tourism journal issue 146 spring 2011

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The Tourism Society

Trinity Court, 34 West Street, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1SHTT 020 8661 4636 F 020 8661 4637EE [email protected] www.tourismsociety.orgRegistered in England No. 01366846. ISSN: 02613700

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Tourism is the journal of the Tourism Society.The views expressed inTourism are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of theTourism Society.Whilst unsolicited material is welcomed, neithertransparencies nor unpublished articles can be returned.The Tourism Society cannot be held responsible for any services offeredby advertisers in Tourism. All correspondence must be addressed to theEditor.Tourism is only available to members of the Tourism Society and onsubscription, it is distributed quarterly to 1800 professionals working innational and regional tourist boards, local government, travel agencies,and tour operators, visitor attractions, accommodation and catering,entertainment, information services, guiding, consultancies and educationand training.

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www.tourismsociety.org 1Issue 146 Spring 2011

EditorialWhat a differencehalf a year makes ...What a difference half a year makes –no more RDAs, new LEPs, aGovernment policy on tourism, a privatemember’s bill on daylight saving time andno change on VAT or APD increases. Inthis edition of the journal members andfriends of the Tourism Society voice theiropinions and responses to the policy.With funding cuts, little provision for

implementation and none for quality control it is widely felt thatthe English Tourism industry is left in a particularly uncompetitiveposition.While lobbying should not stop especially for daylight saving itdoes appear that the industry needs to make do with their lot bythinking laterally, embracing innovation and engaging private sectorinvolvement from inside and outside of the tourism sector.The cruise industry and Visit Kent offer some examples of howthis can be achieved and I'm sure there are many more.The Royal Wedding was blessed with beautiful weather thatshowcased British pageantry, many of London’s top historical sites,support for independently owned quality hotels and BritishFashion as well as London’s security and crowd control.Perhaps in many instances a practise run for some of the 2012events.While we enjoy an unusually sunny spring let’s put thispositive energy into making the Olympics a great success andbenefit for all sectors of the industry.

Alison Cryer FTS |Chairman,Tourism Society

Contents

From the President’s DeskJust before Easter I did myusual tour across the Northand West coasts ofSutherland.I always make a point ofmeeting people in the tourismindustry which is such animportant economic driver inthese remote parts and get aninteresting flavour of how theyview the coming year. Onesuch meeting was with theChair of the SutherlandPartnership’s Tourism Group.He has for 46 years run alarge guest house in Assynt.He hopes for a reasonableyear – forward bookings lookgood – but is very worriedthat fuel at 155p a litre will bea real barrier. He was interest-ed in the plans for VisitBritainannounced by the

Government and in the con-trast with the ScottishGovernment’s approachthrough VisitScotland.The two governments haveeffectively taken a diametricallyopposite view. In Scotland VSis seen as a central part offuture economic growth andits Chair sits on the main eco-nomic council advising thefinance minister along with theheads of the enterprise anddevelopment agencies.The core strategy acceptsmarket failure in marketing asinevitable and therefore is touse public finance to invest inmarketing the country.By contrast the strategy forEngland as set out in the newTourism Policy is to moveaway from public finance,

keeping it to a minimum, andinstead promote marketingspend by the industry throughpartnerships.A smaller leaner VisitBritainwill deliver expertise andcoordination.It is possible that both thesemodels may work given therespective differencesbetween the two countries.However, it will be interestingto compare how each faresand whether one is provedmore apt than the other.However, if one government iswrong then the price will bepaid by the industry.We haveto hope they are both right.

Lord Thurso MP FTS |President,Tourism

Society

Think Tank: The Government Tourism Policy: Potential,Pledges...and Your Views 2-3Ken Robinson CBE FTS, Tourism Society Think Tank, Policy andAdvocacy Group Chairman

Opposition View: Response to Tourism Policy from theShadow Minister for Tourism and Heritage 4Gloria De Piero MP

Tourism and LEPs: The Industry Must Exert Its Influenceto Ensure Representation 5Ufi Ibrahim, Chief Executive, British Hospitality Association

Daylight Saving: Three Different Views 6-7Paul Buchanan FTS, Director, Hall Aitken; Kurt Janson MTS, PolicyDirector,The Tourism Alliance; Roger Heape FTS,Travel andTourism Consultant, Insight Consultancy

Cruise Case Study: A New Image and Expansion into NewMarkets – The Sector Is Booming 8Claire Riches, Head of Marketing, Norwegian Cruise Line

Tourism Society Annual Conference Information andBooking Form 9-12

Online Technology: The Way To Dynamic Marketing andImproved Visitor Experiences 13Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Deputy Director, International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research, School of Tourism,Bournemouth University

British Food & Restaurant Industry: Showcase 14Patrick Harbour, Managing Director, Harbour & Jones

Tourism Consultants Network: Implications ofGovernment Policy Uncertain for Consultants 15Lynn Scrivener FTS, Director, Lynn Scrivener Marketing

Destination Case Study:Visit Kent – Working withBusinesses 16Sandra Matthews-Marsh MTS, Chief Executive,Visit Kent

Membership News 17

New Members 18

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2 [email protected]

Think Tank

Issue 146 Spring 2011

If we believe what our senior politicianssay, it could not be clearer.The PrimeMinister has put his name to it: “I am con-fident we can grow this already worldclass industry and make the coming yearsthe best ever for tourism in Britain”, andso has the Chancellor : “Before theGeneral Election I pledged that once wewere in Government we would takeaction to provide the right framework fortourism to achieve its potential.”TheGovernment’s Tourism Policy, belatedlypublished on 4th March 2011, just in timefor British Tourism week, is positivelybulging with such positive assertions.Yethow do we progress from words toresults? In many ways England’s tourismindustry seems to be in limbo; funding tothe national Boards has again been cut,funding via the RDAs is almost gone,assisted organisations are shrinking butclinging on, higher VAT and redundanciesare reducing disposable income, increasedAPD is keeping more Brits at home butreducing inbound visits, and the OlympicGames – “the greatest tourism marketingopportunity the UK has ever had” – isimminent, with much hype but inade-quate funding to capitalise on this globalmarketing springboard. Little over a yearago, DCMS explained that the plannedfunding of VB,VE and via the RDAs, wasjust adequate; since then all have beencut.

So does the Government Tourism Policyestablish the conditions for Britain’sTourism industry to achieve its potential?It is built on two main planks, first

expressed just weeks after the election,of “a £100m campaign, co-funded by theGovernment and the private sector … toattract 4 million extra (inbound) visitorsover the next 4 years, bringing £2bnmore spend and creating 50,000 morejobs,” and the domestic target of “increas-ing the proportion of residents who holi-day in the UK to match those who holi-day abroad each year. For longer stays (4nights or more) this would … create 4.5million extra domestic trips each year,£1.3bn more spend and 26,000 morejobs.”These targets must be taken at facevalue, because it transpires they arebased on somewhat flimsy mathematicsor the imprecise use of dodgy data. Still,they pursue the spirit of the PM’spledges.

The Policy reflects our dire economicposition, the incessantly repeated “Thereis no money” and the theme of theCoalition Government’s post-electionpruning that “Freeing up the private sec-tor will resolve the situation”. In the realtourism world, whichever side of thepublic/private fence we are on, we knowit is not that simple. Already the realagenda has moved from Cuts to Growth.But as ever the Treasury has a mentalblock on public investment, not daring torelax the cuts for fear of costly conse-quences, so valuable opportunities aremissed.The Tourism Alliance has chal-lenged the “no money” stance, saying thatcuts that cause greater consequentialreductions in public revenues are part ofthe problem, not the solution. However,the Policy asserts that the nation needsto maintain its “fiscal base” – so if we canprove that reductions would increase thetax take, we may be able to argue ourcase.

