Outer Hebrides Area Tourism Partnership
Minutes 5 May 2011 – Benbecula
Present:
Ian Fordham (IF) – Chair / Chair of OHTIA
Graham Maclennan (GMn) - Harris rep for OHTIA
Anne Ryan (AR)- Tourism Hebrides Development Officer
Stephen Peteranna (SP) - Isles Hotel Group
Donald Macarthur (DMa) - OHTIA Lewis rep
Julie Inglis (JI) - Strategic Relations Exec, VS
Alan Mackenzie (AMz) - Islands Manager, VS
Mairi Thomson (MT) – Senior Dev Manager HIE Outer Hebrides
Johanne Ferguson (JF) - SNH
Alison MacCorquodale (AMc) - Economic Development Officer CnES
Neil Campbell (NC) - Local Development Officer South Uist & Benbecula
Elaine Cleary (EC) - Local Development Officer North Uist & Berneray
Seonag Campbell (SC) - Skills Development Scotland
Apologies: David MacLennan (DMl) - SNH
Guy Adams (GA) - Barra rep for OHTIA
Anna Mackay (AMk) - Tourism Hebrides Administrator
Jane Maciver (JM) - Stornoway Port Authority
Roddy MacDonald (RM) – CnES
Karen MacAulay (KMa) - South Uist / Benbecula rep for OHTIA
1 Welcome and Apologies:
IF welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies as noted above. As there were
some new faces around the table everyone did a quick introduction. IF welcomed
AMz to the meeting as VisitScotland’s new Island Manager for the Outer Hebrides.
He also recorded the thanks of the ATP to Maryann Maciver for all her input over
the years. IF to write a letter on behalf of ATP to Maryann.
IF will inform JI of OHTIA reps before each meeting.
2 Matters Arising
Minutes of the previous meeting were approved - all actions highlighted in
previous minutes either follow on the agenda or have been actioned.
3 Action plans
Action
IF
Action plan 1 - Archaeology
It was agreed that this was an important niche market for the Outer Hebrides and
as such should remain an active action plan. It was agreed to invite Deborah from
CnES to present to next ATP (Sept 11) and possibly to join the ATP. It was also
agreed that it would be useful for AR to include archaeology in the Tourism
Hebrides audit - everyone was asked to provide contacts to AR prior to Sept 11
ATP to include in audit.
JI
ALL
Action plan 2 - Develop eco friendly credentials
It was agreed after some discussion that this should be implicit to the Outer
Hebrides tourism strategy and therefore need not be an individual action plan per
se as it should permeate all aspects of tourism development in the islands.
Action plan 3 - Events & festivals
It was agreed that it was important to encourage more events and festivals in the
shoulder months and that the events planners and organisers in the islands would
benefit from a more joined up approach. The Tourism Hebrides project will take
this forward by producing a joined up calendar of events taking place throughout
the islands so everyone knows what’s on and can work more collaboratively
together.
AR
Action plan 4 - Food & drink
Food and drink is an important part of what people visit the islands for. This will
form part of the Tourism Hebrides audit. It was felt this action plan needed some
more thought and work done by OHTIA before the next ATP meeting. MT will
provide OHTIA with some information HIE hold on the Outer Hebrides brand and
protected name status.
Action plan 5 - Gateways
AMz updated the group that VS will not be moving into the Stornoway Town Hall.
The plan is to retain the current VIC location with the network office based in the
OHTIA / MT
same building. The decision was made on the fact there would be less space in
the Town Hall, it would be more costly and if VS moved it would leave a
prominent building in the town unoccupied. AMz will check with Diane Macleod
on discussions with CnES regarding the other VICs in the islands and report back
at the next ATP.
GMn mentioned the VICs in Portree, Ullapool and Oban not having materials
promoting the islands - it was confirmed by VS that the Outer Hebrides Where to
Stay and What to See and Do guide is in all VICs in Scotland and that businesses
who want to advertise in VICs can do so by paying for advertising space if
available. It was suggested the OHTIA might want to do some joint promotion
within these VICs. AMz also agreed to look at what provision is available within
these VICs. It was also suggested getting information to local industry
associations on the mainland in gateway ports would be useful e.g. the group in
Ullapool.
SP said his company had advertised on the ferries in the past but they were not
aware of any bookings which were attributable to this advertising.
SC suggested it may be useful for information on driving on single track roads to
be available on the ferries. The Community Safety Partnership is planning to put
out such information - there is already information for campervans on the ferries.
NC and EC spoke about an information point within a bus shelter in Harris which
was excellent but in the wrong place - they have spoken with someone within
CnES who is keen to get it moved to the pier at Leverburgh so it is of more use to
visitors.
If the ferry route between Mallaig and South Uist goes ahead that will be another
gateway.
This action plan needs to be looked at and refocused - needs to be less about
facilities and more about information provision.
AMz
ATP
Action plan 6 - National Park status for Harris
This is not an action plan for the ATP. It would be a desirable outcome the ATP
would be keen to keep up to date with but it is not an objective for the group.
At this stage SC gave her apologies as she would have to leave the meeting early
so it was decided to move onto action plan 20 - skills before she left.
Action plan 20 - Skills
SDS offer a variety of different initiatives such as skills development based round
Modern Apprenticeships and training for SMEs etc. They base their training
calendar on what businesses need. It was agreed Tourism Hebrides would do a
survey to identify what needs to be delivered, how and when by the end of 2011.
SDS will then look at the possibly of providing funding and facilitation of training
as highlighted by survey. On an ongoing basis SDS will provide Tourism Hebrides
with information on what support is available so it can be included in the industry
newsletter.
Tourism
Hebrides
Action plan 7 - Nature Based Tourism
This plan has been completed to date - Tourism Hebrides has produced a draft
report for SNH which is currently with SNH awaiting feedback and approval. There
are 30 recommendations in the report. AR highlighted some of these
recommendations to the group. AR will circulate the recommendations to the
group for information.
AR
Action plan 8 - Accommodation audit
Tourism Hebrides has done an audit of accommodation in the islands - this is now
99% complete. The part that is missing is market demand. We can now tell what is
available where but not what is needed.
SP spoke of his experiences at VS expo in Aberdeen recently and the different sort
of demand coming from emerging markets such as India and China. AMz will
speak to members of the emerging markets team within VS to get some facts and
figures on this.
It was agreed a knowing your markets workshop may be useful to work out what
people want and where the gaps are. RET has not delivered the types of visitors as
AMz
initially predicted e.g. not as many high spenders as first thought.
There are three parts to this 1) We need good reliable information about current
occupancy levels 2) We need to know what future market needs are likely to be 3)
We need to know what we currently have available (this is the one piece of the
jigsaw already in place).
Action plan 9 - Scotland’s Islands 2011-12
This is now underway and so can be removed as an ongoing action plan.
After a break for lunch it was decided to work on a few other key action plans.
Action plan 12 - St Kilda project
The Uig group have recently produced a promotional DVD and have appointed
directors for the Limited Company. JI to contact the group to request an update at
the Sept 2011 ATP. If not Sarah Egan then possibly Iain Buchanan.
JI
Action plan 13 - Cost effective management of public resources
IF requested an update from the public sector agencies on their financial
commitments to tourism in the coming financial year at the previous ATP. IF
circulated information from SNH as provided by DMl. SNH are still keen to get
strategic guidance from the ATP to help produce future guidelines for SRDP
funding.
IF will check with DMl regarding the level of tourism support in the Outer Hebrides
from SRDP compared to Orkney & Shetland.
HIE has no specific sectoral budgets but MT had worked out that in the past two
years HIE had approved £487,000 support for tourism activity and £5.5m for a
range of activities and service providers with some links to tourism (£5m of this is
for developments in Lochboisdale). MT will circulate information to the group.
AR circulated a list of projects and events she has encountered during her audit - it
was agreed this was a useful list and others should update AR with any further
information on an ongoing basis - AMz will share the information with AR from
the VS event listings.
IF
MT
ATP / AR /
AMz
Action plan 19 - Transport
As KMz was not present it was agreed to get an update from him and the
subgroup that has been set up to take the transport action plan forward at the next
ATP.
Feedback has been given on the new ferry to Stornoway. More information is still
needed on actual capacity and reliability in bad weather. OHTIA has
recommended using both the new ferry and the Isle of Lewis in the summer
months i.e. have a pilot with the two ferries running for three months in the
summer to see how it works.
It is unlikely that anything more will be decided on the Mallaig - Lochboisdale
route until after the election.
A request for information from Calmac regarding passenger details has been
moving forward. There is a possibility that postcodes only may be supplied but
they are checking re: data protection before doing so.
KMz
Action plan 21 - Market Intelligence
4
5
OHTIA have produced an update for this action plan. The agreed actions are for
AMz / IF / RM to review and amend VIC survey if required. AMz to check with Chris
Greenwood re TNS / VS occupancy survey and AMz to look into regional VS data.
ATP location and costs
There was a discussion on the best use of time and resources for the ATP
meetings. It was agreed where possible it was desirable to hold the meetings
throughout the islands but that this would not always be possible due to logistics.
The proposal is to hold two meetings a year in Stornoway with people in other
locations being given the chance to VC in to the meeting with the remaining
meetings being held one in Harris and one in the southern isles. It was agreed a
meeting in Barra in the near future would be good.
The September 2011 meeting will be held in HIE’s offices in Stornoway with VC
available from Barra and Benbecula.
Tourism Hebrides update - Anne Ryan
AMz / IF /
RM
6
7
As the meeting had to end so members could catch their flights it was decided not
to give this update.
AOB
OHTIA Growth Fund application
IF had circulated this in advance of the meeting. There were no further comments
on it from the group.
Date and location of next ATP meetings
Tuesday 27 September - HIE offices, Stornoway
Thursday 1 December - venue TBC