EDWG/93/19 · 2019-10-23 · Buckingham Tourism Strategy 4 Tourism supports over 19,000 jobs...

EDWG/93/19

2 Buckingham Tourism Strategy

This tourism plan is our action plan for delivering a quality visitor experience in Buckingham

and the surrounding area. It covers the period from January 2019 to December 2022 and is

designed to be a working document that can be added to as the town identifies new

opportunities for development. Buckingham will develop its tourism potential and strengthen

its identity by working towards a clear vision for the future.

This plan has been developed due to the Buckingham Economic Development Working

Group identifying a need for a coherent and long-term tourism strategy. Continuing the work

of Destination Buckingham, local surveys have been completed and visits made to

equivalent neighbouring towns. The information gathered has been reviewed against

national good practice and recommendations made.

Our Vision for Buckingham

1 Buckingham will be known for heritage and will work with well-known, local attractions such as Stowe to develop a joint brand.

2 Buckingham will have national recognition as the ideal base to explore the surrounding area which includes Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. Visitors will enjoy the central location of the town and good transport links to attractions across the south east.

3 Visitors will access a range of information on the rich and varied history and heritage of the town through the TIC, which will be publicised and developed into the main visitor hub for the area.

4 Buckingham will develop a national reputation for outstanding walking and cycling. It will be cited as an example of best practice in the way the town provides for the needs of these visitors.

To achieve this vision, the following strategic objectives have been identified:

a. Better promote and enable visitors to enjoy the natural and built heritage in and

around Buckingham.

b. Encourage and support and collaboration between local organisations and

business.

c. Strengthen Buckingham’s identity and profile as an attractive visitor destination.

d. Encourage existing visitors to the area to stay longer and spend more in the town,

attract higher spending holiday makers and broaden the visitor market.

e. Establish Buckingham as a year round destination, encouraging short breaks

throughout the year.

f. Improve our online offering as a town.

g. Increase visitor satisfaction levels which will encourage repeat visits and

recommendations.

h. Work with partner agencies to develop the sustainable tourism sector.

i. Strengthen and expand the existing walking and cycling infrastructure including

access and route guidance.

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Our Tourism Plan

By strengthening Buckingham’s offer and investing to broaden its appeal we will attract

higher-spending visitors and make Buckingham’s visitor economy more profitable and

sustainable for the future.

Despite being one of the few towns that is close to both Silverstone and Stowe, Buckingham

recognises that it could do more to fulfil its great potential as a tourism destination.

Silverstone attracts thousands of visitors each year but only a small proportion of these

make the short journey to Buckingham. Buckingham’s tourism offer is currently focused on

the retired market and more could be done to encourage visitors from a wider demographic.

Buckingham will modernise its tourism offer whilst maintaining its charm and independent

nature.

Background

The growing importance of tourism within market towns is evident. The visitor economy has

become and will continue to be an important economic sector. Our tourism sector employs a

high proportion of local people and contributes a significant part of the local economy.

Recent research from Visit Buckinghamshire estimates the impact of tourism in

Buckinghamshire as:


Tourism supports over 19,000 jobs locally

2,300 enterprises

Buckinghamshire welcomes circa 15.5 million visitors per year

These visitors currently spend £486 million

Source Visit Britain 2013-2015 – Three year averages (includes Milton Keynes).

We do not have similar statistics for Buckingham alone but the potential is clear.

Buckingham has a diverse array of shopping, dining, heritage and accommodation to

facilitate a high number of tourists. Buckingham currently supports five hotels as well as a

number of smaller accommodation providers.

Tourism not only supports business, jobs and suppliers but it is particularly significant in

market towns where:

Visitors help to support local heritage, culture and community services.

Tourism is a reason to conserve special buildings, historic sites and beautiful

landscapes.


Turning the Vision into Reality

Buckingham will be known for heritage and will work with well-known, local attractions such as Stowe to develop a joint brand.

