talking tourism SUMMER 2022 · ISSUE 7 • VentureSail Holidays • South West 660 • Latest expert tips and advice SAILING AHEAD
On average, a fifth of patients helped by Cornwall Air Ambulance are visitors to the county, yet only 5% of donations to the charity come from the tourism sector With your help we can change this. The charity needs the support of local tourism businesses to fund these vital missions and save lives. If you work in the tourism sector, get in touch today to find out what you can do and how a partnership with Cornwall Air Ambulance can benefit your business. cornwallairambulancetrust.org/tourism-business-supporter 01637 889926 fundraising@cornwallairambulancetrust.org Saving lives is a team effort, are you in? As a charity, the crew can’t continue to save lives without the support of our Tourism Business Partners. Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, Trevithick Downs, Newquay, Cornwall TR8 4DY | Registered charity 1133295 Photo credit: Mike Hogan; ©Robert Maynard Photography/ Discovery Communications In 2020, 81 adults and 16 children took a trip they didn’t plan to when they visited Cornwall. I CORNWALL Registered1133295Charity SAVE LIVES BY BECOMING A TOURISM BUSINESS SUPPORTER TOURISM BUSINESS SUPPORTER
CONTENTS & CONTACTS What’s inside this issue... 04 VISIT CORNWALL Introduction from Visit Cornwall head Malcolm Bell 06 VISIT DEVON Update from Visit Devon’s Sally Everton 09 MARKETING 30 years of Clockwork Marketing 10 DATA ANALYSIS Marwick introduces Google Analytics 4 12 FOOD & DRINK Programme gives food for thought 14 SOUTH WEST 660 New road trip for the south west 16 DIGITAL Digital marketing trends from MiHi 18 INTERVIEW Idle Rocks owner Karen Richards 20 TAXATION The great inheritance tax myth 22 MARINE VentureSail Holidays 26 TRAINING Customer service advice 28 LEGAL Employing overseas nationals 30 JUST AN OPINION Stuart Beveridge of St Michael’s Resort EDITOR Nick Eyriey nick@businesscornwall.co.uk PUBLISHER Toni Eyriey Tel:toni@businesscornwall.co.uk 01209 718688 VISIT CORNWALL Malcolm Bell Tel:mal@visitcornwall.com 01872 276529 VISIT DEVON Sally Everton Tel:sally.everton@visitdevon.co.uk 07976 711785 SALES Tel:caroline@businesscornwall.co.uk 07801 981667 Tel:morveth@businesscornwall.co.uk 07780 795603 DESIGN design@businesscornwall.co.uk PRINT Printed in Cornwall by St Austell Printing Company TALKING TOURISM is published 4 times a year by: Tonick Business Publishing Pool Innovation Centre Trevenson Road Redruth TR15 3PL Tel: 01209 Registered718688underthe Data Protection Act. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted without the written permission of the publisher. Stringent efforts have been made by Tonick Business Publishing to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur. Tonick Business Publishing can not accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Tonick Business Publishing accepts no responsibility for comments made by interviewees that may offend. www. tonickbusinesspublishing .co.uk TALKING TOURISM 03 Photo: PhotographyHolpinGary
Welcome from Visit Cornwall’s Malcolm Bell.
Even more worrying is the talk and media exposure regarding inflation at 10% or more, with further massive rises in domestic energy costs. The one thing I’ve always said for tourism and hospitality to do well, is for people to have free time or disposable income, but the most important factor is that people have confidence that their financial security and position is either going to remain the same, if not hopefully get better. Therefore, all the talk in the media about cost of living and price rises is really starting to have a significant impact. Recent research has shown that customers are planning to change how and where they spend their money, by either looking to shorten their stay, trade down on accommodation, reduce the amount they spend on eating out and attendance at paid attractions.
They are desperately looking for good value propositions, which does not necessarily mean discounting or cut price, but the customer does look to have confidence that what they are going to spend represents value for money for them. Equally they are looking for many things to do free or at lower costs. This gives us all new but for some not unfamiliar challenges. The change is massive. Within 12 months we have gone from a scenario where many customers were not at all price sensitive and it was more about being able to book the accommodation, attractions tickets or table at the restaurant, to one where customers are far more cautious, doing more research and looking for the best deal and even considering not taking a holiday or break at all!
However, this is not how it turned out to be, with continuing staffing challenges combined with variable and for many patchy booking patterns combined with a growth in late cancellations resulting in lost Althoughrevenues.wemay be most of the way through the Covid pandemic (fingers crossed), it has been replaced with a cost-of-living crisis and the unjustified invasion and war in Ukraine. This has shaken the confidence of the consumers who are now very worried about price rises, household energy bills, food and petrol/diesel at around £2 per litre.
Out of the frying pan into the fire…
VISIT CORNWALL SUMMER 202204 TALKING TOURISM
After two of the most challenging years for tourism and hospitality in Cornwall, with lockdowns, the dreaded tiers system, further lockdowns, staff shortages and the summer of pingdemic, interspersed with periods of manically busy times and frustrations of lost potential income, we moved into 2022 with the hope of a good year with less dramas and crises.
As previously said, this does not mean heavy discounting, but it might mean looking for added value in areas, which would be highly appreciated by our customers, but would not cost your business too much and then to communicate that to potential customers. We at Visit Cornwall will be using our media contacts, pr and more to maximise interest in the memorymaking holidays in our wonderful So,region.itis time to be creative and innovative to up marketing, promotion, and sales to prove that we have a value for quality propositions for our visitor, not only the summer, but also in the autumn winter and spring, This brings me onto an update on the Visit Cornwall website redevelopment. We are currently finalising the content and navigation of the new website. The website will launch in early September and will be far more flexible and enable us to adapt instantly if market conditions change and to meet changing circumstances, be that the weather to domestic, and even international factors. It will be very flexible in presenting Cornwall as a place for a break in any season of the year, as we believe that one of our core priorities is to not only promote our members businesses in the more popular 20 weeks but be very focused on moreandasonwebinars/workshopshostingWeweeks.otherbusinessdeliveringinthe32willbesomethenewwebsitewegoforwardlooktodeliverfarvalueforourmembers, not only in marketing activities but also in supporting our members with greater market intelligence and advice and guidance, working with many partners, especially in the quieter times of years so that we can help you on how you might develop your business and improve its competitiveness and Thereprofitability.willbe the industry newsletter and emails from Visit Cornwall about the new website and the associated marketing and promotion in the coming weeks, so please keep a watch out for those weekly enewsletters.
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Finally, I know for many of you it is another challenging year, especially with regard to securing customers, but please have faith in Cornwall as an attractor, our customers will just need more persuading and we will all have to be creative and effective at communicating with existing and potential customers. Cornwall is still right at the top of the list of desirable and popular holiday destinations
On a positive note, from recent research from Visit England, Cornwall is still right at the top of the list of desirable and popular holiday destinations. That said, the challenge will be, not only for Visit Cornwall but also for our members and the wider industry, to communicate, promote and market the compelling reason why people should still holiday and particularly in Cornwall and that the extra miles are still well worth it.