In 50 pages of comment and pledges, thepolicy canters over many issues reflecting

‘In 50 pages of comment and pledges, the policy cantersover many issues reflecting the Minister’s discussions on his travels.They range from the fundamentally important to trivial, simply do-able to impractical, and inmany cases the outcome Government promises is something they do not control.’

The Government Tourism Policy:potential, pledges ... and your views

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www.tourismsociety.org

Ken Robinson CBE FTS| Tourism Society Think Tank,Policy and Advocacy Group

Chairman 3Issue 146 Spring 2011

the Minister’s discussions on his travels.They range from the fundamentallyimportant to trivial, simply do-able toimpractical, and in many cases the out-come Government promises is somethingthey do not control.The main proposalsmatch the Minister’s firm belief, whichVisitEngland shares, that “Destinations”must be the future engine room oftourism growth.This echoes the “local-ism” and “Big Society” mantras, and isessential to show how the activities previ-ously supported by RDA funding willevolve.There is an assertion that formerlytourism activities at the local and regionallevel were prescribed, top-down. But thepre-RDA Regional Tourist Boards werenon-statutory, voluntary private-publicpartnerships, run by leading tourismindustry business people working togeth-er with knowledgeable local authoritytourism representatives. Indeed, just whatis prescribed for the future, but withoutthe core funding to make it happen.There is a touching faith that “freed-up”DMOs will flourish, to be controlled bythe private sector – and that LocalAuthorities will freely invest more inDMOs from their retention of increasedbusiness rates.Yet it seems unlikely thatLocal Authorities will allow the privatesector to determine the expenditure ofpublic funds, or that tourism will be theirchosen priority for any additional fundingthey raise.The VisitEngland Board is tomainly comprise DMO nominees from anew Destinations Forum, but the realneed around that table is a broad spreadof competent tourism expertise.

The Policy attempts to set targets forProductivity, Performance, andCompetitiveness based on measures bythe World Economic Forum’s Travel andTourism Competitiveness analysis but asits authors said ”The UK may have risenup the list [due mainly to environmentaland social factors] but its performance ona host of government-policy measures isappalling”. It is essential that we improveour performance, and faster than ourcompetitors, and the Tourism Alliance hasagreed to help identify a meaningful setof indicators to monitor progress.

Several initiatives caught the headlines,but seem unlikely to generate significantgrowth. Moving the May Bank Holiday toautumn was mooted but soon rejectedby the TUC and the CBI for predictablereasons; even the prospect of an extraOctober holiday is not universally sup-ported in the tourism industry. It is sug-gested that growth could come byimproving “all-weather” tourism facilities;yes, in England, like most places in theworld, it rains and is sometimes cold. Allmuseums, historic houses and indeedmost visitor attractions are mainly indoor

as are pubs, restaurants, hotels and shopsetc; so VE has their work cut out to“advise how to achieve this transitionsuccessfully”. Similarly there is a proposalthat an “industry task force” should findways to build Domestic Package Holidays,whereas greater awareness, value andmotivation is really the basis to builddemand.

The “old” Star Rating systems wererumoured to be ousted by TripAdvisor-style user-generated reviews; but thePolicy sensibly leaves it to the industryand VE to sort out (just as before).“Better Tourist Information” is a mantra,but the solutions of relaxing Brown Signrules and encouraging better Apps seemweak. Aspirations to increase tourismflows outside London lack recognition ofthe investment needed to tap into thisdemand.

The Policy has some really beneficial high-lights: a renewed determination forRegulatory Reform, improvements to thevisa processes, and a tacit understandingthat VB and VE should evolve to do whatthe industry wants them to do, whichcould just turn out to be more, not less.But it also omits or glosses over severalmajor issues: uncompetitive VAT,APD and especially Daylight Saving. It isgreat to have a Minister who believes in the growth potential of Tourism; wemust ensure that Government recognises the real needs of the industryand the role they must play, to succeed.

What are your views on aspects of theGovernment Tourism Policy? Please takethe online survey when you receive thedetails by email.The Think Tank will collateyour views to produce a report toGovernment.

Which way for tourism?

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Gloria De Piero| MP for Ashfield

4 [email protected]

Response to tourism policy from theShadow Minister for Tourism and Heritage

Opposition View


I was quite impressed that DavidCameron chose to make a speech ontourism so early in his premiership. Hehighlighted the enormous economicpotential of tourism and promised tohelp the industry grow. He also set outhis objective to grow the share that UKtourists spend at home from 36 to 50per cent – a target which we heartilyapplaud.

The UK tourism industry – our sixthlargest – is worth £67billion in terms ofdomestic tourism – especially importantfor rural and seaside communities – and£19billion from overseas.This spendingprovides welcome youth and regionalemployment, which in turn benefit socialinclusion. But tourism is important notjust for its economic contribution – it alsoreflects well on us as a country by show-casing what’s great about Britain.That’swhy so many people from all over theworld come and see us.

The weak pound may make us attractivetemporarily, but we need to be competi-tive even when the pound strengthens.That’s when price factors such as the VAThike on hotels may become a deterrent.

In his August speech the Prime Ministerpledged to deliver a tourism strategy bythe end of the year, but it was Marchbefore it finally materialised. Perhaps thelong delay explains why the final versionis long on vision but short on implemen-tation.

Whatever internal wrangling took placebetween departments, in the interim theindustry was hit by the VAT hike to 20%– further hampering competitiveness –and tourism-boosting bodies such as

English Heritage, Arts Council Englandand VisitBritain were slashed in thespending review.

Serious challenges remain for the indus-try, and I’m concerned the strategy offerslittle in the way of practical help.

We need to make sure that the tourismservices local authorities provide don’tbecome an easy target for cash-strappedcouncils. If we are to get domestic visitornumbers up then good tourist informa-tion centres, local websites and good oldfashioned leaflets are ever more vital. It’simportant that destinations welcomeBrits holidaying at home and let themknow what’s on offer.

I also share the industry’s concern aboutthe abolition of Regional DevelopmentAgencies. Promoting tourism was a realsuccess for RDAs. Local EnterprisePartnerships need to be encouragedfrom the start to see the potential intourism. I’m pleased that my local LEP inNottinghamshire recognises the need todevelop tourism. I want to see every LEPengaging with the local tourism industryto drive growth.

Internationally, it’s crucial that we don’t fallbehind our competitors. France attractseight times more visitors from China thanthe UK does.With the growth of tourismfrom emerging economies, we need to

work with our partners to find betterways of delivering tourist visas, while stillensuring the security of the system.

As well as covering tourism, I am shadowarts minister, which makes sense as thetwo are closely linked. I’m worried thatthe combination of cuts from the ArtsCouncil, abolition of the RDAs and localgovernment cuts will result in a harsherlandscape for our visitor attractions.Wehave a unique heritage and world classarts and culture. Damaging these riskslosing the dollars and yen spent aroundthe country.

I also know many are disappointed tofind no mention in the strategy of doublesummer time. I think it’s right to consulton the issue of daylight saving and myparty will continue to listen to the viewsfrom the length of the country.

I have to admit I raised my eyebrows onhearing that John Penrose wanted tofocus on making Britain an all weatherdestination.

I asked if he intended to put an umbrellaover the Lake District. But having a strat-egy for tourism is no laughing matter.Government needs to take real action totranslate its vision into reality and deliveron its aims.Tourism is not an optionalextra for economic growth – it’s central.

‘If we are to get domestic visitor numbers up then goodtourist information centres, local websites and good old fashioned leaflets are ever more vital. It’s important that destinations welcome Brits holidaying athome and let them know what’s on offer.’