Promotion and development of attractions within Buckingham. We have great

attractions (The Old Gaol, Chantry Chapel, the St. Peter and St. Paul Church). The

town should build on these strengths and better promote the attractions and activities

in and around the town; which could entice visitors to stay for longer. In addition,

Buckingham should develop new attractions and activities that are aimed under-

represented demographics such as young families.

Buckingham should actively promote itself as a Georgian town with heritage and

history. The Old Gaol is the most prominent heritage location in Buckingham and the

many imposing Georgian buildings are a very attractive feature of the town centre. A

“blue plaque” type scheme would be a huge draw for people interested in British

history as well as aspirational families and school groups. Guided tours, themed

heritage trails and ghost walks would all draw new people into the town.


Buckingham will have national recognition as the ideal base to explore the surrounding area which includes Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. Visitors will enjoy the central location of the town and good transport links to attractions across the south east.

Promotion of Buckingham as a base to visit the surrounding area. Buckingham is

central to a number of National Trust properties, sporting venues, beautiful

countryside and much more. Becoming the base to these attractions will encourage

visitors to stay in the town for longer and spend money in shops and restaurants.

Co-ordinated promotion of the town as a destination for independent shops and

dining. Investment should be made in guides such as a foodie’s trail, shopping and

restaurant guide (all of which could be online to avoid printing costs). Buckingham

should not be afraid to work with and promote our businesses.

Enhance the beauty of the town. Buckingham has a strong historic character with

many of the buildings in the town retaining a number of original features. Good

maintenance of these historic properties is vital to sustain Buckingham’s

attractiveness as a place to visit. Additional investment should be made to further

improve the appearance of the town. The planting of bright welcoming displays on

the main roundabouts and the commission of public art in the parks and other public

spaces should be considered.

Reach new markets. Buckingham currently attracts the retired visitor, but is not

reaching its potential in either the upmarket visitor or family demographic.

Buckingham needs to improve its offering in order to attract these new markets.

Visitors will access a range of information on the rich and varied history and heritage of the town through the TIC, which will be publicised and developed into the main visitor hub for the area.

Improve the online offering. A new visitor website should be the first priority. It must

be mobile compatible, professional and updated regularly with engaging content.

Social media can also be used to develop our brand, encourage people to visit the

town and promote events (Not just Town Council events; all events taking place in

the town). We should work with Love Buckingham in this as what we are trying to

achieve is very similar to the work they are already doing.

Rebrand the town and TIC - move away from a local government style branding and

market to people looking for a visitor destination. Look to places like Olney and

Marlow for inspiration. Create a specific marketable product that appeals to visitors

and use it to directly promote businesses in the town.

Marketing and promotion. Investment must be made to market and promote the

town. Development of our online presence is a priority. Buckingham should develop

a strong and exciting independent brand of its own, but should not be afraid to work

with broader organisations such as Visit Buckinghamshire to ensure that Buckingham

is included in their literature and online promotion.


Work with our University. Buckingham should improve its offer and marketing to

students and their families. Many students have family members visit them

especially around graduation. The Town should target them and encourage them to

stay for longer.

Better engage with our local businesses. Look for opportunities to work together and

encourage businesses to take responsibility for their self-promotion.

Fairtrade and sustainability. Buckingham should continue to highlight its commitment

to Fairtrade. Buckingham should commit to the 12 aims for Sustainable Tourism.

Buckingham will develop a national reputation for outstanding walking and cycling. It will be cited as an example of best practice in the way the town provides for the needs of these visitors.

Promotion of Buckingham as a walking and cycling destination. Much more should

be made of Buckingham’s walking and cycling potential. There is a need for better

promotion and marketing of the large number of routes and trails that are accessible

from the town.

New routes should be developed that connect the town with other local attractions

such as Stowe. Walkers and cyclists should also be made aware of other attractions

and activities available to them

Information such as - Where is dog friendly? Who welcomes muddy walkers? Which

venues have safe bike storage? Should be gathered and promoted.

