monmouthshire destination development plan 2012
TRANSCRIPT
Monmouthshire
Destination Development Plan 2012-2015
April 2012
TEAM Tourism Consulting
4 Thorburn Rd
Edinburgh,
EH13 0BQ
Tel 0131 466 1005
Fax 0709 287 6254
www.team-tourism.com
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Contents
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 The Purpose and Scope of the Destination Development Plan ........................ 2
1.2 The Plan‟s Objectives .................................................................................................. 2
2. Context & Background ....................................................................................................... 3
2.1 The Importance of Tourism to Monmouthshire‟s Economy ................................. 3
2.2 The Prospects for Tourism Growth in Monmouthshire ........................................... 4
3. Monmouthshire Visitor Product Assessment .................................................................... 5
3.1 Product Strengths ........................................................................................................ 5
3.2 Product Deficiencies ................................................................................................... 6
3.3 Product Development Opportunities ...................................................................... 7
3.4 Product Development Priorities 2012-2015 ............................................................. 7
4. Destination Development Programmes 2012-2015 ....................................................... 8
4.1 Programme 1: Tourist Accommodation Development ....................................... 9
4.2 Programme 2: Town & Village Visitor Experience Development Plans ........... 10
4.3 Programme 3: Walking Product Development ................................................... 11
4.4 Programme 4: Food Tourism Product Development .......................................... 12
4.5 Programme 5: Festivals Development ................................................................... 13
4.6 Programme 6: Visitor Information ........................................................................... 14
4.7 Programme 7: Tourism Skills & Business Support ................................................... 15
5. Delivery ................................................................................................................................ 16
5.1 Lead Agencies ........................................................................................................... 16
5.2 Delivery Partnerships ................................................................................................. 17
5.3 Co-ordination ............................................................................................................. 19
5.4 Scrutiny ........................................................................................................................ 20
5.5 Delivery Structure ....................................................................................................... 21
5.6 Measuring Success .................................................................................................... 22
5.7 Targets for Tourism Growth....................................................................................... 22
5.8 Communication ......................................................................................................... 23
APPENDIX 1 .................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
MONMOUTHSHIRE DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2012-2015 – DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMMES ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
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1. Introduction
1.1 The Purpose and Scope of the Destination Development Plan
The purpose of the Monmouthshire Destination Development Plan is to establish a clear
framework for public, private and voluntary sector partnership working to address the
identified priorities for improving and further developing Monmouthshire‟s visitor product over
the period 2012-2015.
The Plan includes a series of strategic programmes that are designed to make the most of
Monmouthshire‟s visitor product strengths, address the identified product deficiencies and
capitalise on the product development opportunities for the Monmouthshire visitor offer. The
current RDP Axis 3 and 4 tourism projects have been incorporated into these programmes as
have the continuing work programmes of Monmouthshire County Council‟s Tourism Team.
The Plan does not attempt to incorporate the ongoing work programmes of other relevant
County Council departments (Countryside; Libraries, Museums & Arts; Monmouthshire
Enterprise) or other partner organisations (e.g. Town and Community Councils, Tourist
Associations, Chambers of Commerce, CADW, Wye Valley AONB Unit, Brecon Beacons
National Park Authority, Forestry Commission Wales, Environment Agency) – all of which
contribute in some way to the Monmouthshire destination offer and visitor experience. It
does however provide a range of opportunities for these departments and organisations to
engage as partners in programmes and in some cases to lead programmes and specific
projects.
1.2 The Plan’s Objectives
The objectives of the Destination Development Plan are as follows:
To achieve a more strategically driven and co-ordinated approach to developing
the visitor product of Monmouthshire;
To focus firmly on priorities in order to make the best use of available resources1;
To engage tourism businesses and stakeholder organisations in productive partnership
working that is relevant to their interests and makes the best use of available budgets
and manpower resources1;
To develop year-round visitor demand;
To increase visitor satisfaction with the Monmouthshire visitor experience;
To drive up tourism business performance in the county;
To responsibly grow the economic, environmental and social contribution of the
visitor economy of Monmouthshire;
To contribute significantly to the development of the regional and national visitor
economy in Wales.
1 In a climate of increasingly stretched resources it is vital to focus firmly on priorities and to maximise
partnership working opportunities. This means that not all possible product development requirements
and opportunities are addressed in the Destination Development Plan. This does not however prevent
entrepreneurs and organisations from developing other visitor product development projects if they so
wish, or from taking part in regional and national product development initiatives.
