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Fgoroccus on theneteouwstho,n & invrip srtisoe e invceonwarid om r stm enyt
Have we got views for you Lady behind welcoming Lancs
Northern delights Forum on how they mean business Ruth Connor, chief executive of Marketing Lancashire, pictured at Hoghton Tower In association with
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Update
Big welcome on the North’s mat T
he visitor economy – perhaps still better known as tourism – is increasingly important not just to the UK but particularly to the North of England, as the sector is growing faster than manufacturing, construction and retail. Just as with the Industrial Revolution, the North was very much to the forefront in the early days, with Blackpool and Scarborough edging out Brighton in terms of the first wave of domestic holidays in the 17th and 18th centuries. Having whetted the appetite of the UK public for welldeserved relaxing breaks away from the daily grind, this eventually led to the well-heeled venturing abroad courtesy of Thomas Cook, who opened up the French Riviera – hence the Promenade des Anglais. Today, the world is everyone’s oyster – and the UK, because of its heritage, is one of the major beneficiaries of international tourism, once again bolstering the visitor economy and creating jobs. While Manchester Airport is the main arrival point in the North for visitors from overseas, the trains of First TransPennine Express (see pages 4-5) actually take them to their destinations. And, increasingly, it is Lancashire that is reaping the rewards – not only in terms of international tourists but also in the ever-increasing numbers of the domestic variety (see pages 6-7). Which is why the Super North Forum on the visitor economy featured on these pages attracted the movers and shakers of a sector increasingly seen as another important building block for the Northern powerhouse.
Inside
Transports of delight Tourist track to success Pages 4-5 Northern tourism stars Red Rose county attractions Pages 6-7 If you want to know more about Super North, freephone 0800 027 0403 or contact animmo@supernorth.co.uk @thesupernorth
Forum: The visitor economy
How that wish (you were here) is coming true Relevant voices agree: the growing appeal of Northern tourism is set to boost wider economy. Mike Cowley reports
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ver been irritated by a party of camera-wielding Japanese in Tatton Park, or by overly enthusiastic Americans intruding on your pint at the Bingley Arms, England’s oldest pub? (Both are unfair stereotypes of course, before Irked of Ilkley writes in to point this out.) If so, then it may be time to reflect on what people from overseas are doing for our economy. For while sectors such as manufacturing and financial services are well known as being key to the UK’s success, the visitor economy – better known by its original label of tourism – is increasingly growing in importance. According to the latest figures available – from 2013 – the visitor economy contributes £126.9 billion, some 9 per cent of UK gross domestic product (GDP), and is on target to more than double that by 2025. It accounts for 3.1 million jobs – 9.6 per cent of the total – and has made a major contribution to employment, providing one-third of all new positions. The Deloitte report entitled Tourism: jobs and growth, published in November 2013, found that the marginal revenue required to create a job in UK tourism is estimated to be around £54,000. For every 1 per cent increase in total expenditure in UK tourism, it might be expected that fulltime equivalent employment will increase by 0.89 per cent. The report predicted that the sector will grow at an annual rate of 3.8 per cent through to 2025 – significantly faster than the overall UK economy (which has a predicted growth rate of 3 per cent per annum) and much faster than sectors such as manufacturing, construction and retail. According to Deloitte, the UK will have a tourism industry worth over £257bn by 2025 – just below 10 per cent of its GDP and supporting almost 3.8m jobs, around 11 per cent of the total UK number. The impact of tourism is amplified through the economy and is much wider than just the direct spending levels. Deloitte estimates the tourism gross value added (GVA) multiplier to be 2.8 – meaning that for every £1,000 generated in direct tourism