Transport and signs. Tourism related signage and advertising in the town could be

greatly improved. For example, clearer and more plentiful signage to the Old Gaol,

Chantry Chapel, toilets and other amenities. We need to be part of the discussion

around parking provision and congestion and make sure that the needs of tourists

are considered in the Town Plan. In addition, we should encourage visitors to use

more public transport, walk or cycle therefore reducing the number of cars.

Buckingham should work with national organisations such as Walkers/Cyclists

Welcome, Cycling UK, the Ramblers and Sustrans to improve our offer.

Make best use of our green spaces. Buckingham has some fantastic and well-

maintained outdoor spaces. There should be greater investment to enhance and

promote them.


The 12 Aims for Sustainable Tourism

UNEP and the UNWTO have identified 12 aims for sustainable tourism.

Economic Viability.

To ensure the viability and competitiveness of tourism destinations and enterprises, so that

they are able to continue to prosper and deliver benefits in the long term.

Local Prosperity

To maximise the contribution of tourism to the prosperity of the host destination, including the

proportion of visitor spending that is retained locally.

Employment Quality

To strengthen the number and quality of local jobs created and supported by tourism,

including the level of pay, conditions of service and availability to all without discrimination by

gender, race, disability or in other ways.

Social Equity

To seek a widespread distribution of economic and social benefits from tourism throughout

the recipient community, including improving opportunities, income and services available to

the poor.

Visitor Fulfilment

To provide a safe, satisfying and fulfilling experience for visitors, available to all without

discrimination by gender, race, disability or in other ways.

Local Control


To engage and empower local communities in planning and decision making about the

management and future development of tourism in their area, in consultation with other

stakeholders.

Community Wellbeing

To maintain and strengthen the quality of life in local communities, including social structures

and access to resources, amenities and life support systems, avoiding any form of social

degradation or exploitation.

Cultural Richness

To respect and enhance the historic heritage, authentic culture, traditions and distinctiveness

of host communities.

Physical Integrity

To maintain and enhance the quality of landscapes, both urban and rural, and avoid the

physical and visual degradation of the environment.

Biological Diversity

To support the conservation of natural areas, habitats and wildlife, and minimise damage to

them.

Resource Efficiency

To minimise the use of scarce and non-renewable resources in the development and

operation of tourism facilities and services.

Environmental Purity

To minimise the pollution of air, water and land and generation of waste by tourism

enterprises and visitors.


Research

Detailed research has been undertaken. A Visitor survey and Business survey was

conducted to gather information, this is not included due to privacy reasons, but where

consulted when writing this strategy. Committee members also visited and assessed four

other nearby similar towns to see what we could learn from them.

Buckingham

SWOT analysis of Buckingham’s Tourism Offer

Strengths

Stowe within walking distance

Silverstone, Bletchley park, museums, Claydon house, Stoke Bruerne, Oxford,

Waddesdon Manor, Sulgrave Manor, Blenheim Palace, the Cotswolds, Stratford

upon-Avon, Warwick Castle and much more, all within an hour’s drive of the town.

Good transport links

Variety of shops

Leisure centre and good sporting facilitates (tennis at Chandos, Swan Pool)

Parks

Walking. And cycling opportunities

Cheap parking


Architecture and appearance of the town

Strong heritage

Independent shops. Hidden Quarter, Cornwell Meadow, Market hill.

Proximately to major city’s (Oxford, Northampton, London)

local history (Old Gaol museum, chantry chapel, old town)

Tourist information centre

Accommodation

Dining

Access able

Weaknesses

No train station

No buses to local attractions

Sunday shops and TIC opening times

Taxi services

Lack for attractions for young families

Poor marketing of the town (outside of the town)

Parking problems

Traffic

Signage to attractions and toilets

Develop the market.

Online presence – confused, not mobile compatible.

Lacks focus. Speak with one voice.

Opportunities

Build identity

Heritage and history tours.

Attract Young families and couples.

Walking and cycling

Improved town website and social media presence

Orientation visits for local accommodation providers and attractions.

Information boards in and around town.

