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North Warwickshire

and

Hinckley & Bosworth Destination Management Plan

2017-2022

APPENDICES

prepared for

North Warwickshire Borough Council

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council

May 2017

ACK Tourism

Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Appendices

1. Individuals, Organisations & Businesses Consulted

2. Tourism Economic Impact Figures 2015

3. Organisational Structures, Policies, Strategies, Plans & Projects Review

4. National Tourism Market Trends & Forecasts

5. Survey of Small Accommodation Businesses

6. Visitor Market Analysis

7. Conference Venue Supply

8. Destination Marketing Review

9. Rural Tourist Accommodation Development Trends in the UK

10. Public Sector Funding of Hotel Projects

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APPENDIX 1 INDIVIDUALS, ORGANISATIONS & BUSINESSES CONSULTED

Organisation /Business Department/Role

Individual

Public Sector + Representative Bodies

North Warwickshire Borough Council Assistant Chief Exec Bob Trahern

North Warwickshire Borough Council Assistant Chief Exec Steve Maxey

North Warwickshire Borough Council Community Development Becky Evans

North Warwickshire Borough Council Community Development Rachel Stephens

North Warwickshire Borough Council LEADER Programme Emma McKay

North Warwickshire Borough Council LEADER Programme Iain Neville

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council Chief Exec Bill Cullen

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council Tourism Lindsay Orton

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council Economic Development Judith Sturley

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council Conservation Paul Grundy

Warwickshire County Council Tourism Laura Taviner

Warwickshire County Council Tourism Alex Holmes

Warwickshire County Council Market Towns Catherine Marks

Warwickshire County Council Heritage & Culture Rebecca Coles

Warwickshire County Council Market Towns Rachel Baconnet

Leicestershire County Council Economic Growth Helen Harris

Leicestershire Promotions Martin Peters

The National Forest Company Richard Drakeley

Northern Warwickshire Tourism Chair Liz Hancock

Friends of Atherstone Heritage Lorna Dirveiks

Hinckley BID Steve Wegerif

Market Bosworth Parish Council Heather Broughton

Love Coleshill

Canal & River Trust Simon Paprill

Attractions

Twycross Zoo Sharon Redrobe

Bosworth Battlefield Jane Betts

Warwickshire Country Parks Paula Cheesman

Hinckley & District Museum Phillip Lindley

Polesworth Abbey

Accommodation Businesses

Jurys Inn Hinckley Island

Sketchley Grange Hotel

Premier Inn Hinckley

Red Lion Hotel, Atherstone

Lea Marston Hotel

Brook Marston Hotel

Blue Boar Inn, Mancestter

Blue Lion, Witherley

George & Dragon, Coleshill

The Blue Bel, Desfordl

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Ye Olde Red Lion Hotel, Market Bosworth

Chapel House, Atherstone

Old Ivy House, Congerstone

Abbey Farm B&B, Merevale

The Old School House. Curdworth

Priory Farmhouse, Shustoke

Ambion Court Hotel, Dadlington

Apple Orchard Farm, Dadlington

Elsted House, Hinckley

Highfield Farm Guest House, Curdworth

Hollycroft Hotel, Hinckley

Langley Cottage Guest House, Nether

Whitacre

Mythe Farm B&B, Sheepy Magna

Springfield Guest House, Coleshill

Temple Farm B&B, Wolvey

The Chestnuts Guest House, Grendon

The Hayes Guest House, Hartshill

The Malthouse, Bentley

The Old House, Witherley

Vale Farm, Highon-on-the-Hill

Ye Old Station Guest House, Sustoke

Upper Rectory Cottages

Hipsley Farm Cottages

Donative Holiday Cottages< Warton

Polesworth Abbey, Polesworth

Sykes Barns, Hurley Common

The Gatehouse, Market Bosworth

Dandelion Hideaway Sharon Earp

Somers Wood Caravan Park

Marston Caravan Park

Festivals

Market Bosworth Arts Festival

Other

Garlands Leisure

Bosworth Marina

Roundberry Projects

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APPENDIX 2 NORTH WARWICKSHIRE AND HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH

TOURISM ECONOMIC IMPACT FIGURES 2015

North Warwickshire Tourism Volume and Value 2015

Domestic visitors Overseas visits Total

Visits (‘000s)

Staying 162 35 197

Day 1266 n/a 1266

Total 1428 35 1463

Visitor days (‘000s)

Staying 352 177 529

Day 1266 n/a 1266

Total 1618 177 1795

Spend (£m)

Staying 28.5 12.1 40.6

Day 41.7 n/a 41.7

Total 28.5 12.1 82.3

North Warwickshire Tourism Impact 2015

Direct Expenditure

Visitor expenditure £82.3m

Other spend (Second homes / spend by

host friends/relatives)

£9.3m

Total £91.6m

Tourism business turnover

Direct Turnover derived from trip

expenditure1 £86.7m

Indirect and induced turnover2 £17.3m

Total Local Business turnover £104.0m

Employment

FTEs - direct3 1210

FTEs – total4 1498

Actual jobs – direct5 1739

Actual jobs – total4 2067

Source: Economic Impact of Tourism North Warwickshire 2015, The Research Solution

Notes:

1. Business turnover broadly reflects direct expenditure but the model assumes that

some expenditure relating to travel is accrued at origin of the trip (rather than

destination) – hence the slightly lower figure

2. Spend by tourism businesses on the purchase of supplies and services locally

(indirect turnover), and spending by employees of tourism businesses (induced

turnover).

3. Full time job equivalents (FTEs) supported directly by tourism businesses

4. FTEs / Actual jobs supported by direct, indirect, and induced business turnover

5. Actual jobs includes part time and seasonal workers

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Hinckley & Bosworth Tourism Volume and Value 2015

Domestic visitors Overseas visits Total

Visits (‘000s)

Staying 207 27 234

Day 2273 n/a 2273

Total 2480 27 2507

Visitor days (‘000s)

Staying 482 253 735

Day 2273 n/a 2272

Total 2755 253 3007

Spend (£m)

Staying 36.2 14.3 50.5

Day 66.9 n/a 66.9

Total 103.1 14.3 117.4

Hinckley & Bosworth Tourism Impact 2015

Direct Expenditure

Visitor expenditure £117.4m

Other spend (Second homes / spend by

host friends/relatives)

£15.6m

Total £133.0m

Tourism business turnover

Direct Turnover derived from trip

expenditure1 £124.8m

Indirect and induced turnover2 £38.3m

Total Local Business turnover £163.1m

Employment

FTEs - direct3 1731

FTEs – total4 2441

Actual jobs – direct5 2465

Actual jobs – total4 3274

Source: Economic Impact of Tourism North Warwickshire 2015, The Research Solution

Notes:

1. Business turnover broadly reflects direct expenditure but the model assumes the some

expenditure relating to travel is accrued at origin of the trip (rather than destination) –

hence the slightly lower figure

2. Spend by tourism businesses on the purchase of supplies and services locally (indirect

turnover), and spending by employees of tourism businesses (induced turnover).

3. Full time job equivalents (FTEs) supported directly by tourism businesses

4. FTEs / Actual jobs supported by direct, indirect, and induced business turnover

5. Actual jobs includes part time and seasonal workers

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APPENDIX 3

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES, POLICIES, STRATEGIES, PLANS & PROJECTS

REVIEW

Joint Working – North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth

North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth Destination Management Plan

North Warwickshire Borough Council secured £45,393 in November 2015 from the European

Agricultural Fund for the production and delivery of a 5-year Destination Management Plan

for North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth. The purpose of the Destination

Management Plan(DMP) will be to:

Set the strategic direction for a range of stakeholders involved in destination

management, marketing and development across the two local authority areas;

Provide a robust base of evidence on which to base future decisions;

Reduce duplication and make better use of available funding and staff resources;

Improved the tourism product of the combined area;

Increase visitor numbers and spend;

Inform private sector investment decisions in terms of the expansion and

development of existing tourism businesses and the establishment of new ones to plug

gaps in current provision;

Inform public sector interventions to support tourism growth;

Increase and improve tourism employment;

Better promote clusters of attractions across the area;

Market the area more effectively to attract visitors;

Create an effective delivery structure that will harness and maintain stakeholder

commitment;

Guide the assessment of tourism applications that come forward for funding under

the ‘England’s Rural Heart’ LEADER Programme that covers the two council areas (see

below).

