2012 update
Tourism Exmoor Conference Touir The 2012 Exmoor Tourism Conference takes place on the 28 November from 10am to 4pm at Halsway Manor in the Quantock Hills. Highlights of the day will be hearing from Kevin Redpath on New Media and James Crowden about Literary Somerset (see back page). The day will also include workshops and news round shorts that are sure to give you lots of tips, ideas and help in converting potential customers. Lovely Halsway Manor located within the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is our host for this year, and we do hope that you will take advantage of visiting this 'extension' to the stunning landscapes of Exmoor. We will be allowing plenty of time for networking with industry colleagues both old and new. Book early to avoid disappointment by downloading a form from the ETP website.
From the Chairman Another year has passed and, despite the continuing challenge of the economic climate and even bigger challenges from our natural climate, the tourism sector in our area has continued to make significant strides. In 2012, your Tourism Partnership was further strengthened with new core partners Somerset County Council and North Devon+, and associate members Quantock Hills AONB and Somerset Tourism Association, its Chairman Bob Smart being a welcome contributor to our quarterly meetings. Our meetings are short, focussed and collaborative: how can we best use our combined resources? There is no time for protectionism or politics. Every partner is focussed on the health of the tourism sector and making it strong and self-supporting going forward. Long may it continue! Some highlights since our last newsletter The industry is now managing the Visit Exmoor and Visit Somerset websites Exmoor Tourist Association completed a robust business plan, essential to satisfy investors and attract and retain members The Walking Festival ran without heavy subsidy, working to a clear financial plan West Somerset Council has appointed Rob Downes as its Tourism Officer and is working closely with partners to gain maximum benefit from any Hinkley Point planning gain
Exmoor National Park Authority has granted a further £45.5k from its discretionary budget towards fulfilling years two and three of our three year marketing plan We are strengthening skills in the tourism industry, mindful that we are in it for the long haul and local authority funding cannot be guaranteed North Devon+ has been tremendously supportive with numerous training seminars to improve skills, employee culture and the pursuit of excellence and a forum for people to swap ideas. We have a superb marketing group, with members from key local enterprises – the small sums of money available to our partners goes so much further when marketing is a collaborative venture, with no duplication of effort. Digital marketing and social media are taking an ever higher profile and I for one am pleased that we have the combined support of some of the best marketing and PR brains in the SW. Clearly, tourism continues to make a vital contribution to the wider economy of Greater Exmoor. ETP will do everything it can to ensure tourism’s pivotal role in the area’s economic health is given due recognition, both locally and nationally. I very much look forward to seeing you at our November conference. Evelyn Stacey, Chairman Exmoor Tourism Partnership
www.exmoortourismpartnership.org.uk
Heaven’s Above At the end of last year Exmoor National Park Authority’s bid for Exmoor to be designated the first Dark Sky Reserve in Europe was announced as successful. Since then tremendous press coverage has been achieved in most national papers, a range of magazines and a live screening from Dulverton on the popular BBC Stargazing Live programme with Prof. Brian Cox. Dark Sky Reserve Pocket Guides are available from the National Park Authority to help your guests explore the heavens above.
Non-Visitor Research Good management needs good research and monitoring. Over the years we’ve collected some good quality data on why people come, what they like, dislike and what they do when they're here. Now, for the first time we have some up to date information on why people don’t visit, thanks to research conducted by the University of Exeter with the Exmoor National Park Authority. 89% of respondents had heard of the area and nearly 50% of nonvisitors had no particular reason for not visiting before. Several of Exmoor’s selling points were rated as ‘strongly desirable’ or ‘desirable’ by over 70% of respondents (such as being a ‘haven for wildlife’; offering ‘plenty of opportunities to relax and unwind’; hosting the ‘highest coastal cliffs in the country’; being Europe’s first ever ‘International Dark Sky Reserve’ and containing a ‘wealth of history and heritage’). The full report can be downloaded from the Community section of the Exmoor National Park Authority website.
Visit-Exmoor Web Update & New Mobile Site The Visit Exmoor website (www.visit-exmoor.co.uk) is performing well, getting about 8000 visitors each month who stay on the site for over 3.5 minutes each. 25% of these visitors return to find out more information. Looking at the way they go through the site, the Where to Stay section is the most visited, followed by the Must See and Do pages. The new Exmoor TV advert caused a noticeable peak in visits to the site and the Exmoor Guinea has also generated interest. Like the Groat before it, it produced a lot of free publicity for the area including articles in two national papers, and we have had a few reports of it bringing in business. We are now building a new mobile website for Visit Exmoor, funded through Western Somerset Local Action for Rural Communities (LARC) scheme, West Somerset Council, Exmoor Tourist Association and Exmoor National Park Authority. This new site will reflect the standard VE website showing all the accommodation providers, events and things to do through searches.
