Argyll and the Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership
Stronger Together

Tourism Summit 31st March 2011
Report

Introduction

Tourism is one of Scotland's most important sustainable economic assets, which in Argyll and the Isles accounts for nearly 15% of all employment. It is recognised that there is scope for improving the profile of this key sector, particularly within a region of such geographical diversity. Whilst the enabling agencies and organisations have key strategic roles to play, successful solutions to the challenges can only be developed in partnership between the public, private and third sector.

For this reason, the Argyll and the Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership (STP) recognised the benefits of hosting a tourism summit  to raise awareness and understanding of the current opportunities and challenges for the sector on a regional level. The feedback and findings from the event would enable the STP to identify key priorities for partnership working and to help shape the strategic direction of the tourism industry in Argyll and the Isles.

What is the Argyll and the Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership?

The Argyll and the Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership is a collaboration of tourism industry and public sector representatives who collectively seek to shape and inform the strategic direction of tourism within the Argyll and the Isles. The partnership does not replace the original Area Tourist Board which was superseded by the creation of VisitScotland in 2002 but does continue some of the key roles such as;  Act as a catalyst for optimal development of the tourism industry Partnership approach to a better understanding of the industry and future trends Develop industry to promote the sustainable development of the tourism industry Assist prioritisation and promotion of the tourism industry in a sustainable manner.
The partnership is facilitated by VisitScotland and current membership includes;
Ian Cleaver, Highland Heritage Mike Story, Holiday Mull and Iona Calum Ross, British Hospitality Association (Scotland) Tony Bennett, Sail Scotland Fergus Younger, Argyll and Bute Agricultural Forum (Food from Argyll) Federation of Small Businesses VisitScotland Argyll and Bute Council Business Gateway HIE Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Scottish Enterprise Forestry Commission Scotland Calmac

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Argyll and the Isles Tourism Summit; Oban 2011 Over 120 delegates travelled to Oban from many parts of Argyll and the Isles to participate in the first event of its kind in Argyll. The focus was on two way communication, with industry leaders as keynote speakers and delegates participating in thematic workshops. The key objectives of the day were as follows; ? Inspire collaboration to support tourism in the area Demonstrate the work that has been undertaken to support tourism in the area Identify clear actions to drive forward a joined up regional approach to tourism
Below are the key messages from keynote speakers from the day. “Stronger Together”
Dr. Mike Cantlay, Chair of VisitScotland kick-started the day by acknowledging the challenges to tourism in 2010; the severe winter, Icelandic volcanic ash clouds, public sector cuts and the increase in VAT. Dr. Cantlay then outlined the opportunities and his conviction that the tourism industry in Scotland is entering the Golden Years. He encouraged the industry to realise the potential offered by the Royal Weddings, the 2012 Olympics, the 2014 Commonwealth Games and finally the Ryder Cup in 2014. As Scotland is now entering potentially its most exciting period for tourism for a generation, Dr Cantlay urged the industry to work together to exploit it. Dr. Cantlay stressed that he was delighted to see the Argyll and the Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership facilitate this type of event and endorsed the development of Argyll and the Isles as a means of regional marketing as this aligns perfectly with the new VisitScotland print titles for the area.
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“Collaborating for Success”
Paul McLaughlin, Chief Executive of Scotland Food and Drink emphasised the importance of food and drink as high value tourism products and cited Food from Argyll as a successful collaboration; a demonstration of what can be achieved. As a land of food and drink, regional provenance is important and he encouraged businesses to work together to promote visitors to eat and drink local produce as part of the visitor experience. Outlining his belief that food tourism is key to Argyll and the Isles, he urged tourism businesses to tell the fantastic story of local food provenance, particularly for international visitors. Selling local quality food and drink should not be an afterthought but a primary concern for relevant tourism businesses. Mr McLaughlin was very clear that partnership working led by the private sector is a prerequisite for success, and businesses must share information and build on existing activities and initiatives within the industry. He concluded by suggesting that tourism groups seek to leverage the collective resources of the sector, which does not need to come at a high cost. “The Way Forward for Scottish Tourism”
Bob Downie, Chief Executive of the Royal Yacht Britannia and vice chair of the national Tourism Leadership Group was clear that his message is to do the right things right? with a focus on high quality. He believes the most important asset to a business is the quality of its relationship with customers as this is the driver of repeat business. Another key message was that modern businesses need to embrace social media like Trip Advisor to promote their businesses and campaign for greater coverage for mobile phones and capacity for high speed broadband.
