SCARBOROUGH BOROUGH COUNCIL

Policy Visitor Economy Strategy – Action Plan

Updated September 2018

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Author Janet Deacon Owner Janet Deacon Protective Marking NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Cabinet Approval Date 17/6/2014 Council Approval Date 17/6/2014 Policy Date/Period Three year action plan annually – Strategy update 2024 Policy Review Frequency Annually

REVIEW HISTORY

Date Reviewed By Version Any Revisions? 3/1/2019 J Deacon 1 Three year action

plan

REVISION HISTORY (only required where changes made)

Date Revised By Version Description of Revision

DOCUMENT REVISION APPROVALS

Version Approval Date 1.0 Cabinet 17/6/2014

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APPENDIX A

“BUILDING a FUTURE”

a

VISITOR ECONOMY STRATEGY

for the

BOROUGH of SCARBOROUGH

2014-2024

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Contents Pages

Foreword 3-4

Why we need a strategy?

- Introduction 5-6

Where are we now?

- The Local Picture 7- 14

- The County Perspective 15 - 22

- The National Context 23 - 37

Where are we going?

- The Vision 38

- Mission 38

- Key Principles 38 - 39

How are we going to get there?

- Priorities for Action 40 - 47

Getting there?

- Achieving the strategic vision 48

References and further reading 49 - 50

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FOREWORD

“Achieving our goals”

Whilst the Borough of Scarborough still has many challenges to face, it equally has a lot to offer the visitor with its 45 miles of beautiful heritage coastline; the North York Moors National Park with its stunning scenery; the magnificent resorts of Filey, Whitby and Scarborough with their individual charm offering wonderful heritage, arts and cultural experiences; unique year round events and festivals, which celebrate the essence of the Yorkshire Coast; and not forgetting the delicious food and drink locally sourced and served with a friendly face and a genuine warm welcome.

Therefore, it was no surprise that in 2009 Scarborough won the coveted title of Europe`s Most Enterprising Place and a year later was awarded by The Academy of Urbanism first place in the “The Great Town” category. Even way back in 2002 Scarborough was voted a Gold Winner at the Excellence in England awards for “Resort of the Year” for its innovation in creating the first inspected only holiday guide of any resort in the country.

Looking to the future, Yorkshire staging the Tour de France`s Grand Depart next July will certainly help to showcase the Yorkshire Coast to a world-wide television audience estimated a 3.5 billion people. Similarly, the awarding of the UK City of Culture to Hull in 2017 will also focus attention nationally and internationally on the artistic and cultural excellence created in this part of the County. The events programme alone is expected to bring in an extra £184 million of tourism spending between 2015 and 2020, with a different event planned for every day of the year.

The importance of the visitor economy to the Borough cannot be over stated with visitor spend in 2012 running at £470 million, supporting almost 15,520 jobs (i). The visitor economy is one of the few areas demonstrating real growth potential to the wider economy. In fact, one third of all jobs created in the UK between 2010-12 were in tourism (ii).

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In this, the first ever Visitor Economy Strategy for the Borough of Scarborough, it describes and quantifies the current visitor assets, the reasons why 6.5 million tourism day trips are made to the area every year, the challenges that lie ahead, the strategic direction to be taken by working in partnership, and those all important actions that need to be delivered to turn the vision into reality over the next 10 years. The task will not be an easy one and inevitably there will be obstacles to overcome, as well as new opportunities to embrace.

But this is a journey that everyone associated with the visitor economy has to be committed to pursuing; so that by 2024 the Yorkshire Coast will not only offer a great visitor experience but will be a true destination of choice for potential visitors. We all understand that visitors are becoming more discerning and competition is growing in a rapidly changing global marketplace; so the industry must continue to invest to raise the quality on offer or risk losing out on this lucrative business.

Coastal communities play a vital role in the UK economy and this 10-year blueprint will help the Yorkshire Coast unleash its growth potential that can only be harnessed locally. Our vision is shared by the Local Enterprise Partnership, who will help enable it with investment for business improvement and infrastructure. Everyone must get behind this strategy to make it happen, from local businesses, social enterprises, charities and voluntary organisations, together with the Borough and County Council.

Councillor David Chance, Barry Dodd, OBE, Portfolio Holder Tourism and Culture Chair of the Enterprise

Partnership-York/North Yorkshire/East Riding.

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Why we need a Strategy?

"Building Blocks"

Introduction

1.1 Throughout the four years of the Borough’s previous tourism strategy (2011 – 2014), significant strides forward were made in the face of changing market demand and increasing competition. The previous strategy highlighted the need to be aware of the changing markets and the need to improve the visitor offer in order to meet new market demands. The renaissance programme provided the perfect vehicle for this to be achieved with major improvements being made to the Scarborough Spa, Whitby Marina, Scarborough Harbour and the Scarborough Sand’s phase one development and the part played by the wider arts, cultural, heritage, and leisure attractions.

1.2. The massive investment in both public and private sector businesses has enabled the Borough to continue to be marketed as a world class visitor destination and has resulted in encouraging additional inward investment. Over 80% of businesses in the sector are small to medium sized enterprises (SME`s) or micro-businesses and have found the trading conditions tough since 2008. Nonetheless, research undertaken in July 2013 by Hull University Business School into stakeholder perceptions of the competitiveness of the Borough found an emergent positive outlook, particularly if actions were taken to offset the negative and neutral perceptions (iii).

1.3 Generally speaking, while visitors chose to take fewer overnight trips, leisure activities remained important to them, and this was underlined in the Borough with around 6.5 million tourism day visits taken to the area in 2012 up 9% on the previous year, with spending up a staggering 23% to £200 million (iv).The visitor economy in the UK’s overall financial context is often underestimated. It’s the country’s third highest export earner behind chemicals and financial services and it’s the 5th or 6th biggest sector of the economy, behind manufacturing and retail but ahead of construction.

1.4 It generates £97bn of direct business for the economy each year, contributes £115bn to Gross Domestic Product when you include the supply chain and £52bn directly and is one of the Country’s biggest employers, with over 200,000 businesses providing 1.36 million jobs or 4.4% of all employment (v). Taken together, domestic and inbound visitors spent over £84 billion in England in 2012, a 10% increase on 2011. Over the two years since 2010, year on year growth has averaged 8.7%, against the projected Visit England target of 5%, and well ahead of the performance in the wider economy (vi).

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1.5 It is clearly a key component of the Borough`s economy currently supporting over 18.9% of jobs in Scarborough (vii). In regional terms,“5 years. 5 ways we will grow the Yorkshire brand” - Welcome to Yorkshire`s current 5-year strategy, highlights the key contribution that it plays in boosting the region’s prosperity, which in terms of gross value added (GVA) in the Yorkshire and Humber area represents 33.7% (viii). Given the inter-relationships between the different elements of the visitor economy in Yorkshire (which range from heritage to hospitality) the only way that it will strengthen is if the private and public partners continue to work very closely together. To achieve this there needs to be a strategy and action plans to guide and give direction to these efforts.

1.6 Together the Visitor Economy Strategy (VES) and the 3-year Action Plan will :-

• Define priorities for action and identify public and private sectorinvestment to create more jobs and improve the quality offacilities.

• Provide closer working relationships between the public, privateand voluntary sectors, Welcome to Yorkshire, the National Parkand neighboring local authorities.

• Show how investment in the visitor experience enhances thequality of life on the Yorkshire Coast for visitors and residentsalike.

• Make a clear commitment to promoting the expansion of thevisitor economy, whilst at the same time safeguarding andimproving the natural environment and built heritage.

• Increase awareness and appreciation of the Yorkshire Coastproduct.

1.7 Interestingly, Visit England commissioned Trajectory, a leading insight and futures consultancy, in 2013 to help identify the trends that will influence domestic tourism over the coming years. The report "Domestic Leisure Tourism Trends for the Next Decade" is an interesting read and presents the results into five groups - demographic, economic, technological, consumer and tourism-related (ix). Whilst no one really knows what the future holds, understanding the factors that are likely to influence our visitors in the years ahead we can certainly put ourselves in a better position to succeed.

1.8 To summarise, the visitor economy is, by nature, fragmented. Over 80% of businesses are small or lifestyle businesses within the sector. The visitor experience is similarly provided by a range of different commercial operators, together with the local authorities and other publicly funded organisations. So there is a vital need for partnership working between the public, private and voluntary sectors when planning, developing, managing and promoting the visitor economy. Collaborations should be forged at a strategic and operational level; built around practical actions and solutions.

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Where are we now? “Laying foundations” The Local Picture Scarborough Borough Council 2.1.1 Scarborough Borough Council’s vision is ‘to achieve the renaissance of

the North Yorkshire Coast by 2020’ and as part of its Corporate Plan 2011-2016, its ambition is “To be the best” and the plan sets out how this vision will be achieved over the next five years (x). It focuses on delivery against four key aims:-

1. Safe and Healthy; 2. Prosperous; 3. Inclusive and Vibrant; and 4. Quality Environments.

2.1.2 The key aims in which the visitor economy will contribute are building a

"Prosperous" community, through the development of a strong and diverse economy and delivering sustainable initiatives. The second aim in which the visitor economy will play an important part is "Inclusive and Vibrant" through the development and participation in sports, arts and cultural activities delivering accessible services. Thirdly, "Quality Environments" are a crucial element of the product offer and an important part of what attracts visitors to the area in the first place. It is

recognised that the visitor economy will continue to play an important role in enhancing local pride, community cohesion and inward investment. Equally it is imperative that residents understand the significance of the visitor economy to the Borough and the part they can play in its future.

2.1.3 Within the Borough, the visitor economy in 2012 contributed £470m to the local economy in terms of visitor spend and supported in the region of fifteen and a half thousand jobs. In the same year, Scarborough was identified as the third most important destination in the UK for domestic overnight stays, behind London and Blackpool but ahead of Great Yarmouth, Torquay and Bournemouth (xi). Across the Yorkshire area the Borough hosts the highest proportion of staying visitors, accommodating 22% of all overnight visitors. 2.1.4 There are nearly 1,000 accommodation establishments inspected under the national quality assurance schemes, and a number of large holiday parks. A superb range of visitor attractions, including a wealth of tourism, creative, heritage and leisure attractions, particularly sea based water sports facilities, are very popular with visitors, especially day visitors. Also on offer are high quality dining and cultural experiences,

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coupled with a vibrant night-time economy of pubs, clubs and bars, as well as a diverse range of theatre and entertainment complexes. Quirky, unique and traditional shops, ideal for retail therapy and within easy reach of cities, such as York and Leeds for days out.

2.1.5 The Borough’s high levels of repeat visitors indicate a strong core market, who are attracted to the natural beauty of the area, including the North York Moors National Park, the 45 miles of heritage coastline, and its traditional seaside towns. The area is also developing new markets and is becoming increasing well regarded for its surfing and youth culture and its festivals and events and these combinations of products attract a younger, newer audience who are beginning to change the overall perception of the area.