Mobile sites are designed to be quick and fit neatly on a mobile device screen without the need to zoom or scroll sideways. The VE website stats already show that 19.5% of visitors are viewing the current site on mobile devices. At the moment their experience will not be brilliant as they will have to scroll and zoom to see the content. This figure has grown rapidly in the last 3 months from about 10%, so there is clearly a need for this mobile site as more people get smartphones. This new mobile site, coupled with visit-exmoor will make our site even more attractive to advertisers as it becomes more accessible. One of the main strengths of being part of a main tourism destination site is that search engines see this site as very important. This means we enjoy good listing positions for our keywords. But a less obvious major advantage is the link from the VE site to yours. This is a powerful relevant inward link to your site, boosting your own sites positioning on search engines. As we know, getting relevant inward links to our tourism accommodation websites is a nightmare, so links from major local sites are very effective.
Stunning New Guide Around The Corner The 2013 version of the highly praised Exmoor, the Coast and Quantock Hills visitor guide is set to hit shelves this December. If you would like to book advertising space in this years guide call us on 01271 336 037 before the deadline of 31 October 2012. Pre-VAT advertising prices have been held at the same rates as the past two years, and with a full programme of marketing activity planned throughout 2013, entry in the guide offers excellent value in promoting your business to tens of thousands of potential visitors. Next year’s accompanying marketing plan will include national PR and distribution, regional and national advertising campaigns, e-marketing, promotion at national and
European shows, and an online version of the guide. Find out more by visiting
www.exmoortourismpartnership.org.uk.
Exmoor Brand A new brand has been launched to promote all things to do with Exmoor tourism whether on the Coast, Quantock Hills or National Park. There are different versions available promoting the distinct regions that make up the Exmoor brand. There are versions for businesses and organisations to download too from the Exmoor Tourism Partnership website along with brand guidelines. The new brand does not replace things like the National Park or Quantock Hill AONB logos which remain as the identities for these
areas as well as the bodies that are responsible for them. Rather the new brand will comfortably sit alongside these where appropriate providing a co-ordinated and unified approach to marketing this diverse area. The brand includes the logo which incorporates a stag in the colour of Exmoor’s famous heather and the tag line ‘Dream, Discover, Explore’ which identifies the key qualities we have to offer potential visitors. Do make use of the new brand— there are suggestions for copy and images in the brand guidelines, to promote your part in Exmoor’s tourism offer.
Exmoor Strategy & Charter Work has begun on producing a new strategy and 5 year action plan for tourism on Exmoor incorporating the work of different ETP partners and others in the area. The revised strategy and action plan will form part of the National Park Authority’s revalidation of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in protected areas. Exmoor was one of the first National Parks in the country to receive this prestigious award in 2007 and is one of over 100 charter holders across Europe demonstrating that conservation and tourism can work hand in hand for mutual benefit.
Active Exmoor
Exhibiting Exmoor Many of us predicted an unusual trading pattern this year and we were not disappointed. This put greater need than ever to get out and promote Exmoor at the major UK travel fairs. We have attended, the Visit Britain Show (BOBI) at the NEC, Great Days Out Show in Manchester, Group Leisure and Travel Show at the NEC, and are shortly to exhibit at the Excursions Show in London. We have also kept up the promotion on a more local level with stands at the North Somerset Show and the Taunton Flower Show.
In 2012 for the first time we ventured overseas and represented Exmoor at Vakantiebeurs which is a very large travel show in Utrecht. Interestingly we heard from many of the visitors to the stand that they were not visiting the UK in 2012 “Prices will be very expensive and travel will be very difficult because of the Olympics.” Nevertheless we sincerely believe the loyalty to the Exmoor brand is as strong as ever.
Exmoor continues to attract and successfully host a range of active events including cycle sportives, mountain biking trials, the Perambulation (Exmoor’s longest walk in a day), triathalons, fell running and much more. The Ironman, hosted by South West Lakes Trust at Wimbleball had a record entrance of over 2,000 competitors and this is estimated to be worth over £750,000 to the area in spend plus additional benefits in PR and promotion.
All this costs money so if you have £500 to spare, or more if you are sufficiently affluent, we would be delighted to hear from you just contact Antony Brunt, Chairman of the Exmoor Tourist Association chairman@exmoor.com.
The annual Walking Festival runs this year from the 26 April to 5 May 2013 and is being supported by Ilfracombe, Lynton and Lynmouth, Porlock and Dunster—all of which have gained ‘Walkers are Welcome’ accreditation.
Banner Ads Now Available
Marketing Exmoor
Banner ads can now be displayed on the Visit Exmoor website providing you with a more prominent display listing on the site.
