WelcomeNick Brooks-Sykes

Director of Tourism, NWDA

Regional Update

David Jackson

Visitor Information & Quality Manager, NWDA

Where we were…..

The Northwest TIC Network….

• 79 TICs in 2003

• NWTB Transfer

• LDNPA – TIC Closures

• Visit Britain Customer Contact Services

• Visit Britain TIC Standards launched inc supporting Action Plan

What we did…..Visitor Information identified as a strategic priority

Northwest Visitor Information Framework 2006

Visitor Information Infrastructure project 2006-11

The VisionOur vision is of world-class visitor information services that exceed the expectations of our visitors, provide a competitive advantage to the region, and that make a measurable and valuable contribution to the visitor economy.

£1.5M invested directly in the region’s TICs

£375k in Greater Manchester.....inc Manchester and Bury

£216k in Cumbria.....Keswick, Bowness, Ullswater, Whitehaven and Rheged

£216k in Cumbria.....Keswick, Bowness, Ullswater, Whitehaven and Rheged

£442k in Cheshire..…Cheshire Oaks and Chester

£122k in Merseyside..…Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Liverpool and The Wirral

£214k in Lancashire..…Lancaster, Blackburn, Garstang, Pendle and Burnley

Northwest TIC Training Programme

• £200k investment in staff training and development 2008-11

• 1000 delegates

• Almost 400 individual members of staff

• Training resources and manual

Investment in DMSs and Digital Innovation

To what effect…VII Project Outputs

• 8 jobs created

• 38 jobs safeguarded

• £2m public and private investment levered

• 1000 delegates trained; 400 individual staff

VisitEngland TIC Economic Impact Methodology

• £30M in incremental spend generated by the region’s TICs

To what effect…

Northwest and VisitEngland Mystery Shop

• NW - Ave 67.8% in 2006 to 83.7% in 2010

• VE – Ave 71% in 2007 to 79.7% in 2010

Where are we now?

• NWDA – Closure in 2012

• Restructuring of the traditional tourism support landscape

• Significant reduction in local authority budgets

• Biggest change in UK Tourism since Development of Tourism Act 1969

• TIC closures nationwide

• Around a dozen TIC closures within the NW region

Reasons for optimism….

• New models and approaches emerging

• National leadership, local commitment

• Recognition of VI within national Strategic Framework for Tourism

• National Modernising Visitor Information Action Plan

A window of opportunity to shape change and revitalise the network ahead of one of the most exciting times for tourism in England….

Thank You