Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017

Denbighshire Destination Management Plan

2014-2017

Moel Famau

Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017

We want to:

01

Develop a thriving visitor economy in Denbighshire whichcelebrates the unique strengths of the place, supports jobs,generates business opportunities and improves the range andqualities of amenities available for visitors and local peoplewhilst including safeguards for sustaining the local environment.

This means developing a viable, innovative and sustainablevisitor economy which is in tune with the area and brings netbenefits to the local population for generations to come.

In addition, we want to benefit the wider economy of theCounty through strengthening the image of Denbighshire anddeveloping links with other sectors of the economy.

Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017 Harbwr y Rhyl / Rhyl Harbour

The Denbighshire Destination Management Plan has beenproduced by the Destination Denbighshire Partnership withsupport from Denbighshire County Council, Tourism PartnershipNorth Wales, private sector businesses and the wider public sector.It is essential that the actions identified within the Plan areimplemented, and the success of this Plan can only be ensured ifwe continue to work in partnership together for the benefit of theeconomy of Denbighshire.

Our local businesses are particularly important to Tourism inDenbighshire. Local business plays an important part in the Councilachieving its economic ambition plans. Strong, thriving businesseshelp create economic sustainability for our local economy byproviding services to the community and employmentopportunities for our residents.

The Denbighshire Destination Management Plan is a livingdocument with an Action Plan that will be delivered throughpartnership working across all sectors that are involved bothdirectly and indirectly in Tourism.

Tourism is important to Denbighshire

Tourism already injects much needed revenue into the localeconomy (£314 million ’STEAM 2012) and supports over 5,000jobs in the County, (STEAM 2012) In addition, tourism supportslocal services and infrastructure which benefit local people andhelps promote a positive image of the County to the outsideworld.

Tourism can also affect the natural environment and generalcharacter of an area. It is important that tourism is developed andmanaged in a way that ensures long-term sustainable prosperityand success.

’STEAM is the Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor. STEAM

is designed to provide an indicative base for monitoring trends

Strategic contextDestination management is wider than the traditional tourismsector but the main thrust for the approach in North Wales is givenby Partnership for Growth: The Welsh Government Strategy forTourism 2013-2020:

The Strategy focuses on five key areas:

• Promoting the brand• Product development• People development• Profitable performance• Place Building

A focus for Place Building will be Destination Management:

“A planned approach to destination management in Wales allowslocal tourism communities to decide what is most important toput in place to maximise visitor satisfaction and to stimulate localsupport for tourism.”

Destination Management is also integrated into the widerDenbighshire County Council Economic and Community AmbitionStrategy 2013-23

The Denbighshire Local Development Plan sets out the statutoryplanning framework for tourism development within the County.The Plan recognises the value of tourism to the economy andencourages the development of appropriate visitor attractions,outdoor activity tourism and touring caravan sites. Theimprovement of existing static caravan sites is encouraged;however the development of new static sites is not. A tourismprotection zone is in place covering the coastal areas of Rhyl andPrestatyn in recognition of the valuable contribution tourismmakes to the economies of these towns.

Summary

02

What is a Destination Management Plan?Destination Management is a process of coordinating all theaspects of a destination that contribute to a visitor’s experience,taking account of the needs of visitors, local residents, businessesand the environment.

A Destination Management Plan (DMP) is a shared statement ofintent to manage a destination over a stated period of time,articulating the roles of the different stakeholders and identifyingclear actions that they will take.

Tourism is a complicated industry involving the public, private andthird sectors – and the local community. Working alone, localbusinesses cannot manage and sustain tourism across adestination. Similarly, there are many public agencies thatcontribute in different ways to tourism development andmanagement. For tourism to be successful, all parties need tocoordinate activity and work to common, agreed goals, set downin a reference document.

This is therefore a plan for all those with an interest in the future oftourism in Denbighshire. This includes:

• the private sector, responsible for running their tourism related businesses and meeting the day-to-day needs of visitors

• Local Government departments, responsible for a range of services that impact on destination management

• The local community with an interest in tourism related opportunities and possible impacts upon their way of life

This Destination Management Plan sets the parameters for tourismdevelopment within Denbighshire for the next three years (2014-17). It is not an end in itself but more of a flexible reference pointthat will need to be reviewed and updated through the Plan periodand beyond.