…
ROUND TABLE MEETING – DCMS
It has been an ‘OK’ start to the 2022 season for the many businesses linked to the visitor economy across Devon, but not as busy as we had hoped for at the beginning of the year, with some potential visitors choosing overseas destinations or other areas of the UK for their holidays or short breaks.
We recently held a ‘round table’ meeting in North Devon with Laura Backhouse, who is Head of Tourism at DCMS (Department of Culture Media and Sport) where we continue to lobby Government via her, on the many challenges still facing our sector post pandemic. Topics covered were
• DMO review response – when?
. Left to right: Peter Brend, Brend Hotels; Emma Thomasson, Visit Exmoor; Sally Everton, Visit Devon; Laura Backhouse, DCMS; Tim Jones, South West Business Council; Carolyn Custerson, English Riviera BID Company; Rick Turner, Chair of Devon Association of Tourist Attractions/ Director of The Big Sheep.
* Source: Visit Britain sentiment tracker.
The
• Cost of living/fuel and energy costsimpacts
Easter and the Whitsun half term were both ‘OK’ in the words of many, and the reasonable weather helped to pick up some last-minute bookings as well as day visitors. We ran a short, sharp marketing campaign within a two-hour drive time to Devon for late spring breaks for May and June and saw some reasonable pickup. Of course, there are other barriers why visitors are hesitating on taking overnight trips over the next six months, and are all ones that we hear daily via the media; the rise in cost of living, fuel and energy price increase etc. And for the businesses, the skills shortage and continued challenge of staff recruitment is still a major issue However, alongside Cornwall, Devon is still listed as the top destination to visit in England.
• Recruitment and skills shortage –ongoing 2022 season so far
SUMMER 202206 TALKING TOURISM VISIT DEVON
An introduction by Sally Everton of Visit Devon
• Accommodation statutory regulation consultation & Airbnb data – (Call for Evidence)
• How’s business across the region –key issues still facing us
Our workshops and one to one sessions are two hours, meaning you have three sessions available and flexibility to choose how you use your time. For example, you may choose to attend three workshops or two workshops and followed by a one-toone session. The choice is yours. What topics are covered in the workshops? We cover a wide range of digital topics in our workshops, everything from social media basics, Microsoft 365 tools to Website, SEO and Paid Advertising. How do I book a one to one? To book a one-to-one session, please email planning@cosmic.org.uk outlining any days/times that work best for you and what topic you would like to cover in the session. We will arrange a time with a trainer who specialises in that area of support. Please email planning@cosmic.org.uk if you have any questions. For further details, please contact Sally Everton via email on: visitdevon.co.uksally.everton@
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Devon County Council is offering funding to support Devon businesses with six hours of high-quality digital training and advice delivered by Cosmic. Each training session will be tailored to individual business needs. See below for further details.
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Our
digitally •
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COSMIC is an award-winning digital skills training company based in the South West. expert trainers can provide you with six hours of quality digital training and advice tailored to your business needs. want to help you and your business do more with digital so you can: Reach new customers, increase sales and promote your brand Automate processes to save time and money Increase customer satisfaction and loyalty connecting with them Gain a competitive advantage and stay ahead of your competition Work anytime and anywhere. Am I eligible? This support is funded by Devon County Council for businesses in Devon, excluding Plymouth & Torbay. How can I use my six hours?
5 Think local. It’s not just people coming into the County that might book a stay or visit you. Include local media and influencers in your comms plan to engage with your community. For more information, call us on: 07377 424854 or email: hello@wildcard.co.uk
Stand out from the crowd
Julia Hughes, account director, Wild Card
Our tax app features a variety of interactive tax resources & tools, visit: rrlcornwall.co.uk/taxapp With all signs pointing to a slowdown in domestic travel, how can travel and leisure businesses here in the beautiful south west use the power of PR to maximise their destination appeal? With two decades in leisure and tourism comms, the Wild Card PR team in Truro has seen first-hand the positive and immediate impact that well placed editorial coverage can have on visitor numbers, bookings and Juliaenquiries.Hughes, Wild Card account director, gives her top tips for businesses looking to promote themselves this Summer: 1 Stand out from the crowd. Really think about your USPs and dial those up in your communications. What added extras make your hotel, restaurant or venue extra special? Is there an amazing view? A vineyard next door? Can you offer visitors an experience they couldn’t get elsewhere?
2 What’s new? Revamped menus, room renovations, special events. New news provides the perfect opportunity to get in touch with media. 3 Promotions & deals. While this isn’t the right approach for every brand, journalists are keen to hear about special offers for visitors – whether that’s discounted room rates or complimentary extras. 4 Empty rooms. If you do have empty rooms across the Summer, think about inviting key members of the press, or relevant influencers, for a visit. We get incredible results if a journalist has enjoyed a brilliant stay in the venue.
Download our free taxapp now!
30 years
At a time when she was considered too young to be a hotel receptionist, Clare Bushby started her lifetime career in hospitality as a chambermaid and waitress, becoming marketing manager of The Palace Hotel in Torquay by the time she was 26.
“The biggest asset a business has, beyond the property is its customers (and the staff too). The foundation of our work was to understand who the customers were, building a better relationship with them, and identifying new “Thesecustomers.insights came from the guest data held in their booking systems. Not only could we communicate with their existing customers, but also undertake some pretty clever work to reach look alike guests.”
The growth of Clockwork Marketing has paralleled the growth in datadriven, evaluation-based marketing and the company celebrates its 30th anniversary in July. But Clockwork isn’t just about data; its creative marketing campaigns appeal to guests’ emotional and impulsive desires and their need for Takingtravel.three decades of marketing knowledge online, Clockwork recently launched, GuestNet, for smaller hospitality businesses to learn marketing using bitesize videos and create their own guest-focused websites, to boost bookings.
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THE FUTURE OF TOURISM Clockwork has evolved with the times over last 30 years and continues to look Clareahead.continues:
hospitality insiders
Clockwork Marketing is celebrating its 30-year anniversary as a hospitality marketing specialist. Founder, Clare Bushby, talks about tourism changes over the years and what the future holds for the region.
Clockwork Marketing is a specialist hotel and hospitality marketing agency that understands hospitality businesses in a way only insiders can with 30 years working in the sector.
Clare had her lightbulb moment to set up Clockwork Marketing in 1992, providing marketing support for hospitality businesses across the UK. She was fascinated by data and believed the hotels weren’t exploiting the power of their property management systems to boost their Clarebookings.says:
www.clock-work.co.uk
“People now are concerned about the welfare of our planet in a way unseen before. But, travel has a large carbon footprint and social media aestheticism is causing overtourism in beauty spots around the globe including the South West. “As we move into a new era, we must begin to think of hospitality differently. Luxury and price alone will not entice tomorrow’s guests. They will expect a reciprocation of their green values. Hotels need to evolve. “Clockwork has taken a small step supporting the Devon Wildlife Trust, helping to preserve the wildlife and nature in our region. But looking beyond this to the future, the business wants to support regenerative tourism projects, enhancing communities and ecological health and encourage others to do the same.”
