Out and about and working for you!

This morning I had the pleasure of swapping my job title for a couple of hours, taking on the role I first carried out when I joined Pembrokeshire Tourism last January. Heading out to Tenby with the necessary paperwork for a membership sign up, I made my way to The Lifeboat Tavern to meet with Ben Jones. He'd given us a call on Monday to enquire about membership with Pembrokeshire Tourism, and so I'd made an appointment to go and see him, to give him a chance to find out more about us, and ask questions, and for me to do the same!

Whenever we are dealing with our members, whether potential or existing, one thing we always try very hard to do is ensure that we listen. During my conversation with Ben, I was able to give him more information about the host of benefits membership brings, from reduced rate card processing, through to training, networking and seminars, and the activity we undertake on a political footing too through lobbying on issues such as business rates. All important stuff, and useful too. What I found most interesting however was getting to hear from Ben about the challenges he faces in his business. 

Sadly he is not alone with his concerns. His instant response to the question was that staffing is his biggest challenge, followed second by seemingly endless 'red tape'. On the staffing side the challenges range from reliability of staff, to honesty and integrity, and a willingness to work and commit to the job in hand. Ben is forward looking, a good number of his staff are full time and employed year round, but he sees many that assume the job is 'a summer job' and as such don't make the effort, as despite him explaining that it doesn't have to be just 'a summer job', the attitudes of many younger people don't match up to what he expects from them.

His comments regarding red tape were also of interest. As he points out, in his sector of the industry, he has a number of different requirements to fulfill, from ensuring correct health and safety practices, to fire assessments and regulations, to environmental health and weights and measures legislation. All of this brings him into contact with a broad range of external organisations and their officers, who at times it seems "are out looking to find fault, rather than offer help".

This first hand information from those in the trade is what makes my job, and the work of Pembrokeshire Tourism, so interesting, varied and I believe, important. If we are not able to meet with our members and ask these questions, and get feedback to tell us what matters, we are not able to deliver the kind of service and support they expect. I was able to tell Ben more about the different types of training we offer, such as customer service training and other skills development courses, and also highlight the good working relationships we have with other organisations who can assist with delivery of health and safety programmes, or arrange support for businesses when they are dealing with other statutory requirements.

I was delighted to welcome Ben as a member with Pembrokeshire Tourism this morning, and indeed being able to do so in person reminded me once again how vital people are in the tourism trade. Whether we are working in a shop, pub, hotel, theme park or cafe, we are providing goods and services to people. People buy from and sell to other people. We are all ambassadors for our businesses, and for the county.

From September, our whole team will be making sure we are out and about, meeting with members, listening to you, talking with you about what matters to you. Once a fortnight we will be in a different location in the county, from 10am to 7pm, and making sure we are working with you and for you as effectively as we can. We will post up our diary dates and locations in the coming weeks, and you can either drop in and see us, or book an appointment if you have something specific you wish to discuss. In the meantime, we are on the phone, on email, and will be at the Pembrokeshire County Show too, so please do get in touch!

Why do you Love Pembrokeshire?

This week sees Pembrokeshire Tourism joining forces with the county radio station, 102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire, to run a week long promotion highlighting why tourism is so important here.

Over the course of the week, listeners will be invited to stop by the Radio Pembrokeshire facebook page and leave their comments as to why they Love Pembrokeshire. Our facebook page, for those who don't know is called Love Pembrokeshire, thus the theme!

Thanks to the generosity of several of our members, we have some superb prizes to give away this week, ranging from  a stay in a Deluxe room in the Giltar Hotel in Tenby with breakfast, to a 'Look the Rhino in the Eye' experience to a B&B + Coasteering experience and more.

There are perhaps two themes running with the promotion. Firstly, we are looking to highlight and promote some of the wonderful treasures here in Pembrokeshire, and encourage conversation and interaction about why Pembrokeshire is so special. Secondly we are looking to explain more about what Pembrokeshire Tourism does, and how we play an active role in keeping things special, and encouraging and supporting the businesses across the county who all play a part in contributing to our economy.

The tourism industry in Pembrokeshire is worth over £520million a year, and supports 16,000 or so jobs, 14,000 of them being directly involved in the sector. It is not to be sniffed at! With this in mind, it is crucial that the industry is given the support and tools it needs to develop and grow. Pembrokeshire Tourism is part of this support network, and creates opportunities for the trade to get together, talk about what matters, learn new skills, and much more. If you want to know more about what we can do for you, simply get in touch with us on 01646 622228.