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Tourism and LEPs


Ufi Ibrahim| Chief Executive,

British HospitalityAssociation 5

One of the biggest challenges the newgovernment has made on the tourismscene is the abolition of RegionalDevelopment Agencies and the introduc-tion of Local Enterprise Partnerships.Theintention is to get away from what thegovernment calls the bureaucracy ofRDAs to give local businesses a muchgreater say in their local economic devel-opment through LEPs, which will be partof a network led by the British Chamberof Commerce.This re-organisation has merit as it bringsdecision-making much closer to localbusinesses and, certainly, the BHA is com-mitted to playing a full role in this busi-ness-led network. But further clarity is stillneeded from the LEPs vis-a-vis tourism.There appears to be a lack of tourismrepresentation on many of the LEPBoards, so how will they engage with thetourism industry? What funding will theyhave? What organisational structure willthey have? And is it symptomatic of the generalapproach to tourism in this country –even though it has the Prime Minister’sand Government’s support – that theRegional Growth Fund rejectedVisitEngland’s £29m bid, which wouldhave spread new opportunitiesthroughout the UK and which wouldhave helped the industry reach the targetof creating 236,000 new and additional

jobs by 2015?LEPs will largely be funded by local busi-ness and local authorities – but we allknow how strapped for cash local author-ities are; businesses, too, have cash-flowissues of their own. Nevertheless, theseLEPs will be responsible for supportingtourism in their locality often throughDestination Management Organisations.With so little public funding, how success-ful will they be in developing tourism intheir locality? It’s clear that a great deal will depend onhow much influence local hoteliers,restaurateurs and tourism businesses canexert on their LEP. Yet few, if any, ofthose already formed have any tourismrepresentative on their board. So therewill be no-one to represent the views ofthe tourism sector at a time when localcouncils will certainly be making theirinfluence felt.Where will tourism stand intheir deliberations if there is no tourismrepresentation? From recent meetings in London it isclear that there is confusion throughoutthe country about the support tourismwill receive from LEPs, whether DMOswill survive, where any funding supportwill come from and how effective it willbe. And it should be noted that tourismhas already lost £60m of RDA funding inthe changeover to LEPs.This is a huge challenge for the industry.Without representation, will tourism getits fair share of LEPs’ attention and sup-

port? But without this support there is adanger that LEPs will ignore those sectorsof their local economy that aren’tinvolved.The coalition’s philosophy is to drive deci-sion-making down from the centre to theregions and localities. So tourism will nowdepend on local businesses looking aftertheir own local interests – and if localinterests don’t stand up to be counted,tourism in their locality will suffer.What to do? The answer, of course, is forindustry at local level to make its pres-ence felt, particularly those who aremembers of their local Chamber ofCommerce. All LEPs are in their veryearly stage of development so now is thetime for local hospitality businesses totake a positive interest in their organisa-tion, their activities and their funding.Part of the solution lies in our ownhands.Tourism businesses should getinvolved in lobbying locally, through theTourism Society, through their localChamber of Commerce, through theirregional branch of the British HospitalityAssociation or the Institute of Hospitality.The more pressure that they exert, thebetter ; without it, tourism in their areawill surely suffer.This is really a call to arms.This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put localtourism on the map. If we don’t succeed,the opportunity won’t come aroundagain.

The industry must exert its influence to ensure representation


‘ Tourism businesses shouldget involved in lobbyinglocally, through the TourismSociety, through their localChamber of Commerce,through their regional branchof the British HospitalityAssociation or the Instituteof Hospitality.The morepressure that they exert, thebetter ; without it, tourism intheir area will surely suffer’

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Local businesses need to get involved

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DaylightSaving:ThreeViews


Some people will remember the last day-light saving trial. I was in short trousers(yes, in winter!) and we had to wear lotsof light coloured and reflective clothingon the way to school and everybodymade a fuss.The police issued us withreflectors for our school bags. Other thanthat it was unremarkable. But despiteapparent safety benefits there was no willto continue.Why?

Essentially, the problem in the frozenNorth is the lack of daylight irrespectiveof when we get up and go to bed. Usablemidwinter daylight under GMT runs fromabout 9.30am to 3.30pm in Glasgow,Edinburgh and Belfast, so an hour eitherway isn’t going to help the tourist indus-try.

And to compare with other parts ofNorthern Europe, the Gulf Stream alsomeans we don’t normally have the advan-tage of snow. Other Northern European

countries look forward to the first snowas it is bright, dry and cold and counter-acts the damp darkness we are used to.The suicide rate in Finland apparentlypeaks between October and December(when it is dark and wet) but dropswhen the first snows appear.

Maybe it’s just the Daily Mail: “Don't letthe Scots dictate the time as we wouldall be fitter if clocks were NOT put back,says expert” . But there are other issues.Geography is important because although86% of the UK population apparentlysupport daylight saving the same 86% ofthe population will be largely unaffectedby Single Double Summer Time (SDST).People tend to think the problem is aNorth-South issue (length of daylight) butit is mainly an East-West issue (sunriseand sunset). Because everyone inScotland lives west of London, the sun rises later and sets later. So the issues get more acute the further north

and west you go.

Mayer Hillman and others make reason-able claims for the benefits of additionaldaylight but it is a southern perspective.Claims for additional tourism visits andspend assume there is the opportunity tospend, available cash and motivation, aswell as the daylight. And the paper isn’table to attribute additional visits or spenddirectly to later sunset times (or ratherthere is a suspicion it is temperature-related), suggesting we do need somebetter data to go on.

So, my view is that it probably doesn’tmatter to Scotland or Northern Irelandanyway although I agree we can’t be ondifferent time from the rest of the UK –imagine resetting your watch every timethe train pulled into Carlisle or Berwick!

The Policy Studies Institute has calculatedthat moving to Daylight Saving wouldbenefit the UK leisure and tourism indus-try by increasing revenue by up to£3.5bn per annum and by creating up to80,000 new jobs.These headline figuresare so large, though, that many will won-der how simply moving the clocks for-ward an hour could produce such signifi-cant benefits.There are two straightfor-ward explanations, the first relating to theincrease in available ‘usable’ daylight andthe second to the perceived tempera-ture.

Usable daylight is the amount of daylightafter 5pm that can be used for leisureand recreational activities; putting theclocks forward an extra hour provides anadditional daily average of 55 minutes.The best way to understand the benefitsof this is to look at how usable daylightvaries through the year.

In the Midlands, for example, there arethree hours of usable daylight during the

Daily Mail says ignore Scots!

Paul Buchanan Kurt Janson Roger Heape

The tourism benefits

Time to change?

Paul Buchanan FTS|

Director, Hall Aitken

6&7 16/5/11 17:32 Page 2


height of summer, and a deficit of around40mins between November and January(ie, the sun sets 40 minutes before 5pm).An extra hour will not really make muchdifference to usable daylight in winter, andan extra hour in summer probably isn’tgoing to overly stimulate additionaltourism and leisure activity.

However, it is the shoulder seasons whichwould gain most from additional usabledaylight. In April and May the Midlandscurrently receive respectively 118 and161 minutes of usable daylight, while inSeptember and October they receive113 and 73 minutes. By moving toDaylight Saving, the Midlands would

receive more than 3 hours of accessibledaylight for almost half the year and atleast two hours of accessible daylight foralmost eight months.

In terms of usable daylight hours, movingthe clocks forward would, in an instant,almost double the ‘summer season’, significantly increasing the opportunities for people to undertakeleisure and recreational activities after work or after doing the weekendchores.

The second explanation of the benefitsto leisure and tourism of moving toDaylight Saving is often overlooked. Bymaking the change, the diurnal

temperature gradient we currently experience would occur an hour later,giving the perception that evenings arewarmer.

