talking tourism SPRING 2020
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ISSUE 2
RAISING A GLASS TO TOURISM INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
• The Tour of Britain comes to Cornwall • Mayflower 400 celebrations • How weddings can boost your business
Your business can help save lives.
Become a Tourism Business Supporter And help save the lives of residents and visitors in Cornwall No one expects to take a flight in an air ambulance while they are on holiday. Yet in 2019, more than 15% of airlifted patients were visitors to Cornwall. Despite this, less than 5% of donations to the charity came from the tourism sector – with your help we can change this. ‘The team at Tregenna are extremely proud to partner and work with Cornwall Air Ambulance to raise funds for their New Heli Appeal. The charity works tirelessly to get care to the areas needed quickly and we are over the moon to help them achieve that.’ – Paul Hugill, Tregenna Castle
If you have a business in the tourism sector, we need you to become a Tourism Business Supporter to help fund these vital missions. There are many ways you can support us, so get in touch today to find out what you can do.
cornwallairambulancetrust.org/corporate Cornwall Air Ambulance | Registered charity 1133295 Trevithick Downs, Newquay TR8 4DY | 01637 889926 corporate@cornwallairambulancetrust.org | @cornwallairamb
CONTENTS & CONTACTS
What’s inside this issue... EDITOR Nick Eyriey nick@businesscornwall.co.uk PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING MANAGER Toni Eyriey toni@businesscornwall.co.uk Tel: 01209 718688 VISIT CORNWALL Malcolm Bell mal@visitcornwall.com Tel: 01872 276529 VISIT DEVON Sally Everton sally.everton@visitdevon.co.uk Tel: 07976 711785 DESIGN design@businesscornwall.co.uk
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WELCOME
Opening introductions by Sally Everton of Visit Devon and Malcolm Bell of Visit Cornwall
TOURISM NEWS
The latest tourism news around Devon and Cornwall
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ANNUAL REVIEW
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VISIT CORNWALL
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MARKETING OVERSEAS
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EXPOWEST
Looking back on Tourism trends in 2019 and forward to 2020 The benefits of membership
Publicity abroad for Devon and Cornwall A look ahead to this premier food hospitality and catering event
FEATURE INTERVIEW
PRINT Printed in Cornwall by Deltor
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TALKING TOURISM is published 4 times a year by:
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Tonick Business Publishing Pool Innovation Centre Trevenson Road Redruth TR15 3PL
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MAYFLOWER 400
Tel: 01209 718688
Registered under the Data Protection Act. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted without the written permission of the publisher. Stringent efforts have been made by Tonick Business Publishing to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur.
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Retired CEO of St Austell Brewery, James Staughton, reviews his legacy Devon and Cornwall to host the first two stages of the Tour of Britain
Commemorating a unique and historic year for Plymouth
DIGITAL AID
Introducing Beyonk - the online booking system for tourism businesses
VISIT DEVON
An overview of why membership can be so beneficial
LOOKING AHEAD
The new challenges for Cornwall to remain a top holiday destination
WEDDINGS
How weddings can be a great boost for accommodation providers
JUST AN OPINION
Advice for tourism businesses from Tom Roach, partner at south west accountancy firm PKF Francis Clark
Tonick Business Publishing can not accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Tonick Business Publishing accepts no responsibility for comments made by interviewees that may offend.
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WELCOME
Welcome to the Spring edition of Talking Tourism We hope you enjoyed the first edition of Talking Tourism. If you have any feedback or thoughts on what topics should be covered, then please do get in touch. As we enter 2020 with the uncertainty of what deal will be negotiated as we leave the EU, intense promotion of our two counties continues on both the domestic and international platforms. In 2019 we were successful with securing a Discover England Funded project, which we promoted as Cornwall and Devon. We carried out detailed research and concept testing in the US to ascertain exactly what potential travellers look for when visiting England, and more specifically Cornwall and Devon.
As we enter 2020, no doubt we will see similar challenges to other years and we have to be ready for the new challenges that may emerge.
There is so much taking place in both counties throughout 2020
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With regard to the big issue of 2019 Brexit - regardless of anybody’s personal views we now know which course we are on. This will bring challenges such as labour supply and skills, but I know that through the efforts of national bodies including the Tourism Alliance of which Visit Cornwall is a member, we will make sure that the Government is fully aware of any implications for the competitiveness of the industry. Among other things in this edition, we are detailing the new membership package available - the enhanced membership. This has been devised to provide added value to our members albeit at additional cost.
The initial results from our activity have seen massive analytic year on year growth to both Visit Devon and Visit Cornwall websites. These come from key areas of the US where we have attended media and trade events and carried out sales calls. We will get detailed 2019 sales and revenue figures for both counties once these have been collated via VisitBritain and International Passenger Surveys, these are usually published in April. We are continuing to actively develop and promote this throughout 2020 and beyond with a carefully planned time strategy. Another area of focus is developing business tourism to the region, there is huge choice of event and conference facilities. There is so much taking place in both counties throughout 2020, so keep in touch and up to date with our regular updates with our monthly B2B and consumer newsletters, the respective websites, the annual conferences, and of course, direct contact with both Malcolm and myself. SALLY EVERTON
As a community interest company with no core funding from local or national government, it is a necessity that we have to generate funds so that we can compete in the marketing of a great destination against the other destinations (almost every one of which does receive core funding) to ensure that Cornwall maintains its premiership status as a UK top holiday region. Most importantly, so that we can increase our work to secure that very valuable first-time visitor to Cornwall. From our statistics we know that for every ten new visitors that come to our wonderful region over eight will return in the next few years and half of those will become valued loyal customers. Myself and the team here at Visit Cornwall will work as hard as possible to support you and assist you to have the best possible 2020 business year. MACOLM BELL
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Agility. Versatility. Confidence. Give your team the skills they need to perform. The Skills Hub will uncover the skills your business needs – now and in the future – and introduce you to training to get results.
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TOURISM NEWS
RECORD YEAR AHEAD? National tourism agency, VisitBritain, is forecasting a record year for inbound tourism in 2020.