Consultants ACK Tourism were commissioned in December 2016 to develop the Destination

Management Plan. A consultant (Angela Baines) has been appointed to progress the

implementation of the DMP from May 2017, working 2 days per week for a year.

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England’s Rural Heart LEADER Programme – Local Development Strategy

The Local Development Strategy sets out the strategic priorities, targets and indicative

projects for the allocation of the England’s Rural Heart Programme funding through until

2020. The Strategy sets out seven strategic priorities, three of which are of direct relevance to

the development of tourism in the LEADER area:

Priority 2: Building and reinforcing micro and small enterprises and supporting farm

Diversification

Priority 3: Enhancing the rural visitor economy

Priority 5: Support for cultural and heritage activity

The targets for each of these priorities are as follows:

Priority/Measure Total

Grant

Amount

£

Number

of

Projects

Number

of Existing

Businesses

Supported

Number of

New

Businesses

Supported/

Benefitting

Additional

Overnight

Stays

FTE Jobs

Created

Jobs

Safeguarded

Priority 2/Measure 4 Investment in Physical Assets

281.616 23 10 10 24 10

Priority 2/ Measure 6 Improvements in business

productivity

275,000 17 14 23 14

Priority 3/Measure 4 Investment in Physical Assets

125,000 4 2 2 200 p.a. 6 8

Priority 3/ Measure 6 Improvements in business

productivity

123,308 4 2 2 300 p.a. 4 8

Priority 3/Measure 7 Basic services and village renewal

30,000 1 1 2

Priority 5/Measure 7 Basic services and village renewal

139,154 5 30 3 6

Indicative projects under Priority 3 for Rural Tourism include:

Destination marketing co-ordination and website development;

Improvements to existing attractions;

Refurbishment of existing accommodation;

New visitor attractions e.g. children’s farm attractions;

New tourist accommodation e.g. self-catering and disabled camping facilities;

Visitor trail development;

Connecting visitor facilities into a visitor attraction system, focused on Bosworth

Battlefield, Roman Mancetter, and Tudor history;

Visitor information, signage and interpretation;

Enabling small accommodation and restaurant providers to capitalise on business

tourism opportunities.

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Projects that have come forward so far include the expansion of an existing B&B business,

new facilities at two visitor attractions, and some new accommodation developments.

Indicative projects under Priority 5 (Culture and Heritage Activity) include:

The establishment of a local craft network;

The development of a festivals and events programme;

Linking and upgrading heritage sites.

North Warwickshire

North Warwickshire Borough Council

North Warwickshire Borough Council recognises the importance of tourism to the Borough,

but has no dedicated tourism budget or staff resource at present. It’s current focus for

supporting tourism in the Borough is on the development and implementation of the

Destination Management Plan for North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth, which it is

leading, and the implementation of the England’s Rural Heart LEADER Programme (see

below), which it is managing. It is also undertaking work in Atherstone and Polesworth to

begin the process of implementing the Visitor Action Plans for the two towns that were

developed by consultants in 2016. Previous tourism interventions have been project-driven as

external funding has been secured. Most projects have not been sustained once the funding

has come to an end.

Northern Warwickshire Tourism

Northern Warwickshire Tourism (NWT) is a volunteer run association of tourism businesses and

interests in North Warwickshire and Nuneaton & Bedworth that aims to raise the profile of

Northern Warwickshire as a place to visit and stay. It has been established for 14 years,

currently has around 70 members, and operates on an annual budget of £4-5,000. NWT

produces a Visit Northern Warwickshire printed guide every two years, operates the Visit

Northern Warwickshire website, and runs some social media activity through Facebook and

Twitter. All work is progressed by a core team of volunteers. NWT receives no public sector

support currently, either in terms of financial contributions or officer time, other than in terms

of attendance at NWT meetings and occasional advice. Warwickshire County Council has

previously provided some core funding, but is not doing so at present.

Discussions with NWT members show that they value the networking opportunities that NWT

provides, and that the Visit Northern Warwickshire guide is useful for staying visitors in terms of

giving them ideas and information on what they can see and do during their stay in the

area.

The key challenge for NWT is that the organisation is run entirely by volunteers, all of whom

have other responsibilities, and limitations therefore on the time that they can devote to NWT

activity. The association has identified that it needs some form of dedicated staff resource to

help it to recruit new members and sustain its activities. It is currently looking at recruiting

somebody to work for a day a week.

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Atherstone and Polesworth Visitor Audits

Tourism Consultant Alison Caffyn completed Visitor Audits for Atherstone and Polesworth for

Warwickshire County Council and North Warwickshire Borough Council in May 2016. They

included online/digital marketing audits to assess how each town currently communicates its

offer to visitors via websites, apps and downloadable print; a mystery visitor audit, and a half-

day workshop with local stakeholders. The Audits conclude with Visitor Action Plan Top Tens

for each town as follows:

Atherstone Visitor Action Plan Top Ten

1. The development of a new Atherstone visitor website and new brand for the town.

2. Encouraging the shops and eating places to all work together on promotional

activity, including possibly a themed trail or Totally Locally type initiative.

3. Window displays or painted scenes of local heritage in empty shops.

4. Arts and crafts exhibitions in cafes and shops, and potentially an art trail in the future.

5. Extending the opening hours of the Visitor Centre and exploring options to relocate it

to a better site in the future.

6. Reviewing car parking provision and restrictions to allow more long stay parking for

visitors.

7. Reviewing town centre notice boards and designing a new map format for car parks.

8. Developing the Boudica connections e.g. a 3D map or mini town of Roman

Mancetter, memorial, and visitor/study centre for Boudica research.

9. Promotion of Atherstone’s links to the Battle of Bosworth through guided walks, events

and interpretation.

10. The development of facilities at St Mary’s Church for visitors and the interpretation of

the town’s heritage.

North Warwickshire Borough Council has established a partnership of retailers and event

organisers in the town to progress the Visitor Action Plan. It is focusing initially on the

production of tear-off maps of the town, with events listings to go into the town’s shops. It is

also looking at digital marketing. Atherstone Church is also talking about opening up more

frequently for visitors and installing some heritage displays. The Friends of Atherstone Heritage

are currently in the process of relocating the Atherstone Heritage Centre to a retail unit on

Long Street.

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Polesworth Visitor Action Plan Top Ten

1. The establishment of visitor information pages on the Parish Council website and

improved visitor information on the Polesworth Abbey website.

2. Improved online listings on tourism websites.

3. The production of a new Polesworth leaflet, with a Polesworth identity, good map

and details of things to do in the local area.

4. A refresh of the Poetry Trail and improved promotion.

5. Promotion of Polesworth’s links to Shakespeare, including possibly a Shakespeare

Festival; poetry, art, craft, sculpture, or literature events; and guided poetry walks.

6. New ‘Welcome to Polesworth’ signs.

7. Improved signage and visitor information at the car park.

8. The development of a caravan site, campsite, or glamping site.

9. A new pavilion in Abbey Green Park.

10. The development of an improvement plan for Pooley Country Park, including

improving existing facilities and information, events, new activities and longer

opening hours for the tea room.

North Warwickshire Borough Council has established a Tourism Subgroup to progress the

Visitor Action Plan. It is focusing initially on interpretation, signage and car parking, alongside

re-invigorating the Poetry Trail, possibly through a LEADER funding application. An event

organiser is talking about a possibly food festival in Polesworth. Polesworth Abbey is looking at

ways of attracting canal boaters and towpath walkers to visit the Abbey.

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Two Battles, One Place Feasibility Study

Roundberry Projects completed a feasibility study for the Friends of Atherstone Heritage and

Northern Warwickshire Tourism in March 2016 to assess the potential for making more of

Mancetter’s Roman Heritage, Merevale Abbey’s connections with Henry Tudor and the

Battle of Bosworth, and Atherstone’s heritage stories to attract visitors to the area. The study

was funded by Warwickshire County Council’s Tourism Development Team. The study shows

good potential and strong local support for doing all of these things, and puts forward the

following series of options:

Roman Mancetter and Boudica’s Last Battle

A new-build Boudica’s Last Battle Experience visitor/heritage centre at Mancetter;

A Roman themed attraction as part of the Plantasia and Maze World attraction

at Dobbies Garden Centre;

A Roman heritage exhibition in St Peter’s Church, Mancetter;

A Boudica monument;

Henry Tudor and the Battle of Bosworth

A new-build Henry Tudor visitor/heritage centre at Merevale;

Improved access and interpretation of Merevale Abbey ruins;

The development of Abbey Farm’s B&B business to include a tea room and

potentially a craft centre with a Henry Tudor gallery upstairs;

A Henry Tudor exhibition in Merevale Church;

A public artwork in Atherstone town centre.