Indeed, calculations undertaken by thePSI indicate that in the shoulder seasonsthe temperature at 8pm in the evening (ie, around sunset) would be anaverage of 1oC warmer than at 8pm cur-rently.

So, combined, moving to Daylight Savingwould provide almost six months of summerlike evening daylight and an apparent increase in temperature of1oC.

The question, therefore, is not whetherthe predicted benefits to tourism andrecreation sector of such a move are toolarge, but whether they are too small.

‘In terms of usable daylight hours, moving the clocks forward would, in an instant, almost double the ‘summer season’, significantly increasing the opportunities for peopleto undertake leisure and recreational activities after work or after doing the weekend chores’

MP Rebecca Harris has tabled a PrivateMember’s Bill calling for the clocks to bemoved forward by an extra hourthroughout the year. Past attempts to addan hour to our clocks in both winter andsummer have failed – largely because ofopposition to the resulting darker wintermornings, particularly in Scotland.

There is a simple way round this opposi-tion which preserves most of the benefitsfrom lighter evenings: leave the clocksunchanged on GMT in winter and justadd an extra hour to summer making itGMT +2 hours (currently GMT +1).

An extra hour in summer is an easy sellto the public and good news for theTourism industry. It means lighterevenings from April through to October– longer daylight time to enjoy sport,leisure and outdoor entertainments.Lights would be turned on an hour laterthus saving energy.

This summer-only option means, ofcourse, no time change in winter(November to March). By contrast, it isdifficult to see the public benefit fromadding an hour to wintertime as per thePrivate Member’s Bill.

London, with 12 extra weeks of sunriseafter 8am, would be darker than currentEdinburgh mornings.The extra hour inEdinburgh would produce 10 weeks with sunrise after 9am. Because winterdays are much shorter in any case,there is barely any extra daylight leisure time to compensate for darkermornings.

Lighting would go on later in the after-noon, but energy saving would be offset

by lights having to stay on later in themornings. Overall better to leave winter-time on GMT!

The Private Member’s Bill on daylight sav-ing has flexibility in it for a review of theevidence.This could include looking atthe benefits of a summer-only change.Politically, the Government insists that any

change needs a consensus across thewhole country.

A summer-only solution gives the bestchance of achieving that.

The summer-only solution

‘An extra hour in summer is an easy sell to the public andgood news for the Tourism industry. It means lighter eveningsfrom April through to October – longer daylight time toenjoy sport, leisure and outdoor entertainments. Lightswould be turned on an hour later thus saving energy’

Kurt Janson MTS | Policy Director, Tourism

Alliance

Roger Heape FTS |Travel & Tourism Consultant,

Insight Consultancy

More time to get outdoors?

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Claire Riches| Head of Marketing,Norwegian Cruise Line8 [email protected]

A new image and expansion into newmarkets – the sector is booming

Cruise Case Study


The cruise market has shown phenome-nal growth over the past decade.Thenumber of British cruise passengers hasmore than doubled in the last ten years,and 1.7m people are expected to take acruise holiday in 2011.

These market results attract positiveheadlines as ‘Britain’s cruise industry ridesthe crest of the wave’, whereas in con-trast there has been an overall decline inoutbound foreign travel and we continueto face a challenging economy in the UK.

There has been a sustained upward trendin cruise growth here in the UK andthere are now more than 837,000 pas-sengers embarking on cruises from UKports, with a further 541,000 makingstops as part of a cruise itinerary inBritain. And with each €1m of directcruise industry expenditure generating€2.27m in business output and nearly 22additional jobs in turn paying an averagewage of €32,100, this is a sector that issignificantly contributing to tourism(source: European Cruise Councilresearch, 2008).

Cruise is delivering the government’sfuture tourism strategy today.With eachport of call estimated to bring more than£1m to the local economy, the British

tourism industry really is reaping consid-erable benefit from the industry.

Over the last seven years alone there hasbeen a 134% growth in cruisers visitingUK ports and the Cruise Britain initiativeis ideally placed to help UK tourism max-imise this growth by bringing key partnerstogether.Working with the PassengerShipping Association and UK ports ithelps promote the best attractions, land-scapes and experiences Britain has tooffer within easy reach for cruise passen-gers.We need to encourage passengersto extend their stay to take in on-landexperiences whilst also encouragingBritons cruising from the UK to explorethe likes of Hampshire or Kent beforetheir trip.

The cruise industry has a real determina-tion to continue to innovate, to increaseboth customer desire for their productand excitement in taking a cruise. All of

us in the industry are proud that almostlong gone is the myth that cruises aresolely for the ‘newly-wed and nearly-dead’ and cruise has become a thrivingholiday option that appeals to all ages,genders and groups.

There is now plenty to please childreneager to meet their animation heroes(Mickey Mouse, Shrek and SpongeBobSquarePants can all be found on the highseas), for mums and dads keen to takeadvantage of complimentary child care inkids’ clubs with trained and qualified staff,as well as for solo cruisers who can nowhappily cruise and meet like-minded trav-elling companions.

For just more than a decade, my compa-ny – Norwegian Cruise Line – has beenthe forerunner of innovation and hasreinvented the modern cruise with thecreation of Freestyle Cruising – a relaxedapproach to cruising which also offers awide variety of choice. Our latest ship,Norwegian Epic, is testament to this,bringing an ice bar, Spiegel tent, waterslides and 10-pin bowling to the seaswith her. And with the industry continuingto invest in new ships I personally can’twait to see what’s next to get even morepeople cruising.

Tourism is and should be exciting. It’swhere we spend our money and indulgein activities specifically designed to take usaway from day-to-day reality. Othertourism sectors can learn from cruise andensure they keep pushing the boundariesof how they innovate their offer. Keep itfresh, follow lifestyle trends and mostimportantly ensure guests experience theservice levels that will keep them comingback to spend in our economy.

‘All of us in the industry are proud that almost long gone is the myth that cruises are solely for the‘newly-wed and nearly-dead’ and cruise has become a thriving holiday option that appeals to all ages,genders and groups’

08 16/5/11 17:34 Page 2

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This year we have seen the publication of the Government’s long-awaited Tourism Policy. It comes at thesame time as wide-ranging cuts, and the industry is caught between being recognised as one of theeconomy’s key drivers of growth while at the same time having to live up to this reputation with smallerresources at its disposal to help deliver its true potential.

We often hear how resilient the industry is, and against these tough conditions we can expect to seedevelopments in all sectors as individuals and organisations review their relationships with their previousfunding bodies and explore new relationships between private and public sector companies.

Our Annual Conference this year will look at innovators in the key sectors, asking if and how their successescan be applied across the industry. Five panel sessions will provide opportunities to hear from seniormembers of companies who have developed new ways to engage with business partners and customers.

Innovation & Reinvention1 new 17/5/11 13:24 Page 1

CONFERENCE TIMETABLE

Beaulieu, Hampshire

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2011

EAT - FOOD & BEVERAGESpeakers: Alec Howard, Director,Planet Food; Ray Lorimer,Executive Chef and CulinaryController, Unilever Food Solutions.

The public’s appreciation of good foodhas increased enormously over recentyears, and suppliers and venues havehad to develop their offering of highquality, responsibly sourced andimaginative ingredients and menus.Former Michelin-star chef Alec Howardnow runs a specialist food consultancy advising hospitalitycompanies in the UK, Middle East and Asia and watches thelatest food trends very closely. Ray Lorimer is responsible forall culinary development, including new product development,both in the UK and Europe for Unilever Food Solutions.