Better communications between organizations involved in local tourism.

Joint working/networking meetings between tourism related organizations

Future development and promotion of the market

Better town marketing.

Blue plaque scheme

Public art installations

Activity holiday? Country walks

Coach companies, stop off for lunch.

Better information boards on all major gateways to the town

Eco tourism, and encourage business to be as environmentally friendly as possible

(Fairtrade and plastic free Buckingham)

Local food and drink trails

Local themed heritage trails

Local nature trails

Children’s park trails


Walks connecting Stowe and Buckingham

Better promote the parks

Tourist aimed events

Bus from Buckingham to Stowe? Bart bus. Other buses connecting attractions.

National trust tour, heritage tour, village tours etc.

Rebrand the TIC, reduce Town Council branding, and develop a destination brand

that will attract a higher spending visitor and be more inviting. Sell more attraction

tickets and create itinerary. Sell group tickets.

Online calendar of all attractions within a 10-mile radius on Buckingham’s website.

Promotion of Buckingham

Buckingham visitors guide

A guide to send to other TICs in the country

A better, more professional website, which is not town council branded

A consolidation of visitor guides for the surrounding attractions

Emphasis on the close proximity of Stowe and Silverstone.

More emphasis on Buckingham as a country market town, close to the beautiful

countryside of Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

Appearance of the Town

Better signage for visitors. Maps, shopping, toilets etc.

Brand the town, promote gifts from Buckingham,

Public art (perhaps otters)

More frequent buses (perhaps connecting local attractions to the town)

Develop the ambiance of the town (e.g. historic Georgian town. For example, bath

but smaller)

Floral decorations on roundabouts and on the roads into town.

Parking infrastructure improvements

Fill vacant shops with pop ups

Threats

Growth of the town. How to keep a developing town feeling like a traditional market

town? Or develop as a bigger, more diverse place.

Rents and rates

Resources (people time, and financial restrictions)

Confusion over the identity of the town – small market town, or growing destination.

Increased competition for visitors, what is unique in Buckingham? How to promote

the town?

Cooperation of business within the town.

Traffic build up as the town expands


Town Audit

The town audit of Buckingham was undertaken in February 2019 and covered a range of

services and facilities that visitors look for and appreciate. The audit looked to help the town

understand its current offer and identify any issues, gaps or potential areas for further

development.

Accommodation

The audit revealed that there are 5 large accommodation providers within Buckingham (4x

hotels and 1x Inn) and over 20 in the Buckingham area. Many more beds are provided by

B&Bs and guest houses. The other major providers of accommodation in Buckinghamshire

are camping and caravanning sites some of which only open for Silverstone events.

Buckingham has a very high standard of accommodation and no concerns have been found

with the range and number of places to stay.

Accommodation In Buckingham

Number No. of bed spaces, units or pitches

Hotels 4 152

Guesthouses/B&Bs 1 1

Inns/pubs with accommodation 1 19

Air B&B 18 26

Campsites 0 0

Total 24 198

Accommodation around Buckingham

Number No. of bed spaces, units or pitches

Hotels 3 117


Guesthouses/B&Bs 5 16

Self-catering 4 39

Air B&B 38 63

Campsites (Including temporary sites)

17 N/A

Total Further research needed

Attractions

Buckingham has a number of attractions in and around the town. Many of the attractions are

linked to the history of the area (e.g. Stowe, the Old Gaol, Chantry Chapel, Bletchley Park,

Waddesdon Manor) or the natural beauty/scenery of the area. We also have the sporting

heritage of Silverstone and a large number of food related attractions (Boycott Farm, Open

Air Food, Waddesdon farmers market etc.) Buckingham would benefit from a greater variety

of attractions in the middle of the town to bring people into the centre.

