Powys are offering the following grants:

Sustainable Powys scheme: Sustainable Tourism Powys Presentation

Sustainable Tourism Powys is running a series of FREE Tourism Business Events in February on the following topics:-
• Taking bookings & payments online – Explore a number of available booking & online payment systems options including guest link. The presentation will cover the booking systems and their suitability to the tourism industry, available payment solutions and their costs and suitability to the tourism industry, website integration, managing an online booking & payment solution and other relevant subjects.

• Reducing costs through renewable technology – A beginners guide on how you can green there business and become more sustainable by reducing costs through renewable technology. The presentations will include the following subjects: What renewable options are available, a brief overview of how they work, what are their benefits, what are their costs and how are they cost efficient. Explanation on grants vs FITS.

You will also discover the support and funding opportunities that are available through the Sustainable Tourism Powys project.

14th February 2012 – 9.30 till 1pm Antur Gwy, Builth Wells
20th February 2012 – 9.30 till 1pm Usk & Railway Inn, Sennybridge
21st February 2012 – 9.30 till 1pm MRC, Llandrindod Wells

If you are interested in attending you can book your place via www.tourismpowys.org, by emailing tourism.trade@powys.gov.uk or telephoning 01874 612281

Resilient Powys scheme: Resilient Powys

The Tourist Investment Support Scheme (TISS) is available for tourism businesses: see http://wales.gov.uk/topics/tourism/investsupport or call Visit Wales 0845 010 8020, email tiss@wales.gsi.gov.uk See also this presentation: Tourism Investment Support Scheme

‘Building for 2012’ is a short-term, fast-track initiative which forms part of the Tourism Investment Support Scheme (TISS). This new initiative will support micro, small and medium sized tourism businesses in Wales who are investing over the winter months in capital expenditure improvements to raise quality standards in preparation for 2012. The Building for 2012 initiative is open to tourism SME businesses, anywhere in Wales.To qualify for Building for 2012 funding, projects must be delivered by March 31, 2012.
In cash terms, it will normally be up to £25,000, up to 40% of eligible costs. This is a higher intervention rate for a limited period, with the usual rate for TISS support being circa 25%. The minimum support is £5,000. However, larger projects will not be excluded that meet eligibility rules and can complete by March 31st 2012. It’s quick and easy to apply. All you need to do is complete an introductory questionnaire and if you’re successful we’ll ask you to complete an application form. We’ll be able to give a quick decision, usually within 10 working days. Further information on Building for 2012 available online.

Welsh Government’s Regional Centres – These centres are available for other business advice see: Regional Centres in Wales

TPMW often run courses close to the Brecon Beacons keep an eye on their website:

Capitol Region Tourism also offer courses for businesses in the south of our region – see link

Gallu offer training for businesses in the western part of our region – see link

The Welsh Government Regional Centre Service based in Brecon offer support for businesses – the local contact is Daniel Gale Tel-: 01874 622 632 Or e-mail dgale@anturbusiness.co.uk

Attendance: Nicola (Punch) Maughan (Director General), Elizabeth Jeffreys (Chair), Alan Bowring (BBNPA), Nick Englefield (Beacon Park Boats), David & Ros Steel (Kite’s Nest Holiday Cottage), Marianne Cahill (Yew Tree Farm), Jane Donald & Lucy von Weber (SWWTP), Helen Jones (TPMW), James Hitchings (YHA), Cathey Morgan (Theatre Brycheiniog), Ceri Scott Howell (Coity Bach), Clare Wright (School Annex), Alison Kidd & Peter Williams (The Prospectory), Anna Heywood (Drover Holidays), Fiona Walker (Llandovery Chamber of Commerce), Hugh Davies (Myddfai Trading), Katy Jenkins & Hannah Spedding (The Glynhir Estate), Helen Rees (Tan Yr Eglwys)

Apologies: Kevin Walker, Carys Hewitt, Gary Davies, Mountain & River, The Grange G/H, Martin Smith, Kim Jones, Ian Andrews, Rose Vyvyan-Robinson

Agenda Points

Welcome
Elizabeth welcomed everyone and thanked Myddfai for hosting the meeting and congratulated them for creating such an inspirational building. It has been a good summer for the Brecon Beacons in terms of profile with both Myddfai and Talgarth being on prime time TV as part of the Village SOS challenge. The importance of celebrating events which is one of the things the Beacons do best was highlighted. The Abergavenny Food Festival had been impressive and the Llandovery Sheep Festival is the next one on the calendar with the Hay Walking Festival and Brecon Arts week in October

BBT Update
Punch updated the meeting on the BBT’s current work:
• www.breconbeaconstourism.co.uk continues to do well. 17,324 website visits in the month of August 2011 (all time high). All the main Brecon Beacons websites are coming together (BBNPA, Powys CC, BBT) to form one destination website – hopefully this will be in Spring 2012

• The Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thebreconbeacons) has 1,378 followers and the blog (http://breconbeacons.wordpress.com)also acts like a website with new tabs being added. Guest bloggers are constantly needed

• The PR & Marketing has been working well and as an example in August they fielded 25 media requests, produced 5 lots of weekly offers and have had press releases used in daily newspapers. Please continue to send news and offers to breconnews@gmail.com – Halloween, Guy Fawlkes, half term, Christmas input is required

• The Brecon Beacons Marketing Communication Group (BBMCG) has been developing its branding and this will help the new website

• BBT leaflet distribution is proving useful to BBT members and has been included as a member benefit. Next run October 4th

• The Tourist Investment Support Scheme (TISS) is available for tourism businesses: see http://wales.gov.uk/topics/tourism/investsupport or call Visit Wales 0845 010 8020, email tiss@wales.gsi.gov.uk .

