8 minute read
VALUE OVER VOLUME
I wrote my first strategic review of tourism in 1995 when Cornish tourism was still in the doldrums and in fact was designated as a tourism development action programme area, which put it into the same category as Blackpool and Skegness! In other words, a destination in decline, whose best days were behind it. Roll on 25 years and Cornwall has been awarded top UK holiday region in the British Travel Awards for 10 years out of the last 11. So, if Cornish tourism is a success, why do we need a new strategy? Quite simply the competition is after our crown and there is a real danger that our success may become our downfall, with over tourism leading to losing our premium status and rates, a growing resistance from local people to tourism and losing our higher spending customers. Now is the time to firstly build on our strength and secondly head off over tourism problems and last but not least, fully embed sustainable and regenerative tourism. Over the last 15 months, myself and Abi Steel assisted by Dominic Houston of Houston Economics have reviewed the current position of Cornwall, the future trends and policies for tourism development and taken into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic to prepare a draft strategy for consultation with the private and public sector. Over the past weeks there has been a series of consultation meetings to hone the strategy and most importantly agree the priorities for action.
Here are the key messages and conclusions from the review to date. • We must protect and improve the quality of environment and life in Cornwall. • There is an urgent need to develop mechanisms to manage and control the supply side to avoid the negative impacts with “over tourism”. • Limited growth in numbers in the peak season/weeks - any growth must be in value over volume as well as a major focus on winter and the shoulder seasons. • Given the demographic changes, especially relatively wealthy seniors/ pensioners, combined with societal changes in a post Covid crisis world from new working practices, there is a great opportunity to tackle seasonality and to significantly grow tourism out of season. • Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly should use the future development of tourism to be a force for good for the region and local communities, by improving the quality of life and employment for local people, the diversity of nature/wildlife and the quality of the environment. • Cornwall should be an exemplar for the development, implementation and delivery of high-quality workplace training and career development, to ensure that those in the sector can, if they desire, reach their full potential. • Cornwall should be the location of a national or even international research & development centre of excellence for sustainable, competitive and regenerative tourism.
2030 and Beyond
Visit Cornwall chief executive, Malcolm Bell, shares details of his new tourism strategy and explains why the key to managing growth should be value over volume.
Tourism Development Part of economic growth agenda Driver for employment creation and reducing unemployment Focus on visitor wants No direct consideration of impacts on environment and communities
Sustainable Tourism
Visitors Satisfied Environment Protected Residents accepting Business competitive Accessibility & Inclusion Climate Change Agenda Net Zero Carbon
Regenerative Development Improve environment Increase natural diversity Rewilding Increasing quality of life Increasing cultural offer Whole system approach Resilient Future proof
Circular Economy Retain money within local areas Support local businesses Reduce waste Reuse, sharing and recycling Minimising resource inputs Retain money within local areas Local energy sources Reduce carbon & Net zero
Sustainable Development
Tourism Development
Priorities for the wise and selective growth in Cornish and IoS tourism Regenerative Development
Circular Economy
MANAGED GROWTH
There is opportunity for growth, but that growth must be at the times of year we need the business and in the areas where growth is needed. We therefore need to manage growth which is: • Driven by high quality research, market intelligence and data analysis. • Delivered by targeted sustainable and regenerative product development that has the maximum impact on the circular economy, while meeting and delighting the needs of customers from selected market segments with high quality, high value experiences. • Be inclusive and accessible. • Supported by targeted marketing and promotion to attract the selected markets to reposition Cornwall as a winter and wider shoulder destination of choice - “the Cornwall you will love but don’t know” - we will build back from the winter. • To have an ‘attract and disperse’ marketing strategy to There is opportunity ease pressures on hotspots and direct businesses to for growth, but the areas that need more businesses at the time of it needs to be year they need it. managed growth. • Ensure we have more productive and profitable businesses and organisations. • Create more permanent all year-round jobs. • Ensure that there is the opportunity for progression from entry level jobs. • Be supported by a career development and support system of training and development at all levels. • Will increase the facilities, services, leisure, entertainment and cultural offer for local people, as well as visitors.