2.1.6 Whitby continues to achieve national and international acclaim for its unique combination of maritime, literary, ecclesiastical and geological heritage, combined with contemporary cultural offerings and excellent dining experiences, as well as the quaint and quirky shopping experience which is becoming a key part of Whitby’s attractiveness during all seasons. In this way the town represents an experience that is hard to come by elsewhere. Filey continues to provide a distinct and attractive tourism product within the area with its strengths focusing on classic Victorian Promenade, heritage and nature. Scarborough is still regarded as the "Queen of the Yorkshire Coast" and its attractions and facilities ranging from museums and galleries to open air theatre and parks are a big hit with the families. Scarborough Fair, made famous by Simon and Garfunkel in the 1960`s, dates back to 1253 when King Henry III granted the town a charter to hold a yearly fair for 45-days in the late summer.

2.1.7 Filey`s local history museum in Queen Street in the old town, Whitby Museum situated in the picturesque Pannett Park and not forgetting the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, gold winner of VisitEngland`s Awards for Excellence in 2013 for the best small visitor attraction, the Rotunda and Scarborough Art Gallery are all key assets to the Borough. The Borough’s rich maritime heritage is also hugely important in promoting the destination offer.

2.1.8 Undoubtedly, entertainment plays a big part in the resort offer with the Borough Council continuing to invest in facilities, like the Scarborough Open Air Theatre, the largest open air theatre in Europe. Financial support is also provided by the Council to support the Scarborough Museums Trust, which manages and operates the Scarborough Art Gallery and Rotunda Museum, as well as to Create, the Borough`s arts development agency and the internationally renowned Stephen Joseph Theatre. Whitby Pavilion and Scarborough Spa, managed by Sheffield International Venues, continues to showcase top quality artists, with the latter gaining a growing reputation to attract well known and up and coming comedians at the Last Laugh Comedy Club. The legendary Scarborough Spa Orchestra that celebrated its centenary last year,

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performs a 15-week programme during the main summer season and the complex provides a home every year for the Scarborough Jazz Festival in September and to Coastival at February half-term.

2.1.9 The Borough Council`s entertainments policy is to focus primarily on light entertainment, securing artists that are touring nationally and see the seaside as a natural addition to their programme. It has been encouraging recently too witness greater co-operation in programming across the various arts and entertainments venues in the Borough, particularly in Scarborough. Joint marketing and sharing of market intelligence will clearly help this collaboration across the tourism and cultural sectors. 2.1.10 In spite of its success the Borough still experiences a seasonality factor

because of its high demand during the peak summer season. During the renaissance programme, which started in 2002 with a well attended and successful community planning event, those consulted felt strongly that the area should move away from its previously seasonal image to a 365-day a year town and also to move upmarket. This came together in a “Vision for Scarborough” (xii) and was evidenced strongly in the Council`s future direction.

2.1.11 In recent years, the Borough has experienced high levels of public and

private sector investment and has been successful in developing new infrastructure to support the visitor economy. The private investment in high quality products, such as restaurants, hotels, bed and breakfasts and holiday cottages has helped go some way to deliver the vision. Attracting this sort of inward investment is something the Council must do but obstacles have to be overcome as described in the Centre for Social Justice report in August 2013 (xiii) and the Wilkins Kennedy accountants findings that showed the top five UK personal bankruptcy black-spots in 2012 are on the coast, including Torquay (top) with Scarborough sitting third alongside Blackpool (xiv).

2.1.12 Encouraging, explaining, introducing and energising investors is a key role for the investment team, based in the Town Hall, who need to be part of the delivery of this strategy. The expansion of the sector is a crucial part of delivering the "prosperous" community, allowing a wide range of new enterprises access to a growing market and encouraging entrepreneurship. The desire to go up market encourages inward investment from certain operators keen to identify existing and encourage the growth in this area broadening the overall offer. 2.1.13 The Borough Council cannot operate its visitor economy strategy in isolation it needs to continue to work closely with Welcome to Yorkshire the county`s destination management organisation; neighbouring local authorities of the North York Moors National Park Authority, Ryedale District Council, Visit York and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, as well as its private sector members. Opportunities also exist for further co-operation, working with Visit Hull and East

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Yorkshire (VHEY), especially the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. The awarding of UK City of Culture to Hull in 2017 presents the case for greater collaboration with the City Council too on the arts and cultural front. Hull as the major international gateway into the area could witness growth in international leisure tourism to the Borough from the Benelux countries in particular. 2.1.14 Welcome to Yorkshire has implemented an aggressive media strategy to drive up visitor numbers and increase expenditure per visit, and working with the latest figures (2010) shows that the visitor economy in Yorkshire is now worth £7billion annually, and employs around 250,000 People. The “Welcome to Yorkshire” destination brand is a strong asset in today’s domestic leisure market, where a customer’s perception of the brand can be as important as the physical offer itself. Yorkshire is fortunate in having a strong brand and a number of key destinations with a high level of awareness and understanding among target markets, Scarborough, Whitby and Filey being but three of these. 2.1.15 In the business tourism market the strong city destination brands will be a key asset in growing Yorkshire’s share of this lucrative corporate business sector and the area`s role will be to entice them to the coast, collaborative partnership working with Confotel and the larger hotels in the Borough will be essential to ensure that the destination provides an attractive offer.

2.1.16 To maximise on the strength of the Welcome to Yorkshire brand and the continued investment in hard hitting effective TV and media activity they achieve nationally and internationally, Scarborough Borough must position itself as a sub brand or affiliated brand to Yorkshire. To achieve this it is right to brand the Borough`s visitor offer as the “Yorkshire Coast”, highlighting the key resort destination brands of Scarborough, Whitby and Filey, as well as the North York Moors, whilst at the same time developing specific themed campaigns to promote the wider coastal and rural villages. Marketing themes should include coast, countryside, culture and cuisine, underpinned with events and festival, with the area`s food and drink offer being promoted under the "Deliciously Yorkshire" brand.

2.1.17 This will: -

• Build on the strength of the Yorkshire brand, developing and positioning the Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and North York Moors distinctive brands to appeal to their target audiences;

• Build on the awareness of the destinations, developing a set of compelling brands for these that have the potential to meet the requirements of the market;

• Use the strength of the Yorkshire brand as an umbrella under which the overall destination can deliver greater experiences for visitors to the area.

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In addition to working with our partners at VistEngland and Welcome to

Yorkshire to market the “Yorkshire Coast” brand more effectively within their campaigns, additional local destination marketing will also be required to maximise promotion of the visitor offer. A complete re-branding exercise will also need to be undertaken to establish the "Yorkshire Coast" as the official destination brand.

2.1.18 The existing and well established website discoveryorkshirecoast.com

is in need of up-dating and the Discover Scarborough, Whitby, and Filey holiday guide continues to find it hard to maintain advertising revenue. Development of the “Yorkshire Coast” marketing activity and re-branding creates opportunities for further collaborative working and in this context the Yorkshire Coast runs from Staithes in the north to Spurn Point in the south. It is essential that the creation of campaigns is driven by partnership with all the visitor economy sectors working towards a common goal that of attracting new business and converting day to higher spending staying visitors with the focus on 4-7 night stays. A separate marketing plan will be prepared annually concentrating on 4 main markets :-

1 Domestic leisure; 2 International leisure; 3 Business tourism; and 4 Group and travel trade. and builds on the area`s “points of difference” that set it apart from other destinations. Whilst this is very much a working document for the Council`s marketing team, regular up-dates will be presented to the Coastal Tourism Advisory Board, along with destination progress reports from key visitor economy partners. North York Moors National Park Authority 2.1.19 The North York Moors National Park Management Plan - A Wider View was published in 2012 and recognises the importance of tourism to the

achievement of the Authority`s second purpose and to the economy of the National Park. Section 4.1 of the Plan, headed Tourism, focuses on the need to address the decline in visitor numbers, the number of days visitors spend in the National Park and the decrease in visitor spend in

the local economy seen between 2007 and 2010 (xv). The Park Authority wants to promote understanding and enjoyment of the National Park while at the same time help support the social and economic wellbeing of those who live and work in the National Park.

2.1.20 The Plan outlines a number of challenges including :-

� Attracting more tourists to the National Park in line

with the principles of "wise growth" , which recognises that increases in tourism activity can be

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achieved alongside protection and enhancement of the natural and cultural environment;

� Increasing the value of tourist spend whilst in the

National Park, taking account of VisitEngland`s target for 3% year on year growth to the tourism economy in real terms;

� Attracting people into the National Park in the

"shoulder" seasons (autumn and spring);

� Increase the number of people employed in the tourism industry in the National Park;

� Increase the quality of the tourism offer and

standard of hospitality;

� Promoting the wider North York Moors area and the North York Moors National Park brand and seeking business affiliation;

� Rising costs of transport and competition with other

destinations;

� Reducing the environmental impact of tourism businesses.

2.1.21 The Plan`s vision is that in 15 years time the value of tourism to the National Park`s economy is greater and there are more people employed in tourism. In particular, more tourists visit outside the peak seasons. There are a variety of quality tourist facilities which respect the special qualities of the National Park and encourage sustainable ways of visiting the National Park. It is clear that the policies of the National Park Authority are in line with the draft VES and that there is a case for stronger partnership working in the future as resources are stretched even more. In fact, the Authority`s new Business Plan, promoting the North York Moors has been identified as one of two Strategic Priorities, the only areas where the National Park intends to deploy increased core resources. 2.1.22 On 25th March, 2013 the National Park Authority considered a Promoting the Park Plan (xvi), which dealt strictly with the promotional aspects of the National Park and the wider North York Moors area. It covers the 3-years April 2013 to March 2016 with the Action Plan concentrating on three marketing areas :- 1. Develop a strong and clear brand identity for the North York Moors and reinforce the use of its correct name.