Events

Buckingham has a number of events throughout the year, mostly aimed at the residents. A

wider event once a year aimed at the visitor market could be beneficial, walking festivals,

history festivals, guided tours or carnivals could bring people form further afield. Arts and

crafts are also a big draw for tourists. Buckingham has a high number of talented artists and

crafters. The Literary Festival, Summer Festival, BAFA art trail etc. already attract a high

number of people. These events should be much better promoted both to bring in people in

from outside Buckingham and to encourage event visitors to spend more time (and therefore

money) in the town.

Shopping

Local independent shopping is very good in Buckingham and should be marketed as such. A

more cohesive marketing approach to the shopping would be beneficial and more

coordinated opening times could encourage people to shop more. A big draw for people

from large cities is the quaint market town attraction. The markets could be updated to

attract more people to use them. Local products should be pushed and local merchandise

should be produced to encourage spending.

Only a small percentage of shops are open on a Sunday or in the evening (5pm-7pm). A

push to change closing day to Monday and open most shops and attractions on a Sunday

will encourage more weekend visitors. A monthly Sunday shopping day should be

considered in the first instance. All shops opening and closing at similar times would also

be beneficial as well as perhaps a monthly late night shopping evening.

Dining

Dining in Buckingham is of a high standard and is very diverse. Unlike many town centres

Buckingham is not dominated by “chain” pubs and restaurants. This is a fantastic

opportunity and is currently under-promoted. Investment should be made to market the town


as a foodie destination. Options such as a foodie walk, a booklet of all local eating

establishments and better joined up marketing and promotions should be considered.

Traffic and Parking

Almost every response to the visitor’s survey mentioned traffic problems. Business owners

have also expressed concerns that the traffic in the centre of town has a negative impact on

the tourist experience and acts as a barrier, discouraging visitors from venturing too far from

the car park. This is a complicated issue and not something that can easily be fixed. It is

essential that the tourism industry and town centre economy are prime considerations in the

formulation of the Town Plan.

In the shorter term encouraging visitors to walk, cycle or use public transport will help

prevent traffic worsening.

None of the visitors surveyed specifically mentioned the cost of parking as an issue. The

main town centre carpark is very poorly signposted and not obvious to those passing

through.

Website and Online Offering

Buckingham’s online tourism presence is poor and disjointed. The tourism website is not mobile compatible and requires a complete rebuild. IMPACT, the company that designed the website in 2013 advise that the website is likely to break if we try to update it. It was decided at the time commissioning to not make it mobile compatible. This needs to be fixed as the modern tourist expects to be able to access clear and useful information instantly on their phone.

The website also crashes as after the initial few months from launch there has never been a maintenance arrangement for the site, unlike the town council website which launched in 2015. This means that there are several out of date plugins operating and without any overhauls being done the functionality of the site is creaking and likely to fail. It is recommended to upgrade the site to a fully updated WordPress based CMS which would make it possible to properly edit the content and create feature such as the events calendar our partners have asked for.

Inspiration for the website can be taken from the high-quality sites of Olney, Oxford, Bath and Burford.

Presentation

The presentation of the town is generally good and the town has a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. Greater investment in the planting on the roundabouts at the perimeter of the town would make the town more welcoming. The parks are clean and tidy and are an important attraction. A separate plan is currently being created for the future of Bourton Park and the needs of tourism should be included as part of that plan. The parks would also benefit from an increased online presence as well as an increase in features, art and events.

The bus station should be updated with a map of the town and attractive signage to the TIC and other attractions. The toilets and car parks are generally received well by visitors with the only complaint generally being that the signs to the toilets at the Waitrose carpark aren’t very clear.


Working with Others

Joint working between Buckingham, surrounding villages and attractions is very important.

The main areas for collaboration include:

Outdoor activities – walking, cycling and nature based tourism

History and heritage

Food and drink

Arts, culture and events

Business support and training

Destination marketing and promotion

Buckingham TIC and Buckingham town council can play a key role in facilitating this joint

working partnership and incentives to bring more tourism not only to Buckingham, but to the

surrounding area. Networking groups have already meet once, and will be vital in the

development of tourism.

