Transcript Document

RURAL TOURISM
NETWORKS: THE TOOLKIT
Empowering the small rural business
Melanie Thompson-Glen
International Trade Adviser
UKTI (North East England)
1. Tourism in NE England
2. The need for Visitor Networks
3. Setting up a Visitor Network
4. Current Situation
6. Case Studies
TOURISM IN
NORTH EAST
ENGLAND
Tourism in England
Central Government
VisitBritain
(Promotion of Britain)
Regional Development Agencies
(Promotion of regions)
Area Tourism Partnerships
(Promotion of sub-regions)
Private associations &
Tourism Networks
(Arrangements in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are slightly
different)
The industrial areas (10%
of Region) have a population
of 2,3m
The rural areas (90%)
have 200,000
The urban areas obtain
40% of their tourism income
from international visitors
The rural areas 10%
Therefore UKTI focuses
on rural tourism:
hiking, cycling, golf,
hunting, gardens, self-drive
Industrial
areas
TOURISM STATISTICS
 In 2006 8.6 million overnight tourists visited the region.
 Tourism contributes £3.4 billion to the regional
economy.
 71,000 jobs in the region are tourism related
But....
 Tourism is still highly seasonal – 1/3 of visitors between
July – September.
 In rural areas:
 Almost 100% of businesses are micro businesses
 86% of tourism businesses are linked to agriculture
THE NEED FOR
VISITOR
NETWORKS
The Challenge
• Rural tourism businesses felt that the Tourist
Board did not promote them and concentrated on
the icons in the region
Our icons
Newcastle Quayside
Our icons
Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman empire’s frontier (World Heritage Site)
Our icons
Bamburgh Castle and the east coast
Our icons
Alnwick Castle (Harry Potter’s Hogwarts)
Our icons
Durham Cathedral (World Heritage Site)
The challenge
 Nearly 100% of providers to the visitor industry are
micro-businesses
 They are not marketable in their own right
 The greengrocer is as important to the visitor
experience as a hotel, but doesn’t realise that he is in
the visitor industry
 There are many potential visitors who are looking for an
authentic community experience, but have no means of
locating one
The solution
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Small businesses who are not near the icons, and who feel
ignored by the tourism authorities, must stand up and market
themselves
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Unlike those in cities they have the potential to offer an
authentic community experience
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Our solution is to facilitate a network of local businesses,
creating a marketable mini-destination for the first time

And so in November 2001 the Wild Redesdale Visitor Network
was born
SETTING UP A VISITOR
NETWORK
Setting up a Network
Key elements for success are:
 Small group of committed people
 A big idea – must be achievable
 Public meeting - to sell the network concept, to share
the idea and recruit members
 First Network meeting – to vote in committee and
decide priorities for the Network
 Co-ordinator
Setting up a network (2)
All Visitor Networks follow the same basic structure which
has been perfected over the past 7 years.
 Set up to be self sustaining within 2 years
 Constitution which includes
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Name of the network
Aims
Membership
Meetings
Voting
Finance
 Have a bank account
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Steering Group
Members represent all the sectors within that areas tourism
eg Accommodation, activities, artists, food producers
Setting up a network (3)
 Meetings
– 4 Public meetings per annum. All members and potential
members to be invited
– Steering Group Meetings – as required
 Membership Fee
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Co-ordinator
The Co-ordinator’s role is to:
• Communication between members – newsletters
• Develop members ideas into functional projects
• Apply for funding
• Take forward the groups marketing plan & projects
• Liaise with other networks
• Represent ALL members when attending exhibitions, hosting
journalists etc
Benefits of Networking
 Synergies of working together – all costs are shared, all
effort is shared, gains of other businesses experience
and skills
 Development of a micro destination brand
 Raise awareness of what is on offer in area both to
tourism businesses and tourists
 Encourage use of local produce
 Joint marketing strategy for destination
 marketing materials developed
 Destination Website
Benefits (2)
 Pooling of resources