Manchester Airport’s Stephen Turner, right, talks to Forum chairman Alasdair Nimmo GVA, a further £1,800 is supported elsewhere in the economy through the supply chain and consumer spending. Inbound tourism will continue to be the fastest-growing tourism sector, with spending by international visitors forecast to grow by over 6 per cent per year – compared with domestic spending by UK residents at just over 3 per cent. The value of inbound tourism is forecast to grow to £57bn by 2025, with the UK seeing an international tourism balance of payments surplus in 2023, almost 40 years since the country last reported such a thing. The 34.4m overseas visitors who came to the UK in 2014 spent a record £21.8bn. These figures represent a 5 per cent increase in volume and a 3 per cent nominal increase in value compared with 2013. All this activity is also helping to underpin inward investment, as it raises the profile of areas in terms of their history and cultural contribution, key ingredients in the decision-making process for foreign firms. The North of England finds itself in the thick of the visitor economy action, providing the region with yet another card to play in the Northern powerhouse game. What the Beatles did for Liverpool and the Brontës did for Yorkshire is arguably more important today than ever before – just look at the crowds flocking to the Cavern Club, even though it isn’t even the original version. Add to the line-up the renovated Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, Lindisfarne in the North East, the National Media Museum in Bradford, Pendle Hill with its witches and even Blackpool Tower, and the
list becomes formidable. Throw in the incomparable Lake District and you can see why the North is the inbound tourism hotspot after that place down South. While London attracted by far the most overseas visitors in 2014, this was followed by Edinburgh and then Manchester, with Liverpool coming it at sixth spot. Yorkshire recorded the highest level of growth in visits from 2013 to 2014, followed by Scotland and the North East. Indeed, the North East topped the table in terms of growth in visits, nights and spending in all 11 regions from the previous 12 months, followed by the North West and Yorkshire, with London trailing in at number nine. The importance of the visitor economy to the North of England was reflected in a Super North Forum dedicated to the subject and held at Manchester Airport, a fitting venue given that it plays such a pivotal role in the sector. Alasdair Nimmo of Super North opened the Forum by reminding the audience that by living in Edinburgh and coming down to the North every other week he was himself a contributor to the region’s visitor economy. Naturally, part of the debate that followed focused on Manchester Airport, with Stephen Turner – the airport’s commercial director and the person responsible for passenger volume – present on the panel. Mr Turner reported that during the previous week he had been in China, meeting carriers to sell the region. “It’s interesting to see they have a genuine interest in the North,” he said. “They’re starting to recognise that London is getting very full and
Super North is an independent supplement distributed in The Times. It is produced by Super North publications, who can accept no legal liability for any errors. The content has been obtained from sources that the publisher believes to be correct.
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Forum: The visitor economy
The Forum panel From left: Alan Switzer, director, Deloitte Sports Business Group. Chris Brown, director of Marketing Liverpool. Alasdair Nimmo of Super North in the chair.
Drew Hemment, founder and chief executive, FutureEverything. Nick Brooks-Sykes, director of tourism, Marketing Manchester. Stephen Turner, commercial director, Manchester Airport.
that the North has something to offer. The Chinese see this and see that we are not just serving Manchester but are the gateway to the whole of the North.” The question of how important the visitor economy is as a driver for the overall economy unsurprisingly brought the same answer from across the panel: very. Chris Brown, the director of marketing for Liverpool, highlighted the turning-point for
When people arrive here they’re stunned
his city when it was named European Capital of Culture for 2008. “It’s now worth £3.6bn to our economy and around 46,000 jobs, and we actually believe there are better times ahead,” Mr Brown said. “It is not just about tourism – it needs to be recognised as part of a broader canvas, it’s the overall impact on the economic landscape. “It’s the boost to the brand of the city – we’ve never really grasped the scale of this in the past. We’ve been dominated by London, which means the North hasn’t had the opportunity to develop – though now, through the initiatives that are taking place, I hope the North will get the recognition it deserves.” The Liverpool spokesman found he had the full backing of his opposite number in Manchester, Nick Brooks-Sykes, as while the rival cities would once have been uncomfortable bedfellows, now they see co-operation as the only way to achieve a common objective.