A Town Centre Heritage Centre or Museum

The relocation of Atherstone Heritage Centre to a town centre retail unit;

A heritage exhibition in St Mary’s Church;

A new museum as part of the Atherstone Masterplan.

The feasibility study includes a detailed Action Plan of suggested next steps. Key challenges

to progressing this Action Plan are the capacity of the volunteer run Friends of Atherstone

Heritage and Northern Warwickshire Tourism Association to take the required actions forward,

and the lack of financial assistance and staff resource available from North Warwickshire

Borough Council and Warwickshire County Council to help implement the Action Plan. Some

progress has been made however. As noted above, the Atherstone Heritage Centre is

currently in the process of moving to a retail units on Long Street and St Mary’s Church in

Atherstone is talking about opening more frequently for visitors and installing a heritage

exhibition in the church. The vicar of St Peter’s Church in Mancetter is interested in having a

Roman heritage exhibition in the church. Dobbies Garden Centres have been sold to a new

owner. It is unclear at this stage what plans they have for the Plantasia and Maze World

attraction. There appears to be little prospect on the ideas for a Boudica’s Last Battle

Experience visitor/heritage centre at Mancetter and a Henry Tudor visitor/heritage centre at

Merevale being progressed. Merevale Estate remains a key barrier to any progress at

Merevale.

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Atherstone Masterplan

The draft Atherstone Masterplan is looking at potential development opportunities

improvements in a number of areas including the Western Gateway, Market Square, and the

Leisure Centre and Library.

Love Coleshill

Love Coleshill is a consortium of local businesses in Coleshill that promote the town as a

place to visit, shop and eat. It operates the Love Coleshill website and a loyalty card

scheme, undertakes some social media activity, and puts on events and markets in the

town. The consortium is run by a small team of volunteers, with a limited budget. It needs

some form of dedicated staff resource to help it move forward.

Tourism Development in Coleshill

Consultants Hidden Britain produced a report in May 2013 to identify the priorities for action

to grow tourism in Coleshill. The work was funded by Warwickshire County Council. The

consultants identified Love Coleshill as the most appropriate lead body to deliver tourism

actions for the town, but recognised that it will need additional manpower resources to take

work forward. The report identified three priorities:

More consistent and considered promotion of Coleshill

Building the membership and capacity of Love Coleshill

The development of events

The report goes on to set out a programme of 92 actions to address these priorities. To date

there has been no concerted effort to progress this programme.

Warwickshire County Council

Warwickshire County Council is involved in strategic tourism development but does not get

involved directly in tourism promotion. The strategic context is provided by the Warwickshire

Visitor Economy Framework (2013-2018). This identifies six priority areas for action. These

include developing destination management plans for key towns, developing the

countryside offer through a ‘Gateways to the Countryside’ programme, destination and

(private sector led) tactical marketing, developing digital marketing skills, and advocacy

and intelligence. Warwickshire County Council is working on progressing the Framework and

taking forward initiatives on visitor information, welcome, research and partnership/support.

WCC has also been proactive in rural development (tying in with the ‘Gateways to the

Countryside’ strand) and projects under consideration include grants for events and festivals,

themed trails and tourism infrastructure (like walking and cycling trails). WCC are also looking

to develop a Visit Local Scheme in 2017 (for implementation in 2018). This would be

packages of activity developed at of strands at a local community level (e.g. signage,

interpretation etc.) funded through EAFRD.

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Two of Warwickshire County Council’s country parks (Kingsbury and Pooley) will both be

affected by HS2. Mitigation plans will be required.

Warwickshire County Council launched the Warwickshire Towns Programme in January 2017

to support the regeneration and development of the county’s smaller towns, including

Atherstone, Coleshill and Polesworth. The Programme includes three elements:

The Warwickshire Towns Network – a networking and support group to provide smaller

towns with ideas and inspiration on how to improve their places and high streets.

A Support Programme – with a Capital Grant Fund to support small-scale physical

improvements in towns, and a programme of coaching and training support from

retail and place experts to business groups that want to develop collective activity.

A Rolling Promotional Campaign – with a Town of the Month focus.

Hinckley & Bosworth

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council has a small budget for tourism, and an officer that

works one day per week on tourism matters. The Borough Council produces a biannual

Hinckley & Bosworth printed visitor guide that is distributed by Leicestershire Promotions on

the Council’s behalf; provides the secretariat for the Hinckley & Bosworth Tourism Partnership

(see below); organises an annual familiarisation visit to local attractions for people working in

the tourism and hospitality sector; and provides some funding and officer support for a

number of events and festivals. The Council’s tourism budget has doubled for 2017/18. This

will allow the Council to employ an additional part-time staff resource to engage with local

tourism businesses, and to enter into a Service Level Agreement with Leicestershire

Promotions to deliver an enhanced Hinckley & Bosworth presence on the Go Leicestershire

website.

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Hinckley & Bosworth Tourism Blueprint 2015-2018

The Hinckley & Bosworth Tourism Blueprint was produced by Hinckley & Bosworth Borough

Council and Leicestershire Promotions in June 2015. It aims to grow tourism spend in Hinckley

& Bosworth by 8% between 2015 and 2018, position Hinckley & Bosworth as part of

Leicestershire’s destination story, and encourage tourism businesses in the Borough to

promote themselves through Leicestershire Promotions’ Go Leicestershire website. The

Blueprint is focused on three priority action areas:

1. The development of a major visitor interpretation scheme across the Borough

including actions in terms of:

Tourist information print, apps, website, information boards, Tourist Information

Points, trails and blue plaques;

Improving the appearance, cleanliness and attractiveness of town centres,

and improving visitor facilities in terms of access, parking, signage, toilets,

visitor orientation, and facilities for groups and coaches;

Marketing and promotion, primarily in terms of representation on the Go

Leicestershire website and the development of online bookable short break

packages through the website;

Visitor welcome and customer care training;

Encouraging entries to the Leicestershire Tourism Awards;

Encouraging take up of the countywide visitor survey facility;

Commissioning STEAM tourism economic impact research every 3 years.

2. Increasing the number of unique and exciting visitor experiences, and linking and

packaging them to increase length of stay and encourage overnight stays, with

actions in terms of:

The development of existing attractions;

Developing the link with Richard III:

Developing the link with The National Forest.

3. Ensuring that the Borough maximises the opportunities to benefit from the re-

interment of the mortal remains of Kind Richard III in Leicester, including actions in

terms of:

Developing an ongoing programme of events and activities with a Richard III

connection;

Ensuring that the Borough is part of the Richard III story.

Progress to date has been in terms of the production of the Hinckley & Bosworth visitor guide,

the enhancements planned in 2017/18 to the Hinckley & Bosworth pages on the Go

Leicestershire website; the annual familiarisation visits to local attractions; the commissioning

of the STEAM report for 2015; the progression of the England’s Rural Heart LEADER Programme

and the funding support that it offers for attraction and accommodation development; and

the progression of the Bosworth 1485 Legacy arts trail project. Hinckley & Bosworth Borough

Council and Leicestershire Promotions do not currently have the budgets or staff resources to

make progress on most other aspects of the Blueprint.

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Hinckley & Bosworth Tourism Partnership

The Hinckley & Bosworth Tourism Partnership is an informal grouping of tourism interests in

Hinckley & Bosworth that meets quarterly to update each other on current activity. Its

purpose is to improve communication and co-ordination on tourism in the Borough.

Membership and attendance is dominated by public and voluntary sector interests. Very few

private sector tourism businesses attend on a regular basis.

A Market Bosworth Subgroup is currently being established to focus on tourism issues in the

village. The group is looking for some form of dedicated staff resource to help it get

established and develop a programme of activity.

