Minutes of BBT meeting – 31st January 2012, Buckland Hall
Attendance: Nicola (Punch) Maughan (Director General), Elizabeth Jeffreys (Chair), Alison Kidd & Peter Williams (The Prospectory), Martin Fleming (Buckland Hall), Brian Post (Ty Tal B&B), Carl Durham (Black Mountain Activities), Gwen & Idris Jones (Penydre Farm Holidