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Bournemouth and Poole
Tourism Strategy 2017-2022
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Bournemouth and Poole aspires to be a World Class
destination. This strategy sets out the high-level plan to achieve this
ambition.
The UK tourism industry is sizeable and growing. It already
represents 9% of UK GDP, valued at £126.9bn in 2013, supporting 2.6
million jobs across over 200,000 businesses and is forecasting steady
growth. Bournemouth and Poole has a strong appeal, attracting
more than 10m visitors a year spending around over £¾ billion and
supporting over 12,000 jobs.
There is national recognition of the
importance of tourism as a key
economic driver, now operating
in a volatile and fast moving
environment. The challenges
of Brexit and an uncertain future
will have to be managed. The impacts
of recruitment difficulties will need to
be overcome and the industry must adapt to service a still growing
experience economy, that acts fast, books fast and wants the most
up to date information instantly.
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Bournemouth and Poole’s traditional core strength
has always been its natural environment. This appeal is
complemented by a good supply of accommodation, attractions,
conference facilities and educational establishments. This, together
with the many leisure and tourism activities and events, provides a
strong diverse offer across three primary market sectors - Leisure
Tourism, Business Tourism and Educational Tourism. Although
Bournemouth and Poole have strong individual brands, at times in
the future they can be presented jointly to provide an even stronger
appeal for the visitor.
The diverse mix of market segments and tourism
market sectors means that as coastal resorts
Bournemouth and Poole are less affected
by seasonality. The resorts have a loyal
customer base and their proximity to
London and the South and Midlands
with good road and rail links means
they are able to attract millions of
day and stay visitors.
Primary Markets
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Over recent years the age population profile has smoothed so the reliance on
the older visitors has been balanced with a growing increase in young to
middle age group. Families still provide a strong back-bone to the tourism
economy particularly in the summer. Bournemouth continues to deliver a
more contemporary offer balanced with the traditional resort destination
experience.
Overseas markets continue to fluctuate
in popularity between continents and
countries. Whilst greater visa
restrictions have been put in place for
educational visitors to stay in the UK, this
is currently being balanced by a weak £
that makes the UK an even better value
destination to learn English.
We must not forget that residential market is also recognised as highly
significant, not only because it underpins the profitability of many tourism
businesses but also because the benefits to residents help to justify the public
investment in infrastructure support for the industry.
The analysis of the business environment and review of the assets of
the destination has provided an excellent knowledge base and solid
foundation on which to build the most productive tourism strategy
for Bournemouth and Poole.
The strategy will cover the ownership and
adjustment proposals and the business
principles that will govern how the strategy
is to be delivered.
Developing the Strategy
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The strategy was developed by the Bournemouth and
Poole Tourism Management Team with research and advice from the National
Coastal Tourism Academy and Dr Philip Alford from Bournemouth University.
One of the most important and
illuminating steps in the refinement of
the strategy was the interactive
workshop with over 50 tourism
stakeholders in August 2017. This gained
a broad view of the most important
markets, the development requirements
to realise the potential the high-level
marketing considerations and the
business organisation and coordination
adjustments.
From this it was then possible synthesize the information and match the areas
of greatest potential with the strongest assets in the destination. The key
outcomes from this process concluded Re-affirmation of the three market
sectors - Leisure Tourism, Business Tourism and International Education.
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Primary Markets
From this analysis, the following primary markets have been identified as the
most productive for Bournemouth and Poole:
LEISURE TOURISM
Domestic – Empty Nester (over 55s) Product Fit Beach, scenery, cultural and entertainment activities and retail.
Health and wellness breaks
Growth opportunity Short breaks in shoulder months
Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)
4 (high spend out of main season)
Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners
Strategy Consolidation existing markets, improved penetration to open visitor Partners - Bournemouth/Poole Tourism BH Live, BIDS, Event organisers and attraction providers Coach Operators
Domestic – Pre-nester Product Fit Night time economy, retail and entertainment
or Romantic breaks, Activity breaks, Health and wellness breaks, Cultural activities
Growth opportunity Lifetime value of creating advocates of place. Main Growth in the Experiential Market
Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)
3 (spend low to medium, volume high)
Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners
Strategy primary consolidation, with secondary Product Development (Festivals events) Partners - Bournemouth Poole Tourism BH Live, BIDS, IEF BU AUB, Digital Businesses
Domestic - Families Product Fit Beach and beach facilities, visitor attractions & entertainment.