Organizations that Buckingham should be involved with include:

Local Coach companies

Local attractions

#Lovebuckingham

Visit Buckinghamshire and the Chilterns

Hiya Bucks

Visit Britain

Visit England

Tourism management institute

Stowe House and Gardens

Claydon House

Bucks County Museum

Silverstone

Sustrans

Cycling UK

The Ramblers

Future Target Markets

Currently Buckingham is attracting visitors that enjoy heritage attractions, the natural

environment and local sporting events, people tend to stay in the area for just a few

days at most, or are ‘just passing through’ there is a lot to do in the surrounding area,

and could quite easily fill a week if the visitors have cars. As a result, the town should

concentrate their efforts on trying to get their existing visitors to spend more time in

the area.

As well as the existing visitors, more could be done to attract new custom, typically

Buckingham attracts retired people, for just a weekend, the town needs to attract

families that may want a longer break. Improve our offering to visiting children, or

younger people wanting more active breaks. Walking, biking, horse riding,

orienteering geo caching could attract younger people. An app for the town could

also be a big draw.


A longer term focus could be to attract a more cosmopolitan visitor. Higher spending visitors,

after luxury and new experiences. Inspiration for this could come from other historic towns

such as Bath, Chester, York or closer to our size Olney. Shopping, dining and high standard

accommodation is important to this target market, as well as a welcoming, clean and inviting

environment.

Audits of Other Towns

Other towns have been visited to determine what Buckingham is currently doing well, and

the areas that we could improve on. The towns where chosen because of the size, distance

to Buckingham and whether they have a market. Stony Stratford, Thame. Olney and

Towcester where the chosen four. The towns where judged using 5 categories-

Presentation

Vitality

Service provision

Visitor attractions

Gripes.

Stony Stratford Thame Olney Towcester

Presentation Cleanliness, Tidiness, attractive aspects etc.

-Fairly clean, tidy and attractive -Good, well maintained wide pavements’ -Multi use recycling waste bins

-Clean and attractive, except for some rubbish heaps awaiting collection -multi-use recycling bins -some tatty shops

- looked after and tidy. No litter but few waste bins -its history is prevalent. Clearly a market town with the market square being the hub of the town. -compact and flat -high number of independent shops (plus some chains)

- entering from south side on A5 it appeared untidy with traffic issues (large vehicles unable to pass each other) needs a by-pass. -some scruffy buildings on entering town, some empty shops and not very inviting.


-some older buildings sympathetically regenerated. Has seen recent investment -old and modern blend well

-overall clean and tidy -not many waste bins All buildings on high street where older, no mix of old and new

Vitality Number of people about, welcome feel Etc.

-Not busy -Welcoming, but seemed to be locals/shoppers rather than visitors/browsers. -2xsmall markets – 6 stalls in main market and 5 in the smaller country style market. -one way and speed-restricted spine road slowed overall pace and made in welcoming and safer.

-large and busy vibrant market signposted with flags, including as large and busy fruit and stall -most shops grouped around large square - no flowers around town, despite the provision for hanging baskets -seems economically healthy, but appeared to be few visitors.

-Town felt relatively busy -Market square car park and surrounding streets well used -shops quiet but cafes busy -Market seems to attract older people who shop early and rarely stay -the wide pavements and variety of little alleys to explore may have given a false impression of the number of people -seemed a good place to visit/shop. Gave the impression of being a thriving town with a reasonably affluent population/visitors -friendly atmosphere -one shop owner felt that the increase of food/coffee places brought people to the town, another felt that the discouraged shoppers.

- Not many people about at 9.30am although it did pick up during the day (shops opens t 10am) -Friendly locals, everyone welcoming And happy to chat. -The road was very busy with a lot of heavy lorries and buses

Service provision Range of shops, car parking, public toilet provision etc.

