Setting the direction

The DMP needs to show awareness of all existing policies that have a bearing on the visitor economy in the area.

VisitBritain/VisitEngland strategies, as well as DCMS policies and plans, will provide useful ideas on actions that can be adapted for local application, influencing growth in the visitor economy or addressing challenges and barriers.

At a local level, the DMP should be seen in the context of wider policies and plans covering the destination that may have been established by the local authority (or local authorities, if the destination crosses administrative boundaries). These may include an overarching Community Plan that sets the overall direction, a Local Development Plan and/or other relevant plans such as for transport. Business Improvement Districts will have business plans and strategies that should be reviewed. There may also be other relevant strategies and plans affecting the visitor economy in the destination, covering matters such as heritage and the arts, sport and recreation, countryside management and access. All of these should inform, and be informed by, the DMP.

It is very important that key stakeholders have the opportunity to work together at this stage in order to consider the evidence, identify and agree strategic priorities and start to talk about actions. This may be best achieved by a central workshop which brings them together in one place. The main objectives of this are to:

• Present feedback on the evidence gathering and agree on key takeaways;
• Form initial ideas for future direction, working together to develop these further, including pointing to possible principle actions.

Participants at the workshop should be carefully selected and individually invited to ensure that all the key organisations are involved and a good balance of interests is maintained. All the remaining sections within this stage could be covered in the workshop.

SWOT analysis is a useful way of summarising the evidence and distilling the messages from it in order to inform the way forward, presented as a table, as illustrated below.

The response to a SWOT analysis is to build on the strengths, address the weaknesses (where they are holding the destination back), pursue the opportunities and minimise the impact of the threats.

The first questions for stakeholders to consider in shaping the DMP should be fundamental ones:

• How important is the visitor economy to the local area?
• What do we want to deliver?
• Why are we concerned about its development and management?

Visitor economy impacts can be both positive and negative, and these need careful consideration and management. This is about taking a long-term view, meeting the aspirations for growth together with the needs of local communities, businesses, visitors and the environment. It recognises that through good planning, creative development and effective management, all can benefit.

The DMP should recognise and set out the basic principles for the local visitor economy and its role in place-shaping, such as:

• Increasing economic prosperity and creating new jobs;
• Strengthening and improving the quality of existing jobs;
• Generating support for the conservation of the area’s natural and cultural heritage;
• Increasing income for local services and improving their availability and quality;
• Minimising environmental impacts;
• Providing a fulfilling and rewarding experience for visitors and local residents;
• Ensuring social inclusion – maximising opportunities and access for all.

In pursuing a balance of aims the destination should be creating the environment for sustainable economic growth.

At this point, the strategic direction for the visitor economy over the next five years should take shape. It requires thought and discussion to determine priorities and key themes. Priority areas and issues to consider may include:

• The seasonality of tourism;
• The spread of tourism activity within the destination – how concentrated or dispersed are specific attractions/amenities, which locations have the greatest opportunity and/or need;
• The balance of volume and value – the advantage and opportunities to increase spend per head;
• Prioritising overnight guests over day visitors, and/or strategies to increase average length of stay;
• Issues of capacity and quality of accommodation and services – the balance between filling existing space, making improvements, filling gaps and pursuing new development;
• Opportunities to make more of the destination’s unique attractions, local produce, events, culture or other assets and qualities;
• Opportunities to increase the level of tourism spending retained locally;
• The need to develop new services for visitors;
• The need to improve stakeholder engagement and joint working;
• How the destination will contribute to national priorities, e.g. for Britain to be the most accessible destination in Europe by 2025 and the UK’s aim for Net Zero by 2050.

The above list is indicative, not comprehensive. A key aspect of this is to consider current and future target markets. These should be identified in the DMP, based on a realistic consideration of:

• Existing markets, trends and the opportunity for change;
• Current product strengths and weakness;
• Development needed to attract different markets;
• Market access opportunities and constraints;
• How different markets relate to the strategic priorities.

Equally it is important to relate strategic direction and priorities, including market selection and product development, to the destination’s brand values and the way in which the brand is presented currently and in the future.

Vision statements may be expressed in a few clear sentences and convey simply what the DMP is trying to achieve. They should reflect the local circumstances and strategic priorities.

Elements could include:

• What the destination will be like at the end of the period in question;
• The relative position of the destination and how it is viewed;
• How the visitor economy will be performing;
• What benefits are being seen;
• Visitor levels, types, activities, and reaction to the destination;
• Levels of enterprise and community engagement;
• Change compared with the current situation.

The strategic direction and priorities should provide the basis for identifying a set of strategic objectives, which in turn provide the framework for specific actions. The strategic objectives should relate to clear outcomes. Quantitative targets for the overall DMP may be linked to individual objectives, for example visitor volume and spend targets. It is important to remember that the objectives and targets of the DMP are not equivalent to the specific performance targets of the LVEP or DMO as an organisation, although these may be related.