Delivering visitors
to the Outer Hebrides
April 2014
Who we are...
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We provide lifeline ferry services to the Clyde and Hebridean islands
Our award-winning services revolve around connectivity, enabling the many
people who live and work around the network to continue doing so
363 days of the year, we operate 31 ferries to more than 25 destinations: from
five-minute journeys to seven-hour sailings
We operate 475 daily sailings in summer and 325 daily sailings in winter
It’s not just passengers we carry, but over 1.1 million vehicles too. Everything from
emergency vehicles, livestock, and produce for export
In terms of routes and vessels, CalMac is the UK’s largest ferry operator and aims
to be the UK’s leading ferry operator
Importance of Tourism
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Tourism is a key contributor to the national economy but perhaps nowhere
more so than the remote rural communities of Scotland’s west coast islands
and peninsulas
Community engagement and tourism development are not new to CalMac
and we have a long history of supporting social and economic development
Of the 4.5m passengers to travel with award-winning CalMac every year, 1.8m
are tourists
Tourists provide a much-needed economic boost by spending on food, drink,
attractions, activities, souvenirs and accommodation
The more new and repeat visitors we can attract,
the bigger the boost
We’re continually seeking new ways to
support tourism-oriented activities
CalMac and Tourism
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Continued support and participation of events
large and small
Support for Destination Marketing
Organisation and other island partners
MV Loch Seaforth introduction
Introduction of a new tourist-friendly route from
Mallaig to Lochboisdale
Timetable consultations with islanders
and businesses
Introduction of even more local produce
Working in partnership with providers to
enhance our GoExplore, Days Out and
Rail and Sail offers
Joint ticketing partnerships
Events and Exhibitions
Locals Events
• Regularly support events large and small throughout
the area including the Hebridean Celtic Festival
• Support ranges from organisational support
to Marketing and promotion
Senses of Summer Roadshow
• Series of roadshows at busy locations in West central
Scotland and Edinburgh over the summer
• Representation from Outer Hebrides on stand
Travel Trade Exhibitions
• Outer Hebrides also being marketing to Travel Trade
industry this year - attended the CTC Coach Holiday
Conference, ITB Berlin, BOBI, MAMA
• Exhibition stand at VisitScotland’s Expo in Glasgow last week
New Ferry and New Route
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Launch of MV Loch Seaforth which will operate between Stornoway and Ullapool,
has significantly greater capacity than MV Isle of Lewis
The ferry will offer passengers, cars and commercial
ehicles using the Stornoway to Ullapool route a
faster, quieter and more comfortable service
Launch of new, winter Mallaig to Lochboisdale
pilot route in November 2013 reduces journey
times to and from South Uist, along with providing
an alternative means of reaching North Uist,
Benbecula, Eriskay and Barra
New twice-weekly service is one of a series
of improvements to winter services to South Uist
and Barra which, when combined, more than double
the services previously available
Onboard Local Produce
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We’ve continued to develop our onboard offering for passengers by:
A taste of the islands - We’ve given unprecedented emphasis to local provenance
across our fleet, tapping into the growing movement for locally produced,
traceable foods and goods – and offering passengers a flavour of the destinations
they’re sailing to and from. This includes Barra Atlantic produce,
UU Trading on North Harris and Hebridean Brewing Company
Cooking fresh to order - We now cook fresh to order
in each of our Mariners outlets. Recent years have
seen us create our own recipes and develop menus
that can be cooked to order throughout the day,
ensuring passengers of the freshest, tastiest result
We also sell local produce on board for example Harris
Tweed Products on board MVs Isle of Lewis and Hebrides
Our Publications
GoExplore Holiday Planning Guide
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Continued development of GoExplore, our pre planning holiday guide
Dedicated section to Outer Hebrides area including island descriptions, things to
do, driving times, events etc
In 2013, approximately 5,000 copies of the brochure were downloaded from our
website by customers
150,000 copies of the brochure printed in 2014
More customer-oriented design makes it easier to access key information
New distribution strategy for GoExplore 2014 ensures brochure will be seen in
tourist planning hotspots including trains hubs, gateway sites,
shopping centres and attractions and
cultural venues throughout Scotland
and the North of England
Agreement with VisitScotland
to distribute copies via VICs
Our Publications
Days Out and Island Hopping
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Creation and refresh of new Days Out brochure for 2014 which
includes tours for Outer Hebrides
Distribution has been reviewed to extend the reach and to target