-Good main car park, six other smaller car parks (all ticketless and free) reserved business parking, and ample on-street parking -Reasonable range of shops (only 5 vacant that we could see) and banks etc. many independent. -Attractive arcades -Several different restaurants. -Public toilets a bit out of the way

-Plenty of car parking, (on and off street) with clear signage. -Public toilets (not well signposted) by cattle market car park -Good range of shops, including three supermarkets plus other chains in the larger premises which also had own parking at rear. -Very few vacant shops. -Not many coffee shops -No out of town shops

-Few shops, but good mix -Later opening (9.30am-10pm) - Parking in the main square and all along the high street, plus several other sign-posted carparks, free at certain times. -It seems on event days (pancake days, rugby) the town becomes gridlocked, preventing shoppers from coming in as there is nowhere to park. -Most shops are independent, very few chains -Thursday market is in the main square which reduces marking -Few closed premises -Most of the properties were owned by four main landlords who controlled rent.

- Few crossings made it quite dangerous for pedestrians, pushchairs and mobility. -Free parking near town for two hours -No evidence of public toilets -Good mix of cafes, antiques, dress shops etc., mostly independent - two banks and supermarkets in centre of town - Several side alleys to explore with some interesting shops but not well sign posted. _no central as market, monthly farmers market though -New development behind the town centre with library, council offices and coffee shop -There is a dozen empty shops plus more new development shops that need filling. -No Traders association -Rent reported to be high.


Visitor attractions Places to visit, information provision, maps, signage etc.

-Excellent schematic maps at several locations, showing car parks, shops, amenities, attractions, historical buildings, town and river walks. -Leaflet dispensers at some larger information boards at various locations -Historical information boards adjacent to signature buildings, with red plaques on key buildings - Well signposted but market signage could be more prominent.

- Poor location maps in cattle market ca park and town centre - \No stand out features and no evidence of things to do - Several trails and festivals (details from TIC)

- Signposting could be improved - Many notice boards sponsored by various groups - Visitor information indicates several small alleys to explore but these were disappointing, often just one or two shops or cafes. - Several notice boards along the side of the market square but much of the information seemed out of date (the town council board had a few faded notices on parking, recycling and best kept village) - We found a small park area hidden away behind the shops and although the rugby/football field and tennis courts nearby seemed to be little green space. -Online tourist information promotes the town’s history but it is not obvious what to look for. -A fixed painted sign promotes the pancake race with the date -The Cowper and newton museum and gardens on market square had leaflets and volunteers promoting it, but there is a lack of directional signage

- Little signage apart from brown sign to museum - Museum very good, well presented and some tourist information also available. Very knowledgeable about town. - Town trail £1.00 and some other leaflets free - The Bury mount beside the forum had been nicely landscaped, but there is no interpretation board about it (this information is available in the museum though. -As Towcester lays claim to be one of the oldest continually in habited settlements in the county much more could be made of its history and the museum better publicised by the town.

Gripes (If any)

The many steps, narrow entries to back lots, stairs to upper offices could prevent difficulties for the mobility impaired

No pedestrian footway in car park

-No trader’s association -Fast roads with few crossings could be hazardous -We were told that a. many of the older traditional shops had closed and cafes and hairdressers had moved in. b. footfall had dropped off considerably except to cafes and restaurants c. no council support for traders

- Poor signage - lacking flowers and other features that could make it look more inviting - We were told that a. there is very little support from council. the town council do their best but there is no support from district or county b. parking is an issue c. Annual food festival on racecourse in June not advertised in town at all.

What can we take from these visits?

- Multi use recycling bins

- Pedestrianisation of the town centre

- Attract more market stalls, or group the stalls more tightly to make it look better.

- Matching gazebos, flags, signs and other decorative features for the market.


- One off special markets. For example, a cheese market.

- Improve the cleanliness of bus stop, and promoting features of the town from there.

- Additional signage to the toilets

- Additional town maps, towards the Villiers end of town.

- Notice board outside Old Gaol giving annual dates of biggest event

- Promote the Old |Gaol better

- Improve signage in general

- Improve pedestrian access in the car park

- Improve parking, introduce free parking bays

- Advertise outside of the town, including at Bicester village, Stowe, on bus stops and

backs of buses

Buckingham Town \Visit

Presentation Cleanliness, Tidiness, attractive aspects etc.