Mr. Downie was delighted to see the STP's approach to partnership working and whilst he welcomed marketing groups1 and local initiatives he stressed the need for a regional identity with clear customer propositions.
1 ‘Marketing Groups’ refers to all Destination Marketing Groups and or Destination Management Groups or other likeminded organisations.
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Argyll and the Isles Smile in Argyll Award
Provost William Petrie OBE JP was recognised for his dedication to tourism throughout his working life. Dr. Mike Cantlay summarised Provost Petrie's 60 year career in tourism and his key role in developing the local tourism industry.
Provost Petrie, who is currently chair of the Argyll and the Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership, received his lifetime achievement award from the Duke of Argyll who declared his admiration for Provost Petrie and his achievements over the years.
Provost Petrie had earlier stated that Argyll and Bute Council recognises the importance of tourism to our economy and the need for coordinated action across all partners in the private and public sectors. We must be positive in what we do and act in concert as a group to take benefit from this initiative. Thematic Workshops A number of workshops facilitated by industry experts allowed delegates to engage fully and give their views on improving the profile of tourism in Argyll and the Isles. Feedback Outlined below are the key points recorded during the workshops Joined Up Regional Promotion facilitated by Fergus Younger, Charles Randak and Alan Cameron of Randak Design Consultants Ltd.  Need for STP to be more inclusive and joined up Improved communication; information exchange/ transparency/ consensus Need for marketing groups to be more involved STP should act as a problem solver and utilise existing resources, networks and contacts. The STP should act as a lead for the area;
o e.g. facilitate presence at VisitScotland Expo
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o STP facilitate access for industry to existing research, knowledge and network.
o Work with marketing groups to create change of culture and mindsets
o Coordinate and lever influence and networks
 However, the STP should not seek to displace or replicate existing marketing groups.
Cost Effective and Practical Measures for Business facilitated by David Adams McGilp, VisitScotland. The workshops developed a clear consensus around events as a catalyst for attracting visitors. There is a need to be able to provide customers with the most up to date accurate information in respect of events. Actions that were identified are as follows; A central events diary accessible to all Social Media; some operators seeking guidance on how best to embrace the digital age i.e. web/social networking With increasing numbers of visitors and businesses using wifi or satellite based technology, lobbying is required to ensure that the digital infrastructure required is in place.
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Improving the Customer Experience facilitated by Bob Downie  Need to identify and understand our competitive advantage and convey to the market our breadth of offer Long term growth value linked to physical infrastructure and connectivity with a priority given to trunk roads. At the regional level, some operators are not sure what our key markets are whilst individual businesses are aware of their own specific market Consistency of customer experience supported by:
o Training
o Quality
o Provision of Information
o Pride in your service
o Knowledge of wider tourism offers within the industry
Food and Drink Opportunities facilitated by Daniel MacIntyre, Scotland Food and Drink and Virginia Sumsion, Loch Fyne Oysters. Consensus that Food from Argyll is an exemplar of what can be achieved in taking high quality food with regional provenance to the market in a collaborative effort. Challenges that were identified in developing food and drink opportunities include; Availability of supply; consistency and volume Seasonality is bad for hotels Primary producers not always sure about marketing Opening times of restaurants Poor service; visitors may receive a great meal but poor service can result in the experience of a poor meal.
The opportunities that were identified are as follows: Brand recognition on menus/ provenance Further collaboration Building long term relations in the industry Good service Distribution networks i.e. Forteiths Changing mindsets in industry to quality
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Knowing our Markets facilitated by Sue Crossman, Tourism Consultant and Audrey MacLennan, HIE
There is significant market intelligence available but this knowledge needs to be used more widely. More information can help create a better understanding of who our visitors are, where they come from, typical occupations and preferred mode of transport. Further information is required to better understand what their hobbies and interests are, what type of holiday they are looking for, what is their ideal type of accommodation and what would they expect to be the highlight of their holiday.