MOST FAMILY FRIENDLY Devon is the county with the most familyfriendly hotels outside of London, according to a new report from AA Hospitality and Services. The research says there are 25 hotels offering family-friendly facilities and services such as baby-sitting or listening services (44%), cots (96%), highchairs (96%), children’s menus or portions (96%) and beyond. Cornwall and Isles of Scilly also appears in the top ten, with 14 places listed by the AA as ‘family friendly’. The report also lists the 17 most family-friendly in the country, offering the full suite of family-friendly services measured by the AA. This includes Bedruthan Hotel & Spa and Fowey Hall in Cornwall and Bovey Castle in Devon.
Spending by overseas visitors is predicted to reach a record £26.6 billion this year, a 6.6% increase on spending in 2019 which is expected to top out at £25 billion. The number of overseas visits to the UK is forecast to rise in 2020 to 39.7 million, the highest ever, and up 2.9% on 2019 which is expected to see about 38.5 million visits by year end. Looking longer-term, during the last decade inbound tourism visits to the UK have grown 33% when comparing 2010 to the 2020 forecast and spending by 58%. VisitBritain director Patricia Yates said: “Tourism is one of the UK’s most valuable export industries and these results show our continued ability to attract international visitors in a fiercely competitive global market. We are seeing success in growing tourism from our
THE IMPORTANCE OF WAYFINDING In today’s ever competitive tourism market it’s not just about getting visitors into your museum or attraction, it is also about their journey through your attraction from welcome to exit. That’s the opinion of Howard Miles, MD of Truro-based branding and wayfinding company, ABG Design.
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long-haul, high-spending markets including the US, our largest and most valuable inbound market, and from markets that are crucial for our future such as China. “Working with partners globally we are telling customers about experiences they can only have here, converting the inspiration to visit into bookings and driving growth from tourism across the nations and regions, boosting local economies.” Data from ForwardKeys shows that forward flight bookings overall to the UK from December 2019 to May 2020 are up 5% compared to the same period last year. Forward bookings to the UK from China and South Asia are particularly strong, up 33% and 22% respectively.
“Every venue is looking at how and where visitors can spend their money when on site, so if the journey to the shop, café and other amenities is not working you could stand to lose valuable additional income,” he said. “One of the tips we recommend is to ask visitors about their experience with you and to act upon that feedback for the benefit of you and your visitors.” www.abgdesign.uk.com
SWIG Finance invests in a broad range of sectors, from startups to established SMEs across the South West. We can help with a wide range of requirements including working capital, purchasing equipment, recruitment, marketing and premises expansion. We know that bank lending isn’t the right fit for every business. In fact, our funds are designed for those who are unable to secure all their requirements from traditional sources – whether due to a lack of track
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TOURISM NEWS
masterclasses to help senior managers improve business performance.
BOOSTING PRODUCTIVITY Visit Cornwall has struck a partnership with Be the Business to help hospitality firms become more competitive. When it comes to productivity, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly lags behind. Hospitality and tourism businesses are the economic pulse of Cornwall and on behalf of its members, Visit Cornwall is committed to driving up productivity in the county and maximise full potential. Be the Business is a not-for-profit organisation created to close the UK’s productivity gap, and in association with Visit Cornwall, is delivering a series of
PEPPA’S HOLIDAY IDEAS VisitEngland has this launched a digital campaign to promote family-friendly experiences in a bid to get more families with young children to take short breaks in England. Working with eOne, brand owners of the award-winning British children’s animated TV series Peppa Pig, the campaign aims to inspire young families to plan their next adventure in England. VisitEngland has created a Peppa Pig inspired online hub on its website featuring 25 experiences for pre-schoolers and their families, all inspired by the adventures Peppa has in the show.
record, security requirements which can’t be met, historic financial issues or simply not meeting conventional credit scoring methods. We understand that every business has different needs, and we treat each application on its own merits. Our friendly and professional investment team will work with you understand your business’ potential, supporting you throughout the loan application process to help give you the best chance of success.
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The next masterclass will take place at the Harbour Hotel in Padstow on March 18 and will focus on ‘People and Team’ and will explain how to manage performances and better motivate people by sharing common challenges and finding solutions. Further masterclasses will be held in May and June on Digital Awareness and Sales and Growth. Tony Danker, CEO at Be the Business, said: “Be the Business are so excited to launch this partnership with Visit Cornwall. We’ve been working with Cornish businesses for two years with incredible success by encouraging cooperation and knowledge sharing. Formalising our partnership with Visit Cornwall means we can reach every hospitality business in the region.” The hub is being promoted across VisitEngland’s digital channels to drive online traffic. Once on VisitEngland’s microsite young fans can view clips from the show by clicking on a Peppa Pig style map on the site. A children’s activity sheet and tick list are available to download to help them follow in Peppa’s footsteps.
As a social enterprise, we are passionate about bringing social and economic benefits to people, places and the business community in the south west region. So, if you have ambitions for growth and are looking for the investment you need to achieve it, we’d love to hear from you. Contact SWIG Finance on 01872 223 883 or email info@swigfinance.co.uk to find out how we can help you. For further information, visit www.swigfinance.co.uk
MAKING SENSE OF PLACE Places are experienced through the senses. That’s the opinion of John Lowdon, creative strategic director at Falmouth agency Gendall. Gendall has worked with a number of leading brands, such as Eden Project, National Trust and Away Resorts, “defining not only who they are, but creating ongoing experiences that resonate for visitors”. He said: “Whether it’s a beautiful landscape or a particular ambient sound, a favourite taste or smell, the feeling of sand under your feet. These things and more create the idea of a place in our minds. “At Gendall, we know that these sensory experiences are vital ingredients in capturing a place. It’s how memories are made and why they are shared. Whether that’s as a destination brand, a digital experience or a product’s packaging.” www.gendall.co.uk
Finance is subject to status. Terms and conditions apply. SWIG Finance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, licence number 730724.
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ANNUAL REVIEW
The other lesson from 2019 was that although people are looking for a deal and leaving it late to secure a deal, it was not necessarily a case of heavy discounting more a case of some smart incentives that were valued by the customer but did not necessarily have to cost too much. We must all keep confidence that Cornwall is a wonderful destination, an aspirational place to come on holiday and although people are looking for the deals we shouldn’t cheapen Cornwall and certainly you should be cheap your offer. There were some interesting trends on the international front, where we saw significant growth in interest on our website from one particular market, but reduced interest from long-standing markets such as Germany and the Netherlands.