The Exmoor Tourism Partnership has been working hard to continue to promote the area as a first class destination in order to support the tourism sector.
Prices start from as little as £8.50/ month with discounts of up to 25% off for bookings of 2 or more adverts. Adverts can be static or animated and a cost effective design service is available if enquired. For more information visit the Advertise with us page linked at the bottom of the Visit Exmoor website.
Highlights in the last year include: Regional and national marketing campaigns comprising prize draws, adverts in national magazines and specialised web content targeted at walkers, families and stargazers (building on last years designation of Exmoor as Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve) Development of a mobile version of the new Visit Exmoor website to be launched soon The launch of a new brand identity for Exmoor tourism to provide a consistent and strong brand message to visitors who are encouraged to visit Exmoor to ‘Dream, Discover, Explore’ Successful PR work through Starfish PR resulting in numerous national and specialist travel press articles, journalist visits and development of social media channels The launch of the area’s first TV advert, viewed by over 3m (against a target of 2m viewers) with over 2,000 You Tube views in the first week. Locally the
Business Support Treasurer Needed The Exmoor Tourist Association is looking for an Honorary Treasurer to oversee the finances of the organisation. The Treasurers role would involve assisting the secretary in managing the finances and preparing the accounts for auditing. A formal accounting background isn’t needed but a good knowledge of figures and spread sheets is required. Anyone interested in this voluntary role should contact Sharon Routley, Secretary of the Exmoor Tourist Association by email at secretary@exmoor.com.
Two new schemes are offering business support to businesses in North Devon and Western Somerset. The ‘Collaborative Business Enterprise’ is a free Business Mentoring service to businesses in Western Somerset, delivered by experienced business owners and professionals volunteering their time to support local businesses. In North Devon the ‘Business Buddies’ scheme provides a similar service with 20 highly experienced volunteer Mentors. These schemes are open to people ready to launch their business and established businesses employing less than 10 people. The Business
advert met with mixed responses, from the love it to hate it. The point being it caused a reaction and people noticed—as evidenced in a noticeable peak in visitors to the website. Attendance at a range of travel shows for the trade and consumers including the first visit to an international show at Utrecht in the spring Production and distribution of the Exmoor brochure. The work has been achieved through the continued collaboration of key players working to support the tourism sector across Exmoor including the Exmoor Tourist Association, Exmoor National Park Authority, West Somerset Council, North Devon+, Quantock Hills AONB and Somerset County Council with financial support from the ENPA Partnership Fund, Industry contributions and partner support.
Mentors are all qualified and accredited mentors, and are experienced business owners who have run and grown their own businesses, or people with specialist knowledge who have operated at a senior level in larger companies. They provide an independent view of your business, helping you to identify and address key issues and exploit opportunities to grow your business. To find out more contact Philip.sharratt@kjelgaard.co.uk or mchapman@northdevonplus.co.uk If you have experience of successfully growing your business and would be interested in giving your time voluntarily to assist fledgling companies in the area, the project teams would also be interested in hearing from you.
North Devon+ Supporting Exmoor Exmoor tourism will receive a boost next year when The North Devon and Exmoor Guide marketing campaign starts in January. The campaign, by North Devon+, incorporates advertising in national media alongside a partnership campaign with Visit England to promote coast and countryside. 70,000 copies of the 132 page magazine are being printed. The 2013 Guide is also being produced as
a mobile website for the iPad, which literally ‘brings content and adverts to life’ delivering customer enquiries direct to the advertisers website. The 2013 guide has a bumper 16 page Exmoor section compiled for North Devon+ by Naomi Cudmore, of the Exmoor Magazine. Look out for copies on display at leading attractions and Tourist Information Centres across Exmoor and North Devon from January, or order your copy online from www.northdevon.com.
Minehead Town Guide App
Cool Funding News A successful bid for £135,000 of EU Interreg funding has been made by a partnership including Somerset County Council, West Somerset and Sedgemoor District Councils and the Exmoor National Park Authority. The cool tourism project will work with other partners in the South of England and across the channel in France to develop new technologies in marketing and explore how businesses can better work together for mutual benefits to the visitor economy. Further details to follow soon.
West Somerset Council have recently launched the Minehead Town Guide App to help promote Minehead businesses, as part of a series of initiatives lead by the Minehead Visioning Group to help make Minehead more vibrant. The App is a business directory with a tourism aspect to it to promote Minehead to town visitors and increase public awareness. The App incorporates Town Trails with geo-accurate maps so that when you walk around, points of interest pop up with the information. The App includes an A-Z, About, Minehead Folklore, Who's Who, Services, Food & Leisure, Maps, Travel & Accommodation so it's a really useful source of information. Check it out using the QR code (Android and I-phones only currently).