Through improved application of knowledge we can improve the products, for example, better cross selling or product bundling i.e. golf/ whisky, art/ wildlife. Through informed intelligence and cross selling, operators can market their product with “... if you liked this, you will like...” Question and Answer Session This session allowed delegates to question an expert panel directly. Chaired by Robert Pollock, Argyll and Bute Council's Head of Economic Development, the panel included;  Dr. Mike Cantlay, Chair of Visit Scotland Bob Downie, Chief Executive of Royal Yacht Britannia Paul McLaughlin, Chief Executive of Scotland Food and Drink Mike Story – Vice Chair of Argyll and the Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership
A number of questions were taken and the answers have been summarised below. Question; Scotland has been voted the second fattest nation, in a land of food and drink, is this a problem for Scotland? It is recognised that there is an issue with healthy eating in Scotland; however, this should be resolved through education. Scotland has one of the best natural larders in the world and the global trend is growing in terms of eating healthy food. Parallel to a growth for demand for quality food and drink as part of the visitor experience, businesses can charge a premium for local provenance. For people who want to get fitter or pursue active holidays, where better than Scotland where people have the freedom to roam and to eat and drink quality local produce.
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Question; looking at the tourism statistics of 2010, there is a conundrum; the statistics for high profile destinations are great, however, beyond these destinations and into Argyll, the statistics are poor; How do we remedy this?
It's not clear why this is, although it could be argued that Argyll and the Isles has never been marketed well enough. However, the new Visit Scotland television advert surprise yourself showing the sea plane flying over Tobermory is a great advert for the region. Other causes may include the current infrastructure or a lack of a joined up approach, for example, linking trains to ferries. Whilst there are a number of marketing groups, none have the critical mass to make a national presence. Collecting feedback from visitors about their experience is absolutely critical to understanding this conundrum. Question; we have a crumbling road infrastructure and poor public transport; how can we help the powers that be improve that? It is recognised that the infrastructure does not match the product on offer and the main arterial roads need improved. In the current economic climate it will be difficult to secure the improvements, nonetheless, the industry collectively needs to prioritise the priorities and be targeted and be specific about what we need. Dr. Cantlay clearly saw a role for VisitScotland in shaping national funding decisions and confirmed that VisitScotland will lobby on behalf of the region if priorities are clear. Question; for the proposals that are being discussed today, where are the resources going to come from By virtue of the current economic climate, this is a difficult question to answer, however, greater partnership working is being developed and we need to lever in funding or contributions in kind. Some EU money is available for rural tourism, however, these funding streams are drying up and we need to be innovative and identify new ones. Argyll and the Isles could do better and could be actively helped by the VisitScotland growth fund and benefit from VS's marketing expertise. With approximately 27 marketing groups in the region there could be a consolidation of effort. Question; what are members of the expert panel doing to market Scotland for the 2012 Olympic Games?
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VisitBritain is taking the lead with VisitScotland in a £100m campaign. £50m is from the public sector and £50m is from the private sector. Royal Yacht Britannia has developed a corporate events package. Scotland Food and Drink is working with Olympic organisers in the procurement process for food and drink. Others are targeting residents of the South of England who will be keen to get out of town during the Olympic Games. “Stronger Together in Action” Fergus Younger, Argyll Agricultural Manager, gave a short presentation on the developments of the award winning Food from Argyll. Working as a cooperative organisation, they have created experiential marketing initiatives and have travelled widely to major events to tell the story of the region through quality food.