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2. Improve the quality and variety of the marketing of the North York Moors with the aim of attracting visitors in the "shoulder" seasons (autumn and winter) and persuading more day visitors to stay overnight. 3. Promote existing and/or develop new tourism products, including events, which reflect the local distinctiveness of the North York Moors. 2.1.23 The four-year North York Moors Coast and Hills LEADER programme, which ends in March 2014 with a track record for being one of the best performers in the country. More than 350 community projects in 172 villages have been successfully completed across a range of initiatives from arts festivals to apprenticeships; quoits pitch to community orchard and even turned an old phone box into a quirky village library. LEADER also provided funding for the North York Moors Tourism Network, a group of 150 local businesses who are working together to encourage more people to visit the National Park. 2.1.24 The total cost of all the projects was £5.3m, with the Rural Development Programme for England funding £2.6m and the remainder financed by public and private sector contributions. The LEADER programme, which is an integral part of the National Park`s Conservation Department, has successfully secured a further £36,000 from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to research and develop a new plan. 2.1.25 National Parks England published "Valuing England`s National Parks" (xvii), to show the importance of National Parks not just as iconic landscapes and part of our national identity, but as thriving rural economies contributing to national prosperity and wellbeing. The report highlights that visitors to the English National Parks spend at least £4bn, contributing about one third of the spend from rural tourism in England. National Parks England and VisitEngland have launched a three year partnership which will support the delivery of the Rural Tourism Action Plan referred to later in this document (page 25) with promotion being prioritised in year 1. Ryedale District Council 2.1.26 The Ryedale Plan - a local plan strategy - was adopted by the Council on 5th September, 2013 (xviii). The plan`s vision makes reference to tourism and Objective 9 states "Diversify the District`s economy and enhance skills by building links with the York economy and science and knowledge sectors: supporting Ryedale`s precision/advanced engineering cluster and using the District`s strong rural identity and its historic, cultural and landscape assets as economic drivers". Under Section 5 :

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Economy, Tourism (Strategic Priority 8) is featured saying tourism in Ryedale will contribute to a sustainable and diverse economy, going on to list how the Council will achieve this. 2.1.27 The Council aims to maximise the opportunities to further develop tourism, outdoor education and recreation by focusing on :- (i) The archaeological landscapes of the Vale of Pickering and the Yorkshire Wolds; (ii) The protected landscapes of the North York Moors National Park and Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); (iii) Ryedale`s religious and Medieval history; (iv) Malton`s Roman, Medieval and Georgian heritage; (v) Malton and Norton`s longstanding association with horse racing; (vi) Outdoor adventure in northern Ryedale, including Dalby Forest - the Great Yorkshire Forest; (vii) Local food production; (viii) Farm and rural diversification; and (ix) Biodiversity and the development of nature tourism. 2.1.28 Promotion and development of tourism in Ryedale is clearly a key feature of the plan, although naturally there are other Strategic Objectives mentioned in the plan which impact on this VES. For instance, Strategic Objective 7 looks at Town Centres and Retailing; Strategic Priority 12 encapsulates Heritage, with Green Infrastructure Networks being embraced in Strategic Objective 15. Finally, it is worth mentioning here that the Local Government Association (LGA) is engaging local authorities on the function of destination management. A successful leadership took place in Derbyshire in autumn 2012 to highlight the important role of destination management in the growth of local economies.

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The County Perspective Enterprise Partnership 2.2.1 The Enterprise Partnership for York/North Yorkshire/East Riding produced a consultation draft of its Strategic Economic Plan on 1st August, 2013 (xix). The draft plan has as its vision for the area to Become "A thriving, prosperous place where businesses are growing in size, number and long term profitability." It focuses on five priorities :- 1. Profitable and ambitious small and micro businesses; 2. A UK leader in food manufacturing, agriculture and biorenewables; 3. Driving growth in our towns and the City of York; 4. A workforce with the skills that businesses need to grow; and 5. An economy that is well connected to its markets. 2.2.2 The document has numerous references to the visitor economy and on page 6 it states that the area has "strong business sectors, such as food and agriculture, energy and the visitor economy. It goes on to say that there are a high proportion of small and micro-businesses means that if improvements to GVA and productivity, then there must be a strong focus on these businesses across sectors, including tourism and farm based businesses - see Priority 1. It stresses that there are growth opportunities within key market and coastal towns (priority 3) and regards "a superb rural environment, coastline and flourishing visitor economy" as a key asset and opportunity. 2.2.3 The draft plan also identifies the sector based skills needs, including customer skills in the visitor economy and retail sectors. Transport improvements most notably the dualling of the A64 are referenced. Visitor economy and tourism - a strong and well known destination offer is listed under strengths in the SWOT analysis, as is "environmental and visitor economy, with modernisation and diversification of tourism" in the opportunities section. Surprisingly, Priority 2 : A UK leader in food manufacturing, agriculture and biorenewables, leaves out a mention of the visitor economy. However, the draft Strategic Economic Plan published in August, 2013 offers tremendous opportunities for further partnership working with the LEP to help to address many of the actions in this VES. 2.2.4 One such initiative, which it is piloting, is the BIG (Business Inspired Growth) Tourism Club that will operate both online and offline, with online resources providing the backbone to the rest of the Club. The aim is to help businesses improve, and provide

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progression routes for ongoing improvement. It will assist business owners develop better, more profitable businesses and will do this by helping them understand their customers and the changing market place better and helping them create, market and deliver better experiences. The LEP will facilitate the creation of the Club by providing a platform that others can contribute to, in the spirit of "open sourcing". The intention is to add value to the work of all contributors. The LEP will breath life into ideas nurtured in the Club by helping enable them not by making them happen. The BIG Tourism Club will be hosted via a dedicated section on www.businessinspiredgrowth.com and in temporary locations across the area.

2.2.5 The LEP has also secured funding for up-skilling tourism businesses that can be drawn on by all providers of support. In future, from 2014/15, the LEP will have greater influence over the distribution of Government and EU funding and this funding, amongst of things, can be used to develop the Tourism Club further. An indication of the types of topics businesses have greatest interest in or would benefit from are listed below, solely for the purposes of illustration :-

- Marketing by businesses; - New technology and social media; - Consumer behaviour and trends; - Customer service; and - New ideas and product development.

Non tourism specific business support will be provided via the other sections of the LEP website, which hosts a wealth of business improvement resources.

2.2.6 VisitEngland has produced a briefing template to help local destination management to guide engagement with their Local Enterprise Partnerships. Undoubtedly the visitor economy is a major player in the North/East Yorkshire area and its potential to grow is well documented; so this VES needs to identify projects and programmes that can receive LEP support to capitalise on this growth potential.

North Bank Partnership

2.2.7 The North Bank Partnership (NBP) was established during late 2011 and a full Board recruited in January 2012. The Board had originally been set up as a sub Board of the Humber LEP. However, the Humber LEP had a sole focus of securing investment in the Humber Estuary area and the NBP had its own agenda; so the Board decided

to continue to work on its own and not be a formal part of the Humber LEP structure. It`s key purpose is “to maximise the economic benefits presented by the renewable energy sector and the

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potential potash development, to support growth in the area`s other key economic sectors of Agriculture, Tourism, Manufacturing and Engineering (including food manufacture)”. The Partnership`s main themes and priorities are:- 1. Business support; 2. Coastal tourism and visitors; and 3. Food, agriculture and rural issues. 2.2.8 It is felt that the NBP can have a key role in the development and implementation of Visit Hull and East Yorkshire`s Tourism Strategy and Action Plan, with specific projects from within the Action Plan undertaken on behalf of the Board.

- NBP lead on delivery of Coast and Wolds elements of the Visit Hull & East Riding Tourism Strategy.

- NBP lead on the development and roll out of the Yorkshire Coast and Yorkshire Wolds brands to promote these key tourism destinations within the area.

Scarborough Borough Council`s primary objectives in becoming a partner in the NBP were to ensure connectivity, co-operation and joint working and in the case of tourism the development and promotion of the Yorkshire Coast brand. 2.2.9 Joint promotions continue to take place between Scarborough Borough and East Yorkshire Councils. Over the last year this has included :-

- Attending three exhibitions together; - Development of local campaigns to incorporate the whole

coast150,000 Attraction Guides have been printed and distributed, 20,000 copies of an Arts and Heritage Trail and 20,000 copies of a Delicious Food and Drink Trail have been produced.

- Discussions are currently being held in relation to developing and extending the discoveryorkshirecoast.com website to include the wider area and look at sharing marketing resource to support this.

- Partners have also committed to joint participation in the VisitEngland campaigns to promote the whole coastline in England`s Seaside and Coastal Escapes campaigns that started in January 2014.

2.2.10 A new role has materialised recently for the NBP in relation to the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP`s bid for UK Government Single Growth Fund monies. The LEP requested, and the Board agreed, that the NBP would take the lead role on coastal issues on behalf of the LEP and that a Coastal Regeneration strand of the bid

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would be developed. This is a significant work-stream and officers from SBC and East Yorkshire are taking this work forward. Yorkshire Innovation Fund 2.2.11 The Yorkshire Investment Fund (YIF) is a £5m ERDF investment funding collaborative projects between Higher Education Institutions (HEI`s) and small businesses (SME`s) in Yorkshire and the Humber. All the HEI`s in the area are partners, with the University of Bradford acting as fund-holders and hosting a central project management team. There are three strands to the project for HEI`s to support SME`s:- 1. Small Innovation Projects : £5-10k projects were activity could include feasibility studies, pilot studies, market assessments and product testing. 2. Research and Development Projects : £25 -50k projects were businesses are looking to deliver new and improved products/processes/services with a view to generate increased sales, new jobs and GVA. 3. Graduate Research, Development and Innovation Projects : when a business employs a graduate to work on a project for at least 6 months, they can access free support from a supervisor/expert to work with the graduate on the project. Total cost of the supervisor time will be £20-40k. 2.2.12 Each project can attract subsidy of 64% through this fund with the remainder being matched through existing University staff time - there is no cost to the company. The University of Hull has successfully applied for an allocation of £62,000 to fund at least 10 Small Innovation Projects, with the application, award and monitoring of these projects managed by the Knowledge Exchange. Applications for the Research and Development Projects and Graduate Research, Development and Innovation Projects have to be submitted to the Central YIF team for appraisal. Applications need to show GVA and job creation outputs. North Yorkshire Community Plan 2.2.13 This community document is a three-point plan refreshing a longer term sustainable community strategy, published in 2008. Its vision remains the same : "We want North Yorkshire to be an even better place for everyone to live, work or visit" (xx). The plan, produced by the Local Government North Yorkshire and York Chief Executives Group, covers three priorities for 2011-14. These are:- 1. Protecting and supporting vulnerable people;

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2. Supporting economic growth and employment; and 3. Enabling stronger local communities. 2.2.14 Under priority 2 above its says the partners in North Yorkshire will to achieve greater economic growth; in particular by supporting the newly formed LEP to deliver key objectives. The visitor economy is specified as one of the six objectives stating the aim is to "provide clarity on and improve the offer for visitors and tourists through joint working and collaboration between partners. Some of the other objectives equally apply to the visitor economy, particularly support for growth of small businesses; improved networks and finally skills. 2.2.15 Whilst the North Yorkshire County Council is presently preparing an Economic Development Strategy, the economic development unit does work to further the develop North Yorkshire as a place to visit all year round. It recognises that tourism Is one of the key sectors in the North Yorkshire economy and contributes significantly to the local economy. In addition, the County Council manages tourism signing - the white on brown traffic signing and concessionary travel for tourism services. North Yorkshire Sport 2.2.16 The role and work of County Sports Partnerships is covered in more detail in the section headed "Sport England" in paragraph 2.3.43 below but ostensibly North Yorkshire Sport`s work is directed at ensuring there are opportunities for everyone across the County to participate in sport and physical activity. Welcome to Yorkshire 2.2.17 Welcome to Yorkshire - the County`s destination marketing agency - has demonstrated that ambitious and focused promotion of Yorkshire can deliver economic benefit. Its has concentrated its efforts thus far on growing the visitor economy but they launched a new 5-year strategy, which will take the Yorkshire brand to a different level. The strategy :- 5 years. 5 ways we will grow the Yorkshire brand (xxi) will extend the brand way beyond tourism, externally into a strong international profile leading to a step change in inward investment, and within Yorkshire into creating community pride and cohesion so that the county speaks with one voice. 2.2.18 The 5-year strategy for the Yorkshire brand will feature these themes :-

� Keep Yorkshire front of mind - the tourism sector offers some of the best opportunities to present a confident image of Yorkshire to the outside world.