Hinckley BID

The Hinckley BID (Business Improvement District) has been established for 8 years. It is funded

by a BID levy paid by businesses in the town. It is doing a good job at promoting Hinckley as

a place to come for shopping, meals out, evening entertainment and leisure. The BID

undertakes a range of promotional activities for Hinckley, including the production and

distribution of a guide to the town, and the operation of the Hinckley BID website and

recently installed touchscreen information kiosks in the town centre. It also organises a year-

round programme of events in the town as part of its strategy for attracting people into the

town for these purposes. Key target markets are people living in the surrounding towns,

villages and rural areas. The Hinckley Classic Motorshow is the main event that attracts visitors

from further afield.

Leicestershire County Council/ Leicestershire Promotions/ Leicester & Leicestershire

LEP

Tourism Support structures are changing in Leicestershire. Leicestershire County Council and

Leicester City Council are becoming more directly involved in delivery on place marketing

and tourism strategy development.

Leicestershire Promotions Limited (LPL) will continue to act as a promotional organisation for

the area – developing tourism marketing campaigns. However, it will not receive funding

from the County or City Council. LPL now has a Service Level Agreement in place with

Hinckley and Bosworth Council to deliver tourism marketing services. This represents a

formalisation of a previous arrangement.

The last Strategy for Leicestershire expired in 2016. Leicestershire County Council, as part of its

strategic tourism role, is planning to develop a new strategy or DMP for the county. The last

Strategy focused on four themes – destination development, positioning and promoting,

people (promoting tourism as a first-choice career) and intelligence. Leicester and

Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership’s (LLEP) Tourism and Hospitality Sector Growth Plan (2015-

20) outlines an action plan. This focuses on securing investment to refresh major visitor

attractions, establish SME investment funds, enhance destination marketing, tackle transport

to attractions, address skills gaps and labour retention, and supporting major inward

investment into the sector.

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Bosworth 1485 Legacy Project

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and Leicestershire Promotions are currently progressing

a project to develop an arts trail in the communities that were involved in the re-interment of

Richard III (Market Bosworth, Dadlington and Sutton Cheney) and Stoke Golding (as the

birthplace of the Tudor Dynasty). The project received a grant of £15,000 from the Arts

Council towards the first phase of research and development. Discussions are currently

progressing with the local communities and the artists and sculptors that are interested in

being involved, with a view to submitting a further funding application to the Arts Council

once the plans for the trail have been firmed up.

Twycross Zoo Masterplan

Twycross Zoo unveiled a £55m, 20-year Masterplan in 2015, which aims to significantly

expand and develop the zoo with new wildlife habitats, a children’s water park, a life

sciences study and teaching campus, new catering facilities, and possibly some on-site visitor

accommodation. The aim is to double visitor numbers to over a million. The development of

the zoo is supported in Leicester & Leicestershire LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan and Tourism &

Hospitality Sector Growth Plan. An initial phase of investment totalling £4m was progressed in

2015, with the opening of a new giraffe enclosure, moated island complex for gibbons, and

chimpanzee habitat; an extension to the orangutan house; a new water play area; and a

new café.

The Cross Border Partnership

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council is a member of the Cross Border Partnership with North

Warwickshire and Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Councils, with engagement from the

Leicester & Leicestershire and Coventry & Warwickshire LEPs. The purpose of the partnership is

to share expertise and develop/deliver initiatives that will support the economy in the Cross

Border area.

MIRA Technology Park

The MIRA Technology Park is set to be a key driver of economic growth in the Cross Border

area. It aims to become a global centre for transport R&D, providing 2 million sq ft of test

facilities and laboratories for national and international companies involved in automotive

and transport engineering research and development, eventually employing 3.500 people

on the site. A new £9.5m Technology Institute is due to open on the site in September 2018,

providing technical training for 2,000 students. The development will also include central

amenities, including a hotel, restaurant, café and health club.

Earl Shilton and Barwell Sustainable Urban Extensions

The Hinckley & Bosworth Core Strategy (2009) allocates land for two mixed use sustainable

urban extensions to the south of Earl Shilton and west of Barwell. The Earl Shilton and Barwell

Area Action Plan identifies a minimum of 1600 homes and 4.5 hectares of employment land

within the Earl Shilton SUE and 2500 homes and 6.2 hectares of employment land within the

Barwell SUE.

18

APPENDIX 4

NATIONAL TOURISM MARKET TRENDS & FORECASTS

Key national tourism trends and forecasts of relevance to North Warwickshire and Hinckley &

Bosworth are as follows:

The continuing “staycation”. The economic recession following the 2008 Credit Crunch

led to a massive change in holiday behaviour and attitudes in the UK, with holidays in the

UK becoming ever more important even as finances were stretched. The increase in

domestic trip taking and parallel decline in overseas travel was initially driven by cost, but

many other factors have contributed to the continuation of the trend – including a

preference for multiple short breaks over the year; risk aversion, particularly related to

terrorist attacks and travel disruption; last minute planning; more deals and offers

available through online travel agents and daily deals sites; hotel and visitor

accommodation development and improvement, including a number of new

accommodation products that have captured the market's imagination; and new visitor

attractions, events and festivals. Research undertaken for VisitBritain in 20131 forecasts

that domestic tourism in the UK will grow by 3% per annum up until 2025. Domestic

holiday taking grew by 6% in 2015. The fall in the value of sterling following the EU

Referendum result in June 2016 has seen a significant boost to the staycation market in

the second half of 2016 and so far in 2017.

The short break market continues to grow. There is a clear shift in domestic holiday taking

towards more frequent short breaks away from long holidays. The number of short breaks

(of 1-3 nights) taken in the UK increased by 3.3% between 2010 and 2015, with a sharp

increase in 2015 of 8.2%. Over the same period, the number of long holidays (of 8 or more

nights) reduced by 0.1%, although long holidays also increased in 2015 (by 4.4%).

Domestic holiday takers are often creatures of habit. Two thirds of people booking a UK

holiday do not consider another destination – 93% will have visited that place previously.

Four fifths are not influenced by any advertising. Destination choice for short breaks,

tends to be driven by where someone lives – people will typically be looking at options in

their immediate region (up to 2 hours away).

The VFR2 market is seeing strong growth. VFR trips increased by 6.7% between 2010 and

2015, and by 11.1% in 2015.

The day visits market has been fairly flat over the last 5 years, and dropped in 2015, with

day visits in England down by 3%. Visits to attractions have consistently grown however,

increasing by 5% in 2013, 4% in 2014 and 2% in 2015.

1 Tourism: Jobs and Growth. The economic contribution of the tourism economy in the UK

(Deloitte/Oxford Economics – 2013) 2 Visiting friends and relatives

19

Population growth is likely to fuel future growth in the domestic short breaks market, day

visits, the VFR market, and demand related to weddings and other family occasions. The

UK population is projected to increase by 9.7 million (155) over the next 25 years, from an

estimated 64.6 million in 2014 to 74.3 million by 2039. Economic factors and currency

exchange rates could also have a positive, or negative impact on these markets.

The ageing UK population is a powerful economic force, with sufficient time and

disposable income to enjoy short breaks, regular holidays and days out – albeit spending

power can be threatened by declining values in pension plans and savings.

Growth in younger generations is a potential opportunity for domestic destinations, but

also a challenge – this group is characterised by a lack of knowledge and also prejudices

about England and English destinations which prevents them considering these as

holiday or break options. The Generation Y market also has very different requirements

and expectations from hotels, accommodation businesses and destinations, with a

greater importance placed on distinctive design, a relaxed atmosphere and a high level

of technology and connectivity.

Family composition is also changing – with grandparents more involved in childcare. This

has implications with potentially more intergenerational family holidays and a need for

appropriate products to cater for this.

Increasing ethnic diversity in the UK population represents a market of increasing

importance but one that is poorly understood.

There is growing demand for family and friend get togethers for celebration weekends

and reunions.

Online search, booking and customer review sites now dominate the UK tourism

marketplace. The proportion of UK tourism trips booked online has increased from 43% in

2006 to 76% in 2015. Consumers are increasingly booking holidays and breaks through the

growing number of third party websites that offer discounted accommodation and

holidays such as LateRooms, lastminute.com, booking.com, Expedia, Trivago, and

hotels.com, and taking advantage of special offers promoted through daily deals sites

such as Groupon, Wowcher, Living Social, Travelzoo and Secret Escapes.

