RURAL TOURISM NETWORKS: THE TOOLKIT

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RURAL TOURISMNETWORKS THE TOOLKIT

• Empowering the small rural business
• Melanie Thompson-Glen
• International Trade Adviser
• UKTI (North East England)

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• Tourism in NE England
• The need for Visitor Networks
• Setting up a Visitor Network
• Current Situation
• Case Studies

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TOURISM IN NORTH EAST ENGLAND
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Tourism in England

• Central Government
• VisitBritain
  Regional Development Agencies
• (Promotion of Britain)
  (Promotion of regions)
• 
  Area Tourism Partnerships
• 
  (Promotion of sub-regions)
• 
  Private associations
• 
  Tourism Networks
• (Arrangements in Scotland, Wales, and
  Northern Ireland are slightly different)

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The industrial areas (10 of Region) have a
population of 2,3m
The rural areas (90) have 200,000
The urban areas obtain 40 of their tourism
income from international visitors
Industrial areas
The rural areas 10
Therefore UKTI focuses on rural tourism hiking,
cycling, golf, hunting, gardens, self-drive
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TOURISM STATISTICS

• In 2006 8.6 million overnight tourists visited
  the region.
• Tourism contributes 3.4 billion to the regional
  economy.
• 71,000 jobs in the region are tourism related
• But....
• Tourism is still highly seasonal 1/3 of
  visitors between July September.
• In rural areas
• Almost 100 of businesses are micro businesses
• 86 of tourism businesses are linked to
  agriculture

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THE NEED FOR VISITOR NETWORKS
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The Challenge

• Rural tourism businesses felt that the Tourist
  Board did not promote them and concentrated on
  the icons in the region

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Our icons
Newcastle Quayside
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Our icons
Hadrians Wall, the Roman empires frontier
(World Heritage Site)
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Our icons
Bamburgh Castle and the east coast
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Our icons
Alnwick Castle (Harry Potters Hogwarts)
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Our icons
Durham Cathedral (World Heritage Site)
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The challenge

• Nearly 100 of providers to the visitor industry
  are micro-businesses
• They are not marketable in their own right
• The greengrocer is as important to the visitor
  experience as a hotel, but doesnt realise that
  he is in the visitor industry
• There are many potential visitors who are looking
  for an authentic community experience, but have
  no means of locating one

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The solution

• Small businesses who are not near the icons, and
  who feel ignored by the tourism authorities, must
  stand up and market themselves
• Unlike those in cities they have the potential to
  offer an authentic community experience
• Our solution is to facilitate a network of local
  businesses, creating a marketable
  mini-destination for the first time
• And so in November 2001 the Wild Redesdale
  Visitor Network was born

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SETTING UP A VISITOR NETWORK

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Setting up a Network

• Key elements for success are
• Small group of committed people
• A big idea must be achievable
• Public meeting - to sell the network concept, to
  share the idea and recruit members
• First Network meeting to vote in committee and
  decide priorities for the Network
• Co-ordinator

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Setting up a network (2)

• All Visitor Networks follow the same basic
  structure which has been perfected over the past
  7 years.
• Set up to be self sustaining within 2 years
• Constitution which includes
• Name of the network
• Aims
• Membership
• Meetings
• Voting
• Finance
• Have a bank account
• Steering Group
• Members represent all the sectors within that
  areas tourism
• eg Accommodation, activities, artists, food
  producers

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Setting up a network (3)

• Meetings
• 4 Public meetings per annum. All members and
  potential members to be invited
• Steering Group Meetings as required
• Membership Fee
• Co-ordinator
• The Co-ordinators role is to
• Communication between members newsletters
• Develop members ideas into functional projects
• Apply for funding
• Take forward the groups marketing plan projects
• Liaise with other networks
• Represent ALL members when attending exhibitions,
  hosting journalists etc

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Benefits of Networking

• Synergies of working together all costs are
  shared, all effort is shared, gains of other
  businesses experience and skills
• Development of a micro destination brand
• Raise awareness of what is on offer in area both
  to tourism businesses and tourists
• Encourage use of local produce
• Joint marketing strategy for destination
• marketing materials developed
• Destination Website

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Benefits (2)

• Pooling of resources
• Eligibility for grants
• Mutual Support
• Group training and best practice sharing
• Linking with other networks in the region
• Increased Profits
• Provides visibility communication channel to
  tourism authorities

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Op Pad 2004
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Difficulties