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� Keep developing Yorkshire pride - we will ask people to play their part in our mission to raise Yorkshire`s pride, profile and prosperity.

� We will grow inward investment - we will harness the power of Yorkshire businesses to raise the profile of the county.

� Yorkshire`s voice must be heard - we will present a clear message about the county`s ambitions for the future.

� We must speak with one voice - tourism marketing is at its best when it operates seamlessly at every level.

2.2.19 Recent research carried out by the Tourism South East research unit using BIS regional development agency evaluation from 2009 has calculated a composite gross value added (GVA) figure for tourism in the Yorkshire and Humber region of 33.7%, with Scarborough Borough represented at £204m and Ryedale at £83m. The Yorkshire Coast`s relationship with Welcome to Yorkshire cannot be overstated and certainly on planning marketing campaigns and events under the aegis of the Yorkshire Coast Partnership. Aligning marketing activity with Ryedale District and East Riding of Yorkshire Councils, together with the North York Moors National Park will help reduce duplication and ensure cost effective delivery.

Local Nature Partnership

2.2.20 Local Nature Partnerships (LNP) are a Government initiative to change how people work on the natural environment and are one of the key proposals made in the 2011 Natural Environment White Paper. North Yorkshire and York was one of 48 partnerships in England to be approved LNP status by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in July 2012. Their vision is to see the natural environment of North Yorkshire and York conserved, enhanced and connected across the whole LNP area for the benefit of wildlife, people and the economy. The LNP has identified 7 landscapes, known as priority areas, to pilot the above activity - one of these is the Vale of Pickering. Workshops have been held for each of these areas and champions chosen to help facilitate greater co-ordinated activity. Nature tourism is a strong card for the area to promote and is referred to elsewhere in the VES. The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and its partners are keen to stimulate growth both in volume and value of nature tourism to the local area in the coming years. For instance, the YWT manages a badge scheme called the Puffin Mark, which identifies businesses that welcome nature tourism visitors.

Screen Yorkshire

2.2.21 Screen Yorkshire has been at the forefront of championing the film, TV, games and digital industries in the Yorkshire and the Humber for over ten years. Its aim has always been to secure and support the very best projects, companies and individuals, helping make the area

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one of the most sought after destinations for production in the UK. The organisation is a specialist business which invests first and foremost in content, but also in developing talent. As an investor in content Screen Yorkshire runs the largest investment fund of its kind in the UK - the £15m, ERDF supported Yorkshire Content Fund. It also operates bespoke and highly regarded talent development schemes, aimed at encouraging both regional and national talent to progress and excel within the film and television industries. 2.2.22 Film tourism describes the effects that film and TV productions can have on your travel decisions as they inspire people to experience the screened places firsthand. Probably no better example exists locally in the North York Moors, where ITV used to film the "Heartbeat" series in the mythical village of Aidensfield or to give it its proper name Goathland, that today still sees thousand of visitors make the pilgrimage to the quiet rural setting. Not only is film tourism an excellent vehicle for destination marketing, it also presents new product development opportunities, such as location tours, Film museums and exhibitions, together with the theming of existing tourist attractions with a film connection. The area it has to be said already attracts a great deal of film and television location enquiries - presently running at 48 a year. Creative North Yorkshire 2.2.23 Creative North Yorkshire was developed by the York and North Yorkshire Creative Industries Network, a partnership between the lead organisation, Chrysalis Arts, in collaboration with Create, Arts in Richmondshire, Rural Arts, local authorities, Arts Council England and other agencies. The Creative North Yorkshire website, the cornerstone of the group`s activity, is designed to help and support creative practitioners and businesses across York & North Yorkshire. 2.2.24 Run by practitioners, with the support of other agencies, Creative North Yorkshire is part of a programme of activity to raise the profile of York and North Yorkshire creative industries, enabling them to play an increasing role in economic growth, as well as contributing to tourism development and enhancing the quality of life in the region. Arts-based creative industries visual arts, applied arts, designer fashion, film and video, photography, music, drama, dance, literature, community and participatory, publishing, advertising, architecture, television, and radio. Festivals North Yorkshire 2.2.25 In every part of York and North Yorkshire there are festival celebrations with an astonishing range of cultural, sporting, agricultural, gastronomic, and artistic activity. These all take place in unrivalled settings - the spa town of Harrogate, the historic city of

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York, magnificent heritage sites. The spectacular coastlines and beaches of Scarborough, Whitby and Filey, and the scenic , geographical splendour of the moors and dales. Undoubtedly, festivals and events give visitors a reason to visit an area they perhaps may not consider for a short break or a holiday but the importance of promoting events and festivals to the widest possible audience is of paramount importance, hence the significance of the York and North Yorkshire Festivals and Events project.

2.2.26 The project is a North Yorkshire Culture priority project and is funded by Arts Council England Yorkshire, North Yorkshire County Council and the City of York Council. It is an ongoing project to support and develop the festival and events sector in York and North Yorkshire and is managed by Create Arts Development Ltd and is supported by a steering group of festival organisers, local authorities and Arts Council England Yorkshire. The project runs the website www.festivalsnorthyorkshire.org.uk , arranges a series of training events for festival and event organisers, together with supporting and co-ordinating of the organisers` networks throughout the area. The website has a dual role of telling visitors and residents what`s on in the area, as well as giving advice to festival organisers wanting help and guidance on how to set up and run an event.

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The National Context Governments Tourism Policy 2.3.1 John Penrose MP, Minister for Tourism and Heritage, released a

Tourism Policy (Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) in March 2011, which set out three key aims:-

• Fund the most ambitious marketing campaign ever to attract visitors to the UK in the years following 2012. The £100m campaign, co-funded by the government and the private sector, aimed to attract 4 million extra visitors to Britain over the next 4 years. That equates to £2bn more spend in our economy, and 50,000 new jobs. • Increase the proportion of UK residents who holiday in the UK to match those who holiday abroad each year. For longer stays (4 nights or more) this would mean 29% of travellers holidaying in Britain rather than just 20% today (creating 4.5m extra domestic trips each year, £1.3bn more spend and 26,000 new jobs). And if we can replicate this scale of improvement for shorter stays as well, we will create a further £750m of spend and 11,000 new jobs.

• Improve the sector’s productivity to become one of the top 5 most efficient and competitive visitor economies in the world.

2.3.2 The Governments strategy (xxii) focuses on a number of objectives:-

a) Harnessing 2012 – capitalising on the potential for 2012, which is expected to attract in the region of 4 million extra visitors.

b) Modifying the existing and long-established Tourist Boards to become smaller, highly focused, industry-led partnerships between tourism firms and government. Funded through long- term partnership marketing campaigns. c) Broaden the tourism offer by creating alternative destinations

which match London to capture spare tourism capacity. d) Potential for Increasing domestic tourism – consulting on moving

the first Bank Holiday in May to March or October and improvement of brown signs to increase awareness and encourage additional visits.

e) Improve staff and management skills across the industry. f) Support the industry in preparing for technological changes,

providing tourist information in suitable formats for mobile applications.

g) Improve tourists experience by making application for visas far simpler and faster.

h) Improve tourists first experience of UK by reducing waiting times at passport control and publishing consumer data on airport delays and waiting times; so travellers can see whether they’re performing well or badly and make informed choices about which ones to use in future.

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Coastal Communities Fund

2.3.3 The Coastal Communities Fund (CCF) was announced in July 2011 and is designed to support the economic development of coastal communities by promoting sustainable economic growth and jobs, so that people are better able to respond to the changing economic needs and opportunities of their area. 2.3.4 On 23rd August, 2013, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander announced that the CCF for 2014/15 will be worth £29 million, an increase of 5% from the previous year. It will also be extended for a further 12 months to 2016 and is jointly managed by HM Treasury and the Department of Communities and Local Government and delivered by the Big Lottery Fund (xxiii). 2.3.5 Projects have to meet the first of four outcomes :-

1. Coastal communities are better able to use their assets (physical, natural, social, economic and cultural) to promote sustainable economic growth.

and at least one of the following outcomes :- 2. Coastal communities have a greater capacity to create a sustainable economic future and are better equipped to adapt to change. 3. Partnerships are developed to support economic innovation, enterprise and investment either within a community and/or across a number of coastal communities. 4. People have more opportunities for training and skills development, including volunteering. 2.3.6 Schemes have to also meet seven general criteria before being considered. It is worth noting that the North Yorkshire Moors Railway has already received funding from CCF and in Round 2 when 20 projects were announced in February 2013 - the majority were visitor economy related. Rural Economy Growth Review 2.3.7 On 29th November, 2011, the Government announced that as part of the Growth Review, a strong package of new measures designed to stimulate sustainable growth in the rural economy and help rural businesses to reach their full potential (xxiv). Of the 5 new measures one was to support Rural Tourism and £25m was earmarked to encourage more people to enjoy England`s countryside and to improve the quality of rural tourism attractions.

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2.3.8 Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the rural economy, worth over £29bn a year and accounting for over 12% of rural employment. According to the Government it can grow further and a view echoed in this strategy. 2.3.9 The Rural Tourism package has 5 elements :-

1. VisitEngland is investing £12m in promoting rural tourism nationally, with the aim of increasing tourist numbers and overall visitor expenditure. Its worth pointing out that the Borough has bought into the Country Escapes campaign for 2013 to feature its excellent rural offer.

2. Defra established a £10m fund from within the RDPE Rural Economy Grant Scheme to support local tourism initiatives, including projects to develop rural destinations and to strengthen rural tourism businesses.

3. Defra are working with the 34 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

(AONB`s) in England to help them develop a new approach to supporting sustainable tourism.

4. Defra are providing up to £2m to enable local communities to

enhance their tourism offer by improving public rights of way; and

5. Defra is providing up to £1m for a new sustainable rural tourism initiative in the North East of England, based on the Our Land approach being used across protected landscapes in the South East.

2.3.10 Alongside the rural tourism package described above VisitEngland are as part of their Strategic Framework leading on a Rural Tourism Action Plan (xxv). Its vision is to maximise the potential of the rural tourism offer, which will bring substantial benefits to local economies and communities and contribute to 5% growth, year on year, in the England market by 2020. 2.3.11 The objectives of the Action Plan are as follows :-

1. To diversify and modernise rural tourism products to generate business opportunities suited to local environments and communities and to develop a year round visitor offer.