“I think the key to success is working together,” Mr Brooks-Sykes said. “We need to promote the North together internationally, rather than fighting for our own corner. Collectively, we have a counter-offer to London, and there is an appetite for that. “We know when people arrive here they are stunned, and this is driven largely by culture. Whether it’s Manchester United, the festivals, the Beatles – it anchors itself in the North.” Northern culture – and the importance of this to the visitor economy – was a running theme during the debate, and as the effective cultural ambassador at the Forum this gave Drew Hemment of FutureEverything a platform for his views. “Cultural tourism is already contributing to economic growth,” he said. “There are other impacts in the cultural offering as well as tourism. People choose to live in a place based on the culture, the
Where sport scores W
ith two of every five visitors to the UK watching live sport during their stay – and 73 per cent of those opting for football – the importance of the Northern clubs in the Premier League cannot be underestimated, and the North West and the North East are the top two UK regions which people visit because of football. Someone who has all the facts about football’s impact on the Northern economy is Alan Switzer, director of the Deloitte Sports Business Group and also present at the Forum. “As a starting point,” he told the panel, “the North has really top-class facilities as well as teams, and the impact is not just confined to the grounds. “Look what has happened at Manchester City, the huge investment that has been made not just for the benefit of the club but also
for the benefit of the population of east Manchester. And look at what Manchester City are doing in terms of branding by establishing clubs in New York and Melbourne.” Nor are the benefits just confined to football. “Look at what has happened at Old Trafford cricket ground,” Mr Switzer said. “Then there’s the Manchester Half Marathon – what a fantastic event and the buzz that it gives the city over three days. Yes, we’ve got world-class sport in the North – but there’s a lot of competition out there, so you just have to keep raising the game.” Inevitably, though, it was football rather than athletics that dominated the Forum debate. “The global audience for the Premier League every week is huge,” Mr Switzer added. “The traffic from Northern Ireland alone to watch North West clubs each week makes a huge impact. “It is a fantastic shop window and
Attentive attendees: Forum audience listening keenly to the talking heads it is important to harness that. Once visitors get here, though, they need to have a great experience during their stay.” Both Manchester and Liverpool have evidently recognised the importance of football to the city brands, but they are constantly looking to broaden their sporting offering. “We know the power of these brands,” said Liverpool spokesperson Chris Brown, “but we also see growing importance in other sporting events.
“World cup netball is coming to Liverpool for one, and we are strong in a range of sports. All sporting events present the opportunity to come to a game and experience the city.” Nick Brooks-Sykes highlighted the opportunity offered to Manchester through its strength in lacrosse. “There is a huge appetite internationally for this, and to come to a sporting city like Manchester,” he said. “It’s the sporting levels below
events, the connectivity. Some cultures like India and China expect to have all the cultural links before business links can follow. “I think it is clear we need the right investment to showcase the Northern cities as a quality product. It’s the quality of the arts and culture, it’s the food and hotels, and to achieve all this we need to collaborate. But we’ve got world-class culture to build on.” Stephen Turner agreed that it was all about strengthening the destination offering. “We’re competing against the world, so it is all down to the power of the destination,” he said. “It’s what is around, the quality of the hotels and restaurants, and that for me is encouraging the growth of independents. We don’t simply want to be another place that just offers Starbucks and Costa.” The importance of the city brands also entered the debate, and here again the cultural offering was on the table. “We know that 80 per cent of the reason visitors come to Manchester is because of the culture,” Mr Brooks-Sykes said. “Our Manchester cultural festival, for one, contributes to a strong destination brand – it shows that if you invest then people will come.” Again he found his Liverpool counterpart to be in agreement. “I think both Manchester and Liverpool are internationally known brands,” Chris Brown said. “The problem is getting traction within that brand, getting people to invest in it. “Liverpool has come from nowhere to somewhere, but we still have a long way to go. The approach is to use high-profile events to put it on the world map and for us to become an international city – and that is working. We just don’t talk enough about it.” It was left to the man from Manchester Airport to show how far the visitor economy in the North has been boosted in the last decade. “If I went back ten years,” Stephen Turner said, “the percentage of inbound passengers was 10 cent – now we are at 20 per cent. I know from meetings in China that there is immediate recognition: people now know about the North of the UK.”
Premier League football where there is an opportunity to grow.” Meanwhile, the cultural representative on the Forum panel admitted that he had once looked on sport with less enthusiasm. “I have to confess I used to view sport as the competition,” Drew Hemment said. “We used to feel that the general impressions of Manchester were dominated by football and music from the 1980s, but that’s the wrong way to think. “We’ve got to collaborate and I’m pleased to see that is happening. We’ve now got the National Football Museum and realise that football and culture are both excellent at engaging people.” Deloitte’s Alan Switzer effectively had the last word, emphasising the unifying aspect of sport in terms of the visitor economy. “I think sporting authorities can and do make an important contribution,” he said, “because they work well together and because local authorities recognise the power of sport. From the business sense it is relatively small, but it still has a huge impact.”
