April 2014

Delivering visitors to the Outer Hebrides

Who we are...• We provide lifeline ferry services to the Clyde and Hebridean islands • Our award-winning services revolve around connectivity, enabling the many

people who live and work around the network to continue doing so • 363 days of the year, we operate 31 ferries to more than 25 destinations: from

five-minute journeys to seven-hour sailings• We operate 475 daily sailings in summer and 325 daily sailings in winter• It’s not just passengers we carry, but over 1.1 million vehicles too. Everything from

emergency vehicles, livestock, and produce for export• In terms of routes and vessels, CalMac is the UK’s largest ferry operator and aims

to be the UK’s leading ferry operator

Importance of Tourism• Tourism is a key contributor to the national economy but perhaps nowhere

more so than the remote rural communities of Scotland’s west coast islands and peninsulas

• Community engagement and tourism development are not new to CalMac and we have a long history of supporting social and economic development

• Of the 4.5m passengers to travel with award-winning CalMac every year, 1.8m are tourists

• Tourists provide a much-needed economic boost by spending on food, drink, attractions, activities, souvenirs and accommodation

• The more new and repeat visitors we can attract, the bigger the boost

• We’re continually seeking new ways to support tourism-oriented activities

CalMac and Tourism• Continued support and participation of events

large and small • Support for Destination Marketing

Organisation and other island partners• MV Loch Seaforth introduction• Introduction of a new tourist-friendly route from

Mallaig to Lochboisdale• Timetable consultations with islanders

and businesses• Introduction of even more local produce• Working in partnership with providers to

enhance our GoExplore, Days Out and Rail and Sail offers

• Joint ticketing partnerships

Events and ExhibitionsLocals Events• Regularly support events large and small throughout

the area including the Hebridean Celtic Festival• Support ranges from organisational support

to Marketing and promotionSenses of Summer Roadshow• Series of roadshows at busy locations in West central

Scotland and Edinburgh over the summer• Representation from Outer Hebrides on standTravel Trade Exhibitions• Outer Hebrides also being marketing to Travel Trade

industry this year - attended the CTC Coach Holiday Conference, ITB Berlin, BOBI, MAMA

• Exhibition stand at VisitScotland’s Expo in Glasgow last week

New Ferry and New Route• Launch of MV Loch Seaforth which will operate between Stornoway and Ullapool,

has significantly greater capacity than MV Isle of Lewis• The ferry will offer passengers, cars and commercial

ehicles using the Stornoway to Ullapool route a faster, quieter and more comfortable service

• Launch of new, winter Mallaig to Lochboisdale pilot route in November 2013 reduces journey times to and from South Uist, along with providingan alternative means of reaching North Uist, Benbecula, Eriskay and Barra

• New twice-weekly service is one of a series of improvements to winter services to South Uist and Barra which, when combined, more than double the services previously available

Onboard Local Produce• We’ve continued to develop our onboard offering for passengers by:- A taste of the islands - We’ve given unprecedented emphasis to local provenance

across our fleet, tapping into the growing movement for locally produced, traceable foods and goods – and offering passengers a flavour of the destinations they’re sailing to and from. This includes Barra Atlantic produce, UU Trading on North Harris and Hebridean Brewing Company

- Cooking fresh to order - We now cook fresh to order in each of our Mariners outlets. Recent years have seen us create our own recipes and develop menus that can be cooked to order throughout the day, ensuring passengers of the freshest, tastiest result

- We also sell local produce on board for example Harris Tweed Products on board MVs Isle of Lewis and Hebrides

Our PublicationsGoExplore Holiday Planning Guide

• Continued development of GoExplore, our pre planning holiday guide• Dedicated section to Outer Hebrides area including island descriptions, things to

do, driving times, events etc• In 2013, approximately 5,000 copies of the brochure were downloaded from our

website by customers• 150,000 copies of the brochure printed in 2014• More customer-oriented design makes it easier to access key information • New distribution strategy for GoExplore 2014 ensures brochure will be seen in

tourist planning hotspots including trains hubs, gateway sites, shopping centres and attractions and cultural venues throughout Scotland and the North of England

• Agreement with VisitScotland to distribute copies via VICs

Our PublicationsDays Out and Island Hopping

• Creation and refresh of new Days Out brochure for 2014 whichincludes tours for Outer Hebrides

• Distribution has been reviewed to extend the reach and to target transport hubs, accommodation providers and a selection of VisitScotland VICs