A year in Tourism Visit Cornwall chief executive, Malcolm Bell, looks back on 2019 and forward to 2020, examining some of the developing trends that could affect your business in the months ahead In the end, 2019 turned into being a reasonable year, not the best but also far away from being the worst.
Another year of bookings coming in later and later which made many quite nervous
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The political uncertainties certainly did create interesting changes to the normal research on booking patterns. That said, following the previous year’s good summer, there were some encouraging early bookings, but it was also another year of bookings coming in later and later which made many quite nervous.
Obviously, much of this reduction was caused by the uncertainties around Brexit and the implications for continental visitors. One of these complications is that only half of European visitors hold passports as they can travel in Europe on their national identity cards. Although this was still the case for the UK and still is the case at least up until the end of this year, unfortunately many in Europe lost confidence and decided to skip coming to us. This did not impact the regular loyal visitors from the continent but has affected first-time visitors and those who only visit us from time to time. With regard to the growing interest from certain markets, the strongest is coming from the United States and also from Australia. I am sure this is mainly due to certain television programmes such as Poldark and Doc Martin, combined with a very favourable pound exchange rate. Later on in this edition I will detail our plans to exploit this new interest as well as an outline of how we intend to do our best to restore confidence in the Cornish holiday market on the continent. So, 2019 has now passed and we look forward to 2020...
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ANNUAL REVIEW
2020 Outlook It is always a challenge to predict the future as outside events can completely or partially change a prediction at any time, that said here are our views of 2020. In the media, there is often much talk about a staycation boom. This is an opportunity and a threat. Firstly it can encourage early/earlier booking caused by the fear of missing out, but the big threat is that as a leading holiday region consumers can feel it will be all booked up and/or overcrowded, especially after the misreporting a couple of years ago on Kynance and Pedn Vounder, and stay away completely. Anyway, here are four key positives • Exchange rates are in our favour; it is more expensive to travel and holiday aboard especially for families and Britain is a more attractive destination for overseas visitors which is being borne out from our stats on the USA, Canada and Australia
Holidays are one of the highest priorities for Britons’ consumer spending
• Interest rates are still historically low, so mortgage rates are not rising (yet) • Cornwall is still rated highly by our visitors and widely perceived as the top holiday region • Holidays are one of the highest priorities for Britons’ consumer spending And now for a couple of the negatives • Reduced interest from Europe due to uncertainties over Brexit – note only 50% of EC residents have a passport as they can travel freely on their ID cards • Customers looking for deals - not necessarily big discounts but valued added is an incentive So, in our opinion, we believe it will be a similar year to last year but with ups and downs in interests and booking patterns due to news and events. That said the business is there to be had. Marketing sales and promotions will be a key factor in conversion to bookings and none of us should think that business will just fall into our hands.
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VISIT CORNWALL
Are you a member of Visit Cornwall? We list some of the many benefits available in becoming a member Any tourism-related business can join Visit Cornwall as a member on an annual basis and benefit from a host of business and marketing services, including a dedicated web page on its award-winning website Members receive a 12-month listing on visitcornwall.com which is the #1 destination website for Cornwall. With more than four million visits per year, it boasts Cornwall’s strongest online presence,
inspiring customers researching their holidays and leisure breaks to get the most out of their visit. visitcornwall.com is top in Google searches for many Cornwall related phrases and is recognised as being the official online visitor guide to Cornwall. It is supported by an integrated digital marketing strategy that involves regular email marketing to our customer database of 250,000 potential visitors, and regular interaction with our 400,000 social media fans and followers. Visit Cornwall has a 25+ year legacy and is the result of thousands of pounds of investment. As a member of Visit Cornwall you will have your own page on the website under the following sections - Where to stay, Things to do, Food and drink, Conferences, or Weddings. Members will also receive reduced advertising rates in the print guides and digital marketing; preferential involvement in PR activity, content, social media and competition promotions; access to all our membership services and business resources, including a regular newsletter with the latest tourism industry news. By joining Visit Cornwall, you will be supporting the tourism industry and contributing to its sustainable future, both in the short and long term. We don’t just promote Visit Cornwall or our website, we promote Cornwall!
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VISIT CORNWALL
2020 Membership rates
How membership works...
We have created two options this year, Standard Membership and Enhanced Membership, so that you can choose which one will most suit your business needs.
In addition to the membership packages you can also choose from optional extras to enhance your business viability.
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STANDARD MEMBERSHIP visitcornwall.com business page Unlimited use of Offers & Late Availability page Unreserved access to members’ image library Receive industry communications Access to tickets for the Visit Cornwall Tourism Summit Inclusion to our social media activity when space is available Inclusion in our destination PR activity when space is available Access to research reports & insights Advice & guidance Invitation to relevant workshops Visit Cornwall member logo Opportunity to purchase additional advertising
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ENHANCED MEMBERSHIP Standard membership plus the following: • visitcornwall.com business page with video listing entry • Access to Instagram takeovers • Advert to TOP Pick feature page • Entry on Visit Cornwall visitor accommodation map • One additional advert on appropriate web page • Preferential inclusion in our PR activity • Preferential inclusion on social media activity • Package extras worth up to £950 on standard membership OPTIONAL EXTRAS • Create your ultimate bespoke 12-month membership package • Enhanced Video Business page • Box ad on places web page (sponsored feature) Available Quarterly • Video web entry (super premium) Available Quarterly • Banner ad entry Available Quarterly • Solus e-newsletter • e-newsletter advert • Advert & highlighted lozenge on visitor map • Instagram Takeover • Facebook feature post
Visit Cornwall has a 25+ year legacy
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MARKETING OVERSEAS
The Americans are coming! Visit Devon and Visit Cornwall efforts to attract the American dollar are beginning to bear fruit Although well over 90% of visitors to Devon and Cornwall are from the UK, there is considerable growth potential in the overseas markets especially given the current exchange rate advantage. This is very valuable growth as they have a high propensity to visit in the off-peak periods and especially in the spring, with the light evenings and our coasts and gardens at their best. Working with the assistance of Visit Englands’ Discover England Fund, the Visit Devon and Visit Cornwall teams have been busy promoting the south west in the USA working with Visit Britain staff in New York and engaging with travel writers and bloggers as well as tour operators and travel agents.