“My early experiences were working in family owned and resort hotels where there were set times for dinner, with formal ‘jacket and tie’ dress codes.
“Back then there were a lot of manual booking systems, huge charts, pencils, and rubbers – and it wasn’t long before the early property management systems were in use. I used to find it surprising how many properties didn’t really know what they had, or how to make the most of the data, the new systems provided.
Google Analytics 4, announced in October 2020, marks a significant shift in how web and app properties are tracked. The change acknowledges the increasing overlap between web and mobile app development and responds to marketers’ repeated calls for unified data. As a result, Google Analytics 4 aims to remove the need for manual switching between Googleplatforms.Analytics 4 is an entirely new product that can be installed alongside your existing Universal Analytics profile. As users become more concerned about data collection and privacy, more people are opting to hide or block websites from collecting specific data. Google Analytics 4 was created to fix this problem. Instead of relying solely on available user data, the platform utilises artificial intelligence and machine learning to build reports that model visitors to your website and create a forecast of what user data might look like if all data was collected.
User Journey One of the key benefits of Google Analytics 4 is that you will learn more about user journeys. The focus is no longer on easily fragmentable measurements by device or platform but on users and their interactions which are captured as events rather than hits. This new and improved model allows you to look at a set of metrics for web and app data, allowing for more logical and intelligent Foraggregation.example, people who visit your website may use multiple devices in a short amount of time. They might initially visit your website on their mobile, only to open your website on their laptop and then purchase a product on your app. Before, these user journeys were separate. With Google Analytics 4, these user journeys are stitched together, giving you a more accurate picture. Engagement Google Analytics 4 is more focused on engagement than Universal Analytics. The new platform replaces ‘Audience’, ‘Acquisition’, ‘Behaviour’ and ‘Conversion’ with ‘Lifecycle’ sections, containing ‘Acquisition’, ‘Engagement’, ‘Monetisation’ and ‘Retention’. Additionally, the tool includes a section devoted entirely to users, which focuses on user demographics and the technology used. The new platform uses artificial intelligence to predict customer actions from how they interact with your content.
Privacy and Tracking In recent years, there have been calls for Google Analytics to offer users more control over the collection of personal data—Google Analytics 4 has answered this call with a platform that is “privacy-focused and durable for the
(everything you need to know)
HelloAnalyticsGoogle4
SUMMER 202210 TALKING TOURISM DATA ANALYSIS
Data is becoming increasingly valuable to businesses, especially in the competitive travel and tourism sector. As a result, organisations turned to tools such as Google Analytics to measure their performance. In less than 12 months Google Analytics will be turned off in favour of Google Analytics 4 affecting every single website in the south west. This article from Marwick Marketing CEO, Christian Thomson, explores everything you need to know about Google Analytics 4.
• Revenue prediction: Revenue expected from purchase events within the next 28 days from users who were active on the website within 28 days. These predictive metrics are created using machine learning algorithms that measure customer progress towards a conversion.
www. tonickbusinesspublishing .co.uk TALKING TOURISM 11 DATA ANALYSIS future”. Now, you and your users have more control over what personal data is collected, enabling you as a business owner to comply with relevant privacy regulations. For example, you can exclude specific user properties from ads personalisation. However, as users push for enhanced privacy, tracking users across different platforms is becoming harder. Google Analytics 4 uses machine learning to fill in data gaps in response to this problem.
Conclusion: Analysis Over Reporting Google Analytics 4 will be a vital tool for tourism businesses thanks to its new insights into user journeys, a focus on engagement, improved privacy for users, predictive metrics using artificial intelligence and machine learning, custom event parameters, and new and improved visualisations and reporting tools. What separates Google Analytics 4 from earlier versions is that it is an analysis tool rather than a reporting tool. Universal Analytics was created to collect information, store data and build reports from said data. Google Analytics 4 marks a clear separation from this—instead, the platform will give business owners the tools to analyse users to determine their next steps. As a result, it will take time for you to master Google Analytics 4. Therefore, we recommend that you set up Google Analytics 4 alongside your current Universal Analytics to give you time to learn the tool and gather the data you will need when Universal Analytics is replaced by Google Analytics 4 on 1st July 2023. User journeys are stitched together, giving you a more accurate picture
• Purchase probability: The probability that a user active in the last 28 days will start a purchase event within the next week.
• Churn probability: The probability that a user that was active on your website within the last week will not be active within the next week.
Predictive Metrics As we alluded to previously, Google Analytics 4 supports three predictive metrics: purchase probability, churn probability and revenue prediction.
New and Improved Visualisations and Reporting Tools
While much of the user interface has stayed the same, several new visualisations and enhanced reporting tools are available. The Analysis Hub is one of the most noteworthy features of Google Analytics 4, as it will allow you to gain deeper insights into customer behaviour. This, in turn, will give you the insights you need to make better marketing Additionally,decisions.Google Analytics 4 offers built-in reports for top-level data. Using the Analysis Hub, users can create custom reports that drill down to specific data and have more freedom to choose the format and type of data included in a report.
The Food and Drink Cornwall project certainly seems to be providing just that, and we at River Cottage are delighted to be supporting that Asinitiative.”partof the project, local producers were also given the opportunity to showcase their products at a fantastic food fair at the Eden Project and attend the first-ever Food & Drink Cornwall Conference, which saw over 100 Cornish businesses and industry leaders gather together to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
SUMMER 202212 TALKING TOURISM FOOD & DRINK
The Food Factor New initiative champions Cornish food and drink sector. Cornwall has long been a haven for brilliant artisan food businesses Panel discussion photo below: From left to right: Kim Conchie (Cornwall Chamber of Commerce), Charles Banks (thefoodpeople), Ann Vandermeulen (FSB), chef and food campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (River Cottage), Gelf Anderson (River Cottage), Clare Par nell (Cornwall & Isles of Scilly LEP) and Ruth Huxley (The Great Cornish Food Store) debate the future at the first-ever Food and Drink Cornwall Conference. Cornwall is synonymous with beautiful beaches and glorious summer holidays, but it has, in recent times, become a real foodie destination. From world renowned chefs to award-winning spirits and unique local produce, Cornwall has it all. Produce crafted in Cornwall forms part of most people’s holiday when visiting the region, and for those local producers the supply into shops, restaurants and hotels provides the opportunity to build brand awareness and further enhance the reputation of ‘brand Cornwall’ at a national and international level. The food and drink sector is worth nearly £2 billion per annum in revenue and takes a large bite out of the whole of Cornwall’s total economic output – with an 18% share of the pie. With one in three jobs in the region, which equates to 60,000 people, having some form of attachment to Cornish food and drink, it is clear how vital the success of the sector is to the county’s Inprosperity.January 2022, a new initiative was launched to help celebrate and accelerate the growth of food and drink businesses across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The Food and Drink Cornwall project, which is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund via Cornwall Council, has worked with over 70 local producers across the county. Designed and delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, the project has offered a package of fully funded support to start-ups and established businesses over the last six months. This has included one-to-one advice from industry experts, a series of specialist workshops, an online diagnostic tool to assess business needs and virtual classrooms developed in partnership with renowned chef and food campaigner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and his team at River Cottage. Hugh, who has provided video content and mentorship to the project, explains: “Cornwall has long been a haven for brilliant artisan food businesses. From personal experience, I know having the right guidance is a key requirement for building a successful food business.
