Developing a Vision and Action Plan for the North Wales outdoor sector Update for TPNW Adventure Forum

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Developing a Vision and Action Plan for the
North Wales outdoor sector Update for TPNW
Adventure Forum

• Prepared by
• Planning Solutions Consulting Limited
  Snowdonia-Active
• 29th April 2009

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Our Brief what is required

• Market review and assessment of the outdoor
  activity sector
• Refreshed and challenging vision
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• Deliverable Action Plan
• Product development
• Promotion and marketing
• People development

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Approach
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Progress Sector Audit

• Understanding and reviewing the outdoor sector
• Policy and programme review
• WAG / Visit Wales
• Tourism Strategy
• Programme and project proposals
• Consultation
• Local authorities
• Voluntary sector
• National Governing Bodies
• Private sector
• Comparator destination analysis

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Progress Sector audit

• Understanding and reviewing the outdoor sector
• Policy and programme review
• WAG / Visit Wales
• Tourism Strategy
• Programme and project proposals
• Consultation
• Local authorities
• Voluntary sector
• Governing Bodies
• Private sector
• Comparator analysis

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Policy / Programme ContextThemes

• Making the most of the natural environment
• Encouraging outdoor activity and participation
• Placing sustainability at the core, particularly
  community involvement and environmental
  management
• Developing clusters / hubs
• Improving (particularly through better
  coordination) information provision and
  accessibility
• Securing effective partnership working

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Assets Environment

• World class natural resource
• Snowdonia National Park includes 37 miles of
  coastline, approximately 100 lakes, 90 mountain
  peaks and the tallest mountains in Wales and
  England
• 14 peaks over 3,000ft in Snowdonia
• 370 miles of coastline and 16 Blue Flag beaches
• Three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Significant outdoor resource
• Number of quality country parks (particularly in
  the north east)
•  

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Assets Activity Product

• Visit Wales lists 336 activity operators in N
  Wales
• 50 in Snowdonia, notable cluster in Llangollen
• Concentration of outdoor education centres
• Key activities
• Rock climbing, mountaineering
• Paddlesport
• Cycling, mountain biking
• Walking
• Sailing
• Multiple activity operations

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Strengths / Opportunities

• Dramatic growth of outdoor pursuits at both a
  local and national level
• Snowdon global icon
• Good accessibility to large markets
• Quality of the natural environment and landscape
  coast, countryside and mountains
• Diversity in the range of outdoor activities in a
  compact area
• Funding programmes

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Weaknesses / Threats

• Disjointed and fragmented difficult to define
• Sector dominated by family-owned micro businesses
• Inadequate support infrastructure and services
• Limited spending power
• Difficulty in securing private sector investment
• WAG Resource constraints (reduced budgets)
• Lack of leadership a champion for the sector
• Increasing competition

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Market Drivers

• Interest in healthy life styles and wellbeing
• A desire to experience something different
  (experiential travel), particularly amongst the
  ABC1 demographic category
• Changing demographics, particularly in relation
  to the increasingly health conscious,
  environmentally aware ageing population
• Increasing awareness of activity tourism e.g. via
  the internet and television

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Market Drivers

• Growth of tour companies specialising in field of
  activity tourism
• Increasing HE/FE provision to support the sector
• Overseas activity destinations have become more
  accessible via improved and low cost transport

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Market Challenges

• Market is diverse ranging from specialist experts
  to dabblers
• Getting the product to the market (micro /
  lifestyle businesses). Difficult to create
  cohesive approach to marketing
• Disconnect between the range and location of
  accommodation
• Current focus is on Snowdonia
• Low economic barriers to entry with limited
  control over product / service offered
• Moving beyond tourism and linking to wider
  community based initiatives

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Themes and Issues

• Education accessible and relevant for residents
  from school age to adulthood to experience and
  learn about the natural environment
• Local Employment need to create a clear career
  pathway for people (specifically young people) to
  work within outdoor sector
• Infrastructure significant investment needed to
  enhance both visitor and resident facilities to
  improve access, participation and a quality
  experience

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Themes and Issues

• Leadership need for clear leadership to build on
  partnership working and sector opportunities
• Community regeneration a focus for improving
  quality of life, including health and well-being
• Accessibility
• opportunities to improve accessibility for local
  people to have a go
• better coordination of information provision
• sustainable access to inland water is identified
  as a barrier to the development of the sector

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Coordination and Collaboration

• Assets in place
• World class natural resource
• Mature product, at least comparable to other
  leading UK destinations
• Organisational commitment and (some) capacity in
  place
• Policy and programme strategic fit
• Consensus about the challenges and opportunities
• BUT...no agreement as how best to address
  weaknesses and realise the opportunities that the
  outdoor sector offers for North Wales

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Next Steps...

• Commitment to a future vision
• Agreement on direction and future priorities
• Product
• People
• Promotion
• Consensus on structure to coordinate and drive
  forward the vision and action plan
• New partnership structure
• extend remit/ terms of reference of existing
  partnership / organisation

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• chris_at_snowdonia-active.com
• 0870-922-0554