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Transport
All aboard! For a breathtaking trip with faster tourist traction
How First TransPennine Express is finding more yield in visitor services. Mike Cowley reports
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hen you are providing around 30 million customer journeys each year across your rail network – and when some 60 per cent of those who travel do so for leisure purposes, and could easily opt for other forms of transport – then you have to keep the customers happy. So the fact that First TransPennine Express (TPE) has enjoyed a period of unprecedented growth, more than doubling its number of customers in the past decade, gives a clear indication that it is doing something right in terms of being an integral part of the visitor economy of the North. As in any competitive marketplace, TPE – the UK’s fastest-growing train operator – must strive constantly to increase customer satisfaction in a sector which is regularly pilloried for negatives ranging from overcrowding to the dreaded autumnal problem of “leaves on the line”. Naturally, investment can be made – as TPE has done, with more than £300 million having gone into new trains and station improvements over the last decade. This has helped to boost the number of services operated, increased the amount of seats available and improved station environments, all of which has provided a better service and tapped into the huge demand for rail travel. These investments and improvements mean that TPE is no longer trans-Pennine in the limited geographical sense, although it does provide five trains per hour throughout the day between the cities of Manchester and Leeds. Nowadays, TPE not only serves these locations and other key centres in the North of England, but also operates up to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Scotland has become one of the company’s most successful areas, with 30 trains per day and an increase in customer numbers from 500,000 in 2007 to 1.5
million this year. TPE has therefore won the battle with the airlines, which have seen domestic flights reduce from 50 per day between Manchester and Glasgow/ Edinburgh to just 12. TPE has also continued to build on its leisure customer base – the most important market in terms of potential growth – and currently provides trains to seven of the 20 most popular destinations for overseas visitors: Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Leeds, York and Newcastle upon Tyne. Five of these destinations are served directly from the award-winning station operated by TPE at Manchester Airport. More customers inevitably equates to more challenges, however, and the variety and complexity of these challenges means that operators are having to push the customer service boulder up an increasingly steep hill in order to match expectations that are inexorably on the rise. Add to this the Government’s incessant demands for more value for money, linked to the awarding of rail franchises – TPE itself is subject to bids, currently under review, for a new seven-year franchise from April 2016 – and the scale of improving the customer experience becomes obvious. Where else would you find a university professor asking for help because he had lost a piece of moon rock, or have to ensure that an eyeball for transplant was taken from Manchester Airport to the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital by rail as it was quicker than by road, or see an irate customer being given a cup of tea and a consoling word once staff learnt that the real reason he was upset was that his mother had just died? Then of course there is the not exactly trivial matter of dealing with the situation where between 3 per cent and 5 per cent of rail-network journeys are made without tickets. (See panel opposite.) The Association of Train Operating Companies estimates that fare-dodging costs the industry around £200m each year – and this in a service business where profit margins are traditionally low, at 3 per cent or less, and where rail fares in the North of England are significantly lower than in the rest of the UK.
All of this makes TPE’s success truly remarkable, and it is a story that stretches further than the rail industry. Included in more than 100 honours won by the operator is the British Quality Foundation UK Excellence Award, where the company was up against leading players in other sectors. Assessed against the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model, this involved a team of experienced scrutineers lifting the lid on all aspects of TPE’s business. Having previously been won by wellknown names such as Siemens, the UK Excellence Award is seen by TPE as the ultimate endorsement, one that outshines even the Train Operator of the Year Award which it won in 2012. All this from a company in the privatised rail sector which has received a Government subsidy, although even here TPE has bucked the trend by ensuring a reduction of 85 per cent over the last ten years in the amount of direct subsidy it receives per pound of passenger revenue. So how has TPE managed to do all this? At least part of the answer lies with Darren Higgins, the 39-year-old commercial director who joined the company shortly after the current franchise started in May 2004, having previously worked in transport consultancy. A qualified accountant, Mr Higgins admits to a long-term fascination with transport logistics, having studied for an MSc in transport planning and business management at Newcastle University. He draws the line, however, at being described as “anything close to a trainspotter”, though he does admit that his mother embarrassed him a few months ago when she produced a picture he had drawn as a small child. It was a picture of an InterCity 125 high speed train. Darren Higgins is responsible for leading TPE through the commercial landscape and ensuring that the train operator continues to be a thriving business. He manages and oversees several teams whose duties span a variety of departments including revenue management, marketing and brand, partnerships and integration, customer communications, revenue protection and business development.