2. To increase consumer awareness, understanding and enjoyment of the products and experiences available in rural areas.

3. To encourage rural communities and economies to benefit from the value of rural tourism by taking ownership of the development, management, protection and conservation of rural assets and locations.

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Natural England 2.3.12 Natural England was created under an Act of Parliament – the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 and its general purpose is “to ensure that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development.” This includes:-

� promoting nature conservation and protecting biodiversity; � conserving and enhancing the landscape; � securing the provision and improvement of facilities for

study, understanding and enjoyment of the natural environment;

� promoting access to the countryside and open spaces and encouraging open-air recreation; and

contributing in other ways to social and economic well- being through management of the natural environment.

2.3.13 Their Corporate Plan 2012-2015 has five outcomes:-

1. A healthy, well-functioning natural environment; 2. People are inspired to value and conserve the natural environment;

3. Sustainable use of the natural environment; 4. A secure environmental future; and 5. Excellent Public Body (xxvi). 2.3.14 With the North York Moors National Park located in the area and the high quality accommodation offer in the countryside, mainly 4/5 star-rated, nature tourism is a strong card for the Borough to play in in its destination marketing. Natural England has been extremely supportive of a new partnership that came together in 2013 to collaborate on landscape conservation issues in the Vale of Pickering, focused around the Carrs at the eastern end of the Vale and calling itself "Yorkshire`s Hidden Vale". In fact, VisitEngland too has designated the North York Moors as one of its Attract Brands to highlight the best of England`s assets within its countryside thematic campaigns. The “Promoting the Park Plan”, which is described in more detail in paragraph 2.1.20, is a significant document as the National Park has identified promoting the North York Moors as one of two Strategic Priorities in the its new Business Plan (xxvii). Forestry Commission 2.3.15 The Forestry Commission`s mission is to protect and expand forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment. It takes the lead in the development and promotion of sustainable forest management, delivering distinct forestry policies

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through specific objectives drawn from country forestry strategies. Within the Borough of Scarborough the Forestry Commission manages a number of sites, with Dalby Forest, situated on the southern slopes of the North York Moors National Park, being the flagship site. The visitor centre and courtyard has a play area, cafe, bike barn, and toilets, with interpretation displays. The forest has walking and cycling trails, as well as Go Ape, the UK`s number one forest adventure. Adderstone Field is used as a pop concert venue in the summer but provides an ideal play and picnic area for the family. Forest Holidays have cabins in Cropton and Keldy Forests, which provide a superb location for nature lovers and thrill seekers alike. VisitEngland 2.3.16 VisitEngland released their Tourism Strategy, entitled “A Strategic

Framework for Tourism in England 2010-2020” in March 2010 (xxviii), which sets out the strategic direction and objectives for the newly structured organisation and how it will contribute to the Governments Policy aspirations. It aims to achieve four interdependent objectives, which are designed to address the opportunities and challenges for England`s visitor economy :-

1. To increase England`s share of the global visitor markets. 2. To offer visitors compelling destinations of distinction. 3. To champion a successful, thriving tourism industry; and 4. To facilitate greater engagement between the visitor and the experience. To achieve these objectives a series of 10 industry Action Plans have been developed by cross industry groups in June 2011, with Rural Tourism (already described on the previous page of this document) and the Seaside Resorts Action Plans (xxix) being of particular relevance to the Yorkshire Coast. A further 3 more covering Quality, Skills and Transport were produced in May 2012. 2.3.17 The Seaside Resorts Action Plan`s vision is to maximise the potential of seaside resorts and contribute to 5% growth, year on year, in the England tourism market by 2020. It has 4 key objectives:-

1. To raise awareness of the importance and potential of seaside resorts to the overall England tourism product across a range of private sector businesses and public sector bodies.

2. To build on the success of the “staycation” effect and transform

perceptions of the product and experiences available in seaside resorts.

3. To examine alternative solutions to tackling longstanding issues

impacting on resorts and to seek innovative ways of improving seaside resort infrastructure.

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4. To develop a coordinated approach towards activities and events to

grow the value of tourism in seaside resorts throughout the year. 2.3.18 On the marketing front, VisitEngland has created “The All-England Destination Marketing Strategy : A New Approach 2011(xxx), with the strategic objective of “increasing England`s share of global visitor markets, focusing on priority audiences, destinations and themes”. In this strategy VisitEngland have designated certain destinations as “Attract Brands”, including Scarborough and the North York Moors, and they will use these to highlight the best of England within specific themes. For example, they might use imagery of Scarborough to promote England`s seaside offering. 2.3.19 These thematic campaigns will feature England`s countryside, seaside, cities, heritage, families, events, as well as food and drink. Interestingly the Yorkshire Coast`s own marketing strategy, which will focus on attracting new business, has identified similar themes – coast, culture, countryside, and cuisine, with families and events and festivals taking centre stage. VisitEngland`s brand and satisfaction tracker (xxxi) shows some very encouraging results for the Borough with Scarborough scored at 96 and the North York Moors at 105, against a national average of 92. 2.3.20 Visit England’s Corporate Plan priorities from 2011-2015 (xxxii) include :-

• To drive forward the implementation of the Strategic Framework for Tourism in England and deliver the actions for which Visit England is responsible.

• To develop and implement a national brand and marketing approach for England which leverages England’s best assets and encourages a range of industry partners to benefit from collaborative activities to achieve a step change in domestic holiday taking and contribute to the 5% annual growth target outlined in the Strategic Framework for Tourism in England.

• To establish Visit England as the primary source of expertise on English tourism and its visitor economy and to make this expertise and intelligence widely accessible to our partners.

• To develop Visit England as a modern, forward looking lead body by operating to a business model that provides England’s tourism sector with a more robust and sustainable national tourism organisation for the longer term and which is effectively engaged with a wider range of partners at the national and local level, whilst reducing its overheads in accordance with its Funding Agreement with DCMS.

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• To support Government to achieve its policy aspirations. 2.3.21 Visit England will achieve these objectives through effective working in partnership with public and private sector bodies and is a big advocate for demonstrating the importance of the visitor economy to Government, holding its first Visitor Economy Forum in December 2011. It is worth noting that of the £97bn visitor spend in England generated in 2010, £80bn was from domestic visitors and the remainder from international visitors, with 55% of these not venturing outside of London. VisitBritain 2.3.22 In April 2013 the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

launched VisitBritain`s long-term tourism growth strategy for Britain. This ambitious plan – “Delivering a Golden Legacy : a growth strategy

for inbound tourism 2012-2020” – aims to attract 40 million international visitors a year, spending £31.3 billion, by 2020 (xxxiii).Britain`s Tourism Strategy has 4 objectives :-

• Enhance Britain`s image by playing to its strengths, such as heritage, traditional and contemporary culture. At the same time, build on the positive perceptions of Britain generated by our year in the global spotlight.

• Ensure that Britain is packaged and sold more widely by working with the travel trade in key markets.

• Broaden Britain`s strong product offering so that it continues to meet the expectations of new visitors from growth markets.

• Make visiting Britain easier by addressing limiting factors, such as aviation capacity and the current visa process.

2.3.23 VisitBritain aims to work in partnership, so that organisations across the public and private sectors can align to deliver tourism`s full economic growth potential over the remainder of this decade. Their GREAT Britain marketing campaigns have shown the role that British Brands and businesses can play in shaping Britain`s image around the World and the impact that this has on tourism and investment Decisions. British Hospitality Association 2.3.24 The British Hospitality Association is a membership organisation with over 100 years` experience behind it and is the voice of the UK hospitality industry positively championing the interests of hotels, restaurants, catering establishments and holiday attractions. Its current five core campaigns are :- - Inspiring the next generation by the creation of 300,000 new jobs by 2020; - Facilitating access by asking the Government to improve the

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process, the cost and the perception of visa access to the UK; - Driving competitiveness by being more competitive with the lower VAT regimes in Europe; - Responsible hospitality by helping the industry to achieve new standards in waste reduction, healthy and trusted food and advising Government on how to reduce red tape, which costs money and slows down business performance; and - Hospitality Bellwether - a new campaign starting in late 2013 to support BHA members with topical consumer insight. 2.3.25 BHA`s latest initiative "Campaign for Tourism" is politically-focused and aims to ensure MP`s in all political parties are aware of the huge importance the tourism industry plays in the UK economy. Led by the BHA but supported by 33 representative bodies from all aspects of the industry, including the Tourism Alliance, and attractions, historic houses, heritage sites, B&B`s, hotels, restaurants, places, language schools and destinations. To launch the Campaign, letters were distributed far and wide, aiming to trigger debate and set out key areas for policy change. All political parties were reminded that in the period between 2010-2012, the British hospitality industry accounted for 27.7% of total UK net jobs growth, in a period of recession. The tourism and hospitality industry employs 10% of the UK workforce, equating to over 2.7 million people. Indeed, Britain`s fourth largest industry, hospitality delivers £53 billion annually to the Gross Value Added (wages and profits). In addition, the industry is expected to create 300,000 more jobs by 2020 and inspired by the Big Hospitality Conversation, a BHA initiative, over 30,000 pledges for jobs, apprenticeships and work placements have been generated. Arts Council England 2.3.26 “Achieving great art for everyone” sets out a 10-year vision with five ambitious goals at its heart (xxxiv) :- Goal 1 : Talent and artistic excellence are thriving and celebrated – England is regarded as a pre-eminent centre for artistic excellence. Goal 2 : More people experience and are inspired by the arts – the arts are at the centre of people`s lives, with more people being involved in arts in their communities and are enriched and inspired by arts experiences. Goal 3 : The arts are sustainable, resilient and innovative – collaborative and networked, the arts are known for resilience, innovation and their contribution to the nation`s reputation and prosperity. Goal 4 : The arts leadership and workforce are diverse and highly skilled – the diversity of the arts workforce reflects the

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diversity of society and artistic practice in England. Outstanding arts leaders play a wider role in their communities and nationally.

Goal 5 : Every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts – children and young people have the best current and future artistic lives they can have. They are able to develop their artistic capabilities and engage with, and shape, the arts.

2.3.27 The strategic framework argues for excellence, founded on diversity and innovation, and a new collaborative spirit to develop the arts over the long-term, so they truly belong to everyone. It believes there is more that can be done together to nurture and champion talented artists and promote England as an international artistic centre. The Stephen Joseph Theatre has built an international, as well as national reputation, for its productions and artistic excellence but the forthcoming funding round for National Portfolio Organisations(NPO`s) in 2014 will be extremely tough.

2.3.28 “Culture, knowledge and understanding : great museums and libraries for everyone” is a companion to ACE`s 10-year strategic framework for the arts (xxxv). This publication is the Arts Council`s first attempt to integrate museums and libraries into their framework. It is designed to provide certainty as to the programmes they will run from 2011-2015, including the Future Libraries programme, Renaissance in the Regions, the standards and cultural property functions that will transfer and the projects that the Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) had put in place in celebration of the London 2012 Games, while soliciting further debate about the direction ACE should take in the longer term.