Devon and Cornwall are close to the top of their list
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Through this work, we have identified a substantial market of Americans who are typically couples aged over 50 and have been to the UK at least once if not more and have already done London, Cotswolds, Bath and even Edinburgh.
They are seeking real, authentic and personal experiences in new destinations and Devon and Cornwall are close to the top of their list of must go places next time they are going to the UK. Over the last 15 months these activities have got traction with travel media and tour operators and we are seeing encouraging online results. For instance, for the period of Oct-Dec 2019, the visitcornwall.com website received 95,000 visits from the United States – up from just over 26,000 in the same period 12 months earlier. A further bid for funding has been submitted to grow this market as well as working with another project to make inroads into the Australian market, especially related to the diaspora and genealogy markets connected to our mining heritage. It must be stressed that our marketing is targeted at those that have already decided or committed to coming to the UK so that we have our fair share of their valuable dollars. With regard to near markets, we will continue to work with the Visit Britain and others to engage in the German speaking and Dutch markets and prepare to increase our activities once the uncertainties over Brexit has passed.
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NEWS
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F E AT U R E S
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OPINION
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PRINT & ONLINE
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EXPOWEST
It’s strategically timed just before the summer season gets into full swing, and while the show’s home is at The Royal Cornwall Showground, the event draws exhibitors and buyers from the whole region. It is easy to reach and well signposted from every direction. What’s more, there’s ample free parking within an easy stroll of the show.
Hospitality on a plate EXPOWEST CORNWALL MARCH 3-5, Royal Cornwall Showground If food hospitality and catering help drive your business, this is the one event you must mark in your calendar. Expowest Cornwall is where suppliers and buyers get to see and sample what trends and tastes will be on the menu for the coming year: from craft bakeries, vegan pasties, artisan cheese and organic vegetables through to kitchen equipment, furnishing, training and online booking systems… not forgetting the latest in beers and other beverages. It’s all here, all in one place, over just three days between Tuesday March 3 and Thursday March 5. Celebrating its 40th birthday this year, Expowest Cornwall is the event that the whole Cornish hospitality community makes a point of attending. Miss out and For more information you lose an invaluable opportunity to catch up with about the show, please colleagues, suppliers and call 01934 733433, visit customers as well as make essential new contacts. The expowestcornwall.co.uk vibrant, inspiring atmosphere makes it fun and social as or follow @Expowest_UK well as helping business to get done.
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Making those all-important buying decisions is so much easier when competing offerings are shown side by side. And as well as ensuring you’re really getting the best products at the keenest prices for 2020, you’ll be able to see what new ideas are coming through that will whet customers’ appetites… and make your business more profitable. A key feature of each year’s exhibition is ‘The Knowledge Hub’, brought to you by Cornwall Business Forum. With almost 11,000 members, the Forum is uniquely placed to understand the very special nature of the local business community and provide solutions to a wide array of challenges. Over the three days, Knowledge Hub will deliver topical and invaluable presentations geared to making your business the best it can be, as well as equipping you for the challenges ahead. Expowest Cornwall provides a unique opportunity to connect with a huge range of different companies. These span the whole of the hospitality and catering market from foodservice to fresh produce, bakery to business services, ice cream to catering equipment, drinks to dairy, tableware to toiletries, and speciality foods to sundry supplies, plus much more besides – it really is one show that has it all. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a range of exclusive offers that exhibitors save especially for this show, which make a visit even more worthwhile! If you have a serious interest in hospitality and catering, food and drink, Cornwall and its economy, then Expowest Cornwall is the show for you. An impressive 96% of visitors in 2019 said they would recommend the show to colleagues or contacts within the industry, and 97% said they’ll be returning to the Royal Cornwall Showground for this year.
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What’s the vision for your hospitality business? Is it to deliver an outstanding customer experience? To be a more confident leader that inspires your team? Or is it to grow and achieve strong company performance? We know these and other challenges are being faced by businesses in Cornwall and the rest of the UK. Our Cornwall Hospitality Masterclass Series, led by sector experts and Be the Business, present an invaluable opportunity to collaborate with local businesses, as well as learn from industry leaders and their success stories.
Tickets are limited and cost ÂŁ25 each with a partial refund on attendance* To book your place and find out more visit bethebusiness.com/masterclass
Cornwall Hospitality Masterclass Series Each interactive masterclass will focus on one of our identified levers of productivity: Business Planning Tuesday 4 February, The Headland Hotel, Newquay Rethink and fine-tune your business strategy and create an achievable plan to keep you on course and focused on the future.
People and Team Wednesday 18 March, Harbour Hotel, Padstow Manage performance and better motivate people by sharing common challenges and finding solutions.
Digital Readiness Tuesday 5 May, The Alverton, Truro Learn how to assess, buy and integrate the digital technology that will make your business more efficient and competitive.
Sales and Growth Tuesday 2 June, Heartlands, Pool Improve your sales pipeline, connect with customers and maintain your presence in the market with advice from others who do it well.
Supported by
* For more information, please see the ticketing T&Cs at bethebusiness.com/masterclass
FEATURE INTERVIEW
appeal has in turn helped promote Cornish beer to up country palettes. “Tourism is really important to us because it gives us the potential customer base to do business with,” says James. “It’s all wheels within wheels, the more business we do, the more we can invest in our sites and the more we can buy new sites. If you just took Cornwall as a base of just the locals, I think it would be really difficult for us to grow and drive the business as we do.”
