Year of Adventure 2016Tourism Industry Briefing

“Wales is where the adventure starts in 2016.”

Bear Grylls

Background

Welsh Government recently announced a series of thematic years, aimed at providing a focus for product development and the promotion of Wales to 2018. The new approach launches with a Year of Adventure in 2016, followed by a Year of Legends in 2017 and a Year of the Sea in 2018. Thematic years are designed to motivate the people of Wales, galvanise the industry and inspire target markets to think differently and visit Wales now.

The Year Of Adventure

The Year of Adventure will celebrate Wales as an ‘Adventure’ destination, offering a wealth of outdoor activity products. This is where we’ll gain credibility, media traction, a competitive reputation on the world stage.

However, Adventure to one traveler may not appeal to another, and Wales’ USP is that we offer a wide range of accessible adventures for all ages, all abilities. This includes the extreme and soft, the physical and cultural: from pond-dipping to cliff camping to conquering a castle. Here, adventure also extends beyond outdoor activities to all kinds of new, enriching and life-changing experiences.

Wales’ Year of Adventure will therefore feature high-adrenaline Adventure, as well as a broad range of softer, more accessible, physical and cultural adventures.

Wales is epic for everyone.

Why Adventure In 2016

1) The time is right. Following years of investment, Wales is now home to iconic adventure places, events and products that are defining and achieving global stand out.

2) There is an opportunity for Wales to take on our competitors, and use the adventure theme to become a relevant destination, and a market leader in the UK.

3) The Partnership for Growth tourism strategy focuses on a product-led approach to marketing. This puts one of Wales’ strongest products front and centre.

4) Wales offers a wide range of adventures to people of all ages, all abilities: extreme and soft, physical and cultural. This is a compelling message for our key markets who are looking for a wide-range of things to do on their doorstep.

5) 2016 is the Centenary of the birth of that great champion of adventure, Cardiff-born Roald Dahl. Our theme is both inspired by Dahl, and a platform for the Centenary celebrations.

6) Adventure is exciting, aspirational. It is good for the body and mind. We want to inspire the people of Wales to take pride, to take part – for the benefit of our shared wellbeing.

Ambitions Of The Year

• Reinforce the Wales brand

• Begin the journey for Wales to become a leading European adventure destination

• Continue to drive a 10% growth in tourism to 2020

• Attract more new, high-yield and shoulder-season visitors to Wales

• Grow the sector in Wales

• Make people healthier and happier

• Create a generation of new adventurers

• To get a reputation for adventure that is safe, sustainable and ethical.

Target Markets

The ‘adventure’ theme will join-up Visit Wales’ activity across all markets in 2016 including our priority markets in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Germany and North America. It will also be used to inform any additional work carried out in near European mature markets and further afield in partnership with VisitBritain. Our key target segments include:

• Adventure Specialists – extreme and enthusiast (those with a specific or niche interest in a particular activity, such as Mountain Biking).

• Pre-family explorers, aged 18-35 who will be inspired to visit Wales to try out a new adventure and dabble in different activities whilst on holiday.

• Active family explorers, targeting adults aged 35-55, looking for a wide variety of things to do and to discover with their children whilst on holiday.

• Older explorers, aged 55+, with time to seek out enriching physical and cultural experiences..

The approach also includes a very strong in-Wales element aimed at supporting tourism, especially during the shoulder-seasons, but also at enriching the lives and boosting the health and wellbeing of the people of Wales.

Activity

We are currently in the process of developing an activity plan, and a draft calendar for the year will be shared shortly. The scope of work includes:

• Working with a range of adventure Ambassadors to build the profile of the Year

• Investing in new, adventure-related capital programmes

• A major marketing campaign with an adventure theme

• B2B activity celebrating adventure, and also looking ahead to future themes

• PR and press visits showcasing the best of adventure in Wales

• Developing a programme of events – such as a Great Week/end of Adventure during the spring, 2016

• Working on quality assurance initiatives to underpin the approach

• Approaching partners to collaborate with Visit Wales on key strands of activity

• Developing a programme of Roald Dahl Centenary events and celebrations

• Supporting destination-led activity via the Regional Tourism Engagement Fund

• Developing supporting initiatives beyond tourism to add depth to the year.

Working With The Industry

The industry in Wales is invited to take part in the Year. We are looking for fewer, bigger, better iconic, brand-defining events and experiences, underpinned by a wealth of supporting attractions on the ground, throughout the year, in all parts of the country. Welsh Government has support schemes to back ideas, please contact your relevant regional team to discuss any project ideas

Further information is available at: http://business.wales.gov.uk/dmwales/support/investment-support

Top Ideas For Making It A Year Of Adventure

1. Think ahead: start planning; spread the word amongst your guests; start developing content for 2016 this summer.

2. Add small touches to give your guests a taste of adventure: pin up a giant map of the best walking routes in your area; supply wellies; introduce an adventure-breakfast.

3. Create magical micro-adventures for your youngest guests: a big welcome adventure box; a Roald Dahl-inspired bookshelf; and think about installing dens and rope-swings.

4. Work with other local businesses to provide your guests with information about all the

adventures that are available to them when on holiday and consider formalising these partnerships by creating joint itineraries or even packages for guests.

5. Run adventure-themed campaigns and promote the calendar of events.

6. Educate and enthuse your staff, so that they are aware of adventure providers and activities in your area.

7. Work with other local businesses to identify opportunities to put on adventure events in your area – especially around the proposed Great Week/end of Adventure.

8. Consider offering Visit Wales the opportunity to bring journalists to your business – or an adventure-packed competition prize for one of our campaigns.

9. Follow the Visit Wales industry Twitter feed (@visitwalesbiz).

10. Follow Visit Wales’ consumer social media feeds and look out for special Year of Adventure content. Encourage all your visitors to follow us too:

Facebook – facebook.com/visitwales

Twitter – @visitwales

Instagram – @visitwales

Vine – #visitwales

Pinterest – https://uk.pinterest.com/visitwales/

11. Upload adventure content to your digital platforms, and share with Visit Wales.

12. Let us know about your adventure product or event by emailing yearofadventure@wales.gsi.gov.uk now.

If you are a tourism provider, consider innovating with new adventure-themed marketing or event concepts, or by adding a new product or experience to your offering.

WG25867 / © Crown copyright 2015

Thematic years are about bringing an industry together behind a common goal.

Please take pride, and take part.