 Eligibility for grants
 Mutual Support
 Group training and best practice sharing
 Linking with other networks in the region
 Increased Profits
 Provides visibility & communication channel to tourism
authorities
Op Pad 2004
Difficulties
 Finding the right leader
 Finding at least 6 committed people with vision
 Identifying the Big Idea
 Overcoming tribalism
 Maintaining internal communication
 Retaining members’ loyalty
 Funding
 Above all, the need for a Co-ordinator after the first
year
The birth of our networks
 Wild Redesdale started with 32 businesses and now has
81 (including the Catholic church)
 Since then 17 more visitor networks have been created,
of which four have died
 They died because of too much public sector
involvement, or through absence of leadership
 In the next two years about 10 more will be created
CURRENT SITUATION
Eyemouth Harbour (Scotland)
Current Networks
Belford
Communities
Activities
Jedburgh
(Scotland)
Dunstanburgh Golf Network
Sector Networks
Amble Marina
W Redesdale
 Cycling
 Activities
Brampton
(Cumbria)
Greenhead
Chollerford
North Shields Marina
Corbridge
Allendale
Weardale
Hartlepool Marina
Teesdale
Sail East
Coast UK
Current situation
 Currently 14 active networks
 Two specific activity - Links golf and Sailing
 Two Regional Sector Networks – Cycling and Outdoor
activities
 The Sector Networks have an additional responsibility to
lobby the regional development agency and Area
Tourism Partnerships on behalf of their members
CASE STUDIES
WILD REDESDALE
Wild Redesdale
Wild Redesdale
 Redesdale is the area at the very North of the region,
bordering with Scotland. The area is very rural, with
both National Park and Army training areas within the
boundaries of the network.
 Launched November 2001
 Initially had 32 members, now has 81
 Members include:
– hotels
Otterburn Tower
Wild Redesdale
 Launched November 2001
 Initially had 32 members, now has 81
 Members include:
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Hotels
B&B
Campsites
Farmers
Activities
Food producers
Artists
Crafts
Visitor Attractions
Wild Redesdale
Wild Redesdale
Marketing Materials & Activities
 Destination Brochure
– Translated into Dutch & German
Wild Redesdale
Examples of Marketing Materials & Activities
 Destination Brochure
Translated into Dutch & German
 Cultural Heritage trail leaflet
 Walking trails – circular from villages
 Food Festival
 BBC Radio 4 programme about the network
 Website for the area – www.wildredesdale.co.uk
Wild Redesdale
Wild Redesdale
Examples of Marketing Materials & Activities
 Attending exhibitions in the UK and overseas
– Op Pad in the Netherlands
– The Outdoor Show – UK
– Danish Golf Fairs
 Best Practice visits
– Ireland Hotels visit 2004
– Op Pad/Netherlands
 Hosting tour operators and journalists
 Free Map
Results
 Increased business for all members
 Increased business referral between members
 Five new businesses launched
 Upskilling of all members/Training
 Less seasonality
 Increase in full time jobs
 Training for young people in the community
 Treasurer now director of Area Tourism Partnership
SAIL EAST COAST UK
Sail East Coast UK
 Four Marinas situated along the East coast, 1 in
Scotland
 Sail East Coast Network running since 2002
 Strong Competition for domestic berthing
 Co-operation for international marketing
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International marketing plan for Holland and Norway
Website www.saileastcoastuk.co.uk
Attending the UK and Dutch boat shows to promote
Bookmark – included in Dutch Pilot of NE coast
Leaflet
Targeted mailings and promotional visits to yacht clubs
Targeted advertising and editorial in yachting magazines
Joint yacht race with Norwegian yacht club in Egersund
Hosting yachting journalists
Retained marketing consultant in Netherlands for the next 3 years
to promote SECUK
Amble Marina
Results
 Increased co-operation on domestic business
 Increase in international boats to each marina – Amble
82 international yachts this season
 Most international yachts now visit all 4 marinas
 Increased length of stay
 Yacht race between NE England and Norway annually
 Yachts from Denmark in 2007
 The Network is now running without a co-ordinator and
has a Dutch yachting journalist retained until 2010
SECUK Website
Bamburgh Castle
THE PUBLICATION
The Publication
 All this was published in a booklet and
launched in 2006
 It is called “Setting Up A Rural Visitor
Network”
 It has been translated into Polish and
Hungarian
Thank You
Melanie Thompson-Glen
+44 7801 866137
[email protected]