MOVE - TRANSPORTChaired by David Quarmby CBE

Speakers: Claire Riches, Head ofMarketing, Norwegian Cruise Line;

Thomas Ablemanm, MarketingDirector, Chiltern Railways

The budget airline boom sparked amarketing war to entice passengers tofly to new destinations. Now railwaysare fighting back with high-speed linksand improved communications with passengers. ThomasAbleman will discuss the domestic marketplace from the pointof view of the company voted Best Train Operator by thetravelling public. Cruising continues to go from strength tostrength and we will hear from Claire Riches of NCL, whohave led the way in redesigning the cruise product.

This year’s conference is being hosted by Beaulieu and the NationalMotor Museum. The historic Palace House and mediaeval CistercianAbbey combine with the modern buildings of the Motor Museum tocreate one of the most well-known attractions in southern England.Discussion sessions will take place in the purpose built lecture theatre,from where it is a very short walk to the Brabazon for the buffet lunch.

Getting to Beaulieu; Beaulieu is situated in the New Forest betweenBournemouth and Southampton, with easy access from London and the

Home Counties. If coming by road, leave theM27 at junction 2 and follow the brown andwhite tourist signs towards Beaulieu.Sat navpostcode is SO42 7ZN, but please followbrown signage when in the vicinity.The nearestrailway station is Brockenhurst.

For delegates staying at the Jurys InnSouthampton, coach transport will be provided to and from the conference dinner and theconference itself.

THE VENUE

ALISON CRYER FTSCCHHAAIIRRMMAANN -- TTOOUURRIISSMM SSOOCCIIEETTYY

Palace House, Beaulieu

Alec Howard

MONDAY 4TH JULY12:00 - 16:00 Study Tour of the New Forest19:00 Drinks reception, National Motor Museum20:00 Dinner, the Domus22:30 Carriages

TUESDAY 5TH JULY09:00 Arrival & registration - tea, coffee and

pastries. Sponsored by Representation Plus.10:00 - 10:30 AGM - Society members only11:00 - 11:05 Chairman’s Welcome Alison Cryer FTS11:05 - 11:30 Keynote Speech - David Quarmby

CBE, former Chair of VisitBritain and Chair ETIP

11:30 - 12:15 Session 1: MOVE (Transport)12:15 - 13:00 Session 2: EAT

(Food & Beverage)13:00 - 13:45 Session 3: SLEEP

(Accommodation)13:45 - 14:45 Lunch in The Brabazon14:45 - 15:30 Session 4: PLACE

(Destinations, Attractions)15:30 - 16:15 Session 5: CONNECT

(IT & Technology)16:15 - 16:30 Conference summing up 16:30 - 17:00 Teas, coffees, and networking. Sponsored

by TQS Consulting.17:30 coaches to Southampton via

Brockenhurst station.

Claire Riches


BOOKING FORMSLEEP - ACCOMMODATIONChaired by David Curtis-Brignell FTS, Director

of Development Europe, Millennium andCopthorne

It is harder than ever to divide the accommodationsector neatly into traditional star-ratings. Newmodels of offerings for overnight stays havedeveloped recently, where luxury no longer meanshigh prices and optional add-ons mean guests canchoose the level of service they want. The provisionof hotel facilities no longer follows customarypatterns. Overseeing the discussion will be DavidCurtis-Brignell FTS, whose role at Millennium andCopthorne provides the perfect background forexamining new trends that are emerging in accommodation.

CONNECT - IT & TECHNOLOGYChaired by Ben Tagg MTS, Managing Director, NVG

Speakers: Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Deputy Director,International Centre for Tourism and HospitalityResearch (ICTHR), Bournemouth University; John Fotis,PhD researcher, School of Tourism, BournemouthUniversity; Andrew Key, Lloyds TSB, Head ofPayments, London 2012 Games

More and more of the planning, buying, selling andproviding of holidays and tourism-related information isdone electronically, with no signs of the trend changingany time soon. Dimitrios Buhalis and John Fotis areextremely knowledgeable on all aspects of the onlinetravel media world and will describe the latestdevelopments. Andrew Key will talk about how electronic payment systems beingintroduced for the 2012 Olympics can help transform events and venue visits.

Names of further session panellists and speakers will beannounced soon - keep an eye on the conference page on theTourism Society website (www.tourismsociety.org).

Chaired by Anthony Climpson FTS, Employmentand Tourism Manager, New Forest District Council.

Speakers: Patricia Yates FTS, Director ofCommunications and Strategy, VisitBritain;

Georgina Kelly, Head of Marketing, Warwick Castle

The Government’s Tourism Policy has redefinedVisitBritain’s role. We will hear from Patricia Yates FTShow VB’s plans to reinvent itself are progressing, andwhat its areas of focus will be. The Policy has alsouncoupled tourism from local authorities, allowingboundaries to develop along lines of common localinterest, character and attractions. Georgina Kelly willspeak about Warwick Castle’s marketing strategy andtheir approach to balancing the need to continuallyappeal to new visitors with maintaining the fabric of thehistoric attraction.

MONDAY 4TH JULY

Please circle your choices

Study tour: £20 - limited places, make

sure you reserve your seat.

Dinner: Member £55

Non-member £65

TUESDAY 5TH JULY

Conference: Member £78

Non-member £98

Coach transport from Jurys Inn

Southampton is included in the above

prices.

Name/s ..............................................................

Please circle: MTS / FTS / non-member

Job title................................................................

Organisation ......................................................

Tel ........................................................................

Mobile..................................................................

Email ....................................................................

Address ..............................................................

..............................................................................

..............................................................................

..............................................................................

..............................................................................

..............................................................................

Post code............................................................

I/we have booked accommodation at

..............................................................................

I/we plan to travel to the conference by

car / train / plane / public transport

Please complete BOTH sides of this formand return to:The Tourism SocietyTrinity Court34 West StreetSuttonSM1 1SHTel 0208 661 4636 Fax 0208 661 4637Email [email protected]

Anthony Climpson FTS

Ben Tagg MTS

David Curtis-Brignell FTS

PLACE - DESTINATIONS AND ATTRACTIONS


THE DINNERThe conference dinner will be held on Monday 4th July

The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu willprovide a stunning setting for the pre-dinnerdrinks and canapés. The gleaming collectionof classic and vintage cars traces thedevelopment of petrol-driven transport from its very beginnings through to land-speedrecord holders and modern icons such as the Citroen 2CV. From here it’s a short walk to the Domus, part of the mediaeval Abbey andformerly the dormitory for the lay brothers,where dinner will be served. Catering will beprovided by Leith’s.

The evening, including a keynote speaker, willset the scene perfectly for the conference thefollowing day, with opportunities fornetworking with friends and colleagues beforethe panel sessions.

We have secured an allocation of rooms at the 4-star Jurys Inn Southampton. The hotel is closeto the main railway station, and will provide a convenient base from which to make the shortjourney to Beaulieu for both the dinner and the conference.

The rates for delegates are £60.00 Bed & Breakfast, single occupancy and £70.00 Bed &Breakfast, twin occupancy, including VAT. To make sure you receive these secured rates pleasebook before 04 June. To make your booking, please call the hotel’s central reservationsdepartment directly on 023 8037 1111 and select option 1; quote code TOUR 040711. (Pleasenote you may be able to get a more advantageous rate online subject to the time of booking andavailability).

For alternative accommodation please visit www.visit-southampton.co.uk/site/where-to-stay

Tourism Society Corporate Partners;

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION

PAYMENT DETAILS

STUDY TOURInnovation in an ancient setting

The study tour will demonstrate how over thelast five years the New Forest has managed toachieve investment and innovation in many ofits individual hotels and attractions.