Accommodation businesses are also increasingly using e-marketing and social media

channels to reach customers. This is resulting in an increasingly deal-driven and

competitive market but enables hotels and accommodation businesses to affordably

reach millions of potential customers both in the UK and overseas and allows them to

proactively market their available inventory, albeit sometimes at reduced rates. The

growth of customer review sites, in particular Tripadvisor, is making it ever more important

for accommodation businesses to deliver excellent standards of service and facilities to

ensure that they achieve favourable reviews and high rankings. The Internet has also

enabled the growth of home sharing sites such as airbnb, that are providing an

increasingly popular accommodation option, in some instances challenging traditional

forms of commercial accommodation, in particular the B&B sector.

20

Visitors are increasingly looking and booking on the move. Smart phones and tablets are

being used as the first point of contact for most communications, including tourism

searches, enquiries and bookings. Wireless access on holiday and information in the right

format will be key. Bookings will be more ‘last minute’.

Social networking will increase in importance. Online networks will be a vital channel for

businesses for distribution, awareness creation and recommendations. Impacts of this

include the amplification of negative experiences, disintermediation (consumers direct to

businesses), and the fear-of-missing out’ (FOMO), which means consumers want to share

the experiences of their peers.

Tourism is becoming increasingly experiential. Tourists are looking for ‘immersion’ in a

culture, unique experiences, authenticity, exploration, adventure and personal fulfilment

from their holiday experience. The ‘what’ is more important than the ‘where’.

Inbound tourism is forecast to grow strongly in the UK. The Deloitte/Oxford Economics

report for VisitBritain projects a 6.1% per annum growth in inbound tourism to the UK and

an average real annual growth rate of just over 14% in overseas tourist spending in the UK

through to 2025. A recent report commissioned for Barclay's Retail and Hospitality &

Leisure banking teams predicts that spending by overseas tourists in the UK will grow to

over £27bn by 2017, representing an increase of 34% on the 2013 figure, equivalent to an

average annual growth rate of 6.75%. Strong growth is expected to come from the

emerging economies such as China, UAE, and India. The drop in the value of sterling

following the result of the Eu Referendum has provided a strong boost to inbound tourism

in the second half of 2016 and so far in 2017, with the UK now a more affordable

destination for overseas holidays.

Recent national conference and meetings industry surveys show signs of recovery and

renewed growth in the UK conference market.

21

APPENDIX 5

NORTH WARWICKSHIRE AND HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH

SURVEY OF SMALL ACCOMMODATION BUSINESSES

__________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Purpose of the Survey

The purpose of the survey of owners of small accommodation businesses was to

provide an insight into the current strength of demand and markets for different types

of small visitor accommodation business in North Warwickshire and Hinckley &

Bosworth, evidence of times when there may be shortages of accommodation

(because existing accommodation businesses are fully booked), and an

understanding of the aspirations of the current owners of small visitor accommodation

establishments to expand, develop and upgrade their premises.

2. Methodology and Sample

The survey was undertaken through a CATI (computer assisted telephone interview)

survey of a random sample of 25 B&Bs and guest houses, inns and pub

accommodation businesses, and self-catering establishments. The survey sample was

broken down by type of visitor accommodation business as follows:

TABLE 1: SURVEY SAMPLE

Type of Accommodation Business Number of

Completed

Interviews

B&Bs and Guest Houses 15

Inns 5

Self-Catering 5

Total Interviews 25

22

3. Length of Time Accommodation Businesses Have Been Established

The majority of the B&Bs/guest houses and inns/pub accommodation businesses

interviewed were well established businesses that have been operating for at least 3

years. Two of the self-catering businesses interviewed were new businesses that have

not yet been running for three years.

TABLE 2: LENGTH OF TIME ACCOMMODATION BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED

Type of Accommodation Business % of Accommodation

Businesses Interviewed

Operating for

Under 3

Years

Operating for

More Than 3

Years

B&Bs and Guest Houses 13 87

Inns/ Pub Accommodation 20 80

Self-Catering 40 60

4. Seasonal Operation of Accommodation Businesses

All of the accommodation businesses interviewed operate on a year-round basis.

5. Recent and Planned Investment

5.1. Expansion in the Last 3 Years

One of the B&Bs/guest houses interviewed has built an extension to provide two

additional guest bedrooms and a new dining room. Another has added 7 guest

bedrooms. One of the self-catering businesses has added 6 self-catering units and

another has fully refurbished its three properties. None of the inns/pub accommodation

establishments interviewed have expanded their accommodation

TABLE 3: ACCOMMODATION BUSINESS EXPANSION IN THE LAST 3 YEARS



Expanded in

the Last

3 Years

Not Expanded

in the Last

3 Years



Self-Catering 40 60

23

5.2. Planned Investment in the Next 2 Years

Five of the B&Bs/guest houses interviewed are planning investment in the next two

years in terms of refurbishment or additional bedrooms. Two are looking at converting

outbuildings to guest bedrooms and one is looking at adding a self-catering unit and

a shepherd’s hut glamping unit. One self-catering business has plans to develop a

restaurant and a Richard III museum. None of the inns/pub accommodation businesses

interviewed have any major investment plans.

TABLE 4: ACCOMMODATION BUSINESS INVESTMENT PLANS IN THE NEXT 2 YEARS



Investment

Planned in the

Next 2 Years

No Investment

Planned in the

Next 2 Years



Self-Catering 20 80

Two of the self-catering businesses interviewed indicated that they are planning to

close in the near future.

5.3. Barriers to Investment

Financing investment projects was identified as the key barrier to their progression by

all of the accommodation businesses that have investment plans. Securing planning

permission was also identified as a barrier for the project envisaged by the self-catering

operator.

TABLE 5: BARRIERS TO EXPANSION, DEVELOPMENT AND UPGRADING PLANS


Businesses Planning

Investment Citing This Barrier

Getting

Planning

Permission

Financing

the Project


Self-Catering 100 100

24

6. Occupancy Levels, Trends and Future Prospects

6.1. 2016 Occupancy Levels

Occupancy levels were strong in 2016 for the majority of the self-catering businesses

interviewed: 60% of them achieved an average annual unit occupancy of 70% or

more, and 80% of them traded at an average annual unit occupancy of over 60%.

Occupancies were also reasonably good for B&Bs and guest houses: 46% achieved

average annual room occupancies of more than 60% and almost three quarters of the

B&Bs and guest houses interviewed reported average annual room occupancies of

more than 50% in 2016. While the survey did not produce average room occupancy

figures, the B&B and guest house sector in the two boroughs appears to be trading

broadly in line with England averages.

Occupancy performance was more varied for inns and pub accommodation

establishments. 60% of those interviewed achieved average annual room

occupancies of over 60% but 40% traded at average annual room occupancies of

under 40%.

TABLE 6: OCCUPANCY LEVELS 2016

Type of Accommodation Business % of Accommodation Businesses Interviewed Reporting

This Occupancy Level

Above

70%

61-70% 51-60% 41-50% 31-40% Under

30%

B&Bs and Guest Houses 13 33 27 20 7 0

Inns/ Pub Accommodation 20 40 0 0 40 0

Self-Catering 60 20 0 20 0 0

25

6.2. Occupancy Trends 2014 - 2016

Occupancy levels have generally increased or stayed the same for all types of visitor

accommodation over the last 3 years. 40% of the pub accommodation businesses, a

third of the B&Bs and guest houses, and a fifth of the self-catering operators interviewed

reported a downturn in occupancy levels however.

TABLE 7: OCCUPANCY TRENDS 2014-2016

Type of Accommodation Business % of Accommodation Businesses

Interviewed Reporting a Change in

Occupancy in the Last 3 Years

An Increase No Change A Decrease

B&Bs and Guest Houses 40 27 33

Inns/ Pub Accommodation 60 0 40

Self-Catering 20 60 20

Reasons given for increases in occupancy were:

Word of mouth recommendations;

Business building up for a new accommodation business;

An increase in demand from weddings;

An increase in business demand;

More advertising;

An increase in business since joining booking.com;

Growth in contractor demand.