Variety of accommodation across the conurbation
Growth opportunity Feb half term, Easter, October half term and weekends (Fri eve – Sun eve) Mid-week for Pre -Schoolers
Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)
3 (spend medium, time restrictions)
Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners
Strategy Consolidation - with open visitors. Partners - BIDs, Bournemouth Tourism, BH Live
Day visitors - All generations (Up to 2-hour drive time) Product Fit Beach and related facilities
48% Family 33% Couple 15% Adult Group 4% Single
Growth opportunity Some but promoted out of season
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Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)
3 (appeal of wider destination)
Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners
Strategy - Consolidation existing markets, improved penetration to open visitor Secondary Product Development (Festivals events) Partners - Bournemouth Poole Tourism, Poole and Bournemouth Attractions Groups, Coach operators
Domestic – independents (35-54) Product Fit Soft adventure opportunities.
Suitable themed boutique accommodation Specialised Activities and events – may be with cultural Arts activities links
Growth opportunity Short breaks in shoulder months
Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)
3 (competition from abroad)
Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners
Strategy – primary consolidation, with secondary Product Development (Festivals events) Partners - Bournemouth/Poole Tourism BH Live, BIDS, Event organisers and Cultural attraction
Overseas – visitor Product Fit Base to explore Jurassic Coast, Dorset and New Forest
Growth opportunity Off-peak year-round, high value. Western Europe, English speaking, long haul
Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)
2 (volume low, spend high)
Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners
Strategy Consolidation -Western Europe, Acquisition Long Haul Partners - Visit Britain, Bournemouth and Poole Tourism, BIDs, DT
BUSINESS TOURISM
Conference and Convention - Delegates and Business Travellers Product Fit Good range of conference and meeting facilities.
Growing business travel stay offer – Hilton Hotel. Good Rail and Road Access from London and major UK Cities
Growth opportunity Off-peak, mid-week
Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)
3 (range of secondary spenders, highest with the Business traveller but high cost acquisition. Convention Market more potential to Bournemouth)
Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners
Strategy Consolidation – existing markets, improved penetration to open visitors Partners BIC, Business Events Bournemouth, BIDs, large accommodation, Conference and Convention Group
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INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Overseas – International Education Product Fit Good supply of well accredited schools
Quick access to iconic destinations – London, Stonehenge, Bath., Jurassic Coast
Growth opportunity All year-round but limited by current visa restrictions
Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)
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Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners
Strategy Consolidation - existing markets, improved penetration to open visitor Partners Language Schools FE and HE Establishments Bournemouth/ Poole Tourism Bournemouth BID
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Whilst tourism is acknowledged as being a fragmented industry.
Bournemouth and Poole have an incredibly sharp competitive edge
with the proven co-ordinating strength of the Tourism Management
Board and established destination management structure. This
ensures a collective approach through the Bournemouth and Poole
Tourism Management Board working with both commercial and
public sector partners. Both destinations have benefited from
significant tourism investment from both the private and public
sector.
The interdependence of public infrastructure investment and private
sector confidence is well understood in the destination. Continued
collaboration not only between tourism sectors in the destinations
but also other commercial sectors, including the digital sector, are be
vital to ensure infrastructure and offer matches the rapidly changing
and growing market needs, particularly of the experience economy.
Industry Co-ordination
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The Tourism Strategy is not purely an industry strategy or a council
strategy. It is a unified strategy to give direction to all the
stakeholders engaged in tourism.
The economic factors will change over the five-year life of the
strategy so the intention is that it should be a living document that
will be regularly updated and adapted.
The delivery of the strategy will be carried out by all the stakeholders
in the public and private sector. This work will be coordinated where
necessary by the Bournemouth and Poole Tourism Management
Board and its sub groups. The professional tourism team will
implement the strategy through industry leading Development,
Operations and Marketing.
Ownership & Structure
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There are eight important principles that have helped guide and
shape the proposals in this strategy for Bournemouth and Poole:
➢ Cohesion - We will recognise the importance of unity of purpose, effective coordination and the power of collaborative effort with maximum engagement.
➢ Identity - We will retain and strengthen their unique identities in order to expand the benefits of the visitor economy
➢ Costs - We will aim to reduce costs whilst maintaining and improving service delivery and quality.
➢ Revenue - We will introduce innovative ways of attracting investment and increasing revenue
➢ Learning - We will share best practice and knowledge between Bournemouth and Poole. We will be open to doing things differently and learning from each other.
➢ Partnership - We will work closely with the trade and the public to meet the needs of our customers
➢ Responsiveness - We will be flexible and innovative to enable further evolution in a changing public and private sector environment
➢ Team – We will value the contribution of a dynamic, highly motivated and well trained team.