transport hubs, accommodation providers and a selection of
VisitScotland VICs
Creation of Island Hopping brochure
Includes information on the range of tickets we offer including
Island Hopping, Island Rover and Five Ferries Tour complete
with prices
Also includes inspiring information about the islands and
network map
Brochure has been distributed to our Ports and Ferries around
the network
eNewsletters and Social Media
• eNewsletters
- We regularly communicate with our customers and partners through
monthly eNewsletters
- We currently have over 80,000 people on our CalMac Connects database
- We also have approximately 50 email addresses on our
Destination Marketing Organisation database and
we would encourage more
• Social Media
- We also communicate regularly to our
customers through Social Media and
currently have 10,139 Facebook followers
and 3,992 followers on Twitter
Promoting the Outer Hebrides
Press Travel and Onboard Filming
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Provided free press travel for promotion of the Outer Hebrides. Included travel for
features by German publisher Dumont Reiseverlag, Caravan Club, Cycling in the
Outer Hebrides, surf articles, Scottish Islands Explore Magazine and freelance
writers
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Agreed on board filming on Outer Hebrides
ferries/routes. Including Austrian Broadcasting
Corporation, Bees Nees Media, BBC Scotland,
BBC Reporting Scotland, Middlechild Production
(Channel 5/National Geographic), Channel 4,
BBC Radio nan Gaidheal, Demus HG Productions,
Solus Alba, BBC Gaelic Radio
Promoting the Outer Hebrides
Additional Activity
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Created package for 2014 with David Urquhart Holidays involving groups
travelling on foot from Ullapool to Stornoway, taking a tour of the island
using a locally based coach operator and then returning to Ullapool later on
in the day taking in dinner on board
Free promotion including a mention of the Outer Hebrides
during live broadcast for Ewen and Cat’s Guide to Scotland
show in autumn 2013, in partnership with Real Radio
and Visit Scotland
Recently sent an invite to OHTIA inviting members to
get involved with National Ferry Fortnight which is a
UK wide annual event to promote
travel by ferry. We suggested ways to get involved at
no cost to themselves including inviting themselves a
and their customers to join in NFF facebook and
twitter campaigns
VisitScotland – National Ticketing
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Prior to 2013, CalMac tickets were on sale at 30 VisitScotland Visitor Information
Centres (VICs)
Since June 2013, tickets are now on sale at 84 VICs nationwide
Our strategy? First and foremost, to make it easier for customers to buy tickets and
also, to put CalMac on the radar at the point of purchase and persuade those with
no fixed itinerary to book a ferry trip
And it worked! In the seven months between
the national roll out and the 2013 year-end,
ticket sales via VICs were 54% more than for
the whole of 2012
Currently and moving forward we are actively promoting our
Days Out products and touring opportunities to the Outer Hebrides
for sale through the entire VisitScotland VIC network (84 sites in
Scotland), and also to overseas international tourism wholesalers
VisitScotland – Homecoming
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Our 2014 Advertising Campaign will focus on VisitScotland’s Year of Homecoming
Campaign will showcase the wealth of great opportunities and attractions
available on the islands in this year of Homecoming
Using Homecoming 2014 as the catalyst, the main tagline of the campaign will be
‘If not now, when?’ - Tapping into the insight that thousands of Scots keep
‘meaning’ to experience the islands, but never get round to it
We’re also offering a fantastic 5,000 FREE ferry tickets in partnership with
VisitScotland’s Brilliant Island Moments
campaign to encourage people to visit
Scotland’s islands and peninsulas and this
will include the following Outer Hebrides routes:
Oban > Castlebay and Oban > Lochboisdale
Uig > Tarbert and Uig > Lochmaddy
Ullapool > Stornoway
Work with us
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We are supporting OHTIA, use them as a channel to contact us
Inform us of your plans, ideas, campaigns and aspirations.
Work with us to ensure fam trips and visiting journalists are welcomed
Deliver a warm Scottish welcome, which will make visitors want to return again
and again
Contribute to Connect Newsletter
Email communityconnections@calmac.co.uk to be added to our Destination
Marketing Organisation database which will keep you updated on what’s
happening in CalMac and any advise on any opportunities
Summary
• Tourism is a key contributor to the national economy and in
particular to the network we serve
• Community engagement and tourism development are not
new to CalMac and we have a long history of supporting
social and economic development
• Tourists provide a much-needed economic boost by
spending on food, drink, attractions, activities, souvenirs and
accommodation
• We are continually seeking new ways to support tourismoriented activities
• Here at CalMac we put our customer’s at the heart of
everything we do
Thank You