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2. Context & Background
2.1 The Importance of Tourism to Monmouthshire’s Economy
Tourism is vital to Monmouthshire‟s economy in terms of providing employment and
enterprise opportunities. The sector generates income to support a wide range of businesses
that directly or indirectly benefit from visitor spending or that supply and service the county‟s
tourism industry, including the retail and catering sectors and food and drink producers. In
2010, Monmouthshire had an estimated 2 million visitors – of these 450,000 were staying
overnight. They spent an estimated £150m in the county in 2010 – of this £108m was
generated by staying visitors.
Tourism is a significant employer in Monmouthshire – accounting for approximately 7.5% of
the current workforce. Direct and indirect visitor spending currently supports around 3,000
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs in the county. Approximately a third (1040) of these are in the
accommodation sector.
Annual tourism revenue per head of resident population is £1700 in Monmouthshire. This is
nearly a third higher than the average for South East Wales.
Tourism is relatively
seasonal in
Monmouthshire – over
two thirds (68%) of trips
take place between
April and September
with a notable August
peak.
4% 4%
6%
10% 10%11%
12%
15%
10%
8%
4%5%
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Tourist days in Monmouthshire - by month of visit
(2010)
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2.2 The Prospects for Tourism Growth in Monmouthshire
National forecasts suggest excellent prospects for future growth in tourism in Monmouthshire.
UK domestic tourism is forecast to grow by 3% per annum in real terms between 2010 and
20202. Inbound tourism expenditure is anticipated to grow by 4.4% per annum.
Over the next decade or so, the tourism market place will be influenced by a range of
factors – economic, demographic, social and technological – which Monmouthshire, as a
destination, has the opportunity to benefit from:
The continuing Staycation. The Staycation market is forecast to remain, at least in the
short term. There are two groups of Staycationers: “Switchers” are primarily motivated
to „switch‟ a foreign holiday for one at home because of financial constraints – they
include a high proportion of families. “Extras” take additional UK holidays and short
breaks – they tend to be younger and more likely to be single, are less affected by
the economic situation and are more motivated by a desire to explore the UK and go
somewhere new. Monmouthshire has the potential to attract both groups.
An aging UK population – the percentage of the UK population over 65 is increasing.
This generation is a powerful economic force, with sufficient time and disposable
income to enjoy short breaks and regular holidays. Monmouthshire should have
strong appeal to this group. Recent economic events have however affected
pensions and the grey market may take a more cautious approach to spending than
in previous years.
Short Breaks – the UK society has become increasingly time poor with shifting patterns
of trip taking to higher frequency short breaks. Monmouthshire should benefit from its
good access to large markets for short breaks.
Tourism is becoming increasingly experiential. Tourists are looking for immersion in a
culture, unique experiences, authenticity, exploration, adventure and personal
fulfilment from their holiday experience. The „what‟ is more important than the
„where‟. The focus on experiences is an opportunity for Monmouthshire.
Climate change – a factor that will increasingly impact on tourism in the next two
decades. Although environmental concerns are not currently mainstream in terms of
holiday taking decisions in the UK, Monmouthshire has the opportunity to begin to
position itself as a more environmentally sustainable destination.
Communication on the move will become commonplace. Smartphones will be the
point of first contact for most communications, including tourism searches, enquiries
and bookings. Monmouthshire will need to take advantage of this opportunity.
Social networking will increase in importance - Online networks will be a vital channel
for businesses for distribution, awareness creation and recommendations.
Monmouthshire‟s tourism businesses have the opportunity to be using social
networking to get an edge on competitors.
2 Source: The Economic Contribution of the Visitor Economy – UK and Nations, Deloitte, 2010
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3. Monmouthshire Visitor Product Assessment
3.1 Product Strengths
The main strengths of Monmouthshire‟s visitor product are identified as follows:
Landscape
Stunning countryside and diverse landscapes of exceptional quality – Brecon
Beacons National Park, Wye Valley AONB, Usk Valley, northern Monmouthshire;
Rivers – Wye and Usk – presenting opportunities for walking, fishing and canoeing.
Walking
A number of high profile long distance promoted walks start/finish and pass through
Monmouthshire – Offa‟s Dyke Path National Trail, Wye Valley Walk, Wales Coast Path,
Usk Valley Walk, Three Castles Walk, Monnow Valley Walk, Cistercian Way;
A wealth of promoted walks produced by a range of public, commercial and
voluntary sector organisations;
A wealth of places and sites where it is possible to freely access the countryside e.g.
public forest, countryside sites, nature reserves.
