Tourism Review and Implementation Group (TRIG)

Tourism Review and Implementation Group (TRIG)

Note of Third Meeting, 3 February 2005

Present:

Rt Hon Richard Caborn MP (Minister for Tourism)

Alan Britten (Quality Review Group)

Belinda Ryan (People 1st)

Brigid Simmonds (Tourism Alliance)

Chris White (Local Government Association)

Prof. David Airey (University of Surrey)

David Richardson (Whitbread Group)

Ida Clemo (for Jude Brimble, GMB)

Juliet Williams (SW Regional Development Agency)

Kurt Janson (The Tourism Alliance)

Mary Ney (London Borough of Greenwich)

Sandie Dawe (VisitBritain)

Stephen Moss (Springboard UK)

Steve Smith (Small Business Services)

Tony Burton (The National Trust)

Tony Climpson (New Forest District Council)

Sir William Lawrence (England Marketing Advisory Board)

Kevin Williamson (DCMS)

Sean Coster (DCMS)

Valerie Curtis (DCMS)

Susan Shaw (DCMS)

Iain Newton (DCMS)

Vicky Hill (DCMS)

Apologies from:

Tom Wright (VisitBritain)

Bob Cotton (British Hospitality Association)

Eric Robson (Cumbria Tourist Board)

1. Introduction

The Minister was grateful for members’ continued commitment to TRIG. He was pleased with progress, and looked forward to hearing detailed proposals for sub-group work in the four vital areas identified.

2. Updates/Discussion on Tomorrow’s Tourism Today Key Work Areas

Marketing and E-tourism

The Minister gave a brief report of his visit to China following the signing of the Approved Destination Status Memorandum on 21 January. This market will provide an excellent opportunity for the Tourism in the UK with an estimated 150,000 visitors.

3. Sandie Dawe (for Tom Wright) provided an update:

• The reform of VisitBritain’s overseas marketing activities continues, with a presence in 35 markets, co-ordinated through 8 hubs. Particular attention is now being paid to five new markets – Malaysia, Thailand, Czech Republic, Greece and Hungary. In the US, the new ‘So British’ magazine/initiative will be launched in February.

• The new marketing model will be discussed by the Minister and his Scottish/Welsh counterparts on 23 March with a view to formal agreement.

• VisitBritain has now successfully moved EnglandNet in-house. Following discussions between Tom Wright and the companies concerned, most of the State Aid issues have now been resolved. There will shortly be a regional EnglandNet road show in partnership with the RDAs. .

• New website distribution deals are expected to generate an estimated 23 million new customer hits over the next three years.

• VisitBritain aims to have adopted a fully Assessed Only policy by July 2006. Many felt that this was an excessively long deadline, and the Minister suggested that VisitBritain should consider bringing it forward to January 2006 and report back to the next TRIG meeting (Action Point 1 – VisitBritain).

• A draft Interactive Structural Map prepared by VisitBritain was circulated, including structural/administrative tourism at national, regional and sub-regional levels. This was with a view to inclusion on the VisitBritain website.

4. Quality

Alan Britten provided an update on quality progress (annex 1). In brief:

• Discussions were continuing with the RDAs about the relationship between Fitness for Purpose and the proposed Entry Level standard.

• In December, the AA, RAC, VisitBritain, VisitScotland and the Welsh Tourist Board announced the new Self-Catering Common Standards and an industry consultation on implementation.

• The LGA has now officially agreed an “Inspected only” policy. DCMS are exploring a possible “Assessed Only” policy for Government Departments, as part of a wider “culture of tourism”. This is being discussed with the Office of Government Commerce, and an update will follow when there is progress (Action point 2 – DCMS). The Minister added that it would also be useful to discuss this with other major constituencies including the CBI.

• The next meeting of the Review Group on 1 March will come to a decision on signage. It is likely that this will favour abolition of the diamond rating.