2.3.29 Interestingly, a new report authored by Peter Stark, Christopher Gordon and David Powell, published on 31st October, 2013, suggests that central spending on culture is 15 times higher in London, where only 15% of the population lives, than elsewhere in the country(xxxvi). The report entitled : " Rebalancing Our Cultural Capital - A contribution to the debate on national policy for the arts and culture in England" states that public spending on the arts is heavily skewed towards London, with people in the capital benefiting to the tune of £69 per head, compared with £4.58 in other English regions.

2.3.30 It goes on to say that London "must, and will, remain the nation`s cultural capital" and will continue to receive its "unfair" share of public funding". But the city`s arts organisations must repay that investment by developing approaches that irrigate rather than drain. The report proposes a national investment programme of £600m - money made available by limiting London`s access to lottery cash - that would, over a five years of a parliament, have responsibility for investment in new cultural production outside London.

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2.3.31 Cultural Tourism – Arts Council England and the national tourist board, VisitEngland announced a new partnership in February 2013 to boost cultural tourism in England. By working together to co-ordinate activity, ACE and VisitEngland will grow the value of tourism by championing England`s cultural offer, stimulating local jobs and ensuring the sustainability of the cultural sector around the country. 2.3.32 Arts Council Lottery funding of £3 million is available to local culture and tourism partnerships. This fund, launched in the summer of 2013, aims to encourage the development arts and cultural experiences and targeted holiday packages for visitors that include cultural aspects, as well as more traditional accommodation and transport elements. 2.3.33 The Partnership statement : “supporting and creating economic growth through Culture and the Visitor Economy” outlines the priority areas that ACE and VisitEngland will work together on over the next three years (xxxvii). These are :- Priority 1 : Build partnerships and collaborate at the national and local Level. Priority 2 : Alignment of funding streams for increased impact. Priority 3 : Develop skills and leadership in the sectors. Priority 4 : Deliver a thriving and sustainable quality offer; and Priority 5 : Maximise the legacy of 2012. 2.3.34 The Borough`s Coastal Tourism Advisory Board has looked at the criteria to secure funding through this cultural tourism initiative and feels that it would be wise to submit an application in the first round and to wait for further clarification from ACE and VisitEngland on what projects are likely to succeed. VisitEngland did receive 3-year funding from the Regional Growth Fund in 2012 to deliver a series of destination- based and thematic promotional campaigns entitled “Growing Tourism Locally” to encourage domestic tourism (xxxviii). 2.3.35 ACE and VisitEngland stress that there are real opportunities to increase the cultural sectors profile and participation in this project through both sectors encouraging greater dialogue and engagement at destination level and also through the Cultural Thematic Strand of the project, taking the strongest and most appealing cultural offers to market. This will deliver growth for both sectors and will ensure the cultural sector is firmly established as a crucial part of the visitor economy. Here within the Borough the relationship between tourism and the arts and cultural sectors is already reasonably strong but could perhaps be improved with greater collaboration and this funding stream may offer greater opportunity for joint working.

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English Heritage 2.3.36 English Heritage was established by the National Heritage Act 1983 with the purpose to:-

- secure the preservation of ancient monuments and historic buildings.

- promote the preservation and enhancement of the character of appearance of conservation areas; and

- promote the public`s enjoyment of, and advance their knowledge

of, ancient monuments and buildings. Its Corporate Plan 2011/2015 has 5 aims (xxxix) :- Aim 1 : Understanding – to identify and protect our most important heritage. Aim 2 : Valuing – to champion England`s heritage. Aim 3 : Caring – to support owners, local authorities and voluntary organisations to look after England`s heritage. Aim 4 : Enjoying – to help people appreciate and enjoy England`s national story. Aim 5 : Excellence – to achieve excellence, openness and efficiency in all we do. 2.3.37 The organisation also publishes the National Heritage Protection Plan (NNPP) that sets out how English Heritage together with Partners in the heritage sector, will priorities and deliver heritage protection from 2011 to 2015 (L). Its objective is to make the best use of resources; so that England`s vulnerable historic environment is safeguarded in the most cost-effective way at a time of massive social, environmental, economic and technological change. English Heritage looks after a number of sites in the area, the two most noticeable examples being Scarborough Castle and Whitby Abbey, whose visitor centre was the organisation`s flagship when it re-opened in 2002 after a £2.85m investment in new facilities. The coastal towns are steeped in maritime history from Whitby`s association with Captain James Cook, to the largest tunny fish ever caught in the UK landed in Scarborough. 2.3.38 However, the historic landscape of the Vale of Pickering is recognised by English Heritage and others as being of national and international importance. The Vale is the subject of a special report for English Heritage : "The Vale of Pickering - An Extraordinary Place Statement of Significance" published in 2013 (Li). The Vale contains

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an unbroken and exceptionally well preserved record of human occupation going back 11,000 years, including early evidence from the Mesolithic period at the important archaeological site at Star Carr and very real potential for further sites and finds in the waterlogged deposits and areas covered by blown sand. Heritage Lottery Fund 2.3.39 The Heritage Lottery Fund`s strategic framework 2013-2018 :- “A lasting difference for heritage and people”(Lii) states that their goal is to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities and its strategic framework identifies the range of outcomes that they want to achieve with their funding. The fund is administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, which was given the responsibility of distributing a share of the money raised through the National Lottery for Good Causes, to heritage across the UK, in 1994. Since then the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has supported just over 35,000 projects allocating £5.5 billion across the UK. 2.3.40 In 2008 HLF was one of the principal funders, providing a grant of £1.8 million, towards a £4.2 million refit of the Rotunda Museum to make the museum a gateway to the area`s Dinosaur Coast. The building, described as the finest surviving purpose-built museum of its age in the country, was built in1829 to a design suggested by William Smith, “Father of English Geology”. More recently in October 2013 the granting of £3 million to the North York Moors National Park for a Landscape Partnership in the Esk Valley. 2.3.41 HLF sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage through innovative investment in projects with a lasting impact on people and places. As the largest dedicated funder of the UK`s heritage, with around £375 million a year to invest in new projects and a considerable body of knowledge, they are also a leading advocate for the value of heritage to modern life. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions HLF invests in every part of our heritage. Big Lottery Fund 2.3.42 The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) is responsible for distributing 40% of all funds raised for good causes (about 11pence of every pound spent on a lottery ticket) by the National Lottery. This totals around £600 million each year. Since June 2004 BIG has awarded over £6bn to projects supporting health, education, environment and charitable purposes - 80 to 90 per cent of the funding is awarded to voluntary and community sector organisations. 2.3.43 BIG is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Cabinet Office and also distributes non-Lottery funding on behalf of other organisations, such as government departments. The Fund`s third

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party mission, known as "The Big Fund", is to work collaboratively, putting their experience, systems and learning at the disposal of others for the benefit of communities and people most in need. For instance, it is presently managing the Coastal Communities Fund for the HM Treasury and the Department of Communities and Local Government. Sport England 2.3.44 Sport England is working to increase the number of people who play sport regularly and aims to make lives better through sport. Currently over 15.3 million people play sport once a week, every week, with their particular focus on getting more 14-25 year olds and disabled people playing sport once a week. In January 2012 Sport England launched its strategy :- “Creating a sporting habit for life” - a new youth sport strategy (Liii). 2.3.45 By 2017, Sport England will have invested over £1 billion of Exchequer and National Lottery funding into :-

• Building a lasting legacy of competitive sport in schools;

• Improving links between schools and community sports clubs;

• Working with the sports governing bodies focusing on youth;

• Investing in facilities; and

• Communities and the voluntary sector. To achieve these goals Sport England works with County Sports Partnerships whose role is to bring stakeholders of sport together to help ensure there are opportunities for everyone to participate in sport and physical activity. In the case of Scarborough Borough it is North Yorkshire Sport based in Harrogate. 2.3.46 However, as was mentioned earlier in this document SportsTourism is big business, especially when associated with major sporting events. The Tour de France being hosted in Yorkshire in 2014 is the world`s largest annual sporting event that will be viewed by an estimated global television audience of 3.5 billion people helping to raise the profile of the County as a great holiday and short break destination, as well as a fantastic place for businesses to invest in. When Le Tour was last staged in England in 2007 it was said to have generated £88 million to the South East economy and attracted £35 million in media coverage. 2.3.47 The Borough`s association with sport does go back a long way, whether it be motor cycling on Oliver`s Mount; yatching in Filey Bay; rowing in Whitby Regatta or the Scarborough Cricket Festival, which attracts thousands of fans to the resort every year. But the market is opening up for new sports such as Extreme Challenge, too and Dalby Forest`s mountain bike trails are second to none in the country and attract riders from far afield. The Borough has hosted major triathlon

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events in the past, with an open water swimming element and opportunities exist to stage similar events in the future if funding can be secured. 2.3.48 On the leisure front, NatWest and RBS banks have launched a £150 million fund to support investment for the leisure industry. The Leisure Fund is designed specifically for the leisure industry and comes with two six month capital repayment holidays allowing breathing space for investment and contingency planning. The launch of the fund follows publication of research by the two banks which shows that one in four UK leisure businesses feel they are losing out to competition due to lack of investment. However, Scarborough`s Sport Village proposal for Weaponess shows the Borough`s commitment to continue to invest in sports and leisure Facilities. Association of Town and City Centre Management 2.3.49 The Association of Town and City Centre Management (ATCM) is Europe`s largest membership organisation dedicated to helping towns and city centres realise their natural roles both as prosperous locations for business and investment, and as focal points for vibrant, inclusive communities. Almost 90% of the UK population live and work in towns and cities and nearly everyone depends on them for access to shopping, entertainment, leisure, culture, public services and transportation. 2.3.50 The ATCM has recently published a paper to highlight growth opportunities that exist through developing the night time economy. The British Beer and Pub Association and the British Hospitality Association (BHA) are advocating the need for, and value of, destination management with their members. The BHA and VisitEngland will deliver a series of road shows in autumn 2013 that highlight the growth opportunities in the visitor economy and how these can be realised through greater collaboration in local areas. Retail is still in big part of the Borough`s visitor spend with the latest figures (2011) showing that one in every £5 spent by visitors was on shopping, representing a total of almost £100m. 2.3.51 The Government has focused on the importance of the need to revive “high streets” and enlisted the TV retail expert Mary Portas to investigate the issues facing town centre retailing. Recently, Bill Grimsey`s, former boss of Focus and Iceland, entered the fray, claiming she had made light of the crisis facing Britain`s small shops. He suggested that major retail and leisure chains should pay a one- off levy on UK sales that would raise £550m to help revive Britain`s high streets. He has also called for a revamp of the business rates system; a full-time high streets minister; and a professionally led town centre commission`s with a 20-year vision for their local area, supported by costed five-year business plans. Grimsey report says

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that more than 20,000 high street businesses are currently at risk, with 47% of all UK retailers facing financial difficulties (Liv).