Other Outdoor Activities
Canoeing is strong at Monmouth and can be undertaken on the Monmouthshire &
Brecon Canal;
Salmon and trout fishing on the Wye and Usk;
Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a popular resource for canal boat holidays and
pleasure boating and provides an asset for walking, cycling, fishing and canoeing;
Golf:
o Celtic Manor (home of the 2010 Ryder Cup) is located just outside
Monmouthshire;
o St Pierre Park is a major Championship golf course;
o Monmouthshire has 8 other golf courses that welcome visiting golfers.
Heritage Sites
Tintern Abbey – as an iconic heritage site;
Blaenavon World Heritage Site (partially in Monmouthshire) and Big Pit National Coal
Museum;
A significant number of castles that are open to visit;
Lots of churches that are open to visit;
Wye Valley heritage sites and viewpoints interpreted through the „Overlooking the
Wye‟ project.
Accommodation
Some high quality hotels, restaurants with rooms and gastropubs with rooms;
Good stock of high quality self catering;
Good stock of touring caravan and camping sites;
Good supply of canal holiday boats on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.
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Food & Drink
A number of award winning restaurants, pubs and gastropubs – with celebrity chefs;
Abergavenny Food Festival – one of the leading food festivals in the UK, with an
international reputation;
A number of award winning food producers.
Events & Festivals
A strong and expanding calendar of events and festivals between May and
September;
Two major equestrian sports venues – Chepstow Racecourse, David Broome Event
Centre.
Tourist Information
Established TICs in Chepstow and Abergavenny;
New tourist information kiosks in Monmouth, Chepstow, Abergavenny, Tintern and
Magor MSA.
Location
Excellent motorway and road access from large centres of population in Wales and
England;
Train access to Abergavenny, Chepstow and Caldicot;
Monmouthshire is an excellent base for the Brecon Beacons and Forest of Dean.
Partnerships
Established tourist associations/ marketing and trade groups based on landscape
areas and towns – Wye Valley & Forest of Dean, Brecon Beacons, Monmouth,
Abergavenny and Chepstow.
3.2 Product Deficiencies
Key deficiencies in the Monmouthshire visitor product that need to be addressed are
identified as follows:
The quality of some hotels and inns;
The lack of hotel accommodation in Monmouth and Chepstow;
The overall visitor experience offered by the towns and Tintern;
Lack of family attractions (but a strong product in the Forest of Dean);
Limited supply of walks leaflets and booklets for casual walkers;
Limited product in terms of downloadable walks;
Too hilly for casual cyclists;
No off-road mountain biking trails (but a strong product in Forest of Dean);
Limited product for adventure activities beyond canoeing (but a strong product in
Brecon Beacons and Forest of Dean);
Limited opportunities to buy and sample Monmouthshire food and drink products;
Visitor information provision in Monmouth (being addressed at the Shire Hall);
The distribution and display of local tourist literature within Monmouthshire;
Lack of alternative visitor transport options to the car.
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3.3 Product Development Opportunities
Opportunities for developing the Monmouthshire visitor product are identified as follows:
Accommodation development;
Food tourism – potential to use to boost off-peak demand;
Events and festivals:
o Potential to use to boost off-peak demand;
o Scope to use festivals to make more of and develop:
- Art and crafts;
- Church tourism/church events;
- Castles.
Developing the castles more as family attractions – improving /developing facilities,
activities and interpretation for children;
Making more of Caerwent Roman Town;
Developing the castles and major heritage sites as events venues;
Making more of the Monmouth Nelson Collection;
Fishing break packages;
Golf break packages;
Digital tourist information provision;
Digital interpretation.
3.4 Product Development Priorities 2012-2015
The priorities for improving and developing the Monmouthshire visitor product over the next 3
years are to:
Improve and further develop the visitor accommodation offer of the county to:
o Address current quality deficiencies;
o Capitalise on opportunities for the development of new high quality
accommodation businesses.
Establish fully integrated market-led plans for improving the visitor experience of the
county‟s towns and Tintern (as part of the process for developing the Total Place
Plans for these settlements).
Develop a more strategic and better co-ordinated approach to the future
development of the walking product (in terms of promoted walks and the access
infrastructure that supports them) for Monmouthshire‟s key target visitor markets.