The tour will visit the new multi-million poundPeppa Pig World attraction at Paultons Park andpause for a New Forest Marque local producelunch at Lime Wood, a recently opened £40million ‘house party’ hotels and spa.Participants will also find out about thedestination’s Green Leaf Tourism and award-winning Brand New Forest Campaign and Cardschemes, respectively designed to bring aboutsustainability and embed tourism into the widerlocal economy.

The visit will end with a guided scenic journeythrough the various protected landscapes thathelp give the New Forest its special edge in themarketplace.

I enclose a CHEQUE for

£ ..............................................................

made payable to the Tourism Society.

OR, Please deduct £ ..............................

from my card

(please note we do not accept Am Ex)

Cardholder name

................................................................

Billing address ........................................

................................................................

................................................................

................................................................

................................................................

................................................................

Card number

................................................................

Start date (if shown) ................................

Expiry date ..............................................

Issue number (Maestro and Solo cards)

................................................................

3-digit security number ..........................

Signature ................................................

Please invoice me / my company.

Purchase order number ..........................

NB Payment must be made to confirm

your place. The full charge will be

incurred unless cancellation is received

by 12 noon on Friday 03 June.


Online Technology


Prof Dimitrios Buhalis|Director, International

Centre for Tourism andHospitality Research,

Bournemouth University13

The recent developments in InformationCommunication Technologies' (ICTs) andthe emerging of the Internet and theWeb 2.0, in particular, as a mainstreamcommunications and transaction mediahas changed the way that governments,organisations and citizens interact andoperate.These developments havechanged the best operational and strate-gic practices for organisations on a globallevel and altered the competitiveness ofenterprises and regions around theworld.The digital revolution introducedby the Internet, Intranet and Extranetsprovide unprecedented and unforeseenopportunities for productivity improve-ments, interactive management anddynamic marketing.

The ICTs' revolution has had already pro-found implications for the tourism sector.Timely and accurate information, relevantto consumers' needs, is often the key tosuccessful satisfaction of tourism demand.As few other activities require the gener-ation, gathering, processing, applicationand communication of information foroperations, ICTs are pivotal for tourism.Consequently the rapid development ofboth tourism supply and demand makesICTs an imperative partner for the mar-keting, distribution, promotion and co-ordination of the tourism sector.

The emerging ICT tools introduce newcapabilities, which consequently providenew opportunities as well as major chal-lenges for all players. Developing mecha-nisms to sustain competitive advantage inthe long term can only be achieved byadopting dynamic and innovative prac-tices that will enable tourism organisa-tions to constantly outperform their com-petitors. Competitor tactics as well asdemand trends can increasingly be moni-tored on-line, in real time.

Organisations can take advantage of theinstantaneous interaction facilitated bythe Internet and e-mail and address theneed of their clients at the right time.Inevitably competition will be intensifiedand may force smaller and technologically

disadvantaged players to lose consider-able market share.

It is becoming increasingly obvious thatthe utilisation of the range of availableICTs and the Internet will be determiningthe scale and scope of tourism businessand destinations globally. ICTs are instru-mental to a number of strategic decisionsfor tourism organisations and they aregradually one of the key strategic consid-erations for tourism planning and devel-opment at both the micro and macrolevels. ICTs should support and serve thebusiness plans and models of tourismorganisations, rather than the other wayaround. Equally, unless decision makersappreciate the importance of the ICTcapabilities and opportunities emerging,they will be unable to inform their busi-ness models and plans as well to achievetheir full potential. Hence, a close integra-tion between ICTs potential and businessmodels is a prerequisite for the successfultourism organisation of the future.

The Internet has revolutionised the travelindustry by providing a new way for con-sumers to 'experience' a destination, plantheir itineraries and purchase travel prod-ucts. Increasingly therefore DestinationManagement Organisations (DMOs) useICTs to facilitate the tourist experiencebefore, during and after the visit, as wellas for coordinating all partners involvedin the production and delivery of tourism.

Thus, not only do DMOs attempt to pro-vide information and accept reservationsfor local enterprises as well as coordinatetheir facilities, but they also utilise ICTs topromote their tourism policy, coordinatetheir operational functions, increase theexpenditure of tourists, and boost themultiplier effects in the local economy.The emergence of Social Networks suchas Facebook,Twitter,Youtube and Flickrprovide wonderful opportunities forTourism Boards to engage with con-sumers and to use consumer generatedcontent at a large scale.

Advanced Destination ManagementSystems (DMSs) enable destinations toachieve differentiation by targeting niche markets. and help local enterprises increase their bargainingpower over tourism intermediaries andexplore new and innovative distributionchannels.

Destinations that embrace advanced ICTsand DMSs in particular will be able toimprove their strategic positioning,improve their competitiveness and opti-mise their benefits from tourism.To suc-ceed in the future, DMSs will need tocombine both technological and manage-ment innovation and to develop suitabletools for satisfying the entire range ofstakeholders. ICTs and DMSs in particularemerge as essential tools for bothtourism demand and supply.

The way to dynamic marketingand improved visitor experiences


13 16/5/11 17:34 Page 1

Patrick Harbour | Director,Harbour & Jones14 [email protected]

Showcase

British Food & Restaurant Industry


It’s a relief to hear that the GovernmentTourism Policy is promising to show thefood service sector some love. It’s been along time coming and frankly we deserveinvestment, given the enormous role hos-pitality plays as a mass employer and £90billion business generator.

More food service operators must fly theflag for British produce and sell the ideathat British cuisine is rich, flavoursomeand homegrown. Our diverse, multi-cul-tural society has become a unique sellingpoint in its own right, particularly in thekitchen where we’ve access to a wealthof authentic world flavours. It’s beenexciting to see how the upsurge in story-telling about food origins, organic veg-etable growth, responsible farming of live-stock and creative cooking techniques, isteaching more Brits to be food aware,environmentally conscious and healthy.

As concession caterers at some ofLondon and southern England’s mosticonic venues, we see this trend for trans-parency in the supply chain driving con-sumer buying behaviour, particularly inthe corporate sector.Venues that procuredelicious food responsibly and ‘buy British’are earning far greater respect than thoseunable to promote such commitments.Choosing venues that align with a compa-ny’s own Corporate Social Responsibilitypolicies is an important part of howevent management has evolved, placingthe onus on food service operators tomake that information available.

Understanding the relationship businesshas with tourism is vital – it’s a marketworth £3.2 billion in London alone. Folksin town on business need accommoda-tion, food and entertainment. Event ven-ues should ensure they can offer the fullpackage, from expert catering and pro-motional room rates, to state-of-the-arttechnology.

That the Government’s marketing planswon’t focus solely on the capital city is apositive move.We know from our cater-ing provision within beautiful venues likeBishop’s Palace in Wells, Somerset andHenry Moore’s estate in Hertfordshire,

that not every international visitor wantsto stay or entertain guests within theconfines of London.There’s a wealth ofculture, character and entertainment tobe had in other spots country-wide; youjust need to know they’re there.

Showcasing pride in all that’s British issomething we’ve ample opportunities toexplore. Events like the Royal Weddingand the London 2012 Olympics grabworldwide attention and are powerfultourism draw-cards.We must continue toincentivise marketing spend and promoteour willingness to add value by rewardingcustomers.Vouchers, themed menus,exclusive offers to the Facebook commu-nity – the restaurants offering these arethe ones best navigating consumer thrifti-ness in the out-of-home market.

We boast incredible talent in the UK andactually Britain’s hospitality scene hasmoved far beyond the perceptions ofunderwhelming cuisine, lacklustre serviceand over-priced venues. It’s a source offrustration that bad eggs continue to stealthe limelight from those with the cus-tomer experience front-of-mind. Peopleare both the hospitality industry’s biggestasset and at the same time, its biggestweakness.The government’s acceptance

that peaks and troughs in performancemirror availability of education couldn’thave come soon enough.