Picture features: (Back row from left) Will and Cleo from Celtic Quest Coasteering, Ian from Celtic Camping and Bunkhouse Accommodation, Dilys from Manor House Wildlife Park, David Baker - Radio Pembrokeshire Breakfast host, Dominic from Oakwood Theme Park, (Front row from left) Jessica from Oakwood Theme Park, Jane from Elm Grove, Ellen from Radio Pembrokeshire and Maudie from Pembrokeshire Tourism. Missing from the picture is Malcolm from The Giltar Hotel

Pembrokeshire and the Swansea Bay City Region

This morning saw the launch of the Swansea Bay City Region with a key note address given by the Minister for Economy, Science & Transport, Edwina Hart MBE CStJ AM. Giving something of a high speed introduction to the concept of the City Region, she spoke of the need for "local authorities to think strategically, overcome internal rivalry and competition" and that it will "need the private sector on board".

Now understandably for a good many of us here in Pembrokeshire, the concept of a City Region (definition: an area where most of its population conducts most of their lives - they work, trade, shop, live and spend leisure time there) will seem somewhat far removed from where we are now, and indeed probably stirs responses along the lines of "Why does that have anything to do with me?" and "Is this another one of those quango things?"

To answer the second question first, no it isn't another one of those quango things. It is an understandable reaction in fairness - we have seen many a strategy, big idea, plan and more come out of governments whether locally or nationally, that have then appeared to only deliver a talking shop, endless committees, all talking about working together and collaboration between private and public sector, and the end result being quietly brushed under the carpet. Obviously, it is early days yet, however in the 'race' to launch a City Region, the Swansea Bay City Region has streaked ahead of a similar proposal in Cardiff and is already proving that action will be taking priority.

What does it have to do with us here in Pembrokeshire? This is the interesting bit. It has a huge amount to do with us here. We are shortly going to be moving into the next, and probably final, round of European funding for this area. Previous interventions from these funds have not delivered everything they were intended to. The fact that we still qualify for such support is a clear indication of how poor the overall economic performance of the area is. This round of funding could be our last chance in that respect.

The thinking behind the City Region ties in with a number of different threads and themes. The key high level target of the Swansea Bay City Region - Economic Regeneration Strategy is that by 2030 productivity levels in the Swansea Bay City Region are once again at 90% of the UK level (in 2010 it was at 77% of the UK level). There are five strategic aims supporting this:

• Business Growth, Retention and Specialisation
• Skilled and ambitious for long-term success
• Maximising job creation for all
• Knowledge Economy and Innovation
• Distinctive Places and competitive infrastructures.

The crucial part of this, and as we have already seen with the Welsh Government Strategy for Tourism 2013 - 2020, and the Destination Pembrokeshire Management Plan, is private sector involvement. Without that, without the support of businesses operating on the front line, in whichever sector they may be based, growth, job creation and more, simply will not happen. The days of the public sector creating new jobs as various projects come on stream are over.

So to come back to the question "What does this have to do with us?" it's a straightforward answer. Everything. As the ways of working and shifts in thinking become clearer, the collaborative approach, the private sector led partnerships with the public sector, the regional aspects all settle, it will be absolutely crucial that each and every one of us at business level are engaged, involved, and understood. Boundaries are changing, the map of Wales in terms of local authorities and other bodies may look quite different in years to come, and so it is now that we all need to start thinking differently, doing things differently, and doing different things.

 

Can you stand by YOUR marketing?

This week has seen the 'Interview' round on the popular TV series The Apprentice. It's also seen a number of interviews taking place for new staff members for our team here too. There's also been an interesting YouTube video sent to me which made me think about marketing, and the claims we all make as part of that.

So, interviews. Just one part of the whole 'applying for a job' process, and aside from making sure that your CV makes sense, probably one of the more challenging aspects in many ways. These days, getting to be offered one can sometimes be considered an achievement, especially when there are so many applicants for each and every post. Of course, getting to that stage will depend a great deal on what you have put on your CV, how it is worded, how it's presented. Essentially your CV is your own personal marketing campaign.