Reasons given for a drop in occupancy were:

Lower levels of contractor business;

Less business demand;

Reduced demand from anglers since fishing lakes have opened fishing

cabins;

Having to take less business due to personal circumstances;

Reduced levels of business during refurbishment;

A lack of advertising;

Increased competition.

26

6.3. Future Prospects

Looking forward B&B/guest house and inn/pub accommodation operators are

generally optimistic about their future prospects, with the majority expecting to see an

increase or no change in their occupancy levels in the next 3 years. Self-catering

operators were more uncertain about their future prospects: 60% were unable to give

a view on likely future changes in occupancy levels.

TABLE 8: OCCUPANCY PROSPECTS 2017 -2019

Type of Accommodation Business % of Accommodation Businesses Interviewed

Expecting a Change in Occupancy in the

Next 3 Years

An

Increase

No

Change

A

Decrease

Don't

Know

B&Bs and Guest Houses 40 40 0 20

Inns/ Pub Accommodation 40 60 0 0

Self-Catering 20 20 0 60

Reasons cited for anticipated future growth in occupancy levels were as follows:

Word of mouth recommendations;

A growth in demand from weddings;

An increase in business demand as the MIRA Technology Park expands;

More contractor business;

Refurbishment work.

Reasons given for anticipated reductions in occupancy were:

Winding down in the run up to retirement;

Personal circumstances;

Reasons given for no anticipated change in occupancy were:

Already trading at full occupancy;

Strong competition locally;

A focus on maintaining business from regular customers.

27

7. The Extent to Which Accommodation Businesses Trade at Full Capacity

The survey findings show clear evidence of frequent shortages of self-catering

accommodation for much of the year, particularly during the week, but also at

weekends. They also show fairly regular weekend shortages of B&B/ guest house and

inn/pub accommodation, especially in the summer, and consistent shortfalls in these

forms of accommodation during the week throughout the year, although slightly more

so in the summer than the winter.

28

TABLE 9: WEEKEND (FRIDAY/SATURDAY) OCCUPANCY APRIL - OCTOBER

Type of Accommodation

Business

% of Accommodation Businesses Interviewed Trading at Full

Capacity

Every

Weekend

Most

Weekends

Some

Weekends

Not Many

weekends

No

Weekends

B&Bs and Guest Houses 13 27 33 20 7

Inns/ Pub Accommodation 0 60 20 20 0

Self-Catering 40 40 20 0 0

TABLE 10: WEEKEND (FRIDAY/SATURDAY) OCCUPANCY NOVEMBER - MARCH


Business


Capacity

Every

Weekend

Most

Weekends

Some

Weekends

Not Many

weekends

No

Weekends




TABLE 11: MIDWEEK OCCUPANCY -PEAK SUMMER MONTHS (JUNE - EARLY SEPTEMBER)


Business


Capacity

Most of the

Time

Quite

Often

Occasionally Not Very

Often

Not At All




TABLE 12: MIDWEEK OCCUPANCY - WINTER MONTHS


Business


Capacity

Most of the

Time

Quite

Often

Occasionally Not Very

Often

Not At All




29

8. Key Markets and Their Future Growth Potential

8.1. Key Markets

Tables 13-15 overleaf provide a breakdown of the importance of different visitor

markets for each type of accommodation. Key conclusions from these tables are as

follows:

The key markets for all types of small visitor accommodation business in North

Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth are business visitors, contractors and

wedding guests.

Other important markets are people attending conferences and events at the

NEC and people coming for short breaks.

People staying for a longer holiday are a key market for self-catering

establishments.

Overseas tourists and people stopping off en-route to other destinations are less

important markets.

People attending events at Mallory Park are only a market for nearby

accommodation businesses.

30

TABLE 13: KEY MARKETS FOR B&BS AND GUEST HOUSES

Visitor Market % of Accommodation Businesses Interviewed

Indicating This Rating

Very

Important

Quite

Important

Slightly

Important

Not At All

Important

People coming to stay for a short break 27 40 27 7

People coming for a longer holiday of a week or more 13 7 33 47

People stopping off en-route to other destinations 13 33 47 7

People attending a conference/event at the NEC 33 13 40 13

People attending an event at Mallory Park 7 13 20 60

Overseas tourists 7 40 27 27

People attending weddings and family parties 53 47 0 0

Business visitors 73 13 7 7

Contractors and workmen 60 20 0 20

TABLE 14: KEY MARKETS FOR INNS & PUB ACCOMMODATION



Very

Important

Quite

Important

Slightly

Important

Not At All

Important










TABLE 15: KEY MARKETS FOR SELF-CATERING ACCOMMODATION BUSINESSES



Very

Important

Quite

Important

Slightly

Important

Not At All

Important










31

8.2. Potential Growth Markets for the Future

The markets seen as offering the strongest growth potential for small accommodation

businesses are business visitors, wedding guests and contractors. The short break market

is also identified as offering good growth potential, particularly for self-catering

businesses, and to a lesser extent B&Bs and guest houses and inns/ pub

accommodation establishments. Self-catering operators also identified potential for

growth in long holiday business, while some B&B and guest house operators felt that

people stopping off en-route to other destinations, and people attending conferences

and events at the NEC are markets that offer growth potential for them.

TABLE 16: GROWTH MARKETS FOR SMALL ACCOMMODATION BUSINESSES

Visitor Market % of Accommodation Businesses

Interviewed Identifying This Market as

Offering Growth Potential

B&Bs/

Guest Houses

Inns/

Pub Accom

Self-Catering

Businesses

People coming to stay for a short break 40 20 60

People coming for a longer holiday of a week or more 27 20 40

People stopping off en-route to other destinations 40 0 20

People attending a conference/event at the NEC 40 20 20

People attending an event at Mallory Park 27 20 0

Overseas tourists 40 20 20

People attending weddings and family parties 60 40 40

Business visitors 67 40 40

Contractors and workmen 53 60 40

32

9. Where Short Break Customers Visit

People coming to North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth for a short break do

not necessarily visit any attractions, towns or villages. The most visited attractions are

Twycross Zoo, Bosworth Battlefield, the Battlefield Line, and Drayton Manor Theme

Park. Smaller attractions appear to attract fewer short break visitors, and are probably

only visited by those staying in their immediate area. In terms of towns and villages,

Market Bosworth and Atherstone are the most commonly visited. Other towns and

villages (Polesworth, Coleshill and Hinckley) are less frequently visited, and probably

only by people that are staying in them or their immediate vicinity.

TABLE 17: WHERE SHORT BREAK CUSTOMERS VISIT


Business

Proportion of Short Break Customers That Visit This Attraction/ Place

Most of

Them

Many of

Them

Some of

Them

A Few of

Them

None of

Them

Twycross Zoo 16 12 8 32 32

Bosworth Battlefield 20 8 8 28 36

Market Bosworth 16 12 4 20 48

The Battlefield Line 16 4 12 24 44

Hinckley 4 4 4 12 76

Desford Tropical Birdland 0 0 8 16 76

The National Forest 0 4 8 24 64

Drayton Manor Theme Park 8 16 8 40 28

Atherstone 12 12 16 8 52

Polesworth 8 4 0 12 76

Coleshill 8 0 8 16 68

Kingsbury Water Park 4 4 8 28 56

Hoar Park Shopping Village 0 4 8 24 64

Whitemoor Antiques Centre 4 0 8 12 76

10. Events That Drive Accommodation Business

Events identified as drivers of accommodation business were as follows:

Hinckley Classic Motorshow

Events at Bosworth Battlefield

Events at the National Space Centre in Leicester

Events at Drayton Manor Theme Park

Blowout bagpipe festival at Polesworth.