Darren Higgins: Responsible for leading TPE through the commercial landscape
The extra journey opportunities and capacity are proving popular with all our customers
Prior to starting his current role in November 2013, in his previous work with the company Mr Higgins helped to establish the commercial case for the significant service enhancements introduced in May last year. These included an increase from four to five trains each hour across the core Pennine route and the introduction of ten new electric trains operating between Manchester and Scotland – part of an overall investment that has boosted the number of available seats by 90,000 each week. “Commercial performance since May 2014 has been very good,” Mr Higgins says, “and we have been well ahead of industry benchmarks. The extra journey opportunities and capacity are proving popular with all of our customers. Going forward, we need to continue to build on this.” Getting the best out of people is, he insists, paramount. “That’s why this year we introduced the globally renowned and accredited WorldHost customer service training programme. Not only does this teach staff the key principles of good customer service, it also specifically focuses on how organisations can support tourists and the visitor economy, and has been endorsed by a number of tourist organisations including Visit England. It was also used to train tens of thousands of staff and volunteers at the 2012 London Olympics.” The programme is being rolled out to all frontline staff, as well as to managers and even directors – including Darren Higgins and the managing director, Nick Donovan. “Improving customer service delivery is vital to the continuing commercial success of the business,” Mr Higgins says. International tourists are very much a part of TPE’s total passenger market, due to the operator managing Manchester
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Transport Airport station. This sees around 3.4m rail passengers pass through it each year, with 2.6m of these travelling on TPE services. The operator has worked with the airport to improve information available to customers before they even leave the terminal building. “Embedded within our terminal advertising screens next to the luggage carousels, we provide real-time train running information and advise customers of their next available train from the station,” Mr Higgins says. With the increasing variety of nationalities passing through the station, TPE staff have even been known to identify which region a party comes from and organise a welcome announcement in their own language, as well as providing relevant onward travel information. The rail industry has come under fire for the lack of clarity in rail fares and also with regard to value for money. “However, most of the growth seen at TPE is because we have been so successful in selling a range of affordable advance fares,” Darren Higgins says. “These low fares are hugely important to our leisure customers, and if we don’t offer them, then for many it is the difference between travelling or deciding not to travel at all. “This has a direct commercial impact on us, but it has a knock-on effect for the wider visitor economy of the North which also benefits from the customers’ spend. At any one time we have over 25,000 train services open for sale, with the cheapest tickets available 12 weeks prior to departure, so I would encourage anyone travelling to always book ahead to get the best deal.”
As someone whose job involves looking into the future, Mr Higgins is constantly monitoring trends such as smartphone and mobile ticketing (known as M-tickets) which are already being used significantly in the airline industry. “We have been leading the charge on Mticketing in the North,” he says. “All of our advance tickets are available for sale as M-tickets, and we are now in the process of rolling this out across other ticket types such as walk-up tickets. It’s convenient for the customer – quick, simple and saves time because they don’t have to queue at a ticket office. It’s effectively a ticket machine in your pocket and we are seeing more customers choosing this method of purchase. “But as an industry, we still need to catch up with the pace of technology seen in other sectors. The needs and expectations of customers are continually evolving – this represents a challenge but is also a huge opportunity for all train operating companies.” The TPE commercial director is enthusiastic about what lies ahead. “The future of the trans-Pennine franchise is really exciting,” he says. “You have only got to look at the level of investment planned for the railways in the North of England over the next few years, through infrastructure enhancements and also through the Department for Transport and Rail North’s vision for the new franchise – as well as the unpausing of the trans-Pennine electrification, which is a little bit further off.” All of this positive change will help to ensure that rail continues to play its part in supporting a strong visitor and cultural economy in the North.
Me? Pay? For a ticket? That’s quite unheard of... R
ob Sessions knows what it is like to deal with difficult people, having once worked for Manchester City Council placing ASBOs, or anti-social behaviour orders – including one on a child aged under ten who terrorised a neighbourhood, kidnapped and beat up a resident and said that his ambition was to be a bank robber and go to jail like his dad. So Mr Sessions believed he had some “transferable skills” when he joined the 30-strong revenue protection team at First TransPennine Express (TPE), responsible for combating fare dodgers who cost train operators between 3 per cent and 4 per cent in lost revenue annually in a multi-million-pound, country-wide series of individual frauds. Found checking tickets at the barriers or working on trains with conductors, revenue protection officers are an increasingly important part of the customer interface, not only weeding out people seeking to travel for free but also providing a range of advice for the vast majority who are paying the fare. Leading TPE’s crackdown on fraudulent intent not to pay is the main thrust of the revenue protection officers’ work – and there is plenty to keep them busy. On his very first day in post, Rob Sessions endured a baptism of fire when, asked for his ticket, a passenger replied: “I’ve been travelling for years, I’ve never yet bought a ticket and I’m not starting now” – and that is the sanitised version of what the man said. Since then, Mr Sessions has been punched in the line of duty by a drunk, but admits that violence as such is increasingly rare. What does still occur on a regular basis however is verbal abuse, usually from people who have been caught trying to dodge fares. To counteract this,
Keen eye for a cheat: Rob Sessions checks ’em out as he puts his ‘transferable skills’ to work TPE has recently provided body video cameras for its staff, meaning that passengers can be told they are being recorded, something which tends to see them calm down. What Rob Sessions does remain surprised by is the range of ways in which people seek to avoid paying even the smallest of fares. It is far from unusual, for instance, for people who are obviously not juveniles to produce a child ticket. One recent case involved a man in his late 30s who insisted he was only 15. Mr Sessions did however have to hold up his hands when one youth told him it was his 16th birthday – the cutoff age for paying a higher
fare – but added that as he hadn’t been born until 10.30 in the evening he was still eligible for the lower price ticket. Fare dodgers do not always fall into the lower socio-economic groupings, where necessity would at least provide some excuse for their actions. The TPE team has come across a broad range of professionals, including a judge who was trying to avoid paying his fare. Mr Sessions also stopped one passenger who was taking his final exams to become a barrister and was willing to risk his whole future for the sake of not paying a couple of pounds for a ticket.