• Creation of Island Hopping brochure• Includes information on the range of tickets we offer including

Island Hopping, Island Rover and Five Ferries Tour complete with prices

• Also includes inspiring information about the islands and network map

• Brochure has been distributed to our Ports and Ferries aroundthe network

eNewsletters and Social Media• eNewsletters- We regularly communicate with our customers and partners through

monthly eNewsletters - We currently have over 80,000 people on our CalMac Connects database- We also have approximately 50 email addresses on our

Destination Marketing Organisation database and we would encourage more

• Social Media- We also communicate regularly to our

customers through Social Media and currently have 10,139 Facebook followers and 3,992 followers on Twitter

Promoting the Outer HebridesPress Travel and Onboard Filming

• Provided free press travel for promotion of the Outer Hebrides. Included travel for features by German publisher Dumont Reiseverlag, Caravan Club, Cycling in the Outer Hebrides, surf articles, Scottish Islands Explore Magazine and freelance writers

• Agreed on board filming on Outer Hebrides ferries/routes. Including Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, Bees Nees Media, BBC Scotland, BBC Reporting Scotland, Middlechild Production (Channel 5/National Geographic), Channel 4, BBC Radio nan Gaidheal, Demus HG Productions, Solus Alba, BBC Gaelic Radio

Promoting the Outer HebridesAdditional Activity

• Created package for 2014 with David Urquhart Holidays involving groups travelling on foot from Ullapool to Stornoway, taking a tour of the island using a locally based coach operator and then returning to Ullapool later on in the day taking in dinner on board

• Free promotion including a mention of the Outer Hebrides during live broadcast for Ewen and Cat’s Guide to Scotland show in autumn 2013, in partnership with Real Radio and Visit Scotland

• Recently sent an invite to OHTIA inviting members to get involved with National Ferry Fortnight which is a UK wide annual event to promote travel by ferry. We suggested ways to get involved at no cost to themselves including inviting themselves aand their customers to join in NFF facebook and twitter campaigns

VisitScotland – National Ticketing• Prior to 2013, CalMac tickets were on sale at 30 VisitScotland Visitor Information

Centres (VICs)• Since June 2013, tickets are now on sale at 84 VICs nationwide• Our strategy? First and foremost, to make it easier for customers to buy tickets and

also, to put CalMac on the radar at the point of purchase and persuade those with no fixed itinerary to book a ferry trip

• And it worked! In the seven months between the national roll out and the 2013 year-end, ticket sales via VICs were 54% more than for the whole of 2012

• Currently and moving forward we are actively promoting our Days Out products and touring opportunities to the Outer Hebrides for sale through the entire VisitScotland VIC network (84 sites in Scotland), and also to overseas international tourism wholesalers

VisitScotland – Homecoming• Our 2014 Advertising Campaign will focus on VisitScotland’s Year of Homecoming• Campaign will showcase the wealth of great opportunities and attractions available

on the islands in this year of Homecoming• Using Homecoming 2014 as the catalyst, the main tagline of the campaign will be

‘If not now, when?’ - Tapping into the insight that thousands of Scots keep ‘meaning’ to experience the islands, but never get round to it

• We’re also offering a fantastic 5,000 FREE ferry tickets in partnership with VisitScotland’s Brilliant Island Moments campaign to encourage people to visit Scotland’s islands and peninsulas and this will include the following Outer Hebrides routes:

Oban > Castlebay and Oban > Lochboisdale Uig > Tarbert and Uig > Lochmaddy Ullapool > Stornoway

Work with us• We are supporting OHTIA, use them as a channel to contact us• Inform us of your plans, ideas, campaigns and aspirations.• Work with us to ensure fam trips and visiting journalists are welcomed • Deliver a warm Scottish welcome, which will make visitors want to return again

and again• Contribute to Connect Newsletter• Email communityconnections@calmac.co.uk to be added to our Destination

Marketing Organisation database which will keep you updated on what’s happening in CalMac and any advise on any opportunities

Summary• Tourism is a key contributor to the national economy and in

particular to the network we serve• Community engagement and tourism development are not

new to CalMac and we have a long history of supporting social and economic development

• Tourists provide a much-needed economic boost by spending on food, drink, attractions, activities, souvenirs and accommodation

• We are continually seeking new ways to support tourism-oriented activities

• Here at CalMac we put our customer’s at the heart of everything we do

Thank You