Somerset Links with Exmoor A message from Bob Smart, Chairman of the Somerset Tourist Association. Promoting your business is all about effective networking, and making sure that everyone is pulling in the same direction. As Chairman of the Somerset Tourism Association I’m delighted to say that we’ve accepted an invitation to join the Exmoor Tourism Partnership. We will be working closely with the existing ETP members to help your business. In marketing terms there are two big brand names in Somerset: Exmoor and Somerset itself. The STA is to the historic County of Somerset (which includes North Somerset and Bath and N E Somerset), what the ETP is to Exmoor. We’re a Community Interest Company, with
over 400 member businesses. We work with all the local authorities. We run the County’s tourism website (www.visitsomerset.co.uk) and produce the Somerset – Jewel of the South West brochure, as well as doing all sorts of other things to promote the County. We’d be delighted to have you as a member, and delighted if you can come along to our annual Conference (coincidently one day after the ETP Conference) at Haynes International Motor Museum on Thursday 29 November, with buffet lunch and an afternoon session. You can get more information from the website, as above, or by contacting me direct on 01749 835416 or bob@visitsomerset.co.uk. We look forward to working with you!
PR For You The Exmoor Tourism Partnership appoints professional PR services to help promote Exmoor, its offering and events, to national travel journalists and publications. A good story is always needed—we know Exmoor is beautiful but that won’t get published. Instead we need up to date information on events, new developments and quirky news that can publicise Exmoor widely. In most cases at least 3 months notice is required for events etc so feed in your stories—see the PR page in the marketing section of the ETP website for contact details. A regular blog is also written on the Visit Exmoor website. Why not link to it on your site, or circulate the link to guests for all the latest goings on!
Hinkley Point C Development The examination process for the planning application for the construction of two new nuclear reactors in West Somerset has now been completed. The Planning Inspectorate will submit their findings to the Secretary of State by the end of this year, and the Secretary of State will make his decision on whether or not to award consent in Spring 2013. The Local Authorities have negotiated two Section 106 Agreements with EDF, with funds towards tourism mitigation contained in both. Funds will be released at various trigger points throughout the next 6 years and this includes a tourism officer post for
West Somerset Council, allocations for 3 of the Districts Tourism Information Offices and funds to be utilised for research, marketing and promotion. The Section 106 requires that a Tourism Action Partnership (TAP) is set up comprised of West Somerset Council, Sedgemoor DC and Somerset CC. It is the intention to also include representation from Exmoor National Park Authority and tourism businesses on the TAP. We were delighted to recruit Robert Downes to the post of Tourism Officer for West Somerset. He has hardly had the chance to pause for breath since he started in May, and has really got stuck in to delivering the diverse range of tourism development and destination management.
Tweeting for Exmoor! Why not join the 700 who are already following us on twitter @visitexmoor? In just ten months Visit Exmoor’s twitter page has been joined by a community of people, businesses and groups seeking to share information and help spread the word about what’s new and great in Exmoor.
Going Local to Enhance the Visitor Experience Using literary connections and local produce to attract visitors will be at the heart of a keynote speech at this year’s Exmoor Tourism Conference on 28 November by local author, poet and broadcaster, James Crowden. Star of the award nominated BBC Radio 3 programme, Out Counting Sheep, and author of Literary Somerset, James will be sharing his passion for the local landscape and its heritage, as part of the annual tourism event organised by the Exmoor Tourism Partnership. James said: "Exmoor and West Somerset are laden with wonderful literary associations, and their importance is often underestimated by local businesses. The secret is to use these intriguing connections to make small literary tailormade tours for your guests as a new and exciting way of
promoting this beautiful area. Combine that with excellent local food and drink and you generate an irresistible desire to explore the area which will keep bringing visitors back time and again." James Crowden has lived in Somerset for over 25 years and was a sheep shearer, shepherd, cider maker and backwoodsman before turning to writing and poetry. See the front cover for booking details.
The Exmoor Tourism Partnership is a ‘virtual’ partnership. The role of the Partnership is to enhance the quality of the visitor experience, to improve the viability, sustainability and performance of tourism enterprises and to develop, promote and champion the Exmoor and West Somerset brand in appropriate markets. Core Partners: Exmoor Tourist Association ● West Somerset Council ● Exmoor National Park Authority North Devon+ ● Somerset County Council. Key Organisations: Quantock Hills AONB ● Somerset Tourism Association. Exmoor Tourism Network: Minehead Hoteliers ● Lyn Association for Commerce and Tourism ● Porlock Tourist Association ● Combe Martin Tourist Association ● Exmoor Holiday Group ● South Molton Tourism Association ● WACET Exmoor to Sea
www.exmoortourismpartnership.org.uk