People 1st

2.3.52 People 1st is an employer-led registered charity that aims to transform the skills and professional image of the hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism sector. They work with employers to ensure public funds are focused on qualifications and training programmes that the industry needs and respects. People 1st work with Government to raise employer ambition and investment in skills. Their recent successful bids to receive new Government funding focused on the delivery of six key project streams:-

• Helping unemployed people into work;

• Making workforces professional;

• Accelerating social mobility;

• Improving customer service;

• Increasing business investment in skills; and

• Establishing the Hospitality Guild.

2.3.53 People 1st has developed the Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4 & 5) in Hospitality. Working with the National Apprenticeship Service a new Engagement and Development team is targeting 3000 hotel and restaurant SME`s and 12,000 hotels and guesthouses across England to take up apprentices at all levels. Over 35,500 apprentices were tracked in 2012/13, an increase from 18,000 in March 2012. They are continuing to promote apprenticeships through the Act NOW campaign and they are co-ordinating the sector`s response to the Government`s Richard Review on the future of apprenticeships.

2.3.54 Hampshire County Council is delivering Welcome Host Gold – 260 staff have attended courses with a further 100 expected to go through the programme. The Welcome to Excellence – Delivering Service Excellence course launched in October 2012 with the option to take a Level 2 City and Guilds customer service qualification. Seven hundred and ninety front line staff have attended courses with 394 qualification registrations to date. New Welcome Host Gold destination specific courses have been produced for the Fylde Coast and Preston as part of the city`s Guild programme in 2012. Customer service training is an important contributor to the visitor experience and will feature prominently in this strategy`s action plan.

2.3.55 The Heart of England Attractions, a group of 15 leading West Midlands` attractions, was awarded £1m to develop new training programmes for their teams through the Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot. Round one allocated £90m for activities ranging from helping young people into work by delivering pre-employment training, to extending apprenticeships and training. Round 2 of the funding programme is now open for applications. The British Hospitality

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Association, working with Springboard and Business in the Community launched the Big Hospitality Conversation bringing together influential industry leaders from the top hospitality businesses with young people. Events took place across the country in the Spring and the outcomes are feeding into this important debate.

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Where are we going?

"Opening Doors"

The Vision

3.1 The vision for the visitor economy in the Borough of Scarborough is that the area in the future will continue to attract its existing markets, whilst increasingly attract new markets with genuine growth potential. Over the next ten years of this strategy there will be better quality product in terms of facilities and customer service, together with new products being developed in line with market demand. Coast, countryside, culture and cuisine should be the key themes driving the marketing strategy, supported by unique year round events and festivals that celebrate the essence of the Yorkshire Coast. These themes will build on the area`s "points of difference" from other destinations and help market the Borough`s distinctive experiences. Visitor satisfaction and sustainability will be ensured through a quality environment, better visitor management and information, as well as improved integrated transport and a better seasonal spread of visitors reducing pressure on specific sites at peak times of the year. Businesses will be more profitable with a longer operating season, better yield and an ability to re-invest in the quality of their product. By working in partnership with all the major players and partners this ambitious vision can be achieved.

Mission

3.2 This vision is reflected in the overall mission of the Visitor Economy Strategy, which is :-

"To revitalise and reposition the visitor economy in the Borough of Scarborough so that it is more competitive, profitable and sustainable."

Key Principles

3.3 The mission will be underpinned by 6 key principles :-

1) Be market-led. The visitor offer needs to market-led andcustomer focused. Today`s visitors are more discerning andthe destination market place is extremely competitive;so marketing campaigns need to be carefully targeted atexisting and new markets with growth potential. It isimperative that brand awareness of the Yorkshire Coast isincreased in the minds of the target audience.

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2) Compete through quality. In line with market demands andconsumer expectations, the visitor economy has to competeeffectively in the future, and increasingly needs to provide aquality experience and value for money. The product offerand customer service has to be first class to attract new andensure repeat business.

3) Put visitor first. Customer service must be based ontraditional values and genuine warmth. The welcome visitorsreceive leave a lasting impression; so the need to improvethe skills base of the workforce is of paramount importanceto the visitor experience. "Welcome to the Yorkshire Coast"has to be the mantra of everyone involved in the visitoreconomy and they all have to be great ambassadors for thearea.

4) Be sustainable. Sustainability is the platform for thedelivery and implementation of the whole Visitor EconomyStrategy - it has to be economically, socially andenvironmentally sustainable if it has to have a long-termfuture. The concept of "wise growth" and the circulareconomy has to be embedded to help improve businessperformance within the principles of sustainability.

5) Celebrate business excellence. Ensuring that there is anenvironment where businesses can flourish and beentrepreneurial helps engender a healthy visitor economy.Making sure there are business champions who are willingto advocate innovation and creativity to generate more newbusiness by enhancing the visitor offer.

6) Work in partnership. The Visitor Economy Strategy is astrategy for the Borough as a whole, therefore partners andstakeholders must help to deliver and implement the actionplan in order that it is successful. Without this spirit ofpartnership the VES will have limited impact and the Gestalttheory will be lost.

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How are we going to get there?

"Cementing success"

Priorities for Action

4.1 The following 4 "priorities for action" will be the main focus of the delivery plan :-

Promotional Planning

4.2 Strategic Priority 1 : Target existing and new markets with growth potential.

The Yorkshire Coast`s traditional markets still generate significant expenditure but they do not necessarily offer the best potential for future growth. Therefore, the primary marketing priority with regard to core markets is to increase the existing market share and create additionality through extended stays, repeat visits or by converting day to staying visitors. Also there is a real need to generate new visitor nights simply to maintain existing occupancy levels. Whilst overall the number of nights spent in the Borough by domestic visitors has decreased since 2006, the actual spend to date has been up by 10% during this period. Therefore, the main focus will be promoting to high value short break and second holiday market segments based on the 4 winning themes - coast, countryside, culture and cuisine - to attract new visitors under the "Yorkshire Coast" brand.

Key priorities for action over the next ten years will be to:-

- carry out a complete re-branding exercise on the "Yorkshire Coast" brand.

- maintain and develop the discoveryorkshirecoast.com website at the centre of the Yorkshire Coast`s destination marketing.

- provide press and public relations as part of planned marketing activity, including press visits and liaison that cross-

sells the destination themes.

- undertake new photography to increase the image library and ensure pictures are on brand.

- commission further research into motivations and booking patterns of core markets to ensure that promotion is targeted

in the most effective ways. - collaborative working, especially with the Yorkshire Coast

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Partnership and VisitEngland, will reduce duplication and help to increase marketing spend.

- focus on short break and second holiday thematic campaigns featuring coast, countryside, culture and cuisine market segments to create new market demand.

- deliver specialist seasonal campaigns, such as Christmas and Easter etc.

- publish the annual Visitor Guide with the main focus on attracting staying visitors.

- produce arrival print to give visitors information on what to see and do in the destination.

- refresh the marketing to international leisure visitors to the Borough - 40% of which stay with friends and relatives (VFR).

- seek to implement, with key stakeholders, a more proactive approach to the education market, whether it be to study here in the Borough or overseas students refining their English at recognised language schools.

- improve promotion to the travel trade, which is an important market for the Yorkshire Coast, through better coordination of activity.

- capitalise on the newly refurbished Scarborough Spa Complex as the focus for business tourism, working closely with the Confotel group of principal hotels to positively market the Yorkshire Coast`s product to this lucrative market.

- encourage corporate business within a one and a half hour drive-time, where customer relationship management (CRM) is the key to success and proactive sales techniques can be used to drive the business here.

- explore further ways to market the area for Film Tourism, not only the economic impact of film and TV production but for destination marketing purposes, like location tours and theming existing tourist attractions with a film connection, for example "Heartbeat".

- sustain a year round calendar of special events and festivals to satisfy specific market demand.

- encourage more sports and leisure tourism-related activities, such as Extreme Challenge, outside of the main season.

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- continue to provide accurate advance information, particularly relating to entertainments, events and conferences to the private sector to help businesses undertake tactical marketing.

Product Investment

4.3 Strategic Priority 2 : Develop a year round product that meets market demand.

Despite the recent report published by the Centre for Social Justice into poverty and deprivation in some UK seaside towns there is evidence that the Borough has to a certain extent bucked the national trend. Considerable investment since the renaissance programme began in 2002 in Scarborough, which gave a terrific stimulus for major improvements to the Scarborough Spa Complex, Scarborough Harbour, Rotunda Museum, Woodend Creative Industries Centre, Open Air Theatre, together with Scarborough Sands phase 1, is encouraging but there is still a need to keep this momentum and rekindle the spirit of renaissance in the town. Certainly a lot more work needs to be done if the Yorkshire Coast is to retain its existing markets and begin to attract new markets, then further rationalisation and improvements to the existing product need to be carried out. A case in point would see work carried out on the piers and lighthouse in Whitby and to Cobble Landing in Filey, together with schemes listed below. The desire to attract different markets will necessitate new product aimed at the key themes of coast, countryside, culture and cuisine. While the onus for any capital developments lies with the owners and operators, there is a need for public agencies to provide incentives through financial assistance eg Local Enterprise Partnership to help stimulate growth and create jobs, as well as the main lottery distributors by direct grant aid to projects.

Key priorities for action over the next ten years will be to :-

- develop the existing product through physical investment, for instance :-

undertake a feasibility study into the refurbishment of the Scarborough Art Gallery.

Whitby railway station second platform development will allow more steam trains into the town from Spring 2014.

investment is still required in the accommodation sector to create further 4 and 5-star quality accommodation, both serviced and self-catering.

continued development is also necessary in the retail offer if

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town centres are to remain competitive.

explore the potential to regenerate redundant buildings, such as Filey Police Station, as was the case with the Royal Opera House into a new casino and with the current conversion of the former parcels office into artists studios.

development of the Crescent as a "cultural quarter" with the work planned for Londesborough Lodge by the KSD Rokpa Trust into a spiritual centre.

continued investment in Peasholm Park as a leading visitor attraction for the resort.

renewed focus on the long distance walking and cycling product.

New developments planned or having the potential:-

progress the Sports Village concept for Weaponess Park.

further expansion of The Bay development in Filey.

market the Futurist theatre site on Scarborough`s South Bay with the focus on developing a principal tourist attraction.

re-modelling of West Pier with the building of a new lifeboat station.

