Transcript Marchnata Gogledd Cymru / Marketing North Wales Dewi

WAVA CONFERENCE
22 OCTOBER 2012
DAN-YR-OGOF CAVES
• Why WAVA needs to be re-established, and how
the RTPs can help?
• Visit Wales - Our contribution to a successful
WAVA.
• A review of the 2012 season.
• Looking forward to 2013? Facts and figures on
Welsh tourism, and how the attractions industry
fits into this picture.
WHY WAVA NEEDS TO BE REESTABLISHED, AND HOW THE RTPS
CAN HELP?
Wales Attractions Characteristics:
• Location
• Constant Improvement
• Quality
• Promotion
• Footfall
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Conrad Hilton: “You need three things for a
successful business - location, location,
location.”
Wales Attractions: Peripheral, Rural, and
Surrounded by sea
CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT
Adrian Barsby: “There are no quick fixes in
an economic downturn. But it’s still possible
for tourism businesses to succeed if they
commit to constant improvement.”
Wales Attractions: Slow Reinvestment
REFLECT ON WINNERS AND
LOSERS 2012
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•
•
•
•
•
On par
-5%
-10%
-15%
More than 15% down
Who was up and why?
QUALITY, QUALITY, QUALITY
Adrian Barsby: “A homage to the quote from
Conrad Hilton ie “You need three things for a
successful business - location, location,
location.” But it seems to me that quality is
even more important, especially in difficult
times.”
Wales Attractions: Product? People?
PROMOTION
•Fragmented?
•Agreed Marketing Framework?
•Sufficient exposure for Attractions v
landscape?
•Strong strategic PR function?
•Sufficient emphasis on Big Tickets / Icons?
•Too many marketing areas?
•Have we the right Marketing Mix?
•Traditional v new media.
FOOTFALL, FOOTFALL, FOOTFALL
WAVA has been dormant for a number of
years. So why call a meeting now?
Because Footfall is down – what can be
done to redress Footfall?
Address Location, Constant Improvement,
Quality, Promotion, Footfall
BENEFITS OF RE-ESTABLISHING
WAVA
• To address the issues of Location, Constant
Improvement, Quality, Promotion, Footfall
• Get organised
• The common thread here is that attractions, at the heart
of these structures are all suffering.
• A more focussed unambiguous message for attractions
• A united group of attractions would provide a voice for
the sector and wider industry
• Pool funds and resources to appoint a secretariat to
serve the attractions
WHAT COULD THE NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION ACHIEVE?
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Better communication (public/private and internal)
A secretariat to manage administrative procedures
Clarity of attractions role and needs
Coordination of funding and efforts
Better dispersal of visitors
Develop tools such as an attractions pass?
A shared customer database
Trade body to represent attraction stakeholders to
strategically influence
• Improved business performance
• Engage in destination management planning
BEING PROACTIVE IN PROMOTION
• A challenge in the context of Visit Wales operating on a
reduced budget
• Provide more support for consortia and fund marketing
activities over the border
• Activities such as familiarisation visits (trade bodies and
press experiencing attractions first hand) would improve
information dissemination and profile
• Better understanding of the markets, residents, staying
visitors, day visitors
• Improving Wales' competitiveness in the market place
FUNDAMENTAL REASONS
• Accelerate reinvestment – achieve constant
improvement
• Benchmark standards with other attractions
• Quality standards should be the concern of
individual attractions and staff
• Training could be an area of focus but uptake is
traditionally low
• Improving communication
• Increase visitor numbers overall
• Increase member attractions footfall
HOW THE RTPS CAN HELP?
• Current Activity
• Future Activity
TOURISM PARTNERSHIP NORTH WALES
•Research activity - Consortium Review by Moffat Centre, Attractions’ Consumer
Research
• Attractions Learning Journeys - NE England, South Wales, Belfast/ NI
•Reduce marketing – effective / reducing marketing costs for attractions
•Place stronger emphasis on publicising North Wales Big Tickets - To secure day
visitors to the larger attractions in North Wales
•Fund Great Days Out aggregate print run and distribution over the border
•Strategic PR through consortia eg Attractions of Snowdonia - Webber Shandwick
•Attractions North Wales consortia meeting every 4 months - Best Practice
•Web site http://www.attractionsnorthwales.co.uk sourcing 200k unique visits pa
•Destination Management Partnerships – improving the overall visitor experience
•Push for QR coding on attractions leaflets
•Push for online ticketing and evaluating Web Ticket Manager software system.
