A new drive\u00a0 has been launched to turn North Wales into a “world class” destination for visitors.<\/p>\n
The Destination Management campaign is a \u201ckey building block\u201d of a strategy to increase the value of the \u00a32 billion a year industry which employs 40,000 people in North Wales.<\/p>\n
It is being masterminded by Tourism Partnership North Wales, the organisation responsible for the strategic development of the area\u2019s visitor economy, who are investing a total of \u00a3250,000 in the initiative.<\/p>\n
The aim is to create an Excellent Visitor Experience so that people want to return again and again \u2013 and tell their friends and family to come here too.<\/p>\n
Working with the six local authorities in North Wales, the ultimate goal is to make the region a top five UK destination for visitors.<\/p>\n
As well as sprucing up our towns and villages, the campaign will include marketing, research, developing social media, learning journeys and profile-raising PR.<\/p>\n
Dewi Davies, the Regional Strategy Director of Tourism Partnership North Wales, said: “It is a vital step for North Wales to improve the quality of the visitor experience,\u00a0 across the whole of the region and in every local authority area.<\/p>\n
“The counties of Conwy, Anglesey and Wrexham have already published their Destination Management plans and work is at an advanced stage in Gwynedd, Denbighshire and Flintshire.<\/p>\n
“The idea behind Destination Management is to look at the kind of experience a customer gets currently and researches into how that can be made into a very memorable experience.<\/p>\n
“Our aim is to make sure the customer will come back and also that that visitor will tell great stories to their friends and people online.<\/p>\n
“First of all it is important to establish what brings people here in the first place, whether it is our mountains, coastline and heritage.<\/p>\n
“We have some really world class assets in the form of Snowdonia National Park Authority or the three\u00a0 Areas Outstanding Natural Beauty.<\/p>\n
“Equally, we\u2019ve got world class heritage site with the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and the castles at Beaumaris, Caernarfon and Conwy.<\/p>\n
“Whether the customer comes here to enjoy an outdoor experience or a heritage experience,\u00a0 we must fulfil and exceed their expectations.<\/p>\n
“First impressions are important so it is vital that the signage is right and there is a sense of place when people arrive.<\/p>\n
“We need to make sure the quality of information good,\u00a0 the environment is tip-top and that the accommodation, the attractions and the activity experiences are up to scratch.<\/p>\n
“In each area, we have a partnership of representatives from the public and private sectors who meet four times a year to make sure the Destination Management programme is on track.<\/p>\n
“It is a huge challenge because we are in an extremely competitive market place.<\/p>\n
“Communities such as Belfast and Northern Ireland are investing hugely in their tourism offer and we see new communities which might be only a two-hour flight away from Liverpool, Manchester or Birmingham, all competing for our customers from those large cities.<\/p>\n
“What we have to do is ensure we have a high quality product and provide a brilliant visitor experience.<\/p>\n
“We have a strong belief that our Destination Management plans, where we can identify the things that we can do better to improve experience, can provide the uplift to make North Wales a far more competitive place and fight for our market share within a very, very busy and crowded market place.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur aim is to be one of the top five destinations in the UK \u2013 it\u2019s about people coming here and getting a good experience first time around so that when they go home they spread the word.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea is that they keep coming back and that they persuade others to come here as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe visitor economy is the life blood of the regional economy and the importance of the destination management project should be viewed in that context.<\/p>\n
“We need to be world class – the potential rewards are massive.\u201d<\/p>\n