Minutes of BBT meeting 28th June 2011
Attendees:
Nicola (Punch) Maughan (Director General), Elizabeth Jefferys (Chair), Catherine Maggs (Treasurer), Idris Jones (Pen-y-Dre Farm), Sue Collins (Ty Gwyn B&B), Peter Williams and Alison Kidd (The Prospectory), Mark Lloyd & Nicola Smith (Monmouthshire County Council), Mark Soanes (Call of the Wild), Andrew Fryer (Wern Watkin), Susie Suter (Gliffaes), Bill Richards (TRAM), Susan Walker (Monmouthshire Walking Festival), Michael Cunningham (Erwood Station Craft Centre), Gary Evans (Hawk Associates & SWOAPG), Frank Marr (Marr Associates), Peter Cole (CRT), Helen Jones (TPMW), Jenny Taylor (Abergavenny & District Tourism Assoc.), Liz Mathews (Aberhyddnant), Alistair Kirk (Craig-y-Nos), Laura Miles (Felin Fach Griffin), Clare Wright (the School Annex), Maggie Hinde (Sleeping Giant Cottage), Ceri James & Caroline James (Brecon Beacons Holiday Cottage), Sharon Birch (Glasbury House OEC), Hilary Lipscombe (Old Rectory Barn), Jeff Calligan (Mountain & River Activities)
Apologies: James Hitchings, Geoffrey Marshall, Fiona Walker, Rose VR, Martin Smith, Colin Evans, Becca, Martin Flemming, Mary Adams, Ryan Thomas
Agenda Points
Welcome & Sense of Monmouthshire Toolkit
Elizabeth welcomed everyone to St Mary’s and handed over to Sandy Greenslade from Adventa to introduce the newly updated “Sense of Monmouthshire” toolkit. This toolkit it has been updated from a 1995 version and will be available to download from their website to help businesses develop their sense of place. It includes a self-audit section.
The toolkit includes several themes including people, Welsh language, food and drink amongst others. It also acts as a portal to a range of other websites and information sources which can help access Monmouthshire specific information. It will be available to tourism businesses via the Made in Monmouthshire website as a members log-in. Training is available for businesses either to individual business or as a workshop event. The team are looking for feedback on what format would best suit businesses and whether training is likely to be needed to launch the project – any comments to be sent to sandy@adventa.org.uk
BBT Update
Punch reported on the BBTs current work
• Still maintaining a good website presence. Dutch and Belgian visitors to the site have increased
• BBT monthly leaflet drops continue; businesses can use this to distribute their marketing leaflets. New rates on application. There is also a new independent service delivering leaflets into the Wye valley & Forest of Dean www.tourismleafletdistribution.co.uk
• The Brecon Beacons Marketing Communication Group (BBMCG) has been grappling with the long term implications of the destination work. The BBNPA visitor information will now be held on a separate visitor website to the main authority website.
• The Brecon Beacons Travel Challenge is active and anyone can take part in the challenge this summer. www.travelbreconbeacons.info/events-and-special-offers
• Rural Develop Grants are available to tourism businesses in Powys under the project Sustainable Tourism Powys:
1. Business Development – intervention rate 70% up to £2,500
2. Sense of place – intervention rate 70% up to£5000
3. Activity & wildlife tourism – intervention rate 70% up to £10,000
4. GTBS – intervention rate 50% up to £5000
Contact – tourism.trade@powys.gov.uk
• In Monmouthshire there is support as well as grants available – contact rdp@monmouthshire.gov.uk
• Regional Centre Services (formally Flexible Support for Business) are offering a range of support sessions offering Equality & Diversity Health Checks – businesses need to have these in order to access RDP funds. Tel No: 03000 6 03000
Media & PR Update
Frank Marr introduced the work that Alexandra Marr & Associates have been doing for the BBMCG. They are constantly promoting stories and offers about the area to the media and need stories, quirky tales and offers to continue to be sent. As much as possible is also used on the various social media channels. Contributors to the blog are welcome and comments / likes on the facebook page all help:
http://breconbeacons.wordpress.com http://www.facebook.com/thebreconbeacons
A Youtube channel is in development and businesses who have videos of their businesses should send in their links.
There are various opportunities for press visits in the autumn from British and Dutch journalists – anyone prepared to host a journalist in their accommodation or offer an activity should also make contact
All contact to breconnews@gmail.com
Update from Abergavenny & District Tourism Association
Carol Williams spoke on behalf of Abergavenny & District Tourism Association (ADTA) on their recent work. The new Abergavenny Trails and Tales leaflet has been produced, which includes a historical walk around the town. A number of Abergavenny focussed itineraries have been created on a PDF but hopefully will be on downloadable web pages shortly. E-mail Carol for the itineraries. Carol.Williams@breconbeacons.org
The South Wales Outdoor Activity Provider’s Group Coordinator
SWOAPG receives funding from Collabor8, BBT, Visit Wales and provides:
• Info on the activity providers and provision in the BBNP
• A place where concerns can be raised
• A route to signing the FCW concordat
• A point of focus for the sector
• Bring people together and encourage best practice
• A hub for training
• A means of flagging up access issues
• A strong voice representing activity providers
• Supporting members
Activity providers can join the group and receive different levels of communication.
Gary updated the meeting on the current work of the SWOAPG and there have been 3 full meetings since the group’s inception. There is a steering group made up of 11 members, which makes the decisions for the group in between the twice yearly full meetings.
The group is involved in all of the relevant groups in the area, including BBT. They are also undergoing a number of surveys looking at access and usage of specific areas in the national park. Surprisingly there are a few activities which can only be done at very few sites, forcing these sites to be over used. The group aims to manage this level of usage.
Currently they are looking at introducing a late and small group bookings scheme.
From mid July onwards the SWOAPG website will list their members and provide their contact details. www.swoapg.co.uk
2010/11 Visitor Survey Report
Sean Morgan from the Lynn Jones Research Company reported on the Brecon Beacons survey at the end of the second year (in 2008/2009 BBNP was in included in the South East Wales survey; 2010 saw the survey become BBNP specific).
The 2010/11 project had 587 surveys completed from 2,000 e-mail addresses given to BBT (a 20% return on people giving their e-mail addresses (30% is more the industry level). Details of the presentation on the survey results will be sent on application and the full report will be available in mid July.
Some of the questions are being amended for the 2011/12 project and it is critical that we get more email addresses collected.
Monmouthshire Walking Festival
This is running from 22nd – 31st October – lots of different walks – stargazing, geo-caching, Nordic walking – they have a facebook page
Next Meeting
BBT 2011 meeting dates
- 20th September – Myddfai Village hall
- 29th November