•Promoting WiFi at attractions.
TOURISM PARTNERSHIP MID WALES
•Currently support for attractions in Mid Wales takes place as part of TPMW
and its partners programmes for support for businesses, currently this
includes:
•Skills support via Medrwn and other partners
•Marketing ( esp. development of new media and online marketing)
• Free Press and PR opportunities via TPMW contracts
•Grant support for business development, IT and interpretation, environmental
efficiency.
•Developing a better locally sourced food offer ( Attractions to be focussed on
under this year’s MWLFT Programme)
•General support and communication via TPMWs Industry Communication
Network contract with MWT
•Attractions are part of all the Destination Development and Community
Programmes and Initiatives on going throughout the region.
CAPITAL REGION
•Support is mainly channeled through Southern Wales Attractions Partnership
(SWAP)
•SWAP includes public, private and voluntary attractions – membership
currently 65
•Financial support from CRT directed towards secretariat; professionalization;
visitor research; development of gardens product
•SWAP now integrating with Southern Wales campaign and administration
•Information on special events held at attractions distributed through
www.southernwalesevents.co.uk
•All attractions can access CRT Skills support
•SWAP and Cardiff Bay Partnership represent the sector on South East Wales
Tourism Forum (with channel through to WTA)
•Attraction-specific research e.g. case study and ‘toolkit’ on improving catering
offer at attractions
SOUTH WEST WALES TOURISM
PARTNERSHIP
VISITOR FIGURES 2011
GBTS figures for overnight trips to the 4 regions are:
• North 3.419 million
• Mid
1.433 million
• SW
2.243 million
• SE
2.452 million
Day Visits 2011 (from GB Day Visits Survey):
• North 26 million
3.7 million Overall visits Attractions
• Mid
10 million
1.7 million by region 2011 - VW
• SW
21 million
4.7 million
• SE
43 million
5.8 million
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2013
•
•
•
•
•
•
On par
-5%
-10%
-15%
More than 15% down
Who will be up and why?
Best Practice
Potential Lessons for NW
Attractions Consortia
Demonstrated through
Application to NW Consortia
Communication
Staying in touch with other consortia
Building formal communications mechanisms
Communication with (and understanding the
shared aims of) existing attractions consortia
to develop a common language towards
greater pan regional partnership activities.
Shared responsibility
Seek out mutually beneficial projects
Seek out economies of scale
Market each others products and services
Active joint marketing of attractions promotions
and product. Efficiencies can be achieved in
membership fees which may be lowered as a
result of combining resources throughout
attractions.
Commitment
Build a collaborative spirit and spread
responsibility for making it work
Commitment from above is crucial. Where
support comes from is important
Focus on the top 5 positive pan-regional
common purposes and develop these (take
focus away from what cannot be done and turn
towards what can be).
Organisation
Clarity concerning ‘who does what’
Consider an umbrella or coordinating structure
Maintain a narrow focus on what your
organisation does well
Work with consortia not individual attractions
A forum could be tabled to narrow the focus of
a pan-regional initiative with clearly designated
responsibilities.
Centralise governance of the consortia
perhaps through the appointment of a
secretariat to support one main consortium, or
all existing consortia.
Communicate any message of change through
existing consortia and the public sector and set
the scene for change.
Potential Lessons for NW
Attractions Consortia
Best Practice
Demonstrated through
Application to NW
Consortia
Finances
Refocus funding
Determine who has the funding and
who is most likely to do the work (these
are not necessarily the same
organisations)
Centralise administration of the
consortium and identify change leaders
to channel funds wisely.
Print V Web Based Marketing
• Both crucial to remain competitive and have broad audience appeal (each
attracts a response)
• Some success from initiatives such as Ten Top’s Cheque Book system
• Attractions pass scheme tentatively raises some interest (proceed with
consultation)
• Explanation of infrastructure could come from experts in this field
• Members could pay a subscription according to visitation or location
Print V Web Based Marketing
• The sheer volume and variety of consortia leaflets and marketing
materials is likely to confuse visitors.
• Take care not to dilute the offer of individual attractions but…
• Raise the region’s profile
• Agree and pilot an infrastructure (benefits to free attractions include
expenditure on retail and food and increased profile)
• More focus on television campaigns
TPNW Websites Unique Visitor Targets 2009/2012 -