Capitalise on the RDP Axis 4 Food Tourism Programme to expand and further develop
a distinctive and exciting food and drink visitor offer across Monmouthshire.
Develop new financially sustainable festivals that can help to boost off-peak demand
alongside the ongoing development of the Abergavenny Food Festival, the
Monmouthshire Walking Festival and the RDP Axis 4 Festivals & Events Programme.
Maintain and further improve visitor information in terms of:
o Tourist information services;
o At-destination tourist information print;
o Digital tourist information content.
Develop a clear plan for addressing the tourism industry‟s staff training and business
support needs
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4. Destination Development Programmes 2012-2015
The Destination Development Plan comprises 7 Destination Development Programmes
designed to address the identified product development priorities for the next three years:
Programme 1: Tourist Accommodation Development
Programme2: Town & Village Visitor Experience Development
Programme 3: Walking Product Development
Programme 4: Food Tourism Product Development
Programme 5: Festivals Development
Programme 6: Visitor Information
Programme 7: Tourism Skills & Business Support
The Programmes incorporate the implementation of the RDP Axis 3 Welcome Monmouthshire
and Axis 4 Sustainable Tourism, Food Tourism and Festivals & Events programmes, alongside
the development of new projects to address other product development priorities (in some
cases integrating and/or building on the RDP projects), ongoing visitor information provision
and committed visitor product development or pilot digital interpretation projects.
The priorities for 2012/13 and 2013/14 will be to:
Implement the RDP projects;
Develop the plans for addressing other product development priorities and building
on the RDP projects and source funding to support their implementation;
Progress ongoing visitor information work programmes;
Progress and evaluate the pilot digital interpretation projects.
The following pages provide a description of each of the 7 programmes.
Appendix 1 sets out in detail:
The projects that make up each programme;
The lead agency, lead officer, partners, indicative budget and sources of funding for
each project;
The key tasks, timescales, targets and performance measures for each project.
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4.1 Programme 1: Tourist Accommodation Development
A programme of activity to proactively encourage and support investment in the
improvement and further development of the county‟s tourist accommodation supply
including:
Preparation of materials to support accommodation investment promotion and
inform the County Council‟s planning and property teams – identifying the
opportunities and including best practice examples;
Identification of hotels and inns that require investment;
Identification of sites and buildings for accommodation development;
Accommodation development workshops;
Targeted approaches to local, regional and national hotel and visitor
accommodation companies, property developers, pub companies, farmers and
landowners, golf courses and commercial leisure property agents;
Facilitation of accommodation development funding – through grants, loans, venture
capital funding;
Quality awareness days to promote take up of quality grading.
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4.2 Programme 2: Town & Village Visitor Experience Development Plans
The approach will be to undertake visitor experience audits, visitor surveys and tourism
industry consultations to formulate plans for comprehensively improving the visitor experience
of Monmouthshire‟s towns and major villages, to feed into the Total Place Plans that the
County Council is developing for each settlement – thus ensuring that visitor needs are fully
addressed and maximising the opportunities for the Total Place Plans to support the
development of the visitor economy of each town and village.
The Visitor Experience Development Plans will make recommendations for improving and
developing the following aspects of the visitor offer of the county‟s towns and major villages:
The branding and positioning of the town/village;
Visitor arrival and welcome at key entry points by car, bike, bus and train;
Public transport services;
Car, coach and cycle parking;
Visitor orientation and signage (currently being reviewed and improved in
Monmouth, Abergavenny, Chepstow, Caldicot, Caerwent, Magor, Raglan and Usk as
part of the Welcome Monmouthshire RDP project);
Castle interpretation and visitor facilities;
Church and churchyard interpretation and visitor facilities;
Museums;
Heritage sites;
Visitor attractions;
Visitor-orientated retail;
Visitor accommodation;
Places to eat and drink;
Events and festivals;
Markets;
Visitor information;
Interpretation, including digital interpretation;
Public toilets;
Parks, gardens and open spaces;
Town trails/ walks;
Walks into the surrounding countryside;
River access and activities.
It is envisaged that the work on the Visitor Experience Development Plans will be progressed
alongside the implementation of the:
RDP Axis 3 Welcome Monmouthshire Visitor-Related Signage project
Monmouthpedia digital interpretation project
Raglan Under Siege digital interpretation project
Development of the future plans for Caldicot Castle & Country Park
There may also be an opportunity to develop a Visitor Experience Development Plan for
Goytre and Goytre Wharf, depending on the outcome of the current consultancy study for
the Wharf.