Summary

03Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017

Through the Tourism Fora and Destination DenbighshirePartnership meetings a set of priorities has been identified

1. Create an effective model to ensure a coordinated approach to destination management

• Establish a Denbighshire Destination Management Steering Group

• Strengthen Denbighshire Tourism Forum

2. Ensure Town and Area Plans connect with the Destination Management Plan

• Ensure engagement takes place between stakeholders to produce a coordinated approach between the town plans and the Destination Management Plan

3. Make destination management relevant to the business community

• Ensure tourism skills are being tackled through business engagement

• Improve sign-posting for training and business support

4. Audit our tourism product to set baseline data

5. Promote Denbighshire through the North East Wales brand to the business community

6. Develop a coordinated approach to events that feeds into Denbighshire County Council’s Events Strategy 2014-2020.

Outcomes include:

• All supported events will demonstrate a clear proven economic benefit to the County.

Key Actions • Provide additional opportunities for businesses to engage with

events and offer them opportunities for additional business. • Identify and attract events which extend the tourism season• Identify and attract events that increase the length of visitor

stay and spend.

To see how we intend to achieve these objectives please go to ourDestination Management Action Plan

0504

Priorities for the Denbighshire Destination Management Plan


The Destination Management Action Plan


The Denbighshire Destination Management Plan is intended to bea practical document setting out achievable and measurableactions. It will evolve rapidly over time to reflect external changesand progress made and will be subject to regular review withstakeholders.

The expected outcomes of the Destination Management Plan are:

• Tourism businesses in Denbighshire maximise their potential

l Indicators:

• increased occupancy levels• increased employment• increased business confidence

• Visitors report that they have a consistent, high-quality experience

l Indicators:

• increased visitor numbers• increased visitor spend• increased proportion of positive feedback from visitors

Monitoring the Destination Management Action Plan

The DMP and its Action Plan will be monitored by the DestinationPartnership:

• Reviewed at Partnership quarterly meetings• A quarterly update report will be prepared by the Tourism Marketing and Events team

• At each year-end a report will be prepared for the Partnership to update them on progress

Castell Dinbych / Denbigh Castle

07

Priority 2: Ensure Town and Area Plans connect with the Destination Management Plan


Ref Key ActionsLead/Partner By When

Link to Visit WalesFramework Action Plan

2.1Ensure engagement happens between stakeholders to produce acoordinated approach between all of the Town and Area plans (alsoreference the Denbighshire Local Development Plan)

• Engage with elected members Member Area Groups (MAGs) and Town Plan Champions

• Engage with the private sector and seek support from them

• Link actions to funding sources, including regeneration programmes and the Destination Management Scheme in the Visit Wales TISS programme

TME/EBD/P&PP/DCC/Partnership/MAGs/TownCouncils

Year One PRODUCTDEVELOPMENT:Encourage the industry towork collaboratively tohighlight what is availableto the visitor

2.2 Engage at an early stage with any proposed signage plans/strategies orother proposed works in Denbighshire to ensure coordinated approachacross the County to maximise the benefits for tourism including:

• Improved signposting and appearance of gateway points to towns and villages to enhance the appearance and sense of welcome in order to encourage people to stop. Including resolving eyesore sites/empty homes

• Improved car parks, toilets and pedestrian routes to the local centres (as identified in town plans)

• Focused environmental improvements on the 'tourism envelope' of any visitor destination i.e. that area within which the visitor is likely to spend time and money

• Links to the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB sustainable Tourism Strategy

Partnership/DCC/DCCP&PP/MAGs

Year one andon-going

PLACE BUILDING:Develop destinations thatpeople want to visit andrecommend

PLACE BUILDING

PLACE BUILDING

PLACE BUILDING

2.3 Ensure effective visitor orientation in each community and supportlocal projects to engage the interest of visitors and residents

• Ensure that there is at least one place where visitors can pick up local information – Tourist Informaton Centre (TIC), information point,

shops or attractions

• Where there is no obvious place support the use of Ambassadors to point visitors in the right direction (these could be local businesses)

• Support schemes that sustainably move people throughout the County

Partnership/DCC/DCCCountryside andHeritage/MAGs

Year one PLACE BUILDING

PLACE BUILDING

PLACE BUILDING

PLACE BUILDING

06

Priority 1: Create an effective model to ensure a coordinated approach to Destination Management


Ref Key Actions Lead/Partners By When Link to Visit WalesFramework Action Plan

1.1 Establish a Denbighshire Destination Management Steering Groupmade up of senior DCC officers, Lead Member, Chair and Vice Chairfrom Destination Partnership.

