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Bournemouth and Poole

Tourism Strategy 2017-2022

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Bournemouth and Poole aspires to be a World Class

destination. This strategy sets out the high-level plan to achieve this

ambition.

The UK tourism industry is sizeable and growing. It already

represents 9% of UK GDP, valued at £126.9bn in 2013, supporting 2.6

million jobs across over 200,000 businesses and is forecasting steady

growth. Bournemouth and Poole has a strong appeal, attracting

more than 10m visitors a year spending around over £¾ billion and

supporting over 12,000 jobs.

There is national recognition of the

importance of tourism as a key

economic driver, now operating

in a volatile and fast moving

environment. The challenges

of Brexit and an uncertain future

will have to be managed. The impacts

of recruitment difficulties will need to

be overcome and the industry must adapt to service a still growing

experience economy, that acts fast, books fast and wants the most

up to date information instantly.

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Bournemouth and Poole’s traditional core strength

has always been its natural environment. This appeal is

complemented by a good supply of accommodation, attractions,

conference facilities and educational establishments. This, together

with the many leisure and tourism activities and events, provides a

strong diverse offer across three primary market sectors - Leisure

Tourism, Business Tourism and Educational Tourism. Although

Bournemouth and Poole have strong individual brands, at times in

the future they can be presented jointly to provide an even stronger

appeal for the visitor.

The diverse mix of market segments and tourism

market sectors means that as coastal resorts

Bournemouth and Poole are less affected

by seasonality. The resorts have a loyal

customer base and their proximity to

London and the South and Midlands

with good road and rail links means

they are able to attract millions of

day and stay visitors.

Primary Markets

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Over recent years the age population profile has smoothed so the reliance on

the older visitors has been balanced with a growing increase in young to

middle age group. Families still provide a strong back-bone to the tourism

economy particularly in the summer. Bournemouth continues to deliver a

more contemporary offer balanced with the traditional resort destination

experience.

Overseas markets continue to fluctuate

in popularity between continents and

countries. Whilst greater visa

restrictions have been put in place for

educational visitors to stay in the UK, this

is currently being balanced by a weak £

that makes the UK an even better value

destination to learn English.

We must not forget that residential market is also recognised as highly

significant, not only because it underpins the profitability of many tourism

businesses but also because the benefits to residents help to justify the public

investment in infrastructure support for the industry.

The analysis of the business environment and review of the assets of

the destination has provided an excellent knowledge base and solid

foundation on which to build the most productive tourism strategy

for Bournemouth and Poole.

The strategy will cover the ownership and

adjustment proposals and the business

principles that will govern how the strategy

is to be delivered.

Developing the Strategy

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The strategy was developed by the Bournemouth and

Poole Tourism Management Team with research and advice from the National

Coastal Tourism Academy and Dr Philip Alford from Bournemouth University.

One of the most important and

illuminating steps in the refinement of

the strategy was the interactive

workshop with over 50 tourism

stakeholders in August 2017. This gained

a broad view of the most important

markets, the development requirements

to realise the potential the high-level

marketing considerations and the

business organisation and coordination

adjustments.

From this it was then possible synthesize the information and match the areas

of greatest potential with the strongest assets in the destination. The key

outcomes from this process concluded Re-affirmation of the three market

sectors - Leisure Tourism, Business Tourism and International Education.

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Primary Markets

From this analysis, the following primary markets have been identified as the

most productive for Bournemouth and Poole:

LEISURE TOURISM

Domestic – Empty Nester (over 55s) Product Fit Beach, scenery, cultural and entertainment activities and retail.

Health and wellness breaks

Growth opportunity Short breaks in shoulder months

Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)

4 (high spend out of main season)

Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners

Strategy Consolidation existing markets, improved penetration to open visitor Partners - Bournemouth/Poole Tourism BH Live, BIDS, Event organisers and attraction providers Coach Operators

Domestic – Pre-nester Product Fit Night time economy, retail and entertainment

or Romantic breaks, Activity breaks, Health and wellness breaks, Cultural activities

Growth opportunity Lifetime value of creating advocates of place. Main Growth in the Experiential Market

Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)

3 (spend low to medium, volume high)

Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners

Strategy primary consolidation, with secondary Product Development (Festivals events) Partners - Bournemouth Poole Tourism BH Live, BIDS, IEF BU AUB, Digital Businesses

Domestic - Families Product Fit Beach and beach facilities, visitor attractions & entertainment.

