Regional Tourism Team Update - 07.07.06
Welcome to our fortnightly e-bulletin packed with information about what the North East England Regional Tourism Team have been up to.
UK Marketing Activity »
International Marketing Activity »
Business Development Unit »
Tourism Development Unit »
Visitor Services Unit »
Tourism North East online »
UK MARKETING ACTIVITY
Walking and Cycling Campaigns
Over 11,600 individual walking guide and 2,800 cycling guide requests have been received since March 2006. A further 100,000 walking promotional inserts will run in the Youth Hostel Association's Triangle magazine in September alongside online activity and direct mail shots.
Work is underway on a new 'Walkers and Cyclists Welcome Scheme' accommodation brochure. The new guide will feature all those accommodation providers within our region that are part of the national scheme, and will be sent out to all visitor requests for information on the region's outdoor product, as well as forming part of a direct mail pack.
Click here for more information on recent campaigns and guides targeted at the UK market:
Walking »
Cycling »
Gardens »
Award-Winning Attractions Campaign »
For more information on tourism marketing activity within the UK please contact caroline.adams@onenortheast.co.uk
INTERNATIONAL MARKETING ACTIVITY
VisitBritain/FjordLine Norwegian Campaign
This campaign, targeting the Norwegian consumer, was launched in mid July and comprises press advertising in key Norwegian national press, a campaign website, e-marketing and special offers on both touring holidays and city-breaks to North East England. The campaign will run until the end of August and FjordLine will provide passenger data into the region during this time. More information will be available in the next edition of e-bulletin or visit tourismnortheast.co.uk
Taste Great Britain Campaign
In partnership with VisitBritain Norway, DFDS Seaways Oslo and Land Rover Norway, North East England will be represented in a Taste Great Britain Campaign. The campaign includes a printed taster brochure, a tailored website, an e-newsletter and on-line competition. The aim is to raise the profile of the North East as a car-touring destination and inspire the Norwegian reader to plan a visit. The campaign is due to launch early August. For more information contact helen.moderate@onenortheast.co.uk.
International e-newsletter
Following the successful launch of the international e-newsletter the second edition is now underway and will go out in mid August. This will include a special gardens feature to coincide with the recent launch of the North East England Garden campaign and showcase news, stories and offers from throughout the regions gardens. A section dedicated to displaying other regional news is also planned so all stories are welcome. If you have anything to submit for consideration please send a press release of no more than 150 words to philip.marshall@onenortheast.co.uk by 28 July.
VisitBritain Trade & Business
The team hosted a successful dinner at The Alnwick Garden by VisitBritain Trade and Business representatives from around the World, including all of North East England's key markets. A number of key relationships were built which will be progressed over the coming year. To find out more about how the team work with VisitBritain in the UK and overseas please contact helen.mcloughlin@onenortheast.co.uk.
England's North Country (ENC) Touring Guide 2007
The international team are currently working with Area Tourism Partners (ATPs) on the new ENC Guide for 2007. The Guide - with a stunning new layout and support of a £2m international marketing campaign, provides inspected accommodation and attraction providers throughout North East England with the opportunity to promote themselves on a worldwide stage. And with advertising rates starting from as little as £199 for accommodation providers and £250 for attractions it's superb value for money. For more information click here or contact helen.moderate@onenortheast.co.uk.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT UNIT
New Man at the Helm
The Regional Tourism Team welcomed Richard Vickery who takes over from Susan Marshall as Business Development Manager. Richard has joined the team from Shropshire County Council where he specialised in supporting tourism businesses through European funding programmes. Richard looks forward to working with ATPs and key agencies to ensure the region's tourism businesses have access to high quality, relevant business support and development programmes. To contact Richard please email richard.vickery@onenortheast.co.uk.
Green Tourism Accreditation Scheme
The Northumberland National Park Authority played host to the very first seminar for the Green Tourism Accreditation Scheme. The event on June 6 welcomed Sandra Barnes as its guest speaker. Sandra, who runs an accommodation business in West Sussex and is a Gold Member of the Green Tourism Business Scheme, outlined her experience of the scheme and the benefit to her business. As a direct result of the seminar, 14 regional businesses have progressed onto the North East pilot. A further three seminars are to be held in the autumn - details to follow. For more information, contact janet.smith@onenortheast.co.uk.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT UNIT
Visiting for Business
Tourism UK has been commissioned by One NorthEast to look at ways in which Tourism Network North East can help the region meet the needs of the business visitor. The work will look at market trends and the nature of competition from other destinations. It will make recommendations for development of the business tourism product offer as well as marketing and promotion strategies so that the region can find ways to further strengthen competitiveness. The work is being undertaken with input and assistance from the region's convention bureaux. For more information, contact chris.little@onenortheast.co.uk.
Inspiring Guides
Results of three parallel pieces of regional research set out the effectiveness of the 2005 holiday guide, the way in which people use holiday guides, and outline barriers that are preventing potential visitors from coming to the North East.
Key messages from the work show that people use holiday guides to be inspired, with more than a third of those who requested the 2005 Holiday and Short Breaks guide being inspired to visit the region with a value of £25 million to the regional economy. However the work also indicated there are still a number of misconceptions about what the North East has to offer tourists. There is, therefore, a need to continually raise awareness of the region's offer, an issue being addressed by the Regional Image team. For more information on the results, use the links highlighted above.
VISITOR SERVICES UNIT
Desti.ne
Desti.ne is more than a website! To be launched during the autumn of 2006, the Desti.ne platform will enable tourism businesses and organisations to work together to better promote North East England and provide potential visitors with the opportunity to 'look and book' through whatever means they find most comfortable.
A number of businesses and organisations are currently piloting the platform to test support and ease of use. Feedback received to date has been very useful and informative. Over the coming weeks, we will be releasing more information about the new version of Desti.ne and how it can benefit your business.
FIND OUT MORE
If you would like to find out more on tourism in the region, visit www.tourismnortheast.co.uk - a dedicated website for the tourism industry in North East England.
RECOMMEND A FRIEND
If you know of anyone who is not currently receiving the Regional Tourism Update but who might be interested in receiving a copy, then please send their email address to Vicky Paris who will add them to the distribution list.