Information on this and other tourism support is being presented at a day event called : ‘Support available to tourism businesses in Powys’ at the Media Resource centre, Llandrindod Wells, Friday, 23rd September . To attend telephone: 01874 622 632, E-mail: dgale@anturbusiness.org.uk

• Powys is reporting on it’s grant scheme ‘Sustainable Powys’ on Wednesday 28th September:
10.30am – 12.00pm – Peterstone Court Hotel, Brecon
1.30 – 3.00pm – CRiC, Crickhowell
To attend email tourism.trade@powys.gov.uk 01874 612281

• Feed in Tariffs (FITs) available from the Government:

www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/business/Business/Local-Authorities/Funding/Feed-in-Tariffs
FITS are reducing in March and solar energy companies are getting increasingly busy – now is the time to act.
Welsh Government Regional Centre Service are running an Environmental Focus Days with advice on
- viability – position of roof
- calculation of costs
- size of system
- pay back times and how much you will earn back over the next twenty five years
The business specialist can also outline the benefits of conducting such a project such as the use of the power you will generate, fuel bill savings and also property investment as it will add value to the property it is operated from. The business specialist can also help you to plan out the financial side of the project, taking into account aspects such as cash flow and funding.
Brecon – 6th October – to attend telephone: 01874 622 632, E-mail: dgale@anturbusiness.org.uk
• The Regional Centre in Carmarthenshire has nothing currently planned but their contact details are 01267 242385
fs4b@carmarthenshire.gov.uk if businesses want to make contact to be kept informed

• Visit Wales has had its Business Survey results from its summer survey and it is showing a mixed summer. Caravan & camping sites have done well whereas hotels and guesthouses have had a tougher summer.

• The Brecon Beacons How’s Business Survey will be coming out soon for tourism businesses to fill in, allowing a more focussed view of this years’ business levels

• WTA conference – 7th November, Llandrindod Wells. To register www.wta.org.uk

Myddfai Hall
The Myddfai Hall and shop is the end result of a 10 years struggle to create a project to help prevent the decline of the Myddfai community and village. The project used the physicians of Myddfai as the focus and the brand that has been developed from that has become widely recognisable even after this short period.

The trading arm will help sustain the community hall & is now selling to over 90 outlets in Wales; some are fairly large such as The National Trust and CADW points. The community arm of the project is the hall, which has been built very sustainably. It has been designed to be the heart of the community, acting as a venue for all the community events.

The TV programme ‘Village SOS’ has created an increase in the on-line sales and shop visits. There has also been enquiries about the business model the partnership used by other community groups thinking about doing the same sort of initiative.

The Llandovery Sheep Festival & Llandovery Partnership Initiative

Fiona Walker reported on the 2nd Llandovery Sheep Festival, which is on 24th & 25th September and has been successful in its aim to increase footfall to the town at the shoulder period end of the season. The festival was developed from the Love Llandovery initiative, which started 18 months ago and has been central to creating a community pride and enthusiasm for the town. www.llandoverysheepfestival.co.uk

‘What can the Geopark do for your business?’ – Alan Bowring, Geopark Officer at the BBNPA

The Geopark status has been a designator for the west of the Beacons for 5 years and has been hugely important in developing the information and understanding of this vitally important area.

The Geopark produces a Geopark newsletter on a regular basis providing information on the area and businesses and venue in the area.
The Geopark also produces leaflets on the area, the newest ones in the set are ‘Llandovery – Building Stones Geo-trail’ and ‘Garn Goch Geo-trail’.

One of the initiatives Alan is working on at the moment is creating itineraries with businesses in the area highlighting facts and things to see about the Geopark. Anyone who is interested in developing or hearing more about these itineraries should contact Alan.

Alan is eager to engage with businesses and hear what they would like to have or become involved with the Geopark, contact Alan on:
Alan.Bowring@breconbeacons.org

‘Reviews – good, bad or ugly?’ – Lucy von Weber, South West Wales Tourism Partnership
Lucy has recently completed a dissertation entitled ‘Tourism SMEs and electronic word of mouth: perceptions, practices and issues of consumer trust’….basically on online feedback and electronic word of mouth, ‘user reviews’! People are increasingly becoming swayed by and trusting online reviews and looking at on-line comment. People will be reviewing businesses whether we want them to or not. In tourism and holiday terms Intel reports that 4 out of 10 holiday makes use of on-line reviews, one of the most well known is TripAdvisor which has been around for 10 years. However recent bad press for this site in particular is causing concern. Reviews however are on most holiday sites, Google Places, Facebook…. Lucy researched how tourism businesses are dealing with reviews and are interacting with on-line media and reviews. It is important for tourism businesses to monitor on-line feedback and reviews. It is important to respond to both negative and positive reviews. Lucy’s dissertation can be viewed here:User Reviews Lucy von Weber Research

Next BBT Meeting: - 29th November