Then there is the issue of “short-faring”, where people claim to have boarded the train at a closer station than the one where they actually got on. TPE is able to counter this in many cases by what is known as “blocking off ” certain stations on a rotation basis, ensuring that people can only board the train there by presenting a ticket. Anyone then claiming to have got on at one of these stations without having had time to buy a ticket is therefore caught. All members of the revenue protection team are trained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), which allows them to stop, caution and interview those they suspect of fraudulent travel. Any evidence is then sent to the prosecution department, although each officer is allowed a measure of discretion as the circumstances of each case can vary widely. When not apprehending offenders, the revenue protection officers spend most of their time as part of TPE’s customer interface, offering advice on train times and simply pointing people in the right direction. Even this work can raise a few smiles within the team, as Rob Sessions explains: “Very often, people rush up to us and ask: ‘Is this my train?’ Naturally, we have to remind them that we don’t know where they are going.” And although the revenue protection officers find 99 per cent of passengers a delight to deal with, there is an occasional one – apart from the fare dodgers – who is not so easy, such as the person told recently that his train was running late because of a fatality on the line, and who replied: “How bloody inconsiderate.”
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Cover story
Lancashire is pointing way for millions more visitors It offers so much – from castles and hills to beaches and top eateries – no wonder this colourful county wins 63 million visitors in a year, Marketing Lancashire’s chief executive Ruth Connor (cover image) tells Michael Cape
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s with many youngsters growing up in Bolton at the time, holidays for Ruth Connor meant heading to a bed and breakfast in Blackpool where she and her parents were able to enjoy something that is increasingly missing in society today: quality family time. There were no smartphones, no Facebook pages and twitter was limited to birds – in other words, none of today’s distractions for the kids or indeed for their parents. Quality family time meant a stomachdropping ride up the Blackpool Tower, the shriek-inducing thrills of the big dipper at the Pleasure Beach, taking in a show or two on the pier, donkey rides, kiss-mequick hats, face-smothering candy floss, a fish and chip supper and lettered rock to take home for gran (assuming she wasn’t already there). Today, holidays still feature significantly for Ruth Connor, as she finds herself as the first chief executive of Marketing Lancashire, with the responsibility of raising Lancashire’s profile to attract 70 million visitors per year to the Red Rose county. She is well aware of what makes a thriving visitor economy, having previously had a high-profile career in the leisure and tourism industry, holding senior positions with the Rank Group, Bourne Leisure, Gold Medal Travel, Thomas Cook Group and Shearings Holidays – embracing all aspects of the trade, from UK holiday parks to coach breaks and worldwide luxury holidays. Ruth Connor first became interested in travel when she spent two six-month periods in the south of France – “very nice, obviously” – while taking a degree in French and Italian at the University of Central Lancashire, and also when visiting her father in Saudi Arabia where he was working for an international air freight company. “Living in and visiting various different cultures probably gave me the inspiration to go into this sector,” she says, “and I’m glad I did, as I’ve been lucky enough
to travel the world.” Which is why Ruth Connor’s background enables her to see the bigger picture – and she is mindful that the size and diversity of Lancashire, and its abundance of riches, is both its strength and a challenge in marketing terms. Marketing Lancashire wants to keep things simple, and focusing on the county’s clear strengths brings three main aims: to have Lancashire recognised as one of the top English counties for an active family holiday or a refreshing and relaxing short break; to be known nationally as a culinary “must visit” destination; and to be recognised for its stunning 137-mile coastline and for the county’s cultural and heritage offering. All delivered with excellent customer service, of course. Take the scenic Ribble Valley, for instance: it includes the