Vitality Number of people about, welcome feel Etc.

Service provision Range of shops, car parking, public toilet provision etc.

Visitor attractions Places to visit, information provision, maps, signage etc.

Gripes (If any)


Actions

Priority Time-scale

Delivery

Lead Funding Related Objective

Website. The current visitor website is old and no longer works correctly. It should be updated to a WordPress based CMS which can be updated with appealing content and will work with mobile devices. The website will be branded as a tourism website not a council website. This will free it to actively promote businesses and events in the town.

High Short term

2 TC TBD f

Budget for advertising outside of the town in magazines and promotion websites.

High Short term

1 TC TBD c

Silverstone. Creating

events that coincide with

Silverstone events, but

does not clash with

High Medium term

2 TC TBD d


them. Bring more of the

visitors into the town

during these times.

Improve the signposting of the toilets. Many visitors struggle to find the toilets with the current signage

High Quick win

1 TC TBD g

Promote local attractions more. Vinyl stickers around the town asking if they have visited the Gaol or the Chantry Chapel.

High Quick win

1 TC TBD g

Networking. The next meeting for the networking group is currently being organised. The group will improve Buckingham’s tourism by encouraging joint ventures and promoting best practice.

Medium Quick win

1 TC N/A b

Food and drink. A ‘foodies trail’ has been proposed by #LoveBuckingham. Food and drink tourism is very fashionable and can be used to encourage people to spend more money in the town.

Medium Quick win

4 #love buckingh

am

TBD d

Advertising. A guide is to be made to appeal to people outside of the town. Advertising could be done at places such as Bicester village, Stowe and Milton Keynes. Bus stops, buses and roads leading into Buckingham could all have advertising on them.

Medium Short term

1 TC TBD c

Recycling bins. During the town visits it was noticed that other towns had better recycling facilities. Being known as eco-friendly could encourage people to visit.

Medium Short term

2 TC TBD h


Parking charges. Make parking free for 1 hour in parts of the Cornwell Meadow carpark

Medium Short term

2 AVDC TBD g

A large central sign for one or a few of the town council events. In Olney there was a hand printed sign that is a good draw for the main local event of the year. getting a local artist to create the sign might encourage engagement with the community.

Medium Quick win

2 TC TBD c

Coach tours to

Buckingham. Contact

local and national

company’s and

encourage them to visit

Buckingham on their way

to bigger attractions for

lunch.

Medium Short term

2 TC TBD e

Additional town maps. More town maps should be added near Villiers, bridge street/well street and the second entrance to Cornwells Meadow.

Medium Quick win

1 TC TBD g

Improve the cleanliness of the bus stop it is the first impression for a lot of visitors to the town.

Low Quick win

1 TC TBD g

Update the market. Gather the market stalls together and add signage. Improve the appearance with matching tents and tables. One off special market events, for example cheese market or clothes market could help to draw people in.

Low Quick Win

1 TC TBD d

Pedestrianisation of the town centre or more crossings. A crossing at Morton Road near to Prezzos would be very beneficial. Having a pedestrian zone in the centre of

Low Long term

4 TC TBD g


town could attract more people to the shops. One-way system around castle street, bristle hill and school lane could help with this. A zebra crossing from Cornwell Meadow bridge to the other side of the road would help. With access to the shopping.

Priority:

High

Medium

Low

Timescale:

Quick win - Less than 12 months

Short Term 1 – 2 years

Medium Term 2 – 5 years

Long Term Over 5 years

Delivery:

1 We can deliver locally

2 We can deliver with partners

3 Business Investment Opportunity

4 needs outside lead

EDWG/93/19 · 2019-10-23 · Buckingham Tourism Strategy 4 Tourism supports over 19,000 jobs...

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Transcript of EDWG/93/19 · 2019-10-23 · Buckingham Tourism Strategy 4 Tourism supports over 19,000 jobs...