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4.3 Programme 3: Walking Product Development
The priority for this programme will be to develop a clear strategy for improving and further
developing the walking product for Monmouthshire‟s target visitor markets. It is envisaged
that this work will be led by MCC Countryside Services, working in partnership with other
countryside access and management agencies (CCW, FCW, Wye Valley AONB Unit, Brecon
Beacons NPA), MCC Tourism and adventa.
The Walking Product Development Strategy will look at:
The walking product requirements of Monmouthshire‟s key target visitor markets:
How well the current walking product meets these requirements and how it needs to
be improved and further developed to meet them;
Where visitors should be encouraged to walk in the county to maximise visitor
spending;
The walking routes that visitors should be directed to in these locations and the points
of interest and visitor facilities they should include;
The access infrastructure that needs to be in place to ensure that such walking routes
offer a high quality walking experience and the investment that is needed to improve
and maintain this infrastructure;
How the walking product should be promoted to visitors.
The Walking Product Development Strategy will need to consider issues including the need
for:
New themed promoted walks;
Clusters of promoted walks around towns and villages so that they can be promoted
as bases for walking breaks;
The development of walks linked to public transport;
The digitisation of promoted walks for downloadable applications;
Investment in the access infrastructure that supports promoted walks;
The marketing and distribution of promoted walks;
The need for links and loops off long distance walks (a lot of work has already been
done on this front – requirements for updating and maintaining such links and loops
and their access infrastructure may need to be considered);
Assessing visitor usage of, and satisfaction with the county‟s walking product;
The development of geo-caching.
It is envisaged that the work on developing the Walking Product Development Strategy will
be progressed alongside the implementation of walking projects under the RDP Axis 3
Welcome Monmouthshire Programme and the Axis 4 Sustainable Tourism Programme.
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4.4 Programme 4: Food Tourism Product Development
A programme of projects to proactively encourage and support investment in the various
product elements that could make up a food themed break that can be easily selected by
the consumer. The priority will be to use this food and drink product to develop off-peak
business and enhance Monmouthshire‟s profile as a Food Tourism destination. It is envisaged
that the programme will focus on:
Support for the development of food shops and outlets stocking locally produced
food and drink, farm shops, community shops and farmers markets;
Further development and roll out of adventa‟s accreditation/ kite marking/ award
scheme for hospitality and catering businesses that champion Monmouthshire food
and drink;
The further development of Abergavenny Food Festival;
The development of other food and drink events;
Initiatives to encourage hospitality and tourism businesses to buy, feature and
promote local food and drink - food & drink talks/summits, meet the buyer events,
co-ordinated ordering and delivery services;
The development of a Monmouthshire Food Outlet – subject to the findings of the
feasibility study;
Support for the development of food-themed attractions, food and drink production
tours, demonstrations and open days;
Programmes of chef demonstrations and cookery days and courses;
Development of food themed promoted walks – linked to pubs, restaurants,
tearooms, food producers;
The possible development of a „Tastes of Monmouthshire‟ magazine (see also the
proposal for a Monmouthshire lifestyle magazine under the Visitor Information
Programme);
Food and drink car touring and minibus trails.
The current RDP Axis 4 Food Tourism Development Programme will provide the key focus for
this programme in 2012 and 2013. It is also proposed to establish a Monmouthshire Food
Tourism Consortium to co-ordinate further food and drink product development work and to
provide a vehicle to sustain and further develop projects that are successfully developed
through the RDP Axis 4 Food Tourism Development Programme (alongside the development
of the proposed Monmouthshire Food Tourism marketing campaign).
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4.5 Programme 5: Festivals Development
The objectives of this programme will be to:
Further develop existing successful festivals and develop new festivals that celebrate
the distinctive assets of Monmouthshire – food, walking, art & crafts, churches, castles;
Use festivals to boost off-peak demand;
Bring together groups of interested individuals to develop sustainable annual or
biennial festivals;
Use festivals to create legacy visitor products e.g. new interpretation, themed walks,
trails, themed tourist information literature, fringe events;
Use festivals to raise awareness of the business development opportunities in key
sectors – food and drink, arts and crafts.
The programme will focus initially on work to investigate the potential for the development of:
A Monmouthshire Art & Crafts Week;
A Monmouthshire Churches Festival;
A Monmouthshire Castles Festival.