One of the many local businesses to have benefitted from the project is The
Thanks to the project, the Cornwall Pasta Co has also received one-to-one support from a team of specialists and attended workshops on Shopify stores, food photography with a smartphone, and financial planning and forecasting.
For further information on the Food and Drink Cornwall project, visit www.fdcornwall.co.uk
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Falmouth Distilling Company, which has been creating award-winning gin since Chloe2020. Gillatt, one of the founders of the company, explains: “We’ve done a few business support sessions previously, but found this much more useful. The advice came from actual industry experts, and was tailored to our needs based on a brilliant, comprehensive assessment undertaken at the start.
Praising the project, chef Nick Egan from Cornwall Pasta Co says: “We received some amazing one-to-one support including phone calls and meetings here at the factory. We were able to discuss growth and long term strategies moving forward with our business, all of which were extremely rewarding and have helped in giving me some needed confidence and assurance we are correct in certain Foodareas”.and Drink Cornwall is a pilot, which has been launched to test new methodologies to boost food and drink producers in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Funding for the pilot follows Cornwall Council’s successful bid to the government’s UK Community Renewal Fund, to provide support for this important and growing sector.
The project was also geared towards up and running businesses, which is something we’ve struggled to find elsewhere. Lastly, the obvious one: all this incredible support was free!”
Photo below: Some of the exciting Cornish food and drink producers supported by the Food and Drink Cornwall project in 2022.
Andrew Finley, Project Director, concludes: “We are absolutely delighted by the success of the Food and Drink Cornwall project and the levels of engagement from across the industry, from primary producers to food retailers. The project confirms a real need for high-quality packages of support and the immediate beneficial impact that can have on businesses.”
Businesses on the Food and Drink Cornwall programme additionally benefited from access to a comprehensive suite of resources and tools. This included the market leading business diagnostic tool GROWTHmapper®, which helps identify areas for improvement, perceived strengths and weaknesses in order to effectively target support.
Photo opposite page top: A food fair was held at the Eden Project in May to celebrate and showcase some of the incredible local food and drink products Cornwall has to offer.
SUMMER 202214 TALKING TOURISM SOUTH WEST 660
Photos: Gary Holpin Photography
WHY SOUTH WEST 660? Who doesn’t like a road trip? Road trips are becoming increasingly popular with travelers. Everyone knows Route 66, and the North Coast 500 in Scotland managed to become a recognised ‘destination’ in less than a few years, with tens of thousands of people traveling it annually. Given the stunning and scenic coastal roads we have here in the south west, the question – rather than ‘why?’ – should be ‘Why only just now?’ Encouraging people to enjoy the beauty of the south west through carefully curated itineraries will help attract new, high value tourists to our part of Britain in the months it matters most: the shoulder and winter seasons between September and June.
South West 660
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?
WHAT IS SOUTH WEST 660? South West 660 is an iconic road trip from Poole in Dorset to Watchet in Somerset, following the beautiful coastline of south west England. With 12 unique sections, each around 50 miles long, you will experience the diversity and splendour of the four counties that make up this corner of the UK. Exploring SW660 is all about taking your time, slowing down and enjoying the moment.
Introducing a brilliant new road trip in the south west of England.
A number of things make South West 660 different from other road trips: • The focus on ‘Slow Travel’: each of the 12 sections is around 50 miles long, and SW660 explorers are encouraged to take their time and aim for driving no
more than one section a day, possibly even stopping for more than one night in selected locations, enjoying them to the full
• The depth of insight on what each section has to offer, with the website offering huge amounts of inspiration, supported by stunning photography
South West 660 is an iconic road trip from Poole in Dorset to Watchet in Somerset
With the route’s focus on ‘Silver Surfers’ (above average spend), travelling predominantly in off-season, the opportunity for adding guests when it matters most to your business is huge. The website offers a limited number of high-end hospitality businesses the ability to present themselves to South West 660 members, as well as non-members using the website for a DIY version of their trip. The SW660 website sends interested parties direct to your website, allowing for valuable commission-free bookings. Co-founder and Hospitality Pro Mark Godfrey (of East Devon’s Deer Park fame) comments: “When more and more of hospitality bookings come via OTA’s, taking away valuable chunks of your room or table cover yields, people coming to your business via South West 660 will book with you direct, offering optimal returns.”
• Future focus on a wide variety of possible explorers, incl. people travelling by public transport, bike and Motor Home (the current route is designed for regular cars and motorbikes).
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WHY YOU MAY WISH TO BE ON IT!
• High quality experiences along the route, from accommodation to food, drink and things to do
We’ve seen website traffic across a wide range of tourism and hospitality businesses significantly down on last year, usually by an average of between 15 –Although30%.
So, what exactly have we spotted so far this year? WEBSITE TRAFFIC DOWN VS LAST YEAR
The newest normal Mark Worden is MD at MiHi Digital, one of the region’s leading digital marketing agencies for the tourism sector.
SUMMER 202216 TALKING TOURISM DIGITAL
this may sound alarming, it is eminently understandable given that 2021 created something of a perfect storm; a lack of international travel combined with people wanting to venture on their first post-lockdown break saw the West Country awash with visitors, and websites inundated with new traffic. Now that international travel is back on the agenda, and with many people also feeling the pinch of a cost-of-living crisis, demand has returned to lower levels than were felt this time last year. That slowing in demand has however not been met with a relative drop in supply, which is now reportedly at its highest. A drop in demand and not supply will mean that we can expect occupancy to fall for some and that competition for bookings will increase for all.
Working with a wide range of tourism providers, as well as some of the leading destinations in the south west, puts us in a unique position to understand and have analytical access to what’s happening at a regional level.
Many of us working within the tourism industry will have spent a considerable amount of time in recent months trying to establish what the newest version of normal means when it comes to occupancy, footfall and demand to visit our amazing part of the country.