The Pandora Inn
A tribute to tourism James Staughton retired as CEO of St Austell Brewery at the beginning of the year, after 40 years with the family brewery. And he has had a lasting impact on not only the drinks industry, but the wider tourism sector as well There is a mutual admiration and appreciation between James Staughton and the tourism sector. As CEO of St Austell Brewery, he played a key role the brewery’s growth to become the celebrated company it is today. And it is a growth journey which in many ways has been in tandem with the development of the tourism offering in Cornwall. James’ impact on tourism was evidenced when he received a special Outstanding Contribution Award to Tourism at the recent Cornwall Tourism Awards. Iconic St Austell Brewery pubs like The Pandora undoubtedly play their part in the wider tourism mix attracting visitors, while the growing Brand Cornwall
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St Austell Brewery has 178 pubs and hotels across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon and Somerset, many of which have become firm favourites with the holidaymakers. The Pandora has enjoyed regular success down the years at the Cornwall Tourism Awards and was once again named Pub of the Year at the latest ceremony in November. And to underline the brewery’s impact, The Waterfront in Plymouth won the same accolade at the Devon Tourism Awards. English country pubs are a quintessential part of the visitor experience. “The Pandora is the classic chocolate box pub,” says James. “And yes, we’re so lucky to have so many iconic sites around the coast and places like the Chain Locker in Falmouth, we’re blessed with great sites which obviously tourists love frequenting and enjoying. “It’s interesting that our competitors try to get a piece of that summer business, but it’s a short window and they can’t work out how you service that from a logistics point of view. You have to put so much into it and then suddenly it’s gone again. Part our remit is just to make it our job, to be the best seasonal business that there is.” So what’s the secret? Is it the beautiful Devon and Cornwall surroundings, or is it the quality of the beer? Do visitors like to try local beer as much as sit in local pubs? James says this is one of the biggest changes he has seen during his years at St Austell Brewery. “I remember vividly when I started out in 80s, that many holidaymakers, all they wanted to do was drink the beer they drank at home, be that McEwans Export
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FEATURE INTERVIEW
or Courage Best, they just wanted more of it when they were on holiday. Local provenance was not even talked about then, it just didn’t register. Now it’s almost the other way around. People would now be really upset not to have Cornish produce. It’s part of their holiday experience, not just to enjoy the landscape and the facilities but also to taste and drink the local produce. “Brand Cornwall just developed beyond all recognition,” he continues. “It gives us a great entree into customers wanting to try Cornish produce. People up country who may never have been to Cornwall, already have a positive perception. So, if they see Cornish food and drink in their local supermarket, they will give it a go. After that clearly the product has to stand on its own two feet, but we’re very blessed that we have that opportunity to persuade that customer to be a loyal one for the future.” Under his leadership, the brewery has helped grow tourism sales, and tourism has helped grow beer sales. “Tesco is our biggest customer now,” says James. “I would never have believed that being a business that effectively owns its own pubs and supplies others as a wholesaler, the thought we would ever get to sell our own beer nationally, either in draft cask form or bottles in supermarkets is something we would never have dreamt of.”
“Careers people don’t have the hospitality and leisure industry high on their list of careers. Everyone has to be scientists or engineers or whatever and I think that’s a huge sadness and opportunity for the industry, certainly in the pub industry. “If you think how many young people get jobs between school and university for a bit of holiday money, and we never see them again. Most industries would die for that introduction, and we lose them. “We don’t sell the idea to them of – ok, go off to university but come come back. It’s perceived as low skill, but you can climb the ladder. It’s the easiest trade to do it and work your way through. “It is hard work, but you do it for the love of it, not just the money. It’s like many actors. You’re on stage and you’re entertaining people and derive a huge amount of satisfaction from seeing people enjoy themselves.”
I will use my position as master to bring a lot of Cornwall up to London
Now James has retired from the day-today running of the family business, his thoughts turn to other projects close his heart. He chairs the St Austell Bay Economic Forum and also serves as Deputy Lord Lieutenant helping out Lord Lieutenant Edward Bolitho and the good work he does. And looking further ahead, in 2022 he will become master brewer of the Worshipful Company of Brewers, one of the oldest livery companies in the City of London, dating back to 1483. “It’s a huge honour,” says James. “I will use my position as master to bring a lot of Cornwall up to London!” And beyond that, he is still very much interested in encouraging more young people to forge a career in hospitality and leisure.
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TOUR OF BRITAIN
All Tour of Britain photographs: SWPix
Wheels of fortune British cycling fans will be descending upon the south west in September with Devon and Cornwall hosting the first two stages of the Tour of Britain. The event provides an excellent opportunity for the region’s hospitality businesses Hotels and B&Bs, cafés and restaurants. The region’s hospitality industry is gearing up for a busy few days in September, as the hugely popular Tour of Britain cycle race gets underway in our region.
The excitement in hosting the Grand Depart on Sunday, September 6 is palpable
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Tourism businesses will be hoping it will provide the cherry on the cake of what they hope will have been a successful summer. For Devon this is nothing new. The county has been a regular fixture on the Tour of Britain calendar – this will be
the 11th time that Devon has featured in the tour’s 17-year history in the modern era. In that time more than 1.7 million people have lined the routes in Devon to watch the stages in the county and it estimated to have generated over £41 million for the local economy. For Cornwall, however, this is all new and the excitement in hosting the Grand Depart on Sunday, September 6 is palpable. Cyclists will travel 170km through the Cornish countryside, starting at Penzance and ending in Bodmin. Then it’s on to Devon the following day starting off in the new community of Sherford in the South Hams and finishing in Exeter city centre. The stage route will also visit many of Cornwall’s iconic tourist attractions as well as visiting St Just, St Ives, Hayle, Camborne, Pool, Redruth, Falmouth, Penryn, Truro, Newquay and St Austell. The race is a massive opportunity for Cornwall’s economy and hospitality businesses, bringing people into the Duchy not only along the cycle route, but across the rest of Cornwall which will also help to enhance our profile both at home and abroad. Independent economic reports estimate that the race will generate over £3
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TOUR OF BRITAIN
million of extra spending within Cornwall over the stage, and it is hoped that around 180,000 people will line the roads of Cornwall to watch. The Tour of Britain stage will be the biggest ever sporting event to be hosted in Cornwall. The Tour of Britain is British cycling’s premier road cycling event and the most prestigious race in Britain and is shown live on ITV4 and Eurosport as well as being broadcast in 190 countries worldwide. A total of 120 riders take part in the race and by hosting the first stage of the race this September, it will give opportunity for the public in Cornwall to see the world’s best cyclists in action, while cycling fans from further afield another reason to visit Britain’s favourite tourist location. The event will provide increased overnight stays and the opportunity to showcase the location of each stage as a tourist attraction to a wider UK audience. Emily Kent, head of economy, skills and culture, economic growth and development at Cornwall Council, says: “We look forward to working with communities on engagement programmes across Cornwall to ensure that this event becomes a huge success right across the county. “Hosting the Grand Depart Stage of
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the Tour of Britain will bring visitors into Cornwall, not only along the Stage route, but across the rest of the county and it will also help to enhance our profile both at home and abroad. We will also work to ensure we create a longlasting legacy from the event by raising the profile of cycling in Cornwall and motivating more people to cycle and lead healthier, more active lives.” Andy Hawes, Tour of Britain route director, adds: “Having worked with Cornwall Council extensively over the last few months, we have considered, assessed and now created a fantastic stage route that provides the perfect balance of showcasing Cornwall’s fabulous environmental assets, tourist attractions, facilitating superb spectator viewing opportunities and providing high footfall visitor opportunities within many towns across the route to provide a huge economic impact and business opportunities to the county. The “We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Cornwall Council over the forthcoming months and working with communities along the route to ensure the successful delivery of a world class sporting event”
Tour of Britain stage will be the biggest ever sporting event to be hosted in Cornwall
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MAYFLOWER 400
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the historic voyage of the Mayflower ship from the UK to the ‘New World’ of America. For more than a thousand years, Plymouth’s spectacular waterfront has bustled with adventurers, emigrants, merchant traders, soldiers and sailors. Including, of course, the last stop for the Mayflower before its epic voyage across the Atlantic on September 16, 1620, marked today by the ‘Mayflower Steps’. Plymouth will be one of the centres for the Mayflower 400 commemorations with an ambitious events programme that will light up, captivate and wow audiences visiting the city from all over the globe. It will honour Plymouth’s reputation as a centre for voyage, discovery and military importance in its glorious waterfront setting. From cultural exhibitions, outdoor installations and live shows to community activities and sports programmes, there will be something for everyone during the Mayflower 400 year in Plymouth.
