Destination Management Critical Issues Louise Stewart Partnerships and Performance Director
Destination Management Plans – Quick recap • Vision for the area all of the aspects that make up the destinations offer; - needs of businesses, infrastructure development, public realm, quality improvement, product gaps in the offer, market opportunities • A shared statement of intent for a given period of time about how the destination will be managed, developed and promoted • Identifies the opportunities and threats • Identifies the roles of the different local stakeholders and what they will do to deliver the aims and actions in the plan
The role of the Destination Management Organisation • An organisation or group of organisations that are focused on the growth of the local visitor economy • Not one organisation can complete all the functions in one place (or places) • Destination management organisations are about partnerships (public/ private and 3 rd sector) • The “glue” that brings it all together
The Destination Management Plan • Most destinations in England have developed a plan • Good destination plans are far more than plans to promote the destination – balanced and holistic plans • Signage, information, training, public toilets • Those that have are able to demonstrate to wider stakeholders such as Local Enterprise Partnerships, wider business community, local community and Local Authorities their aims objectives and plans • Cumbria Tourism have developed a plan with their partners
Current pressures Poor summer weather • Global and National Economic situation - VAT at 20% • Access to finance for businesses still difficult • Difficult trading environment - Fuel costs rising & budget • conscious customers Squeezing the private sector • Local Authority – severe budget cuts • Increased charges for parking, boat moorings Limited funds for events and festivals Public sector cuts means grant support will be reduced • Focus on short term growth and jobs • Increased pressure to market and promote and less on • management
What is the prognosis? • Maintenance of tourism infrastructure will be reduced further • Competitiveness? • Quality of product? • Visitor Experience? • Repeat visitors? • Destination reputation? • Visitor numbers? • Heads in beds and bums on seats? • Business and community prosperity?
• How long will it be before you can see the impact? • What will be the tell tale signs? • Can you prevent this from happening and how? • Or will you be able to respond quick enough to take remedial action when it happens?
Solutions?
National • Sharing information between destinations • Looking at other funding mechanisms – T/BIDs • New financial instruments – Enterprise Zones • Other funding streams • Looking at lessons from other areas/sectors/overseas • Not easy solutions, will take time to develop and deliver and won’t suit everywhere
Local • Cumbria Tourism • The Partnership • Advocacy & evidence to keep supporting tourism infrastructure • Makes the destination management plan even more important • Perhaps revise to take account of these issues • Have a plan in place to take remedial action
• What can the Tourism Partnership do? - Collectively - Individually
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