THE VISION FOR THE VISITOR
ECONOMY IN CORNWALL
By 2030 Cornwall will be: • A leading region for competitive, sustainable and regenerative tourism. • Creating more wealth, quality facilities and a cultural offer for our communities. • Providing quality employment and business opportunities for our people and our communities. • Protecting, enhancing and improving the quality of life of our communities. • Protecting and improving the quality of the environment, wildlife and nature. • An exemplar in low carbon tourism.
PRIORITIES FOR ACTION
To deliver this vision we need a series of coordinated action over the coming years, actions on both the supply side and demand side to ensure that we maximise the benefits while contorting and negating the negatives.
SUPPLY SIDE PRIORITIES
Management of the Supply Side 1. Introduction of a compulsory robust fee-based registration scheme for all accommodation providers with effective enforcement to ensure that all operators are legal, safe and compliant to all regulations and minimum standards. 2. Consideration of an accommodation licencing scheme in certain areas to allow intervention to control accommodation over supply, impacts on affordable housing and community wellbeing. 3. Establishment of minimum sustainability standards with accolades for those businesses that are exemplars. 4. Consider the development and implementation of a Cornwall branded post
Covid robust, voluntary “safety assured award” scheme (score on door). Effective partnership working between businesses and the regulatory authorities. 5. Effective working with local communities, councils and appropriate organisations
Development of the Supply Side 1. Creation of an R&D Centre of Expertise for the development of sustainable and regenerative tourism, with high quality market research and intelligence which will drive product improvement. 2.Support for the wise development of the tourism services, products and experiences to maximise use of spare capacity/out of season tourism offer. 3. Support for improving the productivity and competitiveness of the visitor economy. 4. Advice and support to help businesses and the supply chain in the visitor economy to meet or exceed net carbon zero targets. 5.Advice and support to minimise the use of resource and waste.
Demand Side Priorities
Development of a five-year rolling marketing and market development programme that will ensure the: 1. Effective management of existing markets achieved through life value from loyal customers who love Cornwall. 2.‘Attract and disperse’ approach to ensure Cornwall attracts more visitors at the time of year and to the places where they are required to improve. 3. Maximising the growth of experiential tourism to develop new markets for the winter, combined with a “build back” and “build forward” approach to the shoulder seasons. 4. Maximise the opportunities from demographic and societal changes including those resulting from a post
Covid changes in work and lifestyles. 5.Development and a strategic approach to events, with a coordinated approach to scheduling and delivery. • Gain commitments agree
“who leads on what” “who does what” and “who pays To deliver this for what” – It has got to be a team game with clear vision we need a roles and responsibilities. series of coordinated • Private sector will be the major investor circa £1BN+ action over the over the next decade. coming years... • Targeted public funding to advise, assist and support private sector investment and importantly to part fund marketing to change the perception of Cornwall to be a great place to have a specialised break, holiday or business/team meet/creative events in the winter. • Annual progress reviews and reporting. • VC to prepare funding bids for tourism development and marketing priorities.
NEXT STEPS
Over the next two months, we will consult with partners, the public and the private sector to: • Consult and co-create with partners, the wider industry and communities. • Complete the research into the sector and update the economic impact model. • Co-create the action plans. • Prioritise actions.
CONCLUSIONS
If we are to achieve the gains from this strategy and action, we will need to ensure it is not just another set of documents to sit on a shelf or in theses digital times the cloud and Internet.
Cornwall will need to decide whether to do. Do Nothing and we risk the kind of growth we don’t want - more supply, over tourism, more negative impacts on environment and communities, increased volume, reduced value and no progress on improving employment or wider economic benefits. Do something, a partial intervention, we will slow the increase in the negative impacts and worsening peak week issues. But if we all get behind the final strategy/plans, we can manage the issues, manage volume, increase value, improve the environment, employment opportunities, business productivity and the benefits for local people and communities. We have been here before