400 years of history Mayflower 400 - A historic year commemorating a unique moment for Plymouth
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The anniversary will commemorate the legacy of the passengers and crew who undertook the epic journey inspired by an unquenchable desire for freedom; and for who the voyage promised newfound liberty.
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MAYFLOWER 400
To provide insight into the potential opportunity for driving US visits to England for the anniversary year, Mayflower 400 commissioned an online survey that was conducted in the US. The purpose of the survey was to understand the propensity of US residents to visit England; their likely travel behaviour and what appeals to them about the Mayflower Pilgrims story.
The international Mayflower Compact partnership has been created to align 11 core UK destinations across England, alongside the United States of America, the Native American community and the Netherlands. Partners are united in their passion to commemorate the anniversary and to celebrate shared values of freedom, democracy, humanity and the future. Working together for the first time, the UK Compact partnership is creating a national ‘Mayflower Trail’ reflecting each destination’s unique connection to the Mayflower story. Destinations will stage a world class cultural and events programme to commemorate the journey of the Mayflower Pilgrims. The cultural programme will unite communities, inspire creativity, drive economic growth, enhance the visitor experience and promote understanding and education of this pivotal moment in history.
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The commemorations will recognise the impact of Plymouth will the Mayflower’s journey on Native American communities be one of the and address themes of migration, tolerance, centres for the freedom and democracy that Mayflower 400 have such contemporary relevance, as well as the commemorations long-standing relationship between the UK and the US and the history of Thanksgiving, ensuring the Mayflower’s legacy lives on. There are over 35 million descendants of the passengers and crew who sailed on the Mayflower. The Mayflower 400 UK national visitor project aims to reach out to these descendants and other ancestral tourists to invite them to visit England and be a part of the anniversary year. To see a full list of events in the Mayflower 400 celebrations, go to mayflow400uk.org/events
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DIGITAL AID
A booking win-win Introducing a new booking engine for the tourism industry - Beyonk We have a wealth of experiences in Cornwall but our visitors face a real struggle to find out about them, try to check availability and then cross that final hurdle - book and buy. Until now that has been a real challenge, if not an ordeal, for our visitors and that has meant they have missed out on creating memories and Cornish activity and experience providers have missed out on valuable business. The good news is that this is now yesterday’s problem. Visit Cornwall has partnered with Beyonk to combine the power of visitcornwall.com (which of one of the country’s biggest tourism websites) with the great, easy to use booking engine. It’s a win for our visitors and a win for our businesses.
Easy-to-use booking software that can quickly be added to your own website
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WHO IS BEYONK? Beyonk was set up to support activity businesses with marketing, distribution and bookings management. It does this through providing easy-to-use booking software that can quickly be added to your own website, which
syncs your spare spaces across the major channels in your local area. Beyonk provides support, crafting each activity listing with rich content, copyrighting and imagery and continues to optimise listings based on FAQs from customers. Essentially, it not only makes activities instantly bookable, but it supports making consumers want to book. For distributors like Visit Cornwall, Beyonk helps to show off the best of the local area and helps visitors make the most of their time visiting the area. It builds a close-knit community of the best, insured legitimate activity companies and drives more bookings to businesses at the lowest possible commission rates. Beyonk can hone its service to provide as much value as possible. Let them know what will help you and Beyonk will build it specifically based on your requirements. It’s quick and easy to get involved. Simply visit www.beyonk.com/ visitcornwall to sign up, schedule a call or read more. Or send a message to ross@beyonk.com for more info. After signing up, your activities will be shown on visitcornwall.com for instant booking.
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VISIT DEVON
By joining Visit Devon, you are able to reach domestic and international markets
Together we are stronger! What makes Visit Devon different from other marketing channels?
By becoming a member, you are not only promoting your business to over 1 million potential customers and 91,000 social media users (on certain membership levels) but also supporting your local and county community to succeed and continue growing. Together we simply are stronger! • Lobby parliament against Airbnb and similar unregulated businesses that are taking custom from your business. • Lobby for fairer business rates and say no to tourism tax. (Success in cutting a third business rate tax for self-catering businesses for example) • Bid for funding to promote the county on a national level (so we can challenge and compete with other tourism destination counties) • Attend national and international exhibitions to attract new customers/ press etc to the county • Are working with Visit England to boost productivity and double the size of the sector by delivering an additional 70,000 jobs by 2025 • Works with partners to be recognised as a tourism zone. The Government wants to see that an area is a priority sector in the LEPS strategy by all DMOs, LEPs, LAs and local businesses working in partnership. The more we work together the more we will be considered. • Allows members access to reports/ research • Offers free workshops on social media/ targeting the right market etc
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By joining Visit Devon, you are able to reach domestic and international markets. Visit Devon works tirelessly to promote Devon as a destination overseas, as members you have an opportunity to get more involved and can be showcased at such events as the British Travel Show (March), MeetGB (April), US Sales Mission (April) and Destination Britain North American (September). For more information and to discuss such opportunities contact Visit Devon director Sally Everton on sally.everton@visitdevon.co.uk or call her on 07976 711785.