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MAKE SURE THAT YOUR ANALYTICS ACCOUNT IS UP TO DATE
THE TREND OF LATER BOOKINGS
Sometimesreturn.people just need a nudge, so consider what you can do to reward their loyalty; percentage discounts based on the number of times they’ve stayed or visited, delays in deposit payments or referral rewards are all ways you can say ‘thank you’ that will undoubtedly lead to early bookings for next year. OUR CONCLUSION
There are of course a number of different ways that you can attempt to get people to return to your property or attraction. One thing that they all have in common is creating touch points and a positive ongoing relationship. Having regular contact, whether that’s through email marketing on a monthly basis or encouraging former-guests and visitors to join your Facebook group and like your page (two examples that should appear on your marketing homework!), is at the heart of getting people to
RELATIONSHIPSDEVELOPING WITH YOUR GUESTS
One of the largest trends we’ve seen to date has been that bookings are generally coming later and later; where the summer months were once filled in January (or in some cases even earlier), for many this process is taking longer and going past the Easter break. There was one specific week (arrival on July 15) that was particularly stubborn to book for many, when in past years it would have been snapped up in the early months of the year by Scottish families or those attending private schools. Only time will tell if booking closer to the arrival date is here to stay, but it does highlight the importance of sustaining and increasing repeatbookings for any tourism business. Repeat visitors tend to book earlier, spread the word and usually come with a lower marketing acquisition cost; three things that you definitely want when it comes to fighting off future competition!
All of the statistics we’re quoting and using within our insight are taken from a vast array of Google Analytics accounts. If you currently use Google Analytics (and if you don’t then you should), please be aware that they are updating their system to Google Analytics 4 in July of next year. To ensure you’ve got access to historical data from this year so that you can go on to compare next year’s performance within the new Google Analytics, you need to set up your new property and ideally have done this as soon as possible. The good news is that this is something your website provider will be able to easily do for you, but the later you do it, the bigger the gap in your GA4 comparative data will be.
WHERE DO WE STAND AGAINST 2019? Although traffic has dampened since last year, we’re seeing figures broadly in line with those from pre-pandemic 2019. This is an important piece of context, and we encourage anyone using analytics to not only compare with last year, but also 2019 to give themselves a better understanding of where they stand vs the ‘old normal’.
Although we’ve seen a slowdown in traffic since the buoyant height of last summer, we are still in line with where we were pre-pandemic, so all is certainly not lost, nor is it all doom and gloom. We do recommend that now is the time to start getting ahead for 2023, and the earlier you set your sights on this, the more robust you will be against any further fluctuations between now and then. Get out there, get those bookings and encourage people to return. For further information, please email: hello@mihidigital.co.uk or call: 01566 232323. Bookings are generally coming later and later
What have been the most significant changes you have made over the years? The hotel underwent a total refurbish ment - going from 26 rooms to 20making fewer rooms but better sizes and great bathrooms. We have also chosen fabulous fabrics throughout the hotel and rooms to offer a coastal chic aesthetic. In 2021 we added The Reef Knot Retreat treatment room, which is tucked away on the upper floor of the hotel where guests can discover an array of bespoke wellness treatments to awaken the senses. As well as this, over the years, we have also built a great team of people to look after our guests.
In your opinion, what are the main ingredients to running a successful hotel?
It has been quite a year for the Idle Rocks. A brace of Golds in the South West Tourism Awards, as well as success in the coveted Trencherman’s Awards. We catch up with Karen Richards who, along with leading UK motorsport figure David Richards, has been running the hotel in St Mawes since 2013.
I wish! It’s quite the reverse, as expectations are extraordinarily high, and we must ensure we deliver.
Staying at the top
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Prior to buying the Idle Rocks, what experience did you have as a hotelier? No experience as a hotelier whatsoever. Why did you move into the hotel business? What appealed about The Idle Rocks and St Mawes? We have a home in the village and used to walk past the hotel every morning, lamenting what a shame it was that the hotel was ‘unloved’. It has a great harbourside location, central to the village, and my husband thought it would be an excellent project for me!
The Idle Rocks has gone from strength to strength every year. In my opinion, it’s down to our great staff - it’s all about our staff - and their training! We truly believe that The Idle Rocks cements St Mawes’ reputation as a desirable Cornish location, with the hotel widely considered as one of the region’s top luxury British retreats. The hotel offers guests a home-fromhome experience and has a simple yet welcoming style in an idyllic location. To what extent are you blessed by your surroundings? When a hotel is located in such a stunning location, can there sometimes be a danger that it doesn’t have to “try too hard”?
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When you have some time off, what are your favourite hotels to visit? We travel a lot for my husband’s busi ness, so we love it when we can stay put in St Mawes – our favourite desti nation! To choose somewhere abroad, probably a quiet island in Greece. When staying in other hotels, does it become something of a busman’s holiday for you? Are you always taking notes, looking and comparing etc? Always!! I am a terrible guest! I look at every detail - good and bad - continually making notes and taking photographs. How have you emerged from the pandemic? What are the greatest challenges facing your industry at the moment? Is recruitment still one of the greatest issues? We have emerged from the pandemic with very strong forward bookings. We have a lot of repeat business and always look forward to welcoming our guests year on year. As with everybody else in the industry, the biggest challenge is recruitment. However, we have a very strong core team doing an excellent job. You recently enjoyed great success in the tourism awards, how satisfying is this type of recognition? It is great for our team at the hotel to get recognition in their industry and to be publicly applauded. They all work very hard and it’s lovely to see that their commitment and dedication is recognised across the UK. You also own the St Mawes Hotel, of course. In what way do the two hotels complement/differ from each other? St Mawes Hotel is The Idle Rocks ‘sister’ hotel. It has the same design thread running through it but offers a more casual dining experience. The menus at St Mawes Hotel include delicious Italian-style small plates, handmade pasta using the finest local seafood, and freshly baked Artisan pizzas. St Mawes Hotel also has a 25-seat state-of-the-art luxury Hidden Cinema, which is great for wet days and watching major sporting events. For special occasions or meetings, the Courtyard Room is the ideal private venue, with the capacity to cater for up to 40 guests and is perfect for parties or weddings. The St Mawes Hotel is very much the hub of the village and has a lively and informal feel without compromising taste and style. For guests visiting with dogs, the St Mawes Hotel has two Village View bedrooms where well-behaved dogs are most welcome to stay with their owners. Widely considered as one of the region’s top luxury British retreats
Myth busting
RRL tax partner Steve Maggs discusses holiday letting and the great inheritance tax myth.
Broadly, the relief applies to trading business assets – interests in trading businesses themselves, assets used in a trading business and shares in unquoted trading companies.
Admittedly, most don’t know the mechanics of their misapprehension, however, if they did, this would be a mistaken belief that inheritance tax Business Property Relief aka Business Relief was available. The relief applies to reduce the chargeable value of a qualifying asset by either 100% (total relief) or 50% - saving inheritance tax that is generally chargeable at 40%, and therefore hugely valuable.
TAXATION
If holiday let landlords are aware of inheritance tax (the lack of awareness of the tax is a huge issue in itself), an overwhelming proportion are under the misapprehension that the holiday let property interests they own will not be subject to inheritance tax.
Furnished holiday lets (FHLs) are a property investment activity (not a trade) that is deemed to be a trading activity for many tax purposes, and are, at least theoretically, capable of qualifying for inheritance tax Business Relief. This the starting point of the great myth! For Business Relief to apply, the business asset being considered must not consist of “wholly or mainly… making or holding investments”.