With that in mind, it's important to make sure that what you put on that piece of paper is up to scratch, and perhaps more importantly, truthful. Those of you who spent a few minutes or more on Wednesday evening watching The Apprentice will have been party to some very interesting interviewing techniques, and been able to witness a number of candidates coming unstuck to varying degrees when it transpired that the words on the paper didn't actually correspond with the reality of the situation. Those doing the interviews had clearly done plenty of background work to delve in to the past history of each candidate, and whilst it can be said there is some 'drama' added for the purposes of the TV show, the basic principle remains the same - they were looking into the marketing claims being made.

That brings me on the the interesting YouTube video. I am not going to post a link to it, nor go into detail on the content as it is likely that there will be some further discussion with the producers of it in the near future, potentially on a more serious footing. However the story behind it is quite simple - this particular company has produced a video promoting their product, in which they make a number of claims implying that they are the only company doing things in a particular way, and indirectly alleging that other companies providing a similar product are not doing so in a safe or appropriate manner.

The video prompted a host of angry comments to refute a number of the allegations made, which are indeed untrue. The producers of the video appear however to be maintaining that the claims made are valid, and that the tack they have taken with their marketing is right. I will watch with interest how it pans out over the next few weeks, but it did make me stop and think.

Here in Pembrokeshire Tourism we have spent some considerable time over the last few months looking at our own marketing, and what we are saying. We are working on updating and refreshing those messages to keep them clear and to the point. We are also making sure that all we say can be supported and proved.

With that in mind, when was the last time you looked at what you communicate through your marketing? Are your messages up to date, clear, truthful and able to be supported and evidenced? The savvy consumer will take a little time to look into things if they are genuinely interested in buying from you. If you are saying that you have excellent and consistently good reviews, yet the TripAdvisor pages suggest otherwise, who will the consumer believe? It may be that the likes of TripAdvisor are providing excellent reviews for your business, yet your website and other marketing activity aren't promoting this.

Getting the message right can take time, but it is important to make sure you do get it right. It's about you, your business and your reputation. Don't end up like one hapless candidate on The Apprentice who was told in no uncertain terms that the interview was over, and a thoroughly uncomplimentary judgement passed on his character. By all means make strong claims, big claims even, but make sure you can back them up and prove them. Then you'll be able to say, with confidence, that yes, you can stand by your marketing.

Pembrokeshire Tourism and The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

In the last couple of weeks, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) has been in the news as various bodies and individuals raise questions about it and the functions it delivers.

Pembrokeshire Tourism has worked alongside PCNPA quite closely for a number of years, and in recent months that relationship has developed as the Destination Pembrokeshire Partnership (DPP) has moved from idea into reality, delivering the Destination Management Plan. Many of our members run their businesses within the boundaries of the National Park, many operate activities in that area, and no doubt all of us have at some time taken a stroll along a stretch of the Coast Path which, after 40 years, remains Pembrokeshire’s most visited attraction.

In my view the National Park and the work of the Authority provides an enormous ‘platform’ on which tourism can thrive. National Parks are, in themselves, an internationally renowned ‘brand’ and the Authority’s work to protect and enhance the local landscape has made a significant contribution to Pembrokeshire being recognised as the ‘second best coastal destination in the world’ by National Geographic. Similarly, the Park Authority runs a number Tourist Information Centres (TIC’s) as well as its own visitor attractions (Oriel Y Parc, Castell Henllys and Carew Castle) and produces the always popular ‘Coast-to-Coast’ summer guide.

The popularity of the National Park is reflected in the recent 2011-12 visitor survey, undertaken by Beaufort Research on behalf of Pembrokeshire County Council and the Destination Pembrokeshire Partnership, which highlighted the natural environment as being “key to the visit experience with elements such as award winning beaches, a range of natural attractions and walking viewed as the most important elements of the trip and also seen as the best performing elements of the trip.”

As a result, whatever an individual may think of the Authority, its commitment to keep the National Park and Pembrokeshire one of the most popular tourism destinations in Wales is perfectly clear. As an organisation, Pembrokeshire Tourism are fortunate to work alongside the PCNPA team in developing the tourism opportunities and the Authority, alongside all of the partners involved in the Destination Pembrokeshire Partnership, remains committed to working together  to protect and preserve what makes Pembrokeshire so special.