Taking forward their partnership approach which was critical for developing a recognised brand for quality regional provenance, they are now embarking on a new partnership project with other food regions in Europe in a transnational project with funding from Leader Argyll and the Isles. To learn more about Food from Argyll, you can visit their website at www.argyllandtheisles.com Opportunities to Maximise the Tourism Potential of Argyll's Forests and Gardens Syd House, Forestry Commission Scotland, and Sue Crossman, Tourism Consultant, presented the findings of their recently completed study which concluded that Argyll's forests are well placed to benefit from current trends in tourism markets such as the growing interest in experiential tourism, the ongoing growth in shorter visits, increased consumer awareness of the environmental and sustainability issues, greater demand for adventure activities, and visitor desire for authenticity. Sue set out a number of recommendations to achieve the objectives of the study including;  Develop an umbrella tourism brand for Argyll Greater development of partnerships Strengthen inter-agency working; a joined up approach Establish an Argyll Forests and Gardens Forum
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Key Actions from the Tourism Summit At the close of the event, Calum Ross, Chair of the British Hospitality Association (Scotland) articulated the key actions that had emerged from the Tourism Summit;
Argyll and the Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership Prepare Tourism Summit Report with
actions identified Adopt an umbrella identity Communication and member engagement
VisitScotland and the Scottish Tourism Forum Lobby Scottish Government on pertinent
issues e.g. for infrastructure improvements
YOU Promote local in respect of provenance of products and services Consistency of customer experience
Implementing Key Actions for the STP Tourism Summit Report The STP has created this report from the multitude of feedback collated from the day. This report will be: circulated widely; emailed to all those who attended the Tourism Summit and posted on www.argyllandtheisles.com by the end of April used to help shape the strategic direction of the STP over the coming years
Argyll and the Isles; an umbrella identity The STP will form a brand identity sub-group led by Calum Ross to: develop a plan for delivering an umbrella identity, to be shared with local marketing groups and the industry co-ordinate a presence at VisitScotland Expo in 2012 under an Argyll and the Isles umbrella identity
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The sub-group will be formed by the end of June and will then report regularly on progress Communication and Member Engagement The STP will:  review its membership to ensure stronger industry, sector and geographical representation, by the end of May. form a communication sub-group led by Mike Story to develop a communications strategy for the STP by the beginning of June
VisitScotland and the Scottish Tourism Forum The STP will develop a lobbying strategy following the Scottish Government elections to: identify the priorities for road and IT infrastructure improvements engage the assistance of national partners to lobby for them the STP will be championing for these improvements on your behalf over the coming months of 2011
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Appendix 1; Analysis of feedback recorded on evaluation forms Delegates who attended the tourism summit were asked to complete an evaluation form.
Overall, how useful did you find today's event? Very useful: 41 (66%) Quite useful: 20 (32%) Not very useful: 0 (0%) Not useful at all: 1 (2%)
Did the event inspire you to collaborate to support tourism in the area? Yes: 60 (97%) No: 1 (2%) Demonstrate the work that has been undertaken to support
tourism in the area? Yes: 53 (85%) No: 7 (11%) Identify clear actions to drive forward a joined up regional
approach to tourism? Yes: 55 (89%) No: 5 (8%) N.B Where percentage total is less than 100, not all respondents ticked all boxes
How beneficial did you find the content of today?
Very useful Quite useful Not very useful Not useful at all Keynote speakers 32 (52%) 29 (47%) 1 (2%) 0 (0%) Discussion workshops 23 (37%) 31 (50%) 8 (13%) 1 (2%) Expert panel Q&A 17 (27%) 37 (60%) 7 (11%) 0 (0%) Networking opportunities 42 (68%) 20 (32%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Any other comments: All comments included verbatim Excellent well organised event and seemed to be appreciated by all I spoke to A well-organised & inspirational event Went to an Oban Tourism Credit Crunch Crisis summit 12 months ago which was poorly organised and descended in to individuals just talking about their own business needs. This has been a huge improvement – a proper agenda, professional speakers with hopefully as successful strategy emerging from it. Well done! Most enjoyable. Best session I have attended for many years. Keep up the good work. Congratulations to all We need more of these seminars to keep working together Hopefully an annual event – Tourism has been neglected to date in proportion to its economic importance Event should be annual, with benchmarks for future development of tourism in Argyll Mike Cantlay is an inspiration and perhaps overshadowed others. A great initiative on the part of ABC/VS – excellent workshops. Make sure this is the foundation – not the finale. Many thanks. Keep
