BIDs and the Visitor EconomyDR. SAMANTHA CHAPERON, JAMES KENNELL

& DR. ANDRES COCA-STEFANIAK,

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE CENTRE

2What is the visitor economy?

Tourists

Leisure day

visitors

Same day

visitors

Tourists Visitors

Accommodation

Food and Beverage Food and Beverage

Public transport Public transport

Roads Roads

Cultural activities Cultural activities

Sports and recreation Sports and recreation

Locally distinctive goods and services

Locally distinctive goods and servicesMiddleton 2015

Adapted from UNWTO 2010

3What is it worth?

c. 10% UK GDP £115bn pa 1/3 of all new jobs since

2012 1 in 12 of all UK jobs

supported by the Visitor Economy

Growing at 3.5% pa (2010-2020 forecasts), compared to 2.9% for UK PLC (LGA 2015)

4Why should BIDs care?Visitors are consumers

Visitors become

ambassadors

Investors are visitors too

Visitors can help you to

innovate

5Why are we doing this research?

6Our research

133 ‘BID documents’ from England and Scotland – around 66% of the total amount

Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA)

Data on the relationship between BIDs and the Visitor Economy in England and Scotland

7

8

visitors tourism visitor visit economy41 120 138 187 197

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Words strongly associated with the visitor economy

9

events marketing service promote destination domestic promotion20 33 63 97 142 158 159

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

Other Visitor Economy words

10

Inverness and Loch Ness (TBID)

Greater Yarmouth (TBID)

Oban

Penrith

Paddington

Plymouth City Centre

Torquay

Bournemouth Coastal Districts

Winchester

Elgin

12

34

56

78

910

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Top ten BIDS for reference to tourism

11

Plymouth Waterfront

Bedford

Weymouth

Solihull

London Bridge

Sunderland

Macclesfield

Abergavenny

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The 8 BIDs who talk about the visitor economy

12How seriously do BIDs take the visitor economy?

80 BIDs make reference to tourism

24 of the 80 BIDs that mention tourism only make one reference to it.

53 out of the total sample of 133 do not mention tourism at all.

Only 8 BIDs make reference to the visitor economy

13Of the 29 BIDs that mention Tourism or the Visitor Economy more than 5 times – 9 are in Scotland…

Only three Scottish BIDs don’t mention Tourism or the Visitor Economy

14Our interim findings

1. There is a clear economic opportunity being missed – by BIDs and the tourism sector

2. Visitor Economy work by BIDs isn’t linked to innovation

3. Scotland is leading in terms of BIDs and the Visitor Economy

4. The Visitor Economy isn’t for everyone, but every BID should consider it

15What next?

Interviews with BID managersA Report on BIDs and the Visitor

EconomyPractical recommendations for BIDs and

Visitor Economy businesses