DMP HIERARCHY= BUSINESS GROUPS, TOURISM FORUM,DESTINATION PARTNERSHIP, DMP STEERING GROUP

Partnership/DCC Year one PLACE BUILDING:develop destinationmanagement approach

1.2 Continue to develop communication links with and betweentourism businesses to enable them to contribute and thrive:

• Leaders of business groups to attend Destination Partnership

• Encourage tourism businesses to engage with and join business groups

• Support regular industry events for tourism businesses to highlight destination issues and build knowledge and understanding e.g through the Forum

Partnership/Tourism MarketingEvents DCC (TME)

Partnership/Forum

Partnership/Forum/DCCTME/DCC Countryside/DCC Economoic and BusinessDevelopment (EBD)

Year one

Year one

Year one

PLACE BUILDING

1.3 Strengthen Denbighshire Tourism Forum:

• Encourage tourism enterprises/groups to participate

• Actively engage/support existing tourism groups

• Strengthen participation from wider tourism-related businesses such as retailing

• Secure funding for the Forum. Move Forum to once per year but have presence at one other large event in Denbighshire (for example Annual AONB forum)

Partnership/Tourism groups

TME/EBD

Partnership/BusinessGroups/EBD

Partnership/DCC/TourismPartners North Wales (TPNW)/Visit Wales

Year one

Year one

Year one

Year one

1.4 Establish and promote a ‘one stop-shop’ for reporting issues andproblems – key contacts, telephone and web details to bepublished. Investigate using DCC customer service centre. Workwith businesses to educate them as to what they can contact DCCabout

TME/DCC Customer Care/DCCPlanning and Public Protection(PP&P)

Year one PRODUCTDEVELOPMENT

0908

Priority 3: Make Destination Management relevant to the business community

Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017

Ref Key Actions Lead/Partners By WhenLink to Visit WalesFramework Action Plan

3.1 Enable links with DCC Economic and BusinessDevelopment, Planning and Public Protection andthe business community

• Invite representatives from Economic and Business Development and P&PP onto Partnership

• Invite representatives from Cadwyn Clwyd onto Partnership

• Provide clear information about where in Denbighshire advice and guidance can be found and publicise at the Forum

• Inform Town and Community Councils/MAGs

Partnership/TME/EBD

Partnership/TME/EBD/DCC

TME/EBD/P&PP

EBD/TME

Year one

Year one

Year one

Year one

PLACE BUILDING

PROFITABLE PERFORMANCE



3.2 Ensure tourism skills are enhanced throughcommunication between the different businesses.Improve communication to businesses to let themknow in good time the opportunities for training andsupport that are available to them.

• Undertake more research (including attending business group meetings) into business needs and share this knowledge with other groups and professionals

• Work with further/higher education establishments to target and enhance curriculum development to meet local needs and employer requirements. Invite Coleg Cambria /Coleg Llandrillo representative to join Partnership and attend Forum as a possible speaker

Partnership/TME

Partnership/EBD/DCC

Year one

Year one

PEOPLE: support thedelivery of appropriatecustomer service trainingwithin the industry


3.3 Improve the coordination of provision andsignposting of training and business support

• Provide advice about local sourcing of food, drink and other products

• Produce and distribute a ‘Who’s Who” in tourism (A4/PDF living document)

• Provide a co-ordinated, proportionate, accountable, transparent and targeted approach to business regulation

• Support sign-posting to Business Wales

Partnership/CadwynClwyd/EBD

Partnership/TME

Partnership/Forum/EBD

Partnership/EBD

Year one

Year one

Year one

Year one/two

PROFITABLE PERFORMANCEAND PLACE BUILDING




3.4 Undertake a regular ‘How’s business?’ survey

• This will focus on the DMP process and its performance including how the business community feels involved and informed about destination management

Partnership/EBD/TME/Forum

Annual PLACE BUILDING:

3.5 Encourage investment in new or improved tourismaccommodation, attractions and services in line withmarket opportunities, gaps and sustainabilityprinciples

• Provide support and advice to those looking to develop, build or improve facilities

• Provide investment and funding advice to tourism businesses

• Support funding bids of partners whose aims are in-line with good destination management

• Promote use of local produce• Work with tourism groups to guide them in

appropriate use of sense of place• Provide enterprises and enquirers with

information about the range of financial assistance available. Currently, this includes the Visit Wales TISS programme and the RDP

• Support feasibility studies and pilot projects as appropriate

• Providing any available relevant data and knowledge

• Work with the business community to increase accessibility for all visitors and tourists