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The view of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is stated (in their Inheritance Tax Manual to their officers) as: “HMRC’s view is that furnished holiday lets will in general not qualify for business property relief. The income derived from such businesses will largely consist of rent in return for the occupation of property. There may however be cases where the level of additional services provided is so high that the activity can be considered as non-investment, and each case needs to be treated on its own facts.”
Property businesses are notoriously difficult for placing on the scale of investment activity on one end of the scale and training activity on the other. The extremes of a landlord letting a property on an AST or commercial lease on the one hand of extreme property investment, with a hotel operation or property development/ construction operation on the other extreme of the scale at the trading end. FHL activity falls somewhere in between these extremes, falling somewhere mid-way along the scale –how far along the scale the particular FHL activity sits determines the qualification for Business Relief.
The services and facilities were extensive, and the operation was Thedemanding.Tribunal decided that it was “an exceptional case which does, just, fall on the non-mainly investment side of the line”. It is difficult to see what more an FHL landlord could do to push the operation firmly over the line. It evidences the difficulty FHL landlords face, as opposed to being held out as a victory and signal for change.
• Supply of fresh flowers, homemade goods, toiletries, books etc;
Where an FHL fits on this property activity scale is largely determined by the provision of services, and the facilities provided.
• Owners on hand to take in shopping, organising celebrations and organising activities;
• Sauna, games room, laundry, separate guest lounge and barbeque area;
The myth can be whittled down to FHL landlords assuming that their FHL property interests automatically qualify for Business Relief, whereas placement on this scale actually determines qualification – and the bar is an extremely high one!
• Outdoor pool; • Well-maintained gardens;
• Owners arranging purchase of fresh fish for their customers;
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• Golf buggy and bicycle hire.
The lack awarenessof of the tax is a huge issue
• Refreshments and a welcome back on arrival;
This case was the case of Personal Representatives of Graham v HMRC – a “home case” given that the case concerned an FHL business on the Isles of Scilly. HMRC enquired into the claim for Business Relief in relation to the 4 self-catering flats, and farmhouse occasionally used as a B&B accommodation. As ever, the question was whether Mrs Graham and her daughter (who ran the business) were providing enough additional services to mean that the business was not one of property investment.
The tribunal heard that the services and facilities included:
This opinion has been consistently ratified by the tax tribunals and courts – as is evidenced by the significant number of judgements that have gone in HMRC’s favour when challenging Business Relief claims made by executors of deceased estates owning interests in FHLs. In recent years, only one judgement by the First Tier Tribunal has resulted in a win for the taxpayer, and even this reaffirms the position that the bar is incredibly high for any FHL landlord to meet to be considered to qualify for Business Relief.
FHL landlords need to be aware that they are highly unlikely to qualify for inheritance tax Business Relief, meaning that their interests in the properties will be chargeable to inheritance tax. They then need to seek experiences advice as to how to plan for this accordingly.
From ship to shore
VentureSail already has the biggest charter fleet in the UK, but is now expanding worldwide offering voyages in the Arctic, Scandinavia, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Its website currently has over 300 different sailing holidays to choose from and the team has grown to three new members of staff in the last six months alone. However, it’s not been plain sailing for this dynamic Cornish business, which had only been running for a couple of years before the Covid pandemic, an experience which called on MD Jo Downie’s extensive marketing and managerial experience as well as her passion for travel. “When COVID hit, it was a double whammy for our fleet,” she says. “Not only could they not take guests sailing but as most of our boats are privately owned, they didn’t qualify for any Government help. “So not only had they just spent monies on the undertaking essential maintenance over the winter months, but they also now faced the prospect of having no income for a year with then another winter’s worth of work to cover. These boats constantly fell in the gaps of possible support and it was heart breaking to watch - many of the fleet are heritage vessels, relying on income from guests to keep them afloat – quite “Weliterally!knew we needed to help, so following numerous discussions with both owners and tourism bodies, once restrictions eased, we agreed we could safely offer day sails with a small number of passengers, creating ‘bubble charters’ so at least a family could holiday together in-line with guidelines.”Covid
VentureSail Holidays is emerging from a two-year pandemic stronger than ever with an increasing fleet and new destinations.
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Jo continues: “This was a lifeline not only for the boat owners but for VentureSail Holidays too - as a small fairly fledgling business, it was essential for us to maintain good relations with both the boat owners and guests that we had worked so very hard to get.
We now have 29 boats to manage in destinations all over the world
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“Our initiatives to save boat travel didn’t end with ‘boat bubbles’ alone, in addition, we offered a two-year Covid credit scheme whereby guests didn’t lose their money for any Covid-related cancellations. This extra assurance provided the confidence needed for those considering booking a much-needed holiday which drove a significant uptake in our bookings.
“However, it has meant for us, two years on from the pandemic, that we are still honouring those credits and as a result, we have had less berths to sell in the past 24 months. It will be 2023 before we are back to any sort of normal capacity in terms of berths Onavailable.”amore positive note, as a small local business, VentureSail Holidays was able to respond quickly to the sudden growing need for a UK holiday once restrictions eased. The small team of two leapt on every enquiry, dealt with cancellations, queries, payments, bookings, schedules and everything in between.
Jo explains: “Those boats who had survived the financial uncertainties were now eager to get back on the water and they filled up quickly as the public desire to get out and explore their own country grew. Our success stories and unwavering support soon filtered through the industry and we found ourselves regularly being contacted by boat owners looking for help to fill their boats for the season ahead as well as support in planning their locations and schedules. It was abundantly clear that there was a need to assist skippers and owners, helping them to understand customer demand as well as expectations and “Itcompetition.wasafantastic opportunity to gather new customers as people looked closer to home for adventures and something a little more exciting than a holiday cottage break. In turn, it meant our market grew rapidly and we now have customers returning to us for another sailing holiday that may not have tried this type of activity before. With an expanding fleet and new destinations, what started as a worrying year soon culminated in a busy period with all hands-on deck and I am proud to confirm I have just taken on my fourth member of staff. This is a muchneeded appointment as we now have 29 boats to manage in destinations all over the world!”
The most recent vessel to join this vibrant sailing holiday agency is tall ship Irene of Bridgewater, who spends the majority of her time providing ‘blue therapy’ to one of Cornwall’s leading mental health charities, Sea Sanctuary. For those new to the phrase, ‘blue therapy’ refers to the positive benefits of spending time in blue spaces, such as the sea and lakes. Sea Sanctuary firmly believe the sea has a profound impact on mood which is why time on the water sits at the core of their ethos. Tall ship Irene whisks those in need away from the hustle and bustle of daily lives, providing invigorating sailing adventures to help improve mental health and wellbeing. To support these efforts, Irene spends part of her time offering holidays at sea off the Cornish coast, giving guests the chance to take to the water and andgenerouscabinsprivatecomfortableoffersandisexperiencesailingNoperspective.aCornwallexplorefromwholenewpreviousrequiredIreneen-suitewithasaloonloungearea.