• Finding the right leader
• Finding at least 6 committed people with vision
• Identifying the Big Idea
• Overcoming tribalism
• Maintaining internal communication
• Retaining members loyalty
• Funding
• Above all, the need for a Co-ordinator after the
  first year

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The birth of our networks

• Wild Redesdale started with 32 businesses and now
  has 81 (including the Catholic church)
• Since then 17 more visitor networks have been
  created, of which four have died
• They died because of too much public sector
  involvement, or through absence of leadership
• In the next two years about 10 more will be
  created

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CURRENT SITUATION

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Eyemouth Harbour (Scotland)
Current Networks
Belford
Communities
Jedburgh (Scotland)
Activities
Dunstanburgh Golf Network
Sector Networks
Sail East Coast UK
Amble Marina
W Redesdale

• Cycling
• Activities

Chollerford
Greenhead
North Shields Marina
Brampton (Cumbria)
Corbridge
Allendale
Weardale
Hartlepool Marina
Teesdale
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Current situation

• Currently 14 active networks
• Two specific activity - Links golf and Sailing
• Two Regional Sector Networks Cycling and
  Outdoor activities
• The Sector Networks have an additional
  responsibility to lobby the regional development
  agency and Area Tourism Partnerships on behalf of
  their members

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CASE STUDIES
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WILD REDESDALE

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Wild Redesdale
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Wild Redesdale

• Redesdale is the area at the very North of the
  region, bordering with Scotland. The area is very
  rural, with both National Park and Army training
  areas within the boundaries of the network.
• Launched November 2001
• Initially had 32 members, now has 81
• Members include
• hotels

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Otterburn Tower
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Wild Redesdale

• Launched November 2001
• Initially had 32 members, now has 81
• Members include
• Hotels
• BB
• Campsites
• Farmers
• Activities
• Food producers
• Artists
• Crafts
• Visitor Attractions

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Wild Redesdale
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Wild Redesdale

• Marketing Materials Activities
• Destination Brochure
• Translated into Dutch German

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Wild Redesdale

• Examples of Marketing Materials Activities
• Destination Brochure
• Translated into Dutch German
• Cultural Heritage trail leaflet
• Walking trails circular from villages
• Food Festival
• BBC Radio 4 programme about the network
• Website for the area www.wildredesdale.co.uk

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Wild Redesdale
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Wild Redesdale

• Examples of Marketing Materials Activities
• Attending exhibitions in the UK and overseas
• Op Pad in the Netherlands
• The Outdoor Show UK
• Danish Golf Fairs
• Best Practice visits
• Ireland Hotels visit 2004
• Op Pad/Netherlands
• Hosting tour operators and journalists
• Free Map

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Results

• Increased business for all members
• Increased business referral between members
• Five new businesses launched
• Upskilling of all members/Training
• Less seasonality
• Increase in full time jobs
• Training for young people in the community
• Treasurer now director of Area Tourism
  Partnership

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SAIL EAST COAST UK

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Sail East Coast UK

• Four Marinas situated along the East coast, 1 in
  Scotland
• Sail East Coast Network running since 2002
• Strong Competition for domestic berthing
• Co-operation for international marketing
• International marketing plan for Holland and
  Norway
• Website www.saileastcoastuk.co.uk
• Attending the UK and Dutch boat shows to promote
• Bookmark included in Dutch Pilot of NE coast
• Leaflet
• Targeted mailings and promotional visits to yacht
  clubs
• Targeted advertising and editorial in yachting
  magazines
• Joint yacht race with Norwegian yacht club in
  Egersund
• Hosting yachting journalists
• Retained marketing consultant in Netherlands for
  the next 3 years to promote SECUK

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Amble Marina
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Results

• Increased co-operation on domestic business
• Increase in international boats to each marina
  Amble 82 international yachts this season
• Most international yachts now visit all 4 marinas
• Increased length of stay
• Yacht race between NE England and Norway annually
• Yachts from Denmark in 2007
• The Network is now running without a co-ordinator
  and has a Dutch yachting journalist retained
  until 2010

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SECUK Website
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Bamburgh Castle
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THE PUBLICATION
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The Publication

• All this was published in a booklet and launched
  in 2006
• It is called Setting Up A Rural Visitor Network
• It has been translated into Polish and Hungarian

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Thank You

• Melanie Thompson-Glen
• 44 7801 866137
• melanietg_at_btconnect.com