Summer Sun = Happy Holidaymakers AND Happy Businesses

The summer holidays are nearly at an end, and the frenzy of last minute back to school shopping is reaching fever pitch. This year has seen one of the best summer periods from a weather point of view in a good couple of years, much to the relief of many in business in the tourism trade, and of course to holiday makers!

Coastal areas in particular have seen a significant upturn in fortunes, as have the larger attractions such as Oakwood Theme Park, Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo, Heatherton World of Adventures and Anna's Welsh Zoo (Manor House Wildlife Park) to name but a few. Whilst there may have been many day trippers in the area, there have of course also been those staying in the county as well, and so hotels, guest houses, B&B establishments and of course pubs, restuarants and shops will have all seen some boost as well. The self catering sector has been a little different in that predicting bookings has been more challenging, as the trend towards last minute booking continues to grow, but again, those who have invested in marketing and online booking facilities will have seen a healthy flow of visitors through the doors.

But how can we maximise the opportunities presented by a good season? Obviously, people who have visited and had a good time, nice weather and received good service are going to be feeling quite favourable towards the place, and more likely to consider returning in future. So, whilst they have that warm glow from a good time, what can we do to perpetuate that and secure that repeat business?

Many businesses hold customer data in the form of mailing addresses or email addresses, but then do nothing with it. This, and failing to collect the data in the first place, is possibly one of the biggest missed opportunities we see. With freely available software like MailChimp enabling you to create e-newsletters, target them towards specific groups and monitor the responses, it is remarkably straightforward to keep in touch with your customer, and send them newsy updates, and special offers to entice them back through your door. Equally a simple postcard or printed newsletter, whilst more costly, can also encourage your visitor to remember you fondly, and feel that little bit 'special' given that you've taken the time to get in touch.

Whether you offer a simple 'book by x date to secure your break at 2013 prices' or an additional night, a bottle of wine with dinner or a discount on a second stay in the same season, small gestures such as these, when delivered with a distinctly personal touch can really make a huge difference in terms of obtaining repeat business.

Whilst we cannot guarantee the weather, a good experience this year, will undoubtedly promote a positive response in the mind of the visitor. So even if the weather next year isn't quite as warm, by being well prepared with information about the 'all weather' attractions and options for different groups of visitor, you can continue to add to the positives that the visitor experiences. It really isn't rocket science! Smiles, providing appropriate information, taking the time to listen and sharing your good experiences with your visitors, all of which cost next to nothing, can reap huge rewards in terms of the bookings diary and end of season bank balance. What are you waiting for?!

 


Watch the BBC Wales News report on the summer season here.

Oakwood Theme Park

Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo

Heatherton World of Adventures
Anna's Welsh Zoo

What price a picture?

Type any random word in to the Google images search and you will end up with page after page of images associated with that word. When producing documents for internal use, or to assist with a school assignment, the simple copy and paste is quick and easy, and rarely given a further thought.

What happens though when you start picking up images and using them in marketing material, or even on websites? Again when the internet is flooded with images, apparently freely available, it can be all too easy to get caught out. Just because an image appears in the Google search or indeed elsewhere, that doesn't mean that you can use it for your own purposes or in any manner you see fit.

There are companies that compile libraries of images which are available for use by others for a fee. Sometimes the image will be watermarked with company name, other times it may not be. Either way, if you use it without obtaining the appropriate permissions first, you can suddenly find yourself landed with a fairly hefty bill.

There are however ways in which you can obtain images for use without incurring fees. The links below will direct you to the ShareWales website and an article about Creative Commons Licencing. Well worth a read - the few minutes it takes to skim over the pages, could save you hundreds if not thousands of pounds in the long term. Of course if you use your own images then you don't need to pay anyone, but the links will also give you tips on how to protect your images from abuse.

Don't get stung by fees - when you click on an image, think before you copy and paste!

 
ShareWales

Creative Commons

Oh What a Show!

The annual Pembrokeshire County Show has seen three very busy days for the Pembrokeshire Tourism team this year. In the midst of fields normally quiet aside from occasional aircraft, the three days of the Pembrokeshire County Show has brought together people from all walks of life, from across the county and beyond in a celebration of the agricultural aspects of Pembrokeshire, along with exhibitions, contests, trade stands, food tastings, and this year a very entertaining sheep show amongst others!