gravitational centre of Great Britain at Dunsop Bridge, and is the area which inspired Tolkien to write The Lord of the Rings when he visited his son at the imposing Stonyhurst College – but it is also where you can find some of the best quality dining experiences in the country. Eateries in stunningly beautiful settings which figure on any foodie’s must-visit list include the Inn at Whitewell, the Freemasons at Wiswell (the UK Tourism Pub of the Year 2015) and the Michelin-starred Northcote, with its new cookery school and world-renowned Obsession festival of gastronomy. On the coast, Morecambe Bay’s natural beauty stretches from Lancashire into Cumbria and is home to massive populations of wading birds and wildfowl, plus a new 80-mile family-friendly cycle route that featured recently on the BBC Countryfile programme. You can also go for a four-hour walk across the famous sands with the Queen’s Guide, take sailing lessons, or go kite surfing in the country’s second-largest bay – all of which firmly positions Lancashire as an excellent destination for activity breaks. Across the county there are locations and terrains ideal for walking and cycling for people of all ages and abilities. Sir
What to see where: Signposting timeless appeal at the Ashton Memorial in Lancaster’s Williamson Park
Research tells us that more visitors are choosing to stay overnight
Bradley Wiggins chooses to do much of his training on the Lancashire hills and quiet roads, and a stage of this year’s Tour of Britain, from Clitheroe to Colne, showcased the beauty perfectly. Courtesy of ITV’s coverage of the event, glorious vistas of Lancashire were broadcast to a worldwide audience of 200 million. Heritage is an ace card for Lancashire in terms of visitor attractions. Lancaster Castle, one of the properties and territories belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster, was once a prison where, notoriously, the Lancashire Witches were held and then condemned to hang. The castle now stands at one end of the popular 40-mile Witches Trail, stretching from Pendle, through the Forest of Bowland, to Lancaster. The castle also dominates the skyline of this small historic city: there has been a fortress here since Roman times and it is the Queen’s only castle in the North of England. Add to this some of the finest examples of Georgian architecture and the splendid Ashton Memorial (the Taj Mahal of Lancashire), and it is no surprise to find that Lancaster is a member of England’s Heritage Cities group, along with Bath and York among others.
Lancaster is also home to the UK’s biggest walkabout theatre, where “Made in Lancashire” productions created by the Dukes theatre in Williamson Park have been attended by over half a million people since being launched in 1987. According to the artistic director, Joe Sumsion, 2016 is likely to see records broken with a new walkabout production of The Hobbit, “the first major theatrical outing for the story since the completion of Peter Jackson’s film trilogy”. Ruth Connor’s old holiday haunt of Blackpool remains very much central to the Lancashire brand. Success for the seaside town creates ripples throughout the entire county visitor economy, so its continuing growth remains of critical importance. Both old and new attractions are playing their part. The unique Blackpool Tower still presides over the famous resort, and its glass skywalk 380 feet above the promenade is a must for visitors. The same can be said for the Tower Ballroom – now with even more pulling power because of Strictly Come Dancing – along with the Tower Dungeon and the Tower Circus.
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A landscape rich with heritage sights to see
Towering icon: Blackpool is the county’s most famous holiday spot The 40-mile Lancashire Witches Driving Trail goes from Pendle Hill to Lancaster Castle, following the route taken by the accused witches from their home villages to the prison and court in Lancaster. It includes attractions such as Clitheroe Castle, the Trough of Bowland and Pendle Heritage Centre. Brockholes Nature Reserve, the UK’s first floating visitor and conference centre. Queen Street Mill Textile Museum, at Briercliffe near Burnley: the world’s last surviving operational steam-powered mill. The largest European collection of Tiffany glass, at the Haworth Art Gallery in Accrington. The Tiger and Python, at the Whitaker Rossendale Museum and Gallery, considered to be one the world’s finest pieces of taxidermy and the inspiration for a painting that hangs in the Louvre. The Lancaster Canal, the longest lock-free stretch of man-made waterway in the country.