5. Workforce Skills

Belinda Ryan gave an update on skills work (annex 2):

• Labour market and skills reports have been produced for all 14 industry sub-sectors, and regional reports for each of the 9 English regions.

• Details of the pilot VisitBritain/People 1st’ skills and quality assessment scheme have gone to the RDAs – with five registering interest.

• Research is continuing on a possible ”league table” of regional skills spending, but this depends on identifying funding. It was suggested that it would be useful if People 1st could consider producing a structural framework on training providers (Action point 3 – People 1st).

6. Data

• DCMS confirmed that Tourism Satellite Accounting methodology is now fully embedded in policy. As for the UK Tourism Survey, funding discussions are continuing, and will be informed by the results of VisitBritain’s tender exercise after 18 February. Tourism Ministers will discuss this issue on 23 March. There could be a regional element to the new data sources, and DCMS will discuss this with the RDAs.

7. Sub-Group Progress - General

• The four sub-groups had all met, making good initial progress on scoping. Presentations from the sub-group chairs followed:

8. Workforce Skills Sub-Group

David Airey’s presentation is summarised as follows:

• Its task is to consider the scope for changing behaviour, possibly through a skills levy or tax incentives.

• Further work will follow on the historical background of skills levies, international comparisons, the practicalities of tax incentives, and investigating the scope for possible targeting of the levies/incentives.

9. The Minister asked if issues raised by migrant labour had been considered. The consensus in discussion was that, while there were real issues here, it would be more useful for the sub-group to confine its work to considering how the industry can better attract resident workers.

10. The management of skills in lifestyle businesses as discussed briefly, this is already the subject of a DCMS project, and TRIG will be kept informed of progress.

11. Planning Sub-Group

• Brigid Simmonds explained that the sub-group had considered problems with land-use and planning - including Local Development Frameworks and Regional Spatial Strategies – in the contexts of the ODPM-led Good Practice Guidance for tourism (PPG21 – still being prepared) and Town Centres (PPS 6).

12. DCMS and the industry will need to fully co-ordinate their efforts on PPS21, and a meeting at Ministerial level would be desirable to consider issues raised by health and fitness centres in the context of PPS 6. Moreover, greater promotional support is needed from both DCMS and ODPM in supporting the tourism industry at local authority level.

13. In discussion, it was agreed that a representative of ODPM should attend the next TRIG meeting. The effects of the Licensing Act were considered. It was also agreed that there is a potentially an important role to be played by Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) in planning decisions.

14. Sub-Regional Structures Sub-Group

• Sir William Lawrence explained that the group’s objective was to consider the case for additional administrative machinery to co-ordinate the work of over 100 DMOs across England. An evaluation exercise on Regional Economic Strategies would be desirable, and initial scoping will be completed by March.

15. The lack of an RDA representative in the sub-group was a result of a breakdown in communication. Juliet Williams will identify an RDA representative urgently.

16. Sustainability Sub Group

Tony Climpson explained that:

• The sub-group had considered the adequacy of the present tourism sustainability agenda. It will review VisitBritain’s survey of Quality Schemes, and identify the scope for “bolt-on” sustainability pilots as parts of, or to run alongside, the National Quality Assurance Schemes. Consideration will also be given to developing the present Destination Management Handbook (based on the VICE model developed in the New Forest) into a UK-wide web-base resource.

17. AOB and Next Meeting

Some other issues were discussed.

18. Tony Burton had discussed transport issues with DfT, and was conducting further research. It was agreed that TRIG may return to transport at a later time.

19. The DCMS/VisitBritain/Tourism Alliance national tourism conference – Tourism UK 05 - will be on 16 March, and details will be circulated with the minutes (Action point 4 – DCMS).

20. Chris White will provide an update on Tourist Information Centres at the next TRIG meeting.

21. A proposed date for the next meeting will be circulated shortly (NB - 13 April, from 1: 30 to 4pm).

Strategy Branch

DCMS Tourism Division

(TRIG Secretariat)