For instance, last autumn she was in the US for a week-long mission meeting with key tour operators and travel agents, as well as visiting VEMEX (Visit Europe Media Exchange) in New York to continue the work started last year with the Discover England Funded project.
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VISIT DEVON
The funding ceased in March of last year, but Visit Devon, working alongside Visit Cornwall, have been continuing with their own campaign to increase visitors from North America to the south west. The campaign includes tailor-made itineraries and experiences that promote what is unique about these two counties.
their venues and products listed on the Meet England website. Visit Devon also hosts a number of press and FAM (familiarisation) trips with meeting planners showcasing the diversity and beauty of Devon as a county, where delegates can breathe fresh air, enjoy acres of rolling green countryside and miles of sublime coastline and choose from a range of venues of every shape and size. Because let’s face it, there are so many reasons to choose Devon. • Local expertise from the dedicated Visit Devon team • Easy access by air, road or rail • Unique and varied venue choice, from beautiful 5-star resorts, to cultural city hotels or stunning coastal venues as well as the quirky and unusual as well as purpose built convention centres for up to 2000 delegates • Superb social and leisure opportunities including moor tours, sailing, private tours of prestigious attractions and formal dinners in wonderful unique properties
Visit Devon also works closely with Visit England, marketing Devon as a perfect destination for business meetings and events. Many of our members now have
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• Incentive programs with a difference • A variety of tried and tested team-build opportunities using the diversity and geography of the county.
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VISIT DEVON
The 2020 Visit Devon Guide is here! The 2020 guide to Devon is hot off of the press and the distribution across the country has started. 95,000 copies of the guide were printed for 2020, a significant jump from the number of guides printed last year and we are looking forward to seeing these guides both inside and outside of Devon
CBI’s Food and Drink Council and is a member of the Somerset Growth Board. As well as Karl’s appointment, Sarah Cook, vice president of UK Business at Leonardo Helicopters, has been selected to take up a vacant position on the board. Sarah has been part of the team at Leonardo Helicopters for 25 years and has previously also been managing director at Aviation Training International Limited.
The LEP board has unanimously appointed Karl Tucker, executive chairman of Yeo Valley Production Ltd, to replace former chair, Steve Hindley, who has dedicated six years to the board. Karl has been with Yeo Valley since 1996 and has been a key member of the leadership team that has seen the company grow to be the UK’s largest organic food brand and one of the largest, independent, family owned dairy business in the UK. He also sits on the SW CBI Council, is the chair of the SW
Join us by talking to your contact here at Visit Devon: South Devon: Bridget McCombe 01626 798 944 bridget.mccombe@ visitdevon.co.uk North Devon: Victoria Perry 01626 798 416 victoria.perry@ visitdevon.co.uk
New on board The Heart of the South West LEP has appointed a new chair and board members.
CONTACT US:
Would you like Dilys to visit your business? Dilys is the Visit Devon four-legged roving reporter and she is visiting as many dog-friendly businesses across Devon that she can, to highlight Devon as a dog-friendly place to visit. You can read about Dilys adventures in our blog on the VisitDevon website. If you would like Dilys to visit you, please send an email in the first instance to leah.smith@visitdevon.co.uk and hannah.haines@visitdevon.co.uk
Dartmoor/ Mid Devon/ East Devon: Hannah Haines 01626 798 728 hannah.haines@ visitdevon.co.uk Director: sally.everton@ visitdevon.co.uk
Let’s face it, there are so many reasons to choose Devon
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TALKING TOURISM
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LOOKING AHEAD
It’s because we have so many decisions and choices to make, to ensure we have a competitive and sustainable visitor economy over the next decade or more. Tourism is a fast growing and moving industry - with strong growth across the world and within the UK. Competition over the last decade is as strong as ever from overseas as well as domestically. Destinations have seen what we have achieved and have raised their game in their efforts to oust us from our prime position, which would result in us losing our ability to charge premium prices as the country’s top holiday region. Even more importantly:
The decade ahead After years of unprecedented success, there are new challenges emerging that need to be met to ensure Cornwall stays a top holiday destination As we enter the 2020s, Cornish tourism is performing well and a far cry from the 1990s, when the national tourism body designated Cornwall as a tourism development action programme area. This meant we were in the bottom quartile of destinations in the country and an area that required special assistance and support. Roll on 20 years and there has been a complete sea change. Today, Cornwall is one of the top UK holiday destinations in the country, in fact we have been voted top holiday region for ten at the last 11 years at the British Travel Awards, regaining Why is the tourism out crown last November from Northumberland. sector perceived
to be at something of a crossroads?
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So despite everything seemingly going so well, why is the tourism sector perceived to be at something of a crossroads?
• Customers are changing • Technological developments are changing customer wants, behaviours and expectations • There are substantial growth opportunities in some existing markets • New markets are emerging and showing rapid growth • The emergence of the ‘experience economy’ as tourists who in the past were just interested in ‘sightseeing’, whereas today’s visitors and - most importantly - future visitors, want to go ‘sight -doing’. The major challenge over the last 20 years was to raise the quality of the tourism offer in Cornwall and that has been achieved pretty well. Over the next decade or so, the challenge will be to take Cornwall on to the next level and to make it a premier, premium-priced destination for high quality selected and target-marketed experiences This new drive and the associated opportunities from it need to be carefully selected and developed to ensure that the visitor economy of Cornwall is developed in a way that tackles the challenges and demands that face us all, such as climate change, delivering sustainable tourism and the need for inclusion and accessibility. At the recent Visit Cornwall Tourism Summit, keynote speaker Will Higham, one of the UK’s leading futurists, discussed some of these future trends.
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LOOKING AHEAD
We also presented the results of the 2040 Tourism Futures, a comprehensive review detailing the development priorities for Cornish tourism and the industry over the next decade a beyond. This document is designed to stimulate ideas, new thinking, actions and innovations, to ensure that Cornwall stays a top holiday destination that delivers on the new agendas of sustainability and inclusion. It is also aimed at bringing parties together to develop and implement a new integrated approach from the public and private sectors, to ensure that the vital visitor economy, which is the bedrock of the Cornish economy, continues to deliver for Cornwall and those who run businesses and work in the Duchy. It is vital that this debate and the various discussions bring parties together to ensure that Cornwall has a vibrant visitor/experience economy, profitable and competitive businesses and
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communities that benefit from tourism was minimising if not negating any downsides from the sector. If you missed the Tourism Summit or have any thoughts on the future of Cornwall tourism, do not hesitate about getting in touch.