Martin Mere at Burscough, Lancashire’s largest lake until it was drained, and reputed to be the last known home of Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur. Ten Lancashire cheesemakers, all to be found within ten miles of the Forest of Bowland. The sirloin cut of beef was created in Lancashire in 1617 when King James I stayed at Hoghton Tower and knighted the beef he had enjoyed at dinner. Visitors can see the banqueting hall where the King dined, along with the menu from the famous “Sir Loin” meal. No fewer than 23 Lancashire breweries, serving up a variety of awardwinning cask ales including Hen Harrier and Pendle Witches Brew. Beer fans can join the East Lancashire Railway’s Real Ale Trail, stopping for samples at stations along the route from Heywood to Rawtenstall. The Freemasons at Wiswell, ranked the number one UK Pub in the 2015 Good Food Guide and number six in the 2015 Budweiser Budvar Top 50 Gastropub awards.
For more information on things to do and places to stay, go to visitlancashire.com The Pleasure Beach remains a landmark of Blackpool’s continuing visitor appeal, being the UK’s most ride-intensive park and also voted the country’s number one amusement park by TripAdvisor in 2014. Like all the long-established attractions, it keeps evolving, having invested £16 million of late by adding the UK’s only Nickelodeon Land, Wallace and Gromit’s Thrill-O-Matic ride and this year’s new Red Arrows Skyforce ride. “Tourism is fundamental to the economic success of Lancashire,” says Amanda Thompson, the Pleasure Beach managing director, “and our recent investments demonstrate our commitment to its growth.” Then, of course, there are the Blackpool Illuminations, the world’s biggest free light show. Also the Sandcastle, the UK’s largest indoor waterpark, featuring 18 rides and attractions including the Master Blaster, one of the longest indoor “rollercoaster waterslides”. The glittering shows – once a key reason for holidaying in Blackpool – are also back, with the Winter Gardens Opera House packing them in with Mamma Mia! and Cats, while the Grand Theatre
offers everything from comedy to international opera and ballet. Lancashire welcomed 63 million visitors last year – some 20 million more than its Northern neighbour, the Lake District – and 16 million of these came to Blackpool. “The good news is that recent research tells us that more visitors are choosing to stay overnight in Lancashire,” Ruth Connor says, “which is exactly what we set out to achieve.” Even outside the traditional tourist hotspots, Lancashire is full of surprises for visitors to the old industrial centres. One of the county’s hidden gems, the Crow Wood Spa, can be found nestling in 200 acres of woodland on the outskirts of Burnley and was the winner of the Global Spa Award for 2015. Head across to Accrington and you will find Europe’s largest collection of Tiffany glass at the Haworth Art Gallery. Festivals are playing an increasing role in Lancashire’s visitor economy, with relative newcomer the Vintage by the Sea Festival, only in its second year, already attracting more than 40,000 visitors. The annual Fleetwood Festival of Transport pulls in more than 70,000 visitors, while Lytham Festival has grown from a long weekend
Once they have visited Lancashire people come back time and time again
event of 30,000 to a week-long festival attracting in excess of 50,000. “We’ve got a really solid base of products – indoor and outdoor – something for everybody,” Ruth Connor notes. “Lancashire is really so diverse you are spoilt for choice, and our job is to continue to showcase its excellent tourism offer to attract even more visitors.” To achieve this, Marketing Lancashire not only provides visitors with visitlancashire.com, the most comprehensive online guide for visitors with two million users and around six million page views (and growing by 30 per cent each year), but it is working with all the other visitor economy organisations across the North West in recognition that a regional offering will be of benefit to them all. And while domestic tourism is the main pool of business for Lancashire – with most visitors still coming via a drive of no more than two-and-a-half hours – Marketing Lancashire also has wider ambitions. It is eyeing-up the lucrative overseas visitor market and is actively involved in events to promote the North of England to travel writers and bloggers in New York and Florida. This year it has also helped to deliver itineraries
for trade and media visitors from China and Holland, with further opportunities to come from the Netherlands, Australia and Germany. “The Americans like our Royal and historic connections,” Ruth Connor says. “They are intrigued by Lancaster Castle and by Lancashire’s cathedral in Blackburn, which is soon to have the first cloister gardens built in the UK for 570 years. “We also have the advantage that Lancashire is seen as quintessentially British, and Britain is a great brand. The fact that you can get to Preston from London in two hours direct – and that we’re linked to the rest of the world via Manchester Airport less than an hour away – these are major pluses.” Based on her previous experience, the Marketing Lancashire chief executive has brought a simple philosophy to her new role: find out what the visitors want and make sure you give it to them. “We are already welcoming 63 million visitors and have shown a 9 per cent growth in recent years,” she says. “It is a thriving visitor economy with tons of potential. Once people visit Lancashire they come back time and time again. We simply can’t ask for more than that.”
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