Explore opportunities for sourcing funding to support improvements to Whitby Piers and Lighthouse and Cobble Landing in Filey

investigate the idea of establishing a "Hotel School " managed and operated by trainees, similar to those planned for Tenby and Oldham.

opportunities for further new hotel development, potentially in the budget sector may arise.

an increase in rural retreats, such as walking and cycling, has seen a rise in the demand for glamping and yurting sites, as well as bunkhouses and hostels with self-catering growing in popularity.

development of a new visitor centre at the Filey country park to facilitate the area as an events space.

further tourism and leisure opportunities on Whitby Business Park, in conjunction with the North York Moors National Park

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Authority. within the attractions sector, opportunities are relatively limited with the small catchment population and reliance on a relatively static visitor market, although Sands phase 2 offers the opportunity for new leisure product, for example water park, lodges and public house. Heritage Lottery Fund`s "This Exploited Land" programme will see £3 million of grant aid financing projects and initiatives in the Esk Valley managed by the NYMNP under a Landscape Partnership. within rural areas issues of sustainability, visitor management, appropriate development sites, the planning framework. Pose significant restrictions on medium to large scale developments. the emphasis in any new attraction or facility should be low volume activity based facilities, similar to Go Ape in Dalby Forest. prospects for further LEADER programme from March 2014. Place Making 4.4 Strategic Priority 3 :Ensure a high quality environment and improve visitor management. In any destination environmental quality is of fundamental importance to guaranteeing visitor satisfaction and creating the right market conditions for encouraging growth and new product development. This is particularly true where the natural and built environment is a major part of the visitor offer as in the Yorkshire Coast. Effective movement of visitors both to and from and within a destination is a crucial element of visitor management. This is particularly the case for the Borough, which suffers from a peripheral coastal location and poor external communication links and increasing traffic congestion during the peak summer season. If the destination is to improve customer satisfaction and minimise the negative impacts on the visitor economy there is a real need to improve the visitor management both internally and externally. Key priorities for action over the next ten years will be to :- - undertake major environmental improvements to key sites within the Borough that are detrimental to the image of the destination. - continue to achieve “Green Flag” status for 4 parks in Filey, Whitby and Scarborough, as well as carrying out on-going

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maintenance to the Borough`s public open spaces, street furniture and landscaping on prime visitor routes. - maintain floral displays at key sites on the highway and at locations in the towns, securing sponsorship from local businesses, as part of Britain in Bloom.

- street cleanliness is a regular requirement and fundamental to the visitors perception of the destination.

- continued investment by Yorkshire Water and partners into making sure the main resort beaches are the best in Europe and meet "Blue Flag" standards for cleanliness and water quality.

- review public toilet provision in the Borough.

- access to the countryside is a crucial facet to ensure visitors are able to use a network of rights of way and public footpaths, cycle and bridleways, supported by good information and proper way-marking.

- "tourism for all" ensures access for people with disabilities to all facilities, including shops and toilets, together with the provision of access guides for town centres.

- develop better transport connectivity to the Borough, particularly improvements to the A64 trunk road and within its towns and villages.

- implement park and ride schemes in towns to aid traffic management.

- encourage green travel plans, including cycling to work initiatives.

- review the Borough`s car parking strategy.

- develop a public art policy for the Borough

- enhance dedicated coach parking facilities, setting down and picking up points for coaches.

- improve the communication between the County and the Borough Councils on service delivery, which impacts on the visitor, to ensure effective destination management.

.- ensure the tourist information centre provision meets visitor demand.

- enhance visitor interpretation and information at key visitor

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arrival points, such as railway and coach stations, car parks, shopping centres and picnic sites.

- improve signage and information provision generally so that it is easily understandable to all, including overseas visitors.

- embrace new technologies in the dissemination of visitor information, eg touch screen displays and mobile devices.

People Development

4.5 Strategic Priority 4 : Invest in people and business networks.

There is no doubt that the visitor economy sector is resilient even in times of recession and its labour intensive nature creates more jobs than many sectors. However, its image of low pay, part-time, and seasonality has to change and the need to make the workforce more professional is of paramount importance to raise the sectors standing. Regular training and learning are an investment that allows employees to prosper and develop their careers, while giving the organisation a highly skilled workforce, and a competitive advantage in the market place. Studies of training reveal that organisations with lower staff turnover spend the most on training and education. The benefits of a trained workforce have been shown to flow through to customers, who become more satisfied with the improved level of service, not to mention greater productivity and improvements to the business`s bottom line. First impressions are extremely important in developing relationships; so the welcome and customer service visitors receive defines a destination. Coupled with that the workforce is at the front line of providing that service to visitors; so investing in people is the key to a successful visitor experience. It is imperative that the skills and image of the visitor economy sector are transformed during the course of this strategy by working with employers to ensure training programmes fit industry needs. Raising employer ambition and the investment in skills has to be the aim of this strategic priority by building relationships with key business clusters and trade associations.

Key priorities for action over the next ten years will be to :-

- making workforces more professional by working proactively with employers.

- increasing business investment in skills.

- helping unemployed people into work.

- work with the main service providers, particularly further and

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higher education establishments, to develop appropriate courses that meet industry needs.

- retain a higher education provision within the Borough.

- support businesses through the provision of training, networking and the sharing of best practice. - develop a business mentoring and work shadowing programme. - improve access to business support through a one stop shop approach, such as the LEP`s BIG Tourism Club. - nurture key business clusters and trade associations. - engender a friendly welcome to all visitors. - improve customer service and product knowledge of frontline staff by introducing a "Welcome to the Yorkshire Coast" training programme. - change the perception of the industry as a career choice, working with schools and the youth service. - support VisitEngland`s English Tourism Week initiative, held annually in the Spring, to help raise the profile of the industry within the Borough. - continue to encourage local businesses to enter the White Rose Tourism Awards to help celebrate successful enterprises. - provide publicity opportunities for beacon businesses to foster civic pride within their local communities. - further engagement with the general business community to act as ambassadors, particularly on business tourism.

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Getting there? "Engineering growth" Achieving the strategic vision. 5.1 The Visitor Economy Strategy needs to be translated into a series of specific and quantifiable targets that relate to the strategic context to measure the strategy`s impact and outputs. The Strategic Targets are:- 1. Visitor spend - increase the value of the visitor economy by 5% year on year from its baseline figure of £470 million in 2012 - target £755 million. 2. Jobs created - increase the number of people employed in the visitor economy from 15,520 in 2012 to 18,625 people - a 20% increase. - increase the percentage of visitor economy employment of total employment in the Borough from 18.9% to 22%. 3. Visitor numbers - grow the number of tourism day trips to the Borough from 6.5 million in 2012 to 8.5 million. - grow the number of overnight tourism trips from 1,379,000 in 2012 to 2 million. 4. Destination indicators :- - Scarborough to remain a top five UK destination for domestic overnight stays as recorded in the UK Tourism Survey. - improve Visit England`s brand and satisfaction tracker scores for Scarborough to 98 from 96 and the North York Moors from 105 to 106. Note : The majority of the above measures are calculated annually via the Cambridge Tourism Economic Impact Model.

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References and further reading

(i) The Economic Impact of Tourism on Scarborough District 2012- published by Tourism South East Research Unit, based on the

Cambridge Tourism Economic Impact Model. (ii) British Hospitality Association research. (iii) Scarborough Futures : Researching the Competitiveness of the

Borough of Scarborough - Hull University Business School (September 2013).

(iv) The Economic Impact of Tourism on Scarborough District 2012- Published by Tourism South East Research Unit, based on the

Cambridge Tourism Economic Impact Model. (v) Prime Minister, David Cameron`s speech at the Serpentine Gallery in London to an audience of representatives from the tourist industry on 12th August, 2010.

(vi) VisitEngland`s Annual Progress Report 2013. (vii)The Economic Impact of Tourism on Scarborough District 2011-

published by Tourism South East Research Unit, based on the Cambridge Tourism Economic Impact Model. (viii)Tourism South East research into tourism-related expenditure based on BIS (2009) RDA to produce a composite GVA figure for tourism in the Yorkshire & Humber region.

(ix) Domestic Leisure Tourism Trends for the Next Decade - prepared for VisitEngland by Trajectory Global consultancy in December 2013.

(x) Scarborough Council Corporate Plan 2011-2016. (xi) Visit England UK Tourism Statistics 2010. (xii) A Vision for Scarborough 2002. (xiii) "Turning the Tide : Social Justice in five seaside towns" - August 2013 published by The Centre for Social Justice.

(xiv) Wilkins Kennedy accountants survey of personal bankruptcy in 2012 - published 25th November 2013.

(xv) North York Moors National Park Management Plan : A Wider View - published 2012.

(xvi) North York Moors National Park Authority - Promoting the Park Plan - 25th March, 2013.

(xvii) "Valuing England`s National Parks" - National Parks England, 10th May, 2013.

(xviii) The Ryedale Plan - Local Plan Strategy, 5th September, 2013. (xix) York/North Yorkshire/East Riding Enterprise Partnership`s Strategic

Economic Plan - Consultation draft (1st August, 2013). (xx) North Yorkshire Community Plan 2011-14. (xxi) "5 years. 5 ways we will grow the Yorkshire brand" - Welcome to Yorkshire marketing strategy.

(xxii) Government Tourism Policy – John Penrose MP, Minister for Tourism and Heritage, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

(March 2011). (xxiii)Coastal Communities Fund launched in July 2011 by HM Treasury

and the Department of Communities and Local Government.

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(xxiv)Defra Rural Economy Growth Review announced on 29th November, 2011. (xxv)VisitEngland`s Rural Tourism Action Plan published in June 2011. (xxvi)Natural England Corporate Plan 2012-2015. (xxvii)North York Moors National Park – draft Promoting the Park Plan (25th March, 2013). (xxviii) A Strategic Framework for Tourism in England 2010-20200 (March 2010).

(xxix) VisitEngland`s Seaside Resorts Action Plan published in June 2011. (xxx) The All-England Destination Marketing Strategy : A New Approach

2011. (xxxi)VisitEngland`s Brand & Satisfaction Tracker. (xxxii)VisitEngland`s Corporate Plan 2011-2015. (xxxiii) Britain Tourism Strategy - Delivering a Golden Legacy : a growth

Strategy for inbound tourism 2012-2020 (April 2013). (xxxiv) "Achieving great art for everyone" - Arts Council England

(November 2010). (xxxv) "Culture, knowledge and understanding : great museums and

libraries for everyone" - Arts Council England. (xxxvi) Rebalancing Our Cultural Capital - A contribution to the debate on national policy for the arts and culture in England.

(xxxvii) Supporting and creating economic growth through Culture and the Visitor Economy - ACE and VisitEngland Partnership Statement

(6th February, 2013). (xxxviii) Visit England`s Regional Growth Fund project - Growing Tourism

Locally 2012-2015. (xxxix) English Heritage`s Corporate Plan 2011/2015. (L) National Heritage Protection Plan 2011/2015. (Li) Heritage Lottery Fund Strategic Framework 2013-2018 : A lasting difference for heritage and people.

(Lii) The Vale of Pickering - An Extraordinary Place Statement of Significance published in 2013 by English Heritage.

(Liii) Creating a sporting habit for life : a new youth sport strategy - Sport England (January 2012).

(Liv) Bill Grimsey`s report on Britain`s high streets - September 2013.

Prepared by M. J. Wilkinson, BA (Hons), FCIM, Chartered Marketer

on behalf of Scarborough Borough Council