Variety of accommodation across the conurbation

Growth opportunity Feb half term, Easter, October half term and weekends (Fri eve – Sun eve) Mid-week for Pre -Schoolers

Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)

3 (spend medium, time restrictions)

Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners

Strategy Consolidation - with open visitors. Partners - BIDs, Bournemouth Tourism, BH Live

Day visitors - All generations (Up to 2-hour drive time) Product Fit Beach and related facilities

48% Family 33% Couple 15% Adult Group 4% Single

Growth opportunity Some but promoted out of season

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Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)

3 (appeal of wider destination)

Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners

Strategy - Consolidation existing markets, improved penetration to open visitor Secondary Product Development (Festivals events) Partners - Bournemouth Poole Tourism, Poole and Bournemouth Attractions Groups, Coach operators

Domestic – independents (35-54) Product Fit Soft adventure opportunities.

Suitable themed boutique accommodation Specialised Activities and events – may be with cultural Arts activities links

Growth opportunity Short breaks in shoulder months

Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)

3 (competition from abroad)

Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners

Strategy – primary consolidation, with secondary Product Development (Festivals events) Partners - Bournemouth/Poole Tourism BH Live, BIDS, Event organisers and Cultural attraction

Overseas – visitor Product Fit Base to explore Jurassic Coast, Dorset and New Forest

Growth opportunity Off-peak year-round, high value. Western Europe, English speaking, long haul

Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)

2 (volume low, spend high)

Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners

Strategy Consolidation -Western Europe, Acquisition Long Haul Partners - Visit Britain, Bournemouth and Poole Tourism, BIDs, DT

BUSINESS TOURISM

Conference and Convention - Delegates and Business Travellers Product Fit Good range of conference and meeting facilities.

Growing business travel stay offer – Hilton Hotel. Good Rail and Road Access from London and major UK Cities

Growth opportunity Off-peak, mid-week

Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)

3 (range of secondary spenders, highest with the Business traveller but high cost acquisition. Convention Market more potential to Bournemouth)

Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners

Strategy Consolidation – existing markets, improved penetration to open visitors Partners BIC, Business Events Bournemouth, BIDs, large accommodation, Conference and Convention Group

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INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Overseas – International Education Product Fit Good supply of well accredited schools

Quick access to iconic destinations – London, Stonehenge, Bath., Jurassic Coast

Growth opportunity All year-round but limited by current visa restrictions

Scale of growth potential (low 1-5 high)

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Primary Marketing Strategy Delivery Partners

Strategy Consolidation - existing markets, improved penetration to open visitor Partners Language Schools FE and HE Establishments Bournemouth/ Poole Tourism Bournemouth BID

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Whilst tourism is acknowledged as being a fragmented industry.

Bournemouth and Poole have an incredibly sharp competitive edge

with the proven co-ordinating strength of the Tourism Management

Board and established destination management structure. This

ensures a collective approach through the Bournemouth and Poole

Tourism Management Board working with both commercial and

public sector partners. Both destinations have benefited from

significant tourism investment from both the private and public

sector.

The interdependence of public infrastructure investment and private

sector confidence is well understood in the destination. Continued

collaboration not only between tourism sectors in the destinations

but also other commercial sectors, including the digital sector, are be

vital to ensure infrastructure and offer matches the rapidly changing

and growing market needs, particularly of the experience economy.

Industry Co-ordination

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The Tourism Strategy is not purely an industry strategy or a council

strategy. It is a unified strategy to give direction to all the

stakeholders engaged in tourism.

The economic factors will change over the five-year life of the

strategy so the intention is that it should be a living document that

will be regularly updated and adapted.

The delivery of the strategy will be carried out by all the stakeholders

in the public and private sector. This work will be coordinated where

necessary by the Bournemouth and Poole Tourism Management

Board and its sub groups. The professional tourism team will

implement the strategy through industry leading Development,

Operations and Marketing.

Ownership & Structure

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There are eight important principles that have helped guide and

shape the proposals in this strategy for Bournemouth and Poole:

➢ Cohesion - We will recognise the importance of unity of purpose, effective coordination and the power of collaborative effort with maximum engagement.

➢ Identity - We will retain and strengthen their unique identities in order to expand the benefits of the visitor economy

➢ Costs - We will aim to reduce costs whilst maintaining and improving service delivery and quality.

➢ Revenue - We will introduce innovative ways of attracting investment and increasing revenue

➢ Learning - We will share best practice and knowledge between Bournemouth and Poole. We will be open to doing things differently and learning from each other.

➢ Partnership - We will work closely with the trade and the public to meet the needs of our customers

➢ Responsiveness - We will be flexible and innovative to enable further evolution in a changing public and private sector environment

➢ Team – We will value the contribution of a dynamic, highly motivated and well trained team.