33

NORTH WARWICKSHIRE AND HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH DESTINATION MANAGEMENT PLAN

SURVEY OF SMALL ACCOMMODATION BUSINESSES – ESTABLISHMENTS INTERVIEWED

Establishment Name

Location

B&Bs and Guest Houses

Abbey Farm Bed & Breakfast Atherstone

Ambion Court Hotel Dadlington

Apple Orchard Farm Dadlington

Elsted House Hinckley

Highfield Farm Guest House Curdworth

Hollycroft Hotel Hinckley

Langley Cottage Guest House Nether Whitacre

Mythe Farm B&B Sheepy Magna

Springfield Guest House Coleshill

Temple Farm B&B Wolvey

The Chestnuts Guest House Grendon

The Hayes Guest House Hartshill

The Malthouse Bentley

The Old House Witherley

Vale Farm Higham-on-the-Hill

Ye Olde Station Guest House Shustoke

Inns

Blue Boar Inn Mancetter

Blue Lion Witherley

George & Dragon Coleshill

The Blue Bell Desford

Ye Olde Red Lion Hotel Market Bosworth

Self-Catering

Donative Holiday Cottages Warton

Polesworth Abbey Polesworth

Sykes Barns Hurley Common

The Gatehouse Market Bosworth

34

APPENDIX 6

NORTH WARWICKSHIRE AND HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH VISITOR MARKET ANALYSIS

Market Segment Characteristics Current

Importance

(5= highly

important)

Potential to

Influence

(5 = significant

potential)

Future Growth Potential

(5 = significant

potential)

Staying Visitor Markets

Business Visitors Business customers visiting local companies are the key midweek

market for hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and some self-catering

businesses. This market is typically non-discretionary. It should

grow significantly in the next 5-10 years given the planned

development of the MIRA Technology Park.

4 0 4

Contractors Contractors working on construction, infrastructure and other

development projects are a key midweek market for budget

hotels, lower grade hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and some self-

catering businesses and caravan sites. This market is non-

discretionary.

3 0 3

NEC and Ricoh Arena

exhibitors

Hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and self-catering businesses in North

Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth attract demand from

exhibitors exhibiting at trade shows, conferences and consumer

shows at the NEC and Ricoh Arena

2 1 2

Residential Conferences Residential conferences are the core midweek market for Jurys

Inn Hinckley Island and likely to be a key midweek market for The

Belfry and Marriott Forest of Arden. Key selling points for these are

hotels are their locations and quality of their conference and

meeting facilities. Residential conferences are a minor midweek

market for some of the other hotels in the two boroughs. Demand

is typically venue focused (as opposed to destination focused).

Market growth is likely to be driven by the promotion /

development of individual venues.

1 1 2

35



Importance

(5= highly

important)

Potential to

Influence

(5 = significant

potential)


(5 = significant

potential)

VFR (visitors to friends and

relatives)

This is the most significant staying visitor market for both boroughs -

people staying with friends and relatives account for 35% of all

staying visitor nights spent in North Warwickshire and 51% in

Hinckley & Bosworth3. Some VFR visitors will also stay in commercial

accommodation. While this is a relatively low spending market

segment, as primarily staying with friends and relatives, it can

deliver some spend in the local area on meals out and attraction

visits, and involves increased spending by local residents to cater

for their visitors. This is typically a non-discretionary market

although there may be scope to stimulate VFR visits and increase

VFR spend in the area through targeted messages to local

residents (e.g. around events, things to do etc). Demand should

grow as the local population increases.

5 2 3

People attending weddings

and other family occasions

This is the key weekend market for hotels (hosting both

weddings/functions themselves and catering for guests of

weddings/functions at other venues), guest houses, B&Bs and self-

catering establishments. This is a non-discretionary market in terms

of destination choice. Demand should grow as the local

population increases.

3 1 3

Coach group breaks Coach group breaks are the core market for Bosworth Hall Hotel.

A number of national coach holiday operators use the hotel as a

base for excursions to the Peak District, Stratford-upon-Avon, the

Cotswolds, Rutland and Cambridge. Other hotels take some

weekend coach break business to help boost weekend

occupancies. This is low-rated business for hotels. Demand is

growing as the UK population ages.

1 1 2

3 Source: Economic Impact of Tourism in North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth 2015, The Research Solution

36



Importance

(5= highly

important)

Potential to

Influence

(5 = significant

potential)


(5 = significant

potential)

Short breaks Family breaks Major attractions, in particular Twycross Zoo, Drayton Manor

Theme Park, and Leicester’s National Space Centre, motivate

some family break business for hotels, self-catering businesses and

caravan and camping sites. Jurys Inn Hinckley Island and

Sketchley Grange drive this business through Leicestershire

Promotions’ ‘Stay, Play, Explore’ programme. Twycross Zoo

provides discounted tickets to a number of local accommodation

businesses to help them in attracting family break stays. Some

hotels promote family break packages through deal sites such as

Groupon and Travelzoo. There is scope for hotels and attractions

to work more closely together to develop this market.

2 2 3

Spa breaks The main 4 star hotels with spas (The Belfry, Marriott Forest of

Arden, Sketchley Grange, Jurys Inn Hinckley Island, and Lea

Marston Hotel) attract spa break business.

2 2 2

Golf breaks The Belfry and Marriott Forest of Arden attract golf break business.

1 2 1

37



Importance

(5= highly

important)

Potential to

Influence

(5 = significant

potential)


(5 = significant

potential)

Weekend

country

escapes

B&Bs, high quality inns, self-catering businesses and glamping sites

attract strong weekend demand from people living in surrounding

towns and cities that want to escape to the countryside for a

relaxing weekend.

2 3 3

Family and

friend get

togethers and

celebrations

This is a key market for self-catering complexes and glamping sites

that have the capacity to cater for large groups. It includes hen

parties, milestone birthday and anniversary celebrations, and

reunions. North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth have good

potential in this market due to its central location and ease of

access, presenting opportunities for the development of

accommodation businesses that can cater for it. Demand is

primarily driven through a number of specialist group

accommodation and house party venue websites.

1 1 2

Caravanners

and campers

This is a substantial market. The two boroughs have almost 600

touring caravan and camping pitches. Caravan and camping

sites attract strong, regular weekend demand from caravanners

living in surrounding towns and cities that want to come away for

the weekend in their caravans but do not want to tow them too

far. They also attract some business for touring caravanners

stopping off for a night or two en-route to other destinations. This

market typically searches for caravan and camping sites through

specialist caravan and camping websites and guidebooks - they

make relatively little use of destination websites and guides but

there may be an opportunity to influence behaviour in-

destination. Demand is seasonal but the season is gradually

extending. Good growth potential given the forecast growth in UK

domestic tourism and growth in touring caravan and motorhome

ownership. Demand for camping is also growing.

3 1 3

38



Importance

(5= highly

important)

Potential to

Influence

(5 = significant

potential)


(5 = significant

potential)

Event visitors Events in and around the two boroughs generate some overnight

stays. These include major events at the NEC (Crufts, Spring Fair)

and Ricoh Arena (concerts, sports events, consumer shows),

motor racing at Mallory Park, football competitions, fishing

matches and golf tournaments. The market is primarily influenced

by the marketing undertaken for these events.

1 0 2

Richard III Enthusiasts Bosworth Battlefield motivates overnight stays by people that are

interested in Richard III. This includes both national and

international visitors, in particular US tourists. This market increased

between 2013 and 2015, with the discovery and reburial of the

skeleton of Richard III, but reduced in 2016.

1 2 1

Canal boaters This market segment comprises private boaters and canal holiday

boat hirers using the Ashby and Coventry Canals for a short break

or as part of a longer canal boat holiday. The market tends to be

ABC1 / 55+ / couples or mixed groups. The boating market is a

relatively low spending market segment, primarily in terms of off-

boat eating and drinking, food shopping and possibly attraction

visiting. The canal boat holiday hire market reduced during the

recession but is slowly starting to recover. Canal boat holidays and

short breaks are primarily purchased through canal boat holiday

companies or directly from holiday hire boat operators.

1 1 1

Day Visitor Markets4

4 Day visitors are those travelling to and within North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth for the day or part of a day but not staying overnight. They could

be travelling from home, or staying with friends and relatives or in commercial accommodation outside the boroughs. The segments outlined in the table

39



Importance

(5= highly

important)

Potential to

Influence

(5 = significant

potential)


(5 = significant

potential)

Attractions visitors A key day visitor market for the area is attraction visitors. Twycross

is a key draw but there are a number of other attractions that will

pull day visitors to the area (e.g. Bosworth Battlefield, The

Battlefield Line, Bosworth Waterpark, Kingsbury Water Park). This is

a relatively high spending segment but much of this will be site

specific. Characteristics of visitors will vary – most will be local (half

an hour) but a proportion will be coming from a regional

catchment (up to an hour away) particularly for Twycross Zoo.

Markets will fall into two broad groups – families and older couples

– depending on the attraction in question, and from a range of

socio-economic groups (mainly BC1C2s).