We’ll never get UK service levels up toexceptional standards until we’ve abol-ished the idea that the hospitality industryoffers low-skilled, poor-quality jobs. Foodservice must be promoted as a credibleand professional career path. Fortunatelymany of our industry ‘celebrities’ taketheir status as ambassadors seriously.Weneed leaders.The government’s promiseto improve staff and management skillsthrough increased apprenticeships is wel-come common sense.

Empowering staff through on-the-jobtraining inspires confidence and job satis-faction, which in turn breed the “warmthand hospitality” the government has sug-gested hospitality workers lack. Harbour& Jones would be nothing without thecharisma and talent of its staff.We investserious time in their training and ourretention record speaks volumes.Youcan’t teach personality, but happy staff aremotivated staff and motivated staff arebetter tuned to give great service.Employers should take responsibility fortheir own and yes, remembering to smilemore wouldn’t hurt!

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Tourism ConsultantsNetwork


Lynn Scrivener FTS |Director,

Lynn Scrivener Marketing15

My initial view of the Government’sTourism Policy was that whilst it is wide-ranging, it lacks depth. Do others sharemy opinion? Yes, indeed. Having canvassedopinion from a number of consultancycolleagues, their responses ranged fromdisappointment to despair, with thankfullysome positive commendations thrown in.

Despite David Cameron’s ballsy speechon tourism last year and withGovernment figures heralding tourism asthe country’s sixth biggest industry,accounting for almost £90bn per annumin direct spending alone, the Policy is seento be “big on talk but short on action”.As we in marketing say, “lots of sizzle butnot much sausage”. Given its value versusinbound, the Policy rightly emphasisesdomestic tourism but the objective ofincreasing the proportion of UK residentswho holiday here to match those whoholiday abroad is reckoned to be posi-tively heroic – and unsubstantiated.

To solve the problem of ‘widespread mar-ket failure of investment in collective des-tination marketing’ the Policy states that‘we will create strong, new and independ-ent tourism bodies, to eliminate structuralproblems and allow the industry to takeresponsibility for its own future’.Welcome to the brave new world ofdestination management organisations. Itseems they are expected to do all thesame stuff, and more, but with lessmoney – though the Policy admits that ‘inthe short term there’s probably a legiti-mate – if temporary – role for the state,

to fill the gap in promoting destinationswhile we create and grow the structuresand organisation which will be neededfor the sector to organise and fund itsown collective marketing in future’. Butwho’s the ‘we’ doing the creating hereand how long is ‘short term’? However,there is much to be said for harnessingthe benefits of ‘local distinctiveness’ andthe Policy suggestion that new DMOsmight be thematic or geography based,rather than follow traditional administra-tive boundaries, is welcomed.

The Government also expects the newDMOs to both market and manage desti-nations. Colleagues are concerned that aslocal authority budgets are squeezed bybudget cuts, the ‘glue’ that holds so muchof destination product and infrastructuretogether will steadily wear away.VisitEngland is reckoned to face quite achallenge too, due to be ‘refocused andreformed to become an industry-led sec-tor body charged with driving up produc-tivity in our visitor economy’ as well asacting as the ‘tourism body of last resort’for orphan areas who can’t find a DMOhome. And is this the right time, I wonder,to leave London without an effectivetourism body?

Some of us were puzzled by the Policyconclusion that ‘we cannot rely on cultureand tourism heritage to maintain Britain’sranking as a top tourism destination’. So

that explains the recent Arts CouncilEngland cuts! Yet much is made ofLiverpool’s achievements as EuropeanCapital of Culture. And the London 2012Olympic and Paralympic Games are reck-oned to be a ‘huge one-off opportunityto show off the entire country’s othervisitor attractions – our rich heritage,vibrant culture and beautiful countryside’.

Whilst Policy support for improved con-sumer information, especially via digitalmedia, was praised, reformulating rules onBrown Signs was considered to be“cheap media fodder”, as was movingBank Holiday Monday. Embracing cus-tomer feedback was welcomed but thereis real concern over the lack of supportfor accommodation star rating schemeswith online review sites such asTripAdvisor seen as poor and prematuresubstitutes.

These opinions, and more, were stronglyexpressed by colleagues though thoughtsas to what the Policy means for us asemployees of the sector were less cer-tain.We all expect business to gettougher as funding cuts take hold andthat clients’ planning and decision makingis likely to be even more short term andtactical.Yet in these changing times,tourism businesses are going to be ineven greater need of wise advice, marketexperience and hands-on support. I thinkwe’re all still peering through the sizzle.

Implications of Government policy uncertain for consultants


‘Some of us were puzzled bythe Policy conclusion that‘we cannot rely on cultureand tourism heritage tomaintain Britain’s ranking as atop tourism destination’. Sothat explains the recent ArtsCouncil England cuts!’

Sizzle v sausage – a fine balance

15 16/5/11 17:36 Page 1

Sandra Matthews-Marsh MTS| Chief Executive,Visit Kent16 [email protected]

Visit Kent – workingwith businesses

Destination Case Study


We have a National Tourism Policy, wehave been recognised as a key growthsector and there are well-founded expec-tations that tourism is a key driver inrebuilding the UK economy.The Policydescribes the need for progressive busi-ness-led models for destination manage-ment organisations in the new atmos-phere.Visit Kent welcomes this.Yet thereare challenges ahead.The sector is experiencing significant cutsand so we support the Tourism Alliance’scall to introduce a sectoral reduction inVAT, the restoration of hotel buildingallowances and allowing historic proper-ties with significant and covenanted bene-fit to the public to apply for lotterygrants.The public sector has a role to play inpump-priming partnerships and maintain-ing the public realm - basics that form thevery foundation of the visitor experience.Localism is key but the roles of thenational bodies VisitEngland andVisitBritain are critical. Light touch leader-ship that meets grass roots activism inthe middle will be a powerful recipe. AsChair of the VisitEngland ‘Welcome toEngland’ Steering Group, where the issueof improving our ranking in the welcomeleague table is being debated, we believethat we can make a difference if we startfrom the grass roots to tackle the prob-lem. But standing together on a nationalplatform to punch above our weight.The success of a destination for the visi-tor depends on all their experiences –not just the attraction or the hotel orB&B.Tourism businesses are dependenton each other and the quality of theirlocal infrastructure, transport providers,retail sector, and their built and naturalenvironment.That is why the destinations that reallysucceed will be the ones whose geogra-phy feels right for visitors and businesses,who can draw in the support of localauthorities by showing tourism’s key con-tribution to job creation and who can

inspire their local businesses to work increative partnerships.We agree with theMinister that boundaries should not beimposed – partnerships should evolveand be fleet of foot.This is something we have been leadingin Kent for 9 years. By pooling ourresources, creativity and budgets, withthose of local authorities and businesseswe are punching far above our weight.Together we can bid for European fund-ing, run innovative marketing campaigns,and drive major initiatives – such as thefirst Greeter programme in Europe andour Big Weekend for local residents.Wehave widened income streams and wehave done this without the assistance ofRDA funding.Furthermore, our partnershipsare not restricted to our countyboundaries. By working withpartners in France, Belgium andHolland on EU funding bids plusbuilding even stronger links withcolleagues to our north andsouth in Essex and East Sussexunder the newly-formed LEP,there will be new opportunities.Effective national bodies andorganisations are key and bene-fits come from, for example,working closely with the TMIchampioning professional devel-opment and networking, theTourism Society for raising thebar in the intellectual discussion,and the Tourism Alliance,VisitEngland and VisitBritain –supporting from a local level.Research shows that Kent wel-comes 56 million visitors a year.Tourism contributes £3.2 billionto the Kent economy and sup-ports 63,000 jobs. In addition toour amazing countryside andcoast, our tourism businesses arekey contributors to the quality oflife that makes Kent a great placeto live, work and do business.