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WEDDINGS
Marriage made in Devon (and Cornwall) Have you considered applying to become an Approved Wedding venue? Sam White explains how weddings can give accommodation providers a real boost
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WEDDINGS
One of the unique things about Devon and Cornwall is that, over the years, it has been able to attract a wide range of distinct groups to choose it as a holiday destination. Artists have been coming since before the war, as have families looking for a traditional seaside holiday. More recently, surfers have made Newquay their second home and gardeners have come to enjoy the sub-tropical climate and the resulting world-beating gardens. But there’s another distinct group of tourists that sometimes go unnoticed because they’re often part of the other groups too – those who choose to come to Devon and Cornwall to get married. Nationally, the wedding industry in the UK is huge – estimated to be worth £10 billion in 2018 – and, despite the overall uncertain economic picture, is continuing to grow. Changes in legislation and society also mean traditional norms of getting married in your local parish church have gone out the window, leaving couples with much more freedom to choose a ceremony that exactly suits them. And for an increasing number of couples, that will bring them to the south west. There are now hundreds of Approved Venues across Devon and Cornwall where civil marriage ceremonies can legally take place, and in the height of the summer months, over half of the weddings taking place in them are for couples from upcountry. Whilst it’s true that some wedding items such as the gown, outfits and jewellery will be bought close to the couples’ home, other wedding essentials such as flowers, photography, hair & make up, catering and transport will be sourced from local suppliers, which presents a huge opportunity for local businesses. But it is accommodation providers who really benefit from upcountry weddings. Applying to the council to be an Approved Venue for wedding ceremonies can really benefit an accommodation business. Whilst there is, of course, the additional revenue that could be generated from hosting the wedding itself including room hire, food & drink and the services
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of an in-house event planner; the potential for extra room bookings should not be underestimated. Quite often, it is not just the couple themselves that book accommodation but friends and family too. It is quite easy to imagine a relatively small wedding needing 5-10 rooms or five or more self-catering cottages.
The wedding industry in the UK is huge – estimated to be worth £10 billion in 2018
Emma Tuckley, editor and publisher of the Silverlinings Cornwall Wedding Guide says: “Quite a few venues and accommodation providers advertise with us and they regularly tell us how important upcountry weddings are to their business. “In fact, it can really drive investment and enables them to offer those little extras that really give them the competitive edge, which can only benefit everyone and make Cornwall a world-class destination for weddings.” Jules Hayden organises the Art of Weddings wedding fair series and she has built up a lot of knowledge about those getting married in Cornwall. She says: “We have become increasingly aware of the distance visitors are travelling to our events. “We regularly receive feedback from out of county brides coming from areas much further afield than the south west. It is a testament to the quality of venues and suppliers that they choose to marry in our beautiful county and in turn, bring much needed revenue to the tourist industry.” Emma adds: “While our magazine is free to pick up within Cornwall, we’re regularly contacted by couples out of county who would like a copy sent to them.” Accommodation providers and other tourism businesses who have not yet explored the potential of offering wedding services – even if they are not yet ready to become an Approved Venue – could find it adds some valuable additional revenue to the business.
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JUST AN OPINION...
Tourism trends Tom Roach, partner at south west accountancy firm PKF Francis Clark, has his finger on the pulse At Francis Clark we act for numerous tourist-based businesses. This concentration in numbers often helps us in collating knowledge largely by immersion. In each office we are made up of reasonably small teams and each can see up to about ten hoteliers, restaurateurs, tourist attractions or holiday park owners each week. It is sometimes difficult to equate this to how useful this actually is to our clients, but we will naturally pick up knowledge whether anecdotally or through clear empirical accounts-based information. Clearly there is no one size fits all to the perfect tourism business model, but the diversity offered by the south west overall is vital to enable the area to provide mass appeal. Whether it be the latest Instagram style hotels, campsites next to the beach, tourist attractions, top class restaurants or ice cream sellers, all businesses in the sector have a part to play.
There is no one size fits all to the perfect tourism business model
We try to monitor trends in both occupancy and profitability, which if nothing else can be reassuring to our clients. One key trend that has seen increases in recent years is wage costs, which has affected the entire sector. The latest living wage increase due in April 2020 up to £8.72 from £8.21 for over 25’s seems a significant shift. This is a particular concern for budget end hoteliers, who are already trying to compete with less labour-intensive travel lodge style arrangements, where subcontractors are often used for everything other than the core reception teams.
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We can see that hotels in this segment of the market will continue to look to structure themselves over time to reduce staffing levels, but competing with purpose built operators will be difficult. Across the wider hotel sector we have seen wage levels at well in excess of 36% of sales as the general norm now for a several years. (Historically a benchmark was typically 30%). As with any average, in some cases this percentage is much more, in some cases over 40%. This can sometimes be achieved relatively successfully when guests are provided with exemplary service which naturally increases turnover. These trends will likely be inflationary, most accommodation providers should and are looking at pushing prices. Over the last five years we have seen average prices increase by about 16.5% (vs an RPI inflationary increase of 13.2% over the same period). Following the latest living wage increase announcement we have heard some talk of guests being asked to pay a levy to cover the increased costs and people looking at alternative charges to add on without guests feeling like they have been over charged. Meanwhile, another key impact on the tourist sector has been the use of online applications. We can see that online booking sites are now very much in the mainstream, and some of the froth surrounding the likes of Airbnb may well be cooling. In fact, some of the local agencies are now finding ways of embracing these online tools. Indeed, most of those looking to make a quick buck will find it not worthwhile as costs outweigh incomes, but this needs to work its way through the market. Instagram and similar are likely to have a tremendous effect on tourism going forwards as their users start to have children and will look towards using it not just for chic boutique nights away but for tourist attractions to take their children to. This is likely to have a major benefit of Devon and Cornwall as it will be far easier to differentiate the independently minded, service driven product which encourages Instagram usage, from the homogeneous offerings nationally.
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