Depending on the outcome of these investigations, plans will then be developed for these
festivals. New festivals will only be developed where:
There is a group of interested partners that wish to come together to develop a
sustainable festival based on a financial model that is not reliant on ongoing public
sector subsidy (which is unlikely to be available beyond possible pump-priming
funding);
They contribute to boosting off-peak demand;
They will have sufficient profile to attract staying visitors.
The Festivals Development Programme will be progressed alongside the RDP Axis 4 Festivals &
Events Programme, the ongoing development of the Abergavenny Food Festival, and
Monmouthshire Walking Festival.
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4.6 Programme 6: Visitor Information
A programme of actions and projects to maintain and further improve visitor information
provision in Monmouthshire to include:
The commercialisation of Chepstow and Abergavenny TICs. This may include their
relocation to areas of higher footfall or co-location with other businesses or Council
facilities.
Further developing the tourist information service in the Shire Hall in Monmouth
The continued provision, improvement and possible development of further good
quality printed guides/ booklets on:
o Attractions and activities;
o Places to eat and drink;
o Festivals and major events;
o Monmouthshire‟s towns (some of which could be improved).
It is envisaged that such guides will be aligned to the destination brands i.e. Wye
Valley & Forest of Dean, and Brecon Beacons and Monmouthshire‟s towns. There
could also be a case for some form of Monmouthshire lifestyle magazine focused
primarily on food and drink and festivals and events (incorporating the idea for a
„Tastes of Monmouthshire‟ magazine proposed under the Food Tourism Product
Development Programme), targeted at both visitors and Monmouthshire residents,
possibly produced in conjunction with a commercial publisher.
As a basic principle, the compilation, production and distribution of printed visitor
information guides should be self-financing through advertising income, sponsorship,
grants and/or partnerships with commercial publishers. They should also be supported
by clear and properly resourced plans to distribute them effectively within the
destination.
The development of information content on the marketing websites covering
Monmouthshire and optimisation of these websites for access from mobile devices3.
This will include:
o The Wye Valley & Forest of Dean website
o The Brecon Beacons website
o The websites for Monmouthshire‟s towns (the visitor information elements of
which should be redesigned and improved)
o The proposed Monmouthshire Food Tourism website
Ongoing management, development and maintenance of the tourist information
kiosks in Monmouth, Abergavenny, Chepstow, Tintern and Magor MSA.
The installation of a tourist information kiosk at Caldicot Castle & Country Park.
Ongoing provision of the seasonal tourist information outlets at Usk Rural Life Museum,
Old Station Tintern and Caldicot Castle.
3 The development of mobile phone apps providing visitor information is not a priority at this stage
although may become more important in the future – the number of people accessing visitor
information through smart phones and tablets is relatively small but growing rapidly. At this stage the
priority is to improve the visitor information content of marketing websites and to make these websites
as accessible as possible from mobile devices. There may be a need to develop specific mobile
websites in 2-3 years time as the new html5 language becomes more established and mobile phone
signal strength and wi-fi availability improves in Monmouthshire.
15
4.7 Programme 7: Tourism Skills & Business Support
High quality service provided by well trained, professional and knowledgeable staff and
tourism business owners and managers is vital to the delivery of a superlative visitor
experience. Further work is needed to understand the skills development and business
support needs of Monmouthshire‟s tourism industry and develop a Tourism Skills & Business
Support Plan to address them. This will require a programme of work to:
Assess the tourism industry‟s needs for staff and management training and business
support;
Audit current skills training and business support provision for the county‟s tourism
sector and assess how well it is meeting the industry‟s needs;
Identify any gaps in current provision that need to be filled;
Establish a plan for filling these gaps through consultation with training and skills
development providers and support agencies.
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5. Delivery
5.1 Lead Agencies
It is envisaged that each Programme within the Destination Development Plan will be taken
forward by a lead agency that will be responsible for:
Leading the development and implementation of the programme/s for which they
have accepted lead responsibility;
Establishing and servicing Delivery Partnerships;
Reporting on progress to Destination Development Team and Destination
Management Board meetings;
Leading on funding applications;
Monitoring achievements.