Partnership/Forum/EBD/TME/P&PP Partnership/EBD

Partnership

Partnership/ForumPartnership/Forum

Partnership/Forum

Partnership/Forum

Partnership/Forum

Partnership/EBD/DCC

Year one/two

Year one

Year one, on-going

Year one, on-goingYear one, on-going

Year one, on-going

Year one, on-going

Year one, on-going

Year two

PLACE BUILDING: Sense ofplace

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT


PLACE BUILDING/PROFITABLE PERFORMANCE





Priority 3: Make Destination Management relevant to the business community

1110

Priority 4: Audit our tourism product to set baseline data

Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017


4.1 Though work has been carried out to defineDenbighshire’s Unique Selling Points (USPs) findingsneed to be collated, summarised and made widelyavailable to the Denbighshire business community

TME/DCC/ Partner Agencies Year one PLACE BUILDING

4.2 Measure the volume and value of tourism

• Accommodation occupancy figures by sector andmonth, based on a constant sample of providers who will be asked to share their figures in exchange for benchmarking their business against the rest of the sample

• Monthly attraction and activity visitor numbers, based on a constant sample of operators (work with Visit Wales, Cadw, Countryside Services, Canal and River Trust for data already compiled)

• Beach and related car park surveys and harbour and canal, river and heritage railway usage figures

• Ensure that where it is necessary for tourism businesses to engage in data collection that it is easy for them to do so and they understand why they are being asked to take part

• In addition to these already identified indicators, some more general indicators on the functioning of tourism could be added. These include:

n UKTS three year rolling average of visitor trips, nights and spending

n Opening times of attractionsn Annual attendance figures at eventsn Visits and enquiries to Visitor Information Centresn Traffic and user counts at main locations (monthly).n Number of tourism development projects receiving planning permission

n Proportion of repeat visitorsn Type of tourism related projects being undertaken

TME/DCC

TME/DCC/Partner agencies

TME

Partnership

Year one

Year one

Year one

Year one

PLACE BUILDING:undertake regular visitorsurveys

PLACE BUILDING

PLACE BUILDING

PLACE BUILDING


4.3 Undertake a Customer Satisfaction Survey (inconjunction with Visit Wales)

• Profile of visitors; origin and access.

• Satisfaction levels with facilities and services.

• Feedback on perceived quality of the environment and any problems encountered.

Partnership/TME

TME/DCC/Partner agencies

Year one

Year one/throughout life-time of plan

PLACE BUILDING:undertake regular visitorsurveys

4.4 Understand the overall quality of tourism services inthe area

• Incorporate quality assessment into criteria for participation in promotional campaigns and other initiatives

• Highlight gaps in provision of quality accommodation, especially amongst serviced accommodation with 4+ rooms.

• Encourage visitor attractions to join the Visitor Attraction Quality Assessment Scheme and monitor membership

Partnership/TME/Partneragencies

Year one/throughout life-time of plan

PLACE BUILDING; surveysto measure productstrengths

Priority 4: Audit our tourism product to set baseline data

Priority 5: Promote Denbighshire through the North East Wales brand to the business community Priority 6: Develop a coordinated approach to events that feeds into Denbighshire’s Events Strategy

1312 Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017


5.1 Roll out branded materials and brand guidelines

• Put together short brief to Partnership members which they can feed to business groups

• At Forum show examples of good practice from Marketing Area partners (Wrexham and Flintshire)

• Promote the North East Wales Brand as part of any training scheme

TME/Partnership

TME/Wrexham andFlintshire

Partnership

Year one

Year one

Year one, on-going

PROMOTION:Promoting andMarketing a distinctiveand reinforcing brand forWales


6.1 Input into events strategy

• Impact of events need to be monitored

• Awareness of events in Denbighshire, regionally and nationally

TME / event organisers

TME/Local Authorities

Year one

Year one, on-going

PROMOTION:Grow the meetings,conferences, events andexhibitions market.

Encourage return visits

Bryniau Clwyd / Clwydian Range

14 Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017

For more information visit www.denbighshire.gov.ukwww.discoverdenbighshire.co.ukFor general information about Destination Management, go to:http://business.wales.gov.uk/dmwales/This document was produced by the Destination, Marketing andCommunication Department, Level 3, County Hall, Wynnstay Road,Ruthin. LL15 1YNEmail: [email protected] Tel: 01824 706152

Published June 2014

mailto:[email protected]

www.business.wales.gov.uk/dmwales/

www.discoverdenbighshire.co.uk

www.denbighshire.gov.uk

Documents

Denbighshire Destination Management Plan 2014-2017