We have had a week of "Welcome" - firstly to our new team members, Dennis, Rachael and Gemma who all started on Monday, and have taken to their new roles like ducks to water. Between them they have welcomed a number of existing members to the Pembrokeshire Tourism stand, and a further four new members. It's been our best year yet attending the Show, and a great start for the team too.

We've had the company of a number of our members in our stand too, from Amroth Castle Holidays, Manor House and Signspeed to Hains & Lewis, Cwtch Camping and support from VisitWales and HSBC Bank. With plenty of visitors stepping in to our marquee (and not just to avoid the occasional shower) they have all had lots of people to talk to and share their business message with. Tomorrow we will be announcing the winners of the prize draw we have been running, with two training vouchers from Providence Training, and a year long membership with Pembrokeshire Tourism all up for grabs, it will bring the week to a close on a high note.

The Pembrokeshire County Show 2013 has been a great show all round. If you came to see us, thank you, and if you didn't quite get there, don't worry, we will be out and about around the county soon, and no doubt we will catch up with you then!

As ever, if you want to talk to us about anything to do with your business or membership, just give us a call on 01646 622228.

 

From left - Dennis O' Connor, Membership Officer South, Gemma Thomas, PR, Communications and Research Officer and Rachael Copley, Membership Officer North

Experiences are the new possessions.

Yesterday evening (Thursday 1st August) I had the pleasure of attending the Pembrokeshire Business Network AGM in the fantastic setting of the St Brides Spa Hotel in Saunderfoot. There were a number of highlights for me - the stunning view, complimented by lovely weather, a great buffet, good company and an interesting and thought provoking speaker (from whom I've 'borrowed' the title of this blog)

The speaker for the evening was Tim Morgan. "Tim is an internet entrepreneur. He founded Mint Digital, a London and New York based web-technology company whose clients include MTV, Sony Ericsson and Benetton. Tim has been involved in the creation and development of many internet businesses including Picklive (acquired by Sports Millions summer 2012) and Stickygram (acquired last month by Photobox). Tim will talk about innovation, the internet, and what he’s learnt along the way."

Now of course, Tim's business is very much in the world of technology, and so much of his talk was around how Mint Digital has developed and the ways of working they have adopted, and there was much in there that made me think about how we work here at Pembrokeshire Tourism, and indeed across the tourism industry as a whole. However, one line really made me stop and think - "experiences are the new possessions".

Different generations score success in different ways. For some, owning your own home, having a car, having the latest gadget or gizmo is a mark of success, and your success as a person and in life is judged by the quantity and quality of said material items. However as Tim pointed out, thanks to the various forms of social media, and technological advances with smart phones and more, the younger generations of today are more interested in experiences over possessions. Our society is increasingly 'throw away' with possessions replaced, upgraded or simply binned far quicker than ever before.

I know what he means. Whilst I do have a certain (relatively small) number of items that I would be anything but keen to part with, a lot of my greatest memories and happy times come from occasions where I am experiencing something - an afternoon on the beach with my family and good friends, a great meal out in a local restaurant, a day of thrill rides in a local theme park.......

Such experiences, in the main, involve input from others - friends, family, businesses, people. We are fortunate to live and work in an area where something as simple as a walk can create an experience for someone that will stay with them for the rest of their life, but we can all do so much more to add to that. Whether we are providing a coffee, a tour of the castle, an adrenalin rush on a roller coaster or explaining why conservation is important, we are all playing a part in creating an experience that will then be taken away by someone else to enjoy over and over again through private recollection or discussion with others.

We are of course able to apply some monetary value to certain experiences whether in the form of an entrance fee or subscription to an ongoing newsletter. What is crucial however, is that what the customer gets is seen by them as value for that money, and a worthwhile and enjoyable experience. Each and every one of us in the county can contribute to that experience, and in doing so quite possibly create our own experience to treasure too.

So the next time you are asked for directions to somewhere, or interacting with your customer over breakfast or dinner, pause for a moment, and ask yourself what you can do to enhance the experience positively for you both. Why not ask the same question of your staff and start a conversation around the theme - it may just provide a new, innovative, way of doing things that has positive impacts on everything from staff morale, to visitor return rates, to the end of year bank balance!

 

Mint Digital

Pembrokeshire Business Network 

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.