Suggested lead agencies for each Programme as follows:
MONMOUTHSHIRE DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2012-2015 – LEAD AGENCIES
Programme Lead Agency
Tourist Accommodation Development
Tourist Accommodation Development Action Plan Monmouthshire Enterprise
Town & Village Visitor Experience Development
Town & Village Visitor Experience Development Plans MCC Special Projects
Welcome Monmouthshire Brown & White Tourism Signs MCC Tourism
Monmouthpedia (tourism opportunities of project) MCC Tourism
Raglan Under Siege Digital Interpretation CMC2
Caldicot Castle & Country Park Development MCC Countryside
Walking Product Development
Walking Product Development Strategy MCC Countryside
Welcome Monmouthshire walking projects MCC Tourism
Sustainable Tourism walking projects adventa
Food Tourism Product Development
RDP Axis 4 Food Tourism Development adventa
Monmouthshire Food Tourism Consortium MCC Tourism
Festivals Development
New Festival Development MCC Tourism
RDP Axis 4 Festivals & Events adventa
Visitor Information
Tourist Information Services MCC Tourism
Tourist Information Content MCC Tourism
Tourist Information Print MCC Tourism
Welcome Monmouthshire Visitor Information on Sustainable
Transport
MCC Tourism
Tourism Skills & Business Support
Tourism Skills & Business Support Plan Monmouthshire Enterprise
Welcome Monmouthshire Digital Tourism Networks MCC Tourism
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5.2 Delivery Partnerships
The successful implementation of many of the programmes in the Destination Development
Plan will depend on the effective engagement of relevant partner organisations. It is thus
proposed to establish a series of delivery partnerships that bring together all interested parties
to jointly progress the development and implementation of programmes. The proposed
partnerships, and the partners that they will include, are summarised in the table below.
MONMOUTHSHIRE DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2012-2015 – DELIVERY PARTNERSHIPS
Programme Delivery Partnership/s Partners
Town & Village Visitor
Experience Development Plans
A Visitor Experience
Development Group for
each town/village
Town/Community Councils
Chambers of Commerce
Tourist Associations
MCC Area Services
MCC Libraries, Arts & Museums
MCC Countryside
Tourism businesses
Retailers
Walking Product Development Monmouthshire Walking
Product Development
Partnership
MCC Countryside
MCC Tourism
Adventa
Monmouthshire Local Access Forum
FCW
Wye Valley AONB Unit
Brecon Beacons NPA
Tourist Associations
Ramblers groups
Offa‟s Dyke National Trail
Wye Valley Walk Partnership
Blaenavon WHS Partnership
CCW
Food Tourism Product
Development (and Food
Tourism Marketing Campaign)
Monmouthshire Food
Tourism Consortium
Hotels
Restaurants
Pubs
Food and drink producers
Food and drink attractions
Made in Monmouthshire
MCC Tourism
adventa
Abergavenny Food Festival
CRT
New Festival Development A Festival Partnership for
each new festival
Relevant individuals, organisations and
other interested parties
CRT
Tourism Skills & Business Support
Plan
Monmouthshire Tourism
Skills & Business Support
Network
Tourism businesses
Training providers
Business support agencies
CRT
Visitor Information
Development
Visitor Information Delivery
Partnership
Monmouthshire TICs
Monmouthshire TIOs and TIPs
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Monmouthshire TAs
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5.3 Co-ordination
It will be important to ensure that the development and implementation of all programmes
within the Destination Development Plan is well co-ordinated. It is proposed to establish a
Monmouthshire Destination Development Team that will comprise the lead officers for each
programme together with the chairs of delivery partnerships and other relevant delivery
partners, e.g. the Tourist Associations, Wye Valley AONB Unit, Brecon Beacons NPA, to meet
periodically and communicate virtually to keep each other informed on progress.
It is also proposed that there should be a single MCC Tourism Team comprising MCC Tourism
staff and all of the officers that have responsibility for implementing RDP Axis 3 and 4 tourism
projects.
It will also be important to co-ordinate the implementation of the Monmouthshire Destination
Development Plan with the implementation of the Wye Valley AONB and Brecon Beacons
Sustainable Tourism Action Plans. This will be achieved by cross-representation on the
Monmouthshire Destination Development Team and Wye Valley AONB and Brecon Beacons
Tourism Liaison Groups for MCC, the Wye Valley AONB Unit and Brecon Beacons National
Park Authority.
Opportunities for joint working with Newport City Council also need to be considered as the
Monmouthshire Destination Development Plan is implemented. There may be particular
opportunities for joint working in relation to walking product development, Food Tourism,
festival development and visitor information. It is envisaged that MCC Tourism will hold
periodic review meetings with Newport City Council and that the City Council should be
invited to be involved in relevant delivery partnerships and specific projects where there are
clear benefits in terms of joint working.