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Smiling in Argyll  A fantastic event – a great step forward for tourism in Argyll. Well done Councillor Mackay! Very good event because of the number of different tourism businesses attending. Well run and most enjoyable. Interesting the amount of consensus there was across the workshops. I hope we have another of these events to keep the enthusiasm going Badly needed to make people aware of where we are and what we need to do to move forward together Very boring! Not a lot, much the same as last year in the same place with the same faces. Perhaps something will come of the day? Excellent event. Well prepared and delivered Really good event, great insights and excellent speakers Super event - pace setter in Scotland. Excellent occasion to discover/clarify area?s key assets/tourism potential. Great networking opportunity – so many key & instrumental people in one site. Inspiring forum for returning to base with action plan for progressing collaboration & engagement with regional suppliers & delicious, quality food! Please email report & keep us informed of further developments Imperative we get a brand identity & a brand manager Room for much growth in making Argyll & Bute a 12 month destination as against summer only. More tourist attractions open all year required. “Tourists are for life not for a season” Discussion workshops not long enough, too rushed. Looks like the Mid-Argyll, Islay & Kintyre Tourist Board needs to be resurrected I hope this meeting won?t end with good intentions and nothing happening. Annual summit! Where was culture and heritage? Virtually no mention of one of the key draws to Argyll and the Isles, which already contributes £millions into tourism economy. If it hadn?t been rated by delegates it would not have had any profile at all. Otherwise excellent!!! Workshops should have been larger part of day but the time allowed and (especially in the Regional Promotion Workshop) the facilitation/leadership on sessions poor. Randak used half the time to advertise their services, and frankly not very well. More interaction needed. Overall though, a good event, and compared well with the STF Edinburgh conference Action + feedback has already been identified True collaboration is key to take to next level. When is the next one? “Smile in Argyll” Workshops – could have been more interactive the two attended didn?t match up to the title as good as they could have. However the remainder was first class & the ideas/actions are what is needed. Thanks Very good forum – but who is to lead? Who is to provide the umbrella and the body to whom all the participants will look to join together I would like to see more emphasis on the gardens of Argyll, which are a very important asset – „Glorious Gardens of Argyll & Bute” More partnership working is required instead of working for the benefit of just our own area. Overall, I found the seminar very useful but a lot more work is required if we are to make Argyll and the Isles sustainable. We really must be “stronger together” but I believe that today is the start of that.....Smile in Argyll ? Watch the brand architecture – a bit clinical. Does not radiate concept of Argyll, OK for a meeting but not a way forward Very well organised – thank you! More sessions like this. Delegation circulation list with contact details in order to network further I thoroughly enjoyed my day and it has definitely make me think outside the box. Made some good contacts Workshops – not enough time allowed for interaction. A very good event but trying to pack in too many speakers
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? Too many “speeches”, more practical examples. Good that event happened, thanks for a good lunch Potential to invite a broader spectrum of businesses at future events. Need clear actions which are SMART. Good to see the Council taking tourism more seriously. Still not sure what the Tourism Partnership has delivered and plans to deliver in the future – quite light. Need stronger trade representation on the Partnership. Good to hear an effort being made to feed back day?s proceedings Repeat at regular intervals. Publicity/press/tv? Thanks for providing the day. A successful day Good food, pity about the supply of Welsh water, who dropped that ball?? More time on discussions please Good to see the Council finally showing a commitment to our area?s key industry. Let?s hope it is backed up with some financial/in kind support to promote Argyll and the Isles
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Appendix 2; Event Programme 10.00 Welcome and introduction; Councillor Neil Mackay, Argyll and Bute Council’s spokesperson for Enterprise, Energy, Culture & Tourism 10.05 “Stronger Together”; Dr Mike Cantlay - Chair of VisitScotland 10.20 Workshops – Session 1 11.00 Refreshments and networking 11.20 Workshops – Session 2 12.00 “Collaborating for Success”; Paul McLaughlin - Chief Executive of Scotland Food & Drink 12.10 “The Way Forward for Scottish Tourism”; Bob Downie - Chief Executive of the Royal Yacht Britannia 12.20 Q&A with expert panel Chair - Robert Pollock, Argyll and Bute Council’s Head of Economic Development and Strategic Transportation. Panelists include Bob Downie, Paul McLaughlin, Mike Story – Vice Chair of Argyll and the Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership and Dr. Mike Cantlay – Chair of VisitScotland 1.00 Lunch provided in the Main Hall by Food from Argyll 2.00 Welcome back from Provost, William Petrie OBE 2.05 “Stronger Together in Action” demonstration of www.argyllandtheisles.com Fergus Younger – Agricultural Forum Development Manager 2.10 “Opportunities to Maximise the Tourism Potential of Argyll?s Forests and Gardens” Syd House with Sue Crossman, on behalf of Forestry Commission Scotland 2.20 Workshop feedback and discussion of key points; Robert Pollock and David Adams McGilp 3.00 Presentation of the Argyll and the Isles Tourism Award; His Grace, the Duke of Argyll 3.10 Summary of the day; Calum Ross, Chairman of the British Hospitality Association (Scotland) 3.20 Closing Remarks; Councillor Dick Walsh, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council