3 3 3

Days out The days out market will be visiting for a leisure day out – this will

be primarily to potter around towns – particularly Market Bosworth

– and/or visit smaller attractions, and/or retail centres e.g. garden

centres, craft centres (Hoar Park Shopping & Craft Village) and

antiques centres (Whitemoor Antiques Centre). Other activities

might include a walk/stroll, eating out and general sightseeing.

The segment will be typically couples/friends (less so families),

older (45+) age groups and relatively affluent (typically BC1 socio-

economic groups). It is a reasonable spending market and will

spend across the destination. Most visitors will be fairly local.

3 3 3

Town visitors The area’s towns (Hinckley, Atherstone, Polesworth, Coleshill) will

attract audiences for a range of activities such as shopping,

eating out, evening entertainment, leisure activities and events.

These visits be typically very local and not particularly

2 2 3

above represent the main ones but there will be a number of other day visitors coming for a range of other activities – e.g. specific shopping, or visiting friends

and relatives.

40



Importance

(5= highly

important)

Potential to

Influence

(5 = significant

potential)


(5 = significant

potential)

discretionary (in the choice of destination). Visitor characteristics

will vary. There is potential for growth in this market as the local

population increases and the town centres improve.

Outdoor activities The area will attract visitors for outdoor recreation. A lot of this will

be focused on the area’s country parks. This a relatively local

market (half an hour drive) and quite low spending. These will not

necessarily be outdoor enthusiasts but will comprise a mix of local

families, couples and groups coming for outdoor recreation.

The area will also attract people undertaking specific outdoor

activities – mainly walking and cycling, but also golf, fishing, and

horse riding. This market is likely to relatively local and low spend.

It may be possible to influence this market through better online

information about outdoor activities with PR and social media

activity to raise awareness of this information. Demand should

increase as the population grows in the area. This market segment

tends to spend less in the local area so tying activities to spending

opportunities will be a priority.

2 2 3

Event visitors While some event visitors will stay the overwhelming majority will

visit for the day or evening, probably from a relatively local

catchment (although this will vary from event to event) Visitor

characteristics will vary (and be defined) by the event. This

segment has growth potential.

2 3 3

Meetings and team building

events

Conference venues, hotels, corporate activity centres and

attractions in the area will host a number of day events. These will

primarily be meetings/small conferences, generated by local

2 1 3

41



Importance

(5= highly

important)

Potential to

Influence

(5 = significant

potential)


(5 = significant

potential)

companies/organisations but possibly pulling attendees from a

wide catchment (road links are an asset for this market). There will

also be more specialist corporate away days – e.g. at Garlands

and Heart of England Conference & Events Centre. This market

has growth potential but will be product and venue influenced

(not destination). Secondary spend is hard to influence.

Canal boaters Canal boaters with boats moored in marinas along the Ashby and

Coventry Canals will often take their boats out for day trips along

the canal, perhaps stopping off for a meal or to visit a town or

village that the canal passes through, or attraction that is within

walking distance of a mooring point..

2 2 2

Group Visits

School Visits A key market for a number of attractions e.g. Bosworth Battlefield

and Twycross Zoo, but relatively low spend.

1 2 1

Coach /organised group This market splits into two groups – commercial coach trips (selling

day excursions) or organised social groups (WI, Probus etc.). This is

a secondary market for a number of attractions.

1 3 2

42

APPENDIX 7

NORTH WARWICKSHIRE AND HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH CONFERENCE VENUE SUPPLY

Venue name Location

Number of

meeting rooms

Max capacity (largest

room theatre style) Venue type

North Warwickshire

Brook Marston Hotel Bodymoor Heath 6 150 Hotel

Chapel House Atherstone 2 24 Restaurant

Coleshill Hotel Coleshill 3 150 Hotel

Grimstock Country House Hotel Coleshill 4 100 Hotel

Heart of England Conference and Events Centre Fillongley 10 650 Conference and events centres

Lea Marston Hotel Lea Marston 9 100 Hotel

Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel Meriden 17 300 Hotel

Moxhull Hall Hotel Wishaw 2 20 Hotel

Red Lion Hotel Atherstone 5 140 Hotel

The Belfry Wishaw 21 400 Hotel

Stonebridge Golf Club Meriden 4 110 Golf club

Hinckley & Bosworth

Bosworth Hall Hotel Market Bosworth 17 180 Hotel

Hinckley Golf Club Hinckley 5 60 Golf club

Jurys Inn Hinckley Island Hinckley 25 650 Hotel

Mallory Park Kirkby Mallory n/a 200 Motor racing circuit

Millers Hotel Sibson 2 50 Hotel

Sketchley Grange Hotel Hinckley 12 300 Hotel

Swan Corporate Market Bosworth 7 80 Business centre

The Factory Hinckley 1 100 Function venue

The Meeting Centre Hinckley 7 200 Conference centre

Twycross Zoo Twycross 5 200 Attraction

Source: www.venuefinder.com / ACK Tourism

http://www.venuefinder.com/

43

APPENDIX 8

NORTH WARWICKSHIRE AND HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH DESTINATION MARKETING REVIEW

Collateral Description Imagery / Key messages / USPs Comments

Websites

Hinckley & Bosworth

Go Leicestershire

‘Visit Hinckley & Bosworth’

and ‘Welcome to Market

Bosworth’ pages

LPL’s main promotional site for the county. Its

home page features banners for Bosworth

Battlefield, and Twycross Zoo.

The site has a section on Hinckley and Bosworth

– under the ‘Market Towns’ section. This has

some descriptive copy (see right), top five

places to visit (Bosworth Battlefield, Battlefield

Line, Twycross Zoo, Market Bosworth Country

Park and Tropical Birdland).

It also has separate pages on accommodation

and other attractions in the area, plus listings of

cafes/tearooms, events, and pubs (drawn from

an automatic central database search).

Market Bosworth has a separate, more detailed

page.

There are plans (under a new SLA between the

council and LPL) to expand the micro-site from

April 2017. The new site would have expanded

content with more pages relating to attractions,

accommodation, activities etc.

Focuses on market towns, and rolling

countryside and attractive villages.

Within this the key elements the copy

focuses on Richard III (Bosworth

Battlefield), Market Bosworth and, to

a lesser extent, Hinckley.

This is a useful micro-site that

provides relevant information on the

area in one location.

However, a potential user is

probably going to have to work to

find it. There is nothing to draw a

potential browser into the micro-site.

Branding and USPs are not strongly

developed and the micro site does

not explicitly tie into (or cross sell) the

central themes of the overall site

(e.g. Richard III linkages are not

explicit from the H&B pages –

although the reverse is true). This

may however reflect the purpose of

these pages (i.e. standalone

resource for Hinckley and Bosworth).

In 2016 the Hinckley & Bosworth

webpages received 12,500 hits –

about - 10,000 were unique page

views.

44


Stay, Play Explore A separate LPL site promoting short break

packages. There are a range of themed

packages - family fun, gourmet tastes, Richard III

etc.

Featured H&B attractions include Twycross Zoo,

Bosworth Water Park, Bosworth Battlefield

Heritage Centre. Hotels include Jury’s Inn and

Sketchley Grange.

Branding is much more on the

experience and less on the

destination.

Hinckley and Bosworth BC Has a small tourism section within the overall

council site. This includes some basic

information and signposting to other sites.

None The link to Go Leicestershire could be

more prominent given this is the

principle source of tourism

information.

Hinckley BID Website providing comprehensive information

on shops, places to eat and drink,

entertainment opportunities, events and other

services in Hinckley Town Centre. The site also

provides information about the Hinckley Loyalty

Card and includes regular competitions and

prize draws.

45


North Warwickshire

Visit Coventry and

Warwickshire

The official site for Coventry, it also covers the

surrounding area. Core information areas are

events, attractions, accommodation, food and

drink. There is a searchable database enabling

searches by category and location. Relevant

locations include Atherstone, and Market

Bosworth but content is limited and listings

driven (as opposed to selling / describing the

areas).

None in relation to North

Warwickshire and Hinckley and

Bosworth

There is information on both North

Warwickshire and Hinckley and

Bosworth but it is pretty limited and a

user has to search for it.

Warwickshire County

Council

Has a tourism section on its website. For v

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