We focus on providing businesses with aone-stop-shop where they can addresstheir quality and training needs, gain mar-keting and research support and networkbetween themselves to form new part-nerships.We have become an extensionof their management team – providingvaluable information and a networkwhere business owners and managerscan share and collaborate.I am not suggesting that Kent has all theanswers! We are still learning. However, Ido believe that private/public partner-ships bringing businesses and serviceproviders together are the way forwardfor DMOs.Our delivery-focussed partnerships areour successful solution.

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Membership News

The Society recently held its AnnualDinner at the House of Commons inLondon. Following an address by SirRocco Forte he was presented with anhonorary fellowship of the Society.Society President Lord Thurso MP FTSpresented the Society’s Annual Award2010 to Michel Roux Jr. – judging bythe warmth of the applause he wasconsidered a very worthy recipient.Work has started on the development

of the Society’s website, to create a sin-gle database for the Society and its sec-tions (TCN and TMI).This will greatlysimplify managing our members’accounts.You will see some changes tothe design as well and should find thesite easier to use and more informa-tive. I welcome your feedback once it isup and running.I am delighted to welcome IuliaNicolaita to the Secretariat team. Iulia is

our new Events and PR Executive, join-ing us recently from Visit London. Shehas a full calendar of events to oversee;if you have any subjects, speakers orsponsors that you would like to suggestfor future events, please contact her [email protected].

Gregory Yeoman MTS| Executive Director

[email protected]

A highly successful annualawards dinner was followed by9 members being nominatedon the list of the 100 mostinfluential Women in theIndustry.After the AGM this year I willbe handing over the chairman-ship, as I have completed themaximum term of office. I willtherefore reflect on the past 4years so do join me and make

it a record attendance.TheAGM will be followed thesame day by the AnnualConference which will look atinnovation in the different sec-tors of the industry and howthis can be adapted to others.Located within easy reach ofthe largest catchment area ofmembers and at the home ofour President Emeritus, LordBeaulieu, we are targeting

increased attendance for thethird year running. Mindful ofthe current economic climatewe have managed to achieveexcellent value for money witha member delegate rate of£78. I look forward to seeingyou there.

Alison Cryer FTS |Chairman,

The Tourism Society

From the Chairman’s Desk

JUNE10thTourism Society CumbriaSustainable Forests and theVisitor EconomyUniversity of CentralLancashire

11thRegeneration 1: UrbanUniversity of Plymouth

24thTourism Society WalesSummer Lunch and AwardFonmon Castle, nr Barry,Cardiff

JULY4thAnnual Conference StudyTourNew Forest

4thConference DinnerNational Motor Museum andDomusBeaulieu, Hampshire

5thTourism Society AGMand Annual ConferenceBeaulieu, Hampshire

Date tbcMarketing in a DownturnLondon

SEPTEMBER29thTourism and Social MediaLondon

Date tbcRegeneration 2: Coastal andResort

University Campus Suffolk,Ipswich

OCTOBER15thRegeneration 3:Waterwaysand WetlandsWWT Slimbridge WetlandCentreGloucestershire

25thMedia MasterclassLondonIn association with TravMedia

NOVEMBER8thTourism Society/UNWTODebateWorld Travel Market, ExCelCentre, London

10thFuture YouWorld Travel Market, ExCelCentre, London

18thTourism Society CumbriaTourism Question Time withCumbria MPs

29thBackpacking UnpackedThe University of Surrey,Guildford

DECEMBER6thTourism Society President’sDebateLondon

Calendar of Events 2011

17 16/5/11 17:37 Page 1

18 [email protected] 146 Spring 2011

Membership News

Welcome New CorporateMembers

Freetobook0141 270 2173www.freetobook.com

Eleanor Wares [email protected]

Absolute Publishing Ltd 0207 253 9909www.absolutepublishing.com

Pat Riddell MTSAbsolute Publishing [email protected]

Glen Mutel MTSAbsolute Publishing Ltd [email protected]

Rebecca Fraser MTSAbsolute Publishing [email protected]

Maria Pieri MTSAbsolute Publishing Ltd [email protected]

Welcome New MembersNeil Warren MTSSouth West Tourism01392 229 [email protected]

Eleanor Harris MTSi-xperience Ltd0207 585 [email protected]

Briskilla Citung Bentu MTSHotel McDoris

+23 480 359 [email protected]

Keith Caruana MTSGM International Services Limited+35 621 [email protected]

Sandra Thompson MTSExceed all Expectations Ltd07896 561 [email protected]

Zheng Xie MTSBusiness School, LondonMetropolitan University0207 133 [email protected]

Emma Whittlesea MTSSouth West Tourism01392 229 [email protected]

Carole Startin MTSTourism Partnership North Wales01745 589 [email protected]

Donald Greig MTSBradt Travel Guides01753 480 [email protected]

Steve Kitt MTSPrimecloud Internet Marketing0161 408 [email protected]

Simon Matthews MTSMatthews Associates (UK)Limited07941 618 390

[email protected]

Derek Phillips MTSRouncy Media Ltd.01993 703 [email protected]

Ellen Walker MTSBrightwater Holidays Ltd.01334 657 [email protected]

John Pelham MTSFiveleafsystem Menurbe Ltd.+35 193 354 [email protected]

Maureen McAllister MTSSouth West Tourism 01392 229 [email protected]

Helen Jones MTSSouth West Tourism01392 229 [email protected]

Welcome New StudentsGregor WaddellBournemouth [email protected]

Choong Hiong LeeJames Cook [email protected]

Tea MoveldizeUniversity of [email protected]

Omar DembaUniversity of [email protected]

Sonia MolinaOpen University of [email protected]

Elise KershawSalford [email protected]

Pg Hj Md Sufri Pg AliUniversity of [email protected]

Stefania KallosOxford Brookes [email protected]

Lynal LowUniversity of [email protected]

Viorica CretuWestminster Kingsway [email protected]

Sara de la Cruz AlejosWestminster Kingsway [email protected]

Jasmine VendittiUniversity of [email protected]

Dongye LIUniversity of [email protected]

Amel DebzUniversity of [email protected]

Heather Clyne HughesUniversity of [email protected]

Congratulations to ... Julie Russell (National Expert – Tourism, European Commission), Andy Woodward (Chief Executive,Farm Stay UK) and Sally Edwards Hart (Operational Manager, City and Council of Cardiff) who have all been upgraded to Fellowof the Tourism Society, and to Gillian Cruddas FTS (Chief Executive,VisitYork) on her MBE and Colin Dawson FTS (ChiefExecutive, British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions) on his OBE.

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of The TourismSociety will be held at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, HampshireSO42 7ZN on Tuesday 5th July 2011 at 10:00am for the following purposes:

11.. The Executive Director to read the notice convening the meeting.22.. To receive apologies for absence.33.. To receive and, if agreed, to adopt the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held onTuesday 15th June 2010, previously circulated.44.. To receive and consider the reports of the Council and of the Sections Groups andChapters for the year ending 31st December 2010.55.. To receive and consider the Accounts, Balance Sheet and report of the Auditors for theyear ending 31st December 2010.66.. To appoint the auditors at a fee to be agreed by the Board.77.. To elect members of the Board.88.. Any Other Business. By Order of the Board

Gregory YeomanExecutive Director

13th May 2011

Notice of Annual General Meeting 2011

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tourism journal issue 146 spring 2011

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