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5.4 Scrutiny
The implementation of the Destination Development Plan (and the Marketing Strategy) will
be overseen by a Monmouthshire Destination Management Board. It will act in an advisory
capacity to provide support and guidance to the lead agencies and partnerships that will
be responsible for delivering the programmes within the Destination Development Plan (and
the Marketing Strategy). The lead officers for programmes and/or the chairs of delivery
partnerships will be periodically invited to Board meetings to discuss progress and seek the
Board‟s guidance as required.
The Board will be accountable to the county‟s tourism industry. It will circulate to the industry
twice-yearly newsletters on progress. It will debate and respond to any representations
made by the county‟s tourism industry on matters relating to the Destination Development
Plan.
If required, the Board will lobby implementation and funding bodies for funding, staff
resources and management support to ensure the effective implementation of programmes
within the Destination Development Plan (and Marketing Strategy).
Individuals who feel that they can contribute to driving forward the implementation of the
Destination Development Plan (and Marketing Strategy) will be invited to put themselves
forward to serve on the Board for an initial term of 3 years. A formal application and
selection process will be put in place. Applicants will be selected for the personal
contribution that they can make to the work of the Board not specifically to represent a
specific organisation or business.
The following individuals will have an automatic place on the Board:
MCC‟s Cabinet Member for Economy & Enterprise
MCC‟s Chief Officer Regeneration & Culture
CRT‟s Regional Strategy Director
Visit Wales‟ Senior Strategic Projects Executive
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5.5 Delivery Structure
The diagram below illustrates how the proposed delivery structure for the Destination
Development Plan.
Programme Lead Officers
Tourist
Accommodation
Development
Town &
Village Visitor
Experience
Development
Walking
Product
Development
Food Tourism
Product
Development
Festivals
Development
Visitor
Information
Tourism
Skills &
Business
Support
Delivery Partnerships
Town & Village
Visitor
Experience
Development
Walking
Product
Development
Food Tourism
Product
Development
Festivals
Development
Visitor
information
Development
Tourism
Skills &
Business
Support
Destination Management Board
Destination Development Team Wye Valley AONB
Tourism Liaison
Group
Brecon
Beacons
Tourism Liaison
Group
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5.6 Measuring Success
Appendix 1 includes suggested performance measures for each programme in the
Destination Development Plan. These are indicators to monitor to help gauge the impact of
each programme. Systems will need to be put in place to capture, record and report the
relevant information for these measures.
The success of the Destination Development Plan (and specific programmes within it) should
ultimately be measured in terms of:
Improvements to visitor satisfaction;
Improvements to tourism business performance;
Growth in visitor numbers, visitor spending and tourism employment;
The development of off-peak business.
It will thus be necessary to put in place a programme of research to help inform the
development of programmes initially and provide benchmarks against which improvements
can be measured. This should include periodic:
Visitor surveys;
Industry performance surveys;
Tourism economic impact assessments.
Where appropriate, more detailed research exercises should also be built into specific
programmes to provide a more precise assessment of their impact. Such research work may
also provide opportunities to collect information to help evaluate the impact of other
programmes in the Destination Development Plan. Monitoring and evaluation research
should be a regular item on the agenda for meetings of the Destination Development Team
and reported periodically to the Destination Management Board.
5.7 Targets for Tourism Growth
Assuming an average annual growth rate of 5% from 2010, tourism volume, value and
employment figures for Monmouthshire should reach the following levels by 2015:
Monmouthshire Tourism Targets – 2015
Total visitors 2.5 million
Total visitor spend £200 million
Tourism jobs (FTEs) 4,000
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5.8 Communication
The successful implementation of the Destination Development Plan will require effective
communication to ensure that the county‟s tourism industry and all stakeholder organisations
and interested parties are kept fully informed of the progress that is being achieved and
made fully aware of the opportunities for them to get involved in projects. This will be
achieved through the following communication mechanisms:
MCC Tourism will establish a Monmouthshire Destination Development Website into
which the Lead Officers for each of the Destination Development Programmes will
periodically feed progress reports and updates (as prompted by MCC Tourism);
MCC Tourism will send out email alerts to the county‟s tourism industry and
stakeholder organisations highlighting progress and directing people to the
Destination Development Website for further information;
It is proposed to hold an annual Monmouthshire Tourism Conference to provide an
opportunity for face-to-face communication;
The Lead Officers will provide progress updates to the relevant meetings and working
groups that they are involved in.
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