Understanding Tourism Locally
Destination Organisations
Destination Organisations are responsible for the organisation of tourism in a specific area. There are a number of different types of Destination Organisations across the country sometimes based on public administrative boundaries but often made up of several smaller areas which share a common identity. They vary significantly in their make up in terms of public-private support and the services they offer. Your local Destination Organisation should be able to provide you with some or all of the following:
- Information on volume, value and characteristics of tourism in your area
- Networking opportunities with other tourism businesses
- Promotional opportunities through websites, brochures and other materials
- Access to tourism conferences and events
If you are not sure who looks after tourism in your area click on the interactive map here to obtain contact details of your local organisation.
How Important is Tourism in your Area?
Most Destination Organisations commission some research into the volume and value of visitors to their area which should be available to local businesses. This will give you some idea why visitors come to your area – for example business, holiday or short breaks, how long they stay and where they come from. It may also tell you how seasonal business is in your area and how seasonality varies with different sectors. Knowing about the relative importance of different sectors will help you to focus both on product development and marketing. For example, business travellers have quite different needs from leisure customers so you need to know how important business tourism is in your area.
If your local Destination Organisation does not provide this you can get some relatively local tourism statistics from VisitEngland’s website. This site provides basic tourism volume and value statistics for local authorities, counties and LEPs across the country.
Networking
In most tourist areas there are trade bodies which meet to share ideas and organise joint marketing. This is a really useful way of finding out what is going on, who your competition is and whether there are opportunities for partnerships and packages locally. Contact your local destination organisation for more information.
Trends
Tourism is a constantly changing sector and to compete effectively all businesses need to be aware of what the current trends are and what the future might hold. Understanding digital communications is particularly relevant in the accommodation sector – being aware of changes and adapting business practices accordingly in website development, Search Engine Optimisation and the latest social media will help to keep you ahead of your competition.
Keep an eye on the NCTA Resource Hub for new research and reports and sign up for alerts from VisitEngland and your local tourism organisation. Domestic Leisure Trends for the Next Decade – a report commissioned by VisitEngland contains useful insights and can be downloaded from the resources section of their website or on the coastal tourism academy website.