Tourism and the role of Bath Tourism Plus

Tourism is good for the economy of Bath

• Supports 8,652 jobs• 1 in 10 jobs in B&NES• Earns £348m for the city

Source: SWT Research 2008

• Operates busiest Tourist Information Centre in the UK (535,000 visitors)

• Delivers good value marketing – PR coverage is worth £1.7m per year

Bath Tourism Plus does a good job

Bath Tourism Plus does a good job

• For every £1 of public sector funding BTP generates £1.65

• The statistics for www.visitbath.co.uk for the last 5 years make impressive reading:

• 4.25 million unique visitors• 38,000 accommodation

bookings• 130,000 bed nights worth

around £5.8 million

Example - Jane Austen:• £700,000+ of PR

coverage • Audio tour downloaded

35,000 times • Over 100,000 visits to

Jane Austen section

Bath Tourism Plus does a good job

BTP Marketing Campaigns – form the basis of marketing activity

BTP in partnership

• Supports City Centre Manager with marketing and PR expertise

• Works with Bath Festivals Trust and other event organisers to publicise events to visitors

• Works with attractions in the area and promotes packages

• Is part of Future Bath Plus and coordinates activity with South West Tourism and the regional development agency

Bath is one of the greatest assets of tourism in England

• Worldwide recognition of Bath

• World Heritage Site • Will be one of ‘attract

brands’ used by Visit England in their marketing

• Satisfied customers – 97% say they are likely or very likely to recommend Bath to friends

Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

Bath is often recognised with Awards

• Rated “Top UK destination in Europe and World”, and best “British Relaxation & Spa” destination by TripAdvisor

• UK’s “Best Fashion Street”• Roman Baths “UK’s most

romantic place”• 4th best “Christmas Market

in Europe”

What are the Issues?

Who comes to Bath?

Source: SWT Research 2008

Type of Visitor

Numbers Spend

Domestic staying

631,000 £104m

International 254,000 £78m

Day Visits 3.6m £166m

Total 4.5m £348m

Who comes to Bath?

Main Reason for Visit

Holiday / Leisure

VFR

Special Shopping Trip

Business / Conference

Language student

Other

Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

Opportunities for growth

• Conference facilities to encourage business visitors

• Hotel development• Events that encourage visitors to stay mid

week and in low season• Marketing focus on encouraging visitors to

stay overnight

What do you most like about Bath?

Top 10 Visitor Likes of Bath

Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

1. Architecture/buildings (29%)2. History/heritage (16%)3. Atmosphere/relaxing/peaceful/city-vibe (14%)4. Roman baths (8%)5. Natural beauty/attractive/pleasant/scenery (3%)6. Abbey (3%)7. Cultural/different nationalities/continental feel/cosmopolitan/unique (3%)8. Good entertainment/street entertainment/music in streets (3%)9. Shops (3%)10. Accessible/compact (2%)

Top 10 Visitor Dislikes of Bath

What, if anything, spoilt your visit to Bath?1. Poor signposting (3%)2. Car parking poor/high prices (2%)3. Beggars/drunks in street/vagrants/yobs (2%)4. Too crowded (2%)5. Need a ring road/poor access/traffic (2%)6. Weather (1%)7. Accommodation (1%)8. Birds/pigeons/seagulls (1%)9. Expensive (1%)10. Paying for map/no free maps (1%)

Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

Well Above Average

Above Average

• Attractions – range • Places to eat & drink – range

• Shops – range

• Upkeep of parks & open spaces • General atmosphere

• Feeling of welcome

• Attractions – quality of service

• Shops – quality of shopping environment

• Safety from crime• TIC – usefulness of information received

• Overall enjoyment of visit

Opinions of Bath compared to other historic cities

Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

Opinions of Bath compared to other historic cities

Below Average

Well Below Average

• Ease of parking

• Attractions – value for money

• Places to eat & drink – value for money

• Road signs

• Public toilets – cleanliness

• Cost of parking • Public toilets – availability

• Overcrowding

Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

City Development

• Investment in public realm and movement strategy will help visitors

• Bath Transport Package • Investment in refurbishment of

Tourist Information Centre

How can you help?

• Recognising the importance of tourism to B&NES

• Support BTP in terms of its role and remit• Support destination improvements, e.g.

additional accommodation, conference facility, public realm & improving general infrastructure

2008 Data

Thank you