the development of voice in the Group. Network Chairman, considered a proposal to support the tourist information. In our area Mike Studden and Stroud District Councillor development of a visitor map of eating and Dursley, Berkeley and Wotton- Gordon Craig, who is also a Member of the drinking venues in the area for distribution under-Edge have all been awarded the grant payment. Network, represent your interests. locally.

The working model for the Business Group Since the Network functions without funds Passenger and relies on the goodwill of Members for emulates the successful development of Information strategies for other industrial groups such meeting venues and administrative support, Gloucestershire County Council as manufacturing and education, which it was agreed that it could only be delivered is currently looking into installing focus on bringing together funds and as a self funding project with costs covered a real time passenger resources from local and central by advertising on the map itself. information system (RTPI) at government and funnelling them to key Cam and Dursley rail station The map has been designed by a local artist and the May Lane bus station at areas to stimulate action. and sales of advertising space have Dursley.

The last meeting took place in mid June, the commenced well. A draft has been passed This news was welcomed by the first of a number of joint meetings with the to the printer for mocking up and will soon Cam and Dursley Retail and High Street Board. Tourism be ready for print and distribution. Transportation Group who have been seeking improvements to brings footfall to ailing high streets so If you are interested in the project the there’s a natural connection. With the transport facilities and services contact is Vicky Jennings in the area. publication of the Tourism Sector Deal and [email protected] 01453 549996 / the prospect of bidding for Tourism Zone 07973 890477. status, this will become an important partnership. What’s coming up

Network Projects Network Meeting Event Profiling Our Area 4th September 2019, 7pm Right at the outset of the Network, we set Kingshill House, Dursley out to create profiles for all of the main Marketing Gloucester will be attending to The group successfully worked towns and villages in the area to highlight give a presentation on their work and with Great Western Rail, the many hidden offerings and secret Digital Marketing. There will also be Rednock photography students attractions to draw visitors to our local area. information on the new Industrial Strategy and Councils to get new boards and Tourism Deal – how do we benefit? and We already have a number of these featuring 9 local scenic views also Visit England’s latest business to which are now on display at the completed and on line (see the ‘contacting business online platform launch. Don’t station to welcome visitors. us’ section). Miss Out! Email to book your free place: [email protected] Berkeley We also established a number of topics that will be used to develop similar data sets of Contacting us. Heritage Railway information for future publicity and Find Network information and documents at: In April 2019 the Vale of http://www.dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk/docum promotion. These include heritage and Berkeley Railway Project was ents.html?tag=tourism featured in the Steam Railway history, accommodation, attractions and To join the Network or comment on issues magazine, new fund raising pursuits and similar fields to attract the raised ring Dursley Town Council on activities have also recently unsuspecting visitor and help to plan trips 01453 547758 or Email: been launched. For news see to the area. [email protected] www.valeofberkeleyrailway.co.uk

Marketing on a Budget – Part 1

Behind the setting up of the Cotswold Social media has now been accepted as Setting up a dedicated website for Edge and Severn Vale Tourism a cheap and effective means of your business is also a very Network, some 3 years ago, was the spreading the word. There are however effective means of getting to your clear understanding that we needed limitations to the accessibility of potential potential customers. to get out there and set out our stall customers and the need to effectively for the visitors that we rely on to bring manage the comments that it can There are costs involved and in the income. The process of generate from users. content needs to be kept up to marketing is a thoroughly well date, but a simple site can grow grounded industry worth billions Facebook is freely open to anyone and into something more sophisticated globally. in its searchable form, the starting point as income increases. for reaching out to the masses. For small businesses, especially in Hard copy brochures can also still The limitation however, is in the ability of tourism and hospitality, the process provide a shop window for your users to see your posting in that they can be daunting and the cost of doing wares but obviously have a much have to be part of your “group” or friend it professionally and efficiently can be more local distribution in some circle. Last year Gordon Craig, one of our beyond the capacity of the budget, cases. For example “What’s on in Network Members, set up a trial especially in early years as income is Cam, Dursley & District” is Facebook page with the descriptor Royal grown. distributed free to households in Gloucestershire Tourism to demonstrate the area by Vale Vision This short piece aims to set out some the process. His first principle was to use Development Trust Ltd of the options, starting with self help a title that would be thrown up widely in (www.valevision.org.uk) and is and touches on other options for searches, hence the “Royal” post script. published quarterly. A mixture of established businesses. In its first year the page had thousands of information and paid advertising, it hits from around the UK. Whilst not yet Word also appears on the information of Social commercial, its been used to highlight Media point at many venues. Mouth events throughout our area.

Local Another splendid illustration of the power Another commercial publication, Marketing Press Website of Facebook is the Berkeley Castle pages “The Local Answer” is distributed Email and they thrive on the key principle that throughout Gloucestershire, & Leaflets there’s got to be something new to attract , and News viewers which means updating the page Gloucester City and reaches an audience of over 150,000 In essence, the first step is identifying daily in season and frequently at other households. Find out more at our market, getting to potential times. Bit of effort required there but well www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk customers and setting out what you worth the time. are offering them. Instagram is another social media tool Online, the SoGlos Newsletter is a

Having decided who we’re trying to that is free and easy to use. The platform weekly email offering a mix of reach out to, we need to look at the is a visual one so all you have to do is set events, reviews, news and conduits for getting the message out up a public profile and start by uploading advertising and goes out weekly to there. some good photos and searchable subscribers. Have a look at hashtags. As with Facebook it needs a https://sopublishing.com/tag/newsl So how do we try and get that regular supply of posts. etter/

It has a worldwide reach and is used daily message out? The websites for some of our local by 500 million people, 1 billion every Town and Parish Councils also Word of mouth works well for a truly month. Ideal for the tourism industry have useful calendar and ‘What’s local audience since there’s nothing when promoting an area or place to visit. on’ pages for local events e.g. better than recommendations from a More and more of our local businesses https://www.dursleytowncouncil.go satisfied customer, telling the next are using it in their marketing tool box e.g. v.uk/local-events.html door neighbor or work colleagues. Cattle Country, Woodchester Valley

However, the visitor business relies Vineyards, The Berkeley Tea Rooms, In the next edition we’ll cover much more on footfall from further Owlpen Manor. Cotswold Tourism and look at afield. niche marketing.