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All meals are provided and included in the price and no previous sailing experience is required, although a sense of adventure is recommended! Sailing predominantly from Falmouth and Newlyn, Irene offers Cornish coastal sailing with the occasional venture across to the stunning Isles of Scilly. One of the last of the West Country trading ketches, Irene was built in 1907 and joins the other last remaining ketch Bessie Ellen whose owner and skipper Nikki Alford also co-founded VentureSail Holidays with Jo Downie.
Nikki explains: “Being at sea is truly magical, surrounded by water, the fresh sea-air, it is utter escapism allowing us to be at one with nature. We have long-understood the benefits of sailing and so it is wonderful to see the benefits of ‘blue therapy’ promoted for mental health and well-being. As owner and skipper of Bessie Ellen, it is also wonderful to welcome heritage vessel Irene to the VentureSail fleet and help support a true piece of maritime heritage.”
VentureSail Holidays is contributing a percentage of each Irene bookings to Sea Sanctuary, helping to support its invaluable charitable work. (0)1872 487288.
Irene is owned by the family who own and run Cardinal Clinic, a leading independent mental health hospital based in Windsor, Berkshire. Dr Morrish who owns Irene and Cardinal Clinic was hugely impressed with the approach of Sea Sanctuary and the benefits of ‘blue therapy’. He has gifted Irene for free to ensure that the programme can benefit as many people as possible. Cardinal Clinic is delighted to provide financial support for the on-going maintenance of Irene, to ensure Sea Sanctuary is able to continue providing the programme.
To find out information,morevisit venturesailholidays.comwww. or call +44
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pros and cons
One of the major talking points at any workshop we run is the everincreasing impact of technology in people’s lives and the effect this has on communication skills. Add a global pandemic to the mix, and there’s always healthy debate from attendees about what it all means for social skills and provision of excellent customer service. From decreased attention span to difficulty maintaining conversations, from heightened anxiety in a group situation to knowing how to deal with a challenging situation - do you ever consider the impact these outside influences have on our ability to communicate?
SUMMER 202226 TALKING TOURISM TRAINING Technology:
THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE HAS CHANGED
The main way that people communicate in recent years relies on online messaging and social media - for businesses as well as individuals. The growing trends of swiping through short video content on Instagram and Tiktok and media outlets creating bitesize articles that give us news in brief are increasingly upon us all. As a result, there is a struggle to maintain attention and provide conversation in traditional and basic terms. Studies suggest that people generally lose concentration after eight seconds, highlighting the effects of our increasingly digital lifestyle. There’s been further reporting on whether the global pandemic of Covid-19 has added to these challenges in social interaction - with humans effectively distancing themselves from others for over two years, there has been a noticeable impact on mental health, our abilities to sustain conversation and our reactions to being with other people onceWhatagain.changes have you noticed - in yourself or in others - that you think have evolved due to technology, or have been an impact of the pandemic? And do you feel it’s something that is affecting your frontfacing teams?
Mark Webb, director of Cornwall-based customer service training consultancy Marbell Limited, discusses the perceived impact of technology and social media on our customer service skills.
INVESTING IN TRAINING FOR YOUR FRONT-OF-HOUSE STAFF Tourism makes up a huge part of the economy in Devon and Cornwall, and a large percentage of our residents work in tourism, retail and hospitality. Faceto-face interaction is part and parcel of the Investingrole. in training for your customer facing staff should be a core part of the budget planning for any senior management team. Keeping your team’s social skills honed and considering the impact you are having on your visitor experience should be something all employees benefit from. Whether you’re new to working in a service role or need a refresher ahead of a busy and challenging season, it’s important to have access to this training to feel confident in your role and happy in your job. Marbell customer service training sessions take things back to basics, covering social skills such as active listening, eye contact, body language and other communication skills. We’re also adept at helping your team learn how to deal with challenging situations and difficult conversations. If you would like to have a chat about how Marbell can help you, we’d be happy to help. Get in touch today via www.marbell.uk or email Mark on mark@marbell.uk ABOUT MARK WEBB Mark Webb is director and founder of Marbell Limited, a Cornwall-based training provider specialising in customer service training and associated workshops. Recent clients include St Michael’s Mount and Jubilee Pool. MY TOP FIVE TIPS FOR GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE
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There are many theories about how younger people have found it challenging to communicate in person. This generation of digital natives have grown up with screens. They communicate with each other, and with those around them, in different ways. We live in an era where huge technological advancements make so many things possible, and there must be a degree of understanding in how different generations communicate. Researchers have observed how email and social media help people to build and maintain social networks enhancing existing friendships, and link people to online interest-driven groups that boost their creativity.
Clear communication - Speak slowly using correct pronunciation and tone, remembering to apply plain English and forget about technical language. Be confident and think before you speak.
Patience - Remember to breathe, stay calm and listen to the customer. Take your time and focus on the task at hand. Adaptability - Every customer is different. Consider your tone (formal or informal) and be confident to adapt your behaviour by reading the customer.
Active listening - Make eye contact, use fillers such as ‘hmmm, OK’ and ‘yes, I understand’. Understand what they’re saying, respond and reflect on what’s being said, and retain the information for later.
BENEFITS OF THE CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY
These tools were created with the aim of benefitting communication - and there’s no denying they’ve made a difference to our lives in many positive ways. But something most people agree upon is the importance of interpersonal skills in a face-to-face or telecommunication situation in forging ahead in a successful conversation. How do you view this? Is it something you see as moral panic, where increased worry that new technology is creating a freefall in our social skills? Or do you believe that increased technology and decreased face-to-face interaction doesn’t need to mean a decline in social skills? It’s an incredibly complex and nuanced conversation. People develop in com plex and non-linear ways. Technology will reduce social skills in some ways and enhance them in others. Nothing is as black and white as it seems.
Sincere empathy - Show that you care and genuinely understand the problem but without getting emotionally involved. Showing sympathy can lead you down a destructive path and be damaging to your brand.
SPONSOR DUTIES
Key contact – The key contact is usually the person who acts as the main contact between UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and the sponsor.
Level 1 user – The Level 1 user will carry out the day-to-day sponsorship activities using the sponsor management system (can be the authorising officer or key contact). Level 2 user – The Level 2 user has fewer permissions than the Level 1 user on the sponsor management system but can still assign the Certificate of Sponsorship.
EmployingOverseas Nationals
Lisa Mulholland, a solicitor at Stephens Scown LLP, offers advice to those thinking about employing overseas nationals who do not otherwise have permission to work in the UK.
WHAT IS A SKILLED WORKER SPONSOR LICENCE?
When employing overseas nationals who do not otherwise have permission to work in the UK, you will need a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence from the Home Office before you can do so. The overseas worker will then need to apply for a visa under the Skilled Worker immigration route.
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Many factors have affected this, not least the COVID-19 pandemic, the end of free movement from the EU and the stark changes to EU nationals’ right to work in the UK post June 2021 (the deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme).
A Sponsor Licence gives permission to an organisation to sponsor workers in its business. The organisation or business is known as the sponsor. When a sponsor is granted a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence, they have a responsibility to act in accordance with the Immigration Rules. As part of the Sponsor Licence application, the sponsor will need to assign certain responsibilities for the function of the Sponsor Licence to key personnel within the business. These include: Authorising officer – The authorising officer is usually the most senior person responsible for the recruitment of all overseas workers and ensuring that all of the sponsor duties are met.
There are several duties that a sponsor must adhere to, these include the following: Record keeping – The sponsor must keep records of overseas workers’ ID,
EMPLOYING OVERSEAS NATIONALS
A sponsor must assign a Certificate of Sponsorship to each overseas worker they employ under their licence. This is an electronic record and each certificate has its own unique number which the overseas worker will need when applying for a Skilled Worker visa. Before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship, the sponsor will need to ensure that the role is on the standard or shortage occupation lists (see below) and that they will pay them a salary which is at or above the minimum salary requirement for the category of role. When a Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned to an overseas worker, they must apply for their Skilled Worker visa within three months. They must not apply for their visa more than three months before the start date of the job listed on the Certificate of Sponsorship.
Over the course of the last 12 months, many hoteliers and other businesses operating in the hospitality sector have struggled with recruitment of staff.
WHAT IS A CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP?
To be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa, the applicant must have a job offer with a registered sponsor in a skilled role listed in Tables 1 or 2 of Appendix Skilled Occupations to the Immigration Rules. The individual will have to be paid at least £25,600 per annum and the market ‘going rate’ for the role, as set out in Table 1 of that Appendix (unless the role is on the shortage occupation list).
Individuals can apply for a Skilled Worker visa for up to five years. They will need to apply for an extension to their visa before the expiry date of their current visa or if they change jobs or employer. After five continuous years in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, the individual may be entitled to apply for settlement in the UK. The visa application must be made using the appropriate online application form. The individual’s employer will apply for and then assign the individual a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). The CoS reference number must then be provided by the individual when they are completing their Skilled Worker visa application form. There are additional requirements that would need to be met for a Skilled Worker visa. If you would like any further information in relation to Skilled Worker visas, or any specific advice in relation to a particular individual, please do not hesitate to contact us.
NEXT STEPS Lisa Mulholland is an associate solicitor and head of the Immigration team at Stephens Scown, advising both individuals and businesses on all aspects of UK immigration law. The team helps individuals apply for all types of UK visas and can also advise and assist businesses with employing foreign workers. To discuss any of the issues raised in this article, please email scown.co.ukimmigration@stephensor call 01392 210700. Individuals can apply for a Skilled Worker visa for up to five years
Illegal working – The sponsor must not employ any overseas workers who do not have permission to work in the UK or, that by doing so, are in breach of the conditions of their leave. A sponsor could face a fine of up to £20,000 per illegal worker or could have their Sponsor Licence downgraded from an A rated sponsor to a B rated sponsor (which has more limitations) or could even have their Sponsor Licence suspended.
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Reporting – The sponsor must report certain information or events to UKVI using the sponsorship management system, within any time limit set. This can include, but is not limited to, the overseas worker’s non-attendance, change of visa, change of job role or change of contact details.
WHAT SKILLED ROLES MAY BE RELEVANT TO THE HOTEL INDUSTRY?
contact details and visa information. The sponsor also has a duty to keep copies of overseas workers’ visas on file and follow up with them in relation to any application they have made to extend their leave in case of a refusal.
The Standard Occupation List can be found here. The roles on this list that may be relevant to the hotel industry include: hotel and accommodation managers and proprietors, chefs, catering and bar managers, restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors, gardeners and landscape gardeners, groundsmen and greenkeepers, financial managers and directors, marketing and sales directors, purchasing managers and directors, advertising and public relations directors, human resource managers and directors, human resources and industrial relations officers and IT operations technicians. Examples of roles which are not eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route include: housekeepers, cleaners, chambermaids, bar staff, waiters and kitchen and catering assistants. If you would like any advice in relation to employing overseas nationals, applying for a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence or assisting an individual with a Skilled Worker visa application, please do get in touch with our Immigration team. They advise both individuals and businesses on all aspects of UK immigration law.
SKILLED WORKER VISA
A quick breeze through a variety of Cornish hotel websites leaves me in no doubt that it remains an area in which more should be done to push it to the forefront. Not just through the odd ‘green’ logo or sustainability policy, but through actions that we can demonstrate and communicate to our audiences through all the marketing channels we have available to us. We need to show that we are more than just a destination to stay at, more than a business that’s only purpose is to exchange money for accommodation. We need to demonstrate that we are proactive in our community, that we showcase local partners and most importantly that we, not only consider, but take actions to preserve our surrounding environment. If you can achieve that, then suddenly your brand has another string to its bow. One that’s only going to become more important with over half of Gen-Z and Millennial travellers responding that environmental credentials impact their decision. But what does that look like in practice? Well, everyone is different, has their own challenges and limitations. In my short time at St Michaels Resort in Falmouth, I’ve pushed sustainability to the top of the agenda. While the Resort has always kept a keen eye on sustainability, I want to shift perception of the Resort to one that plays a bigger part in local life and protects its stunning location. I’ve begun this by forging a new local charity partnership, establishing regular staff beach cleans, adopting green practices for housekeeping and have plans to implement a staff volunteering programme in the local community. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, there are so many ways to do it and plenty of ways to tell people about it. Don’t be afraid to live-stream or at the very least, get it on socials!
It has been several months since I stepped back into the hospitality sector, following a 4-year hiatus leading the Communications team at Cornwall Air Ambulance. What a difference a few years can make. The industry has seen some of its most turbulent years on record, with closures followed by last year’s mass staycation exodus to the Duchy and the staffing pressures it brought with it. We thought we’d seen the back of one crisis, but just around the corner loomed a European war and a rising cost of living that we will no doubt feel within our industry. We’ve gone from one generational crisis to another, in the space of two years. Competition for market share has never been so intense in Cornwall. However your brand is positioned, whoever your guest profile might be, wherever you’re located- there’s always competition. Telling your audience about fantastic facilities or unrivalled locations just doesn’t cut the mustard on its own anymore, the market is saturated with it. So, what can you do to peak your head out above the parapet? A survey of global travellers this year conducted by Statista revealed that 48% of responders believed it was important to choose environmentally friendly travel options and that their decision-making was influenced by ‘green credentials’. In comparison, only 12% thought that it wasn’t important. While ‘going green’ and sustainability have been buzzwords for some time now, the hospitality industry hasn’t been fast to react, while data is suggesting it’s something that is fast becoming a key buying motivator.
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Don’t just talk about sustainability, do it
By Stuart Beveridge, head of marketing at St Michael’s Resort in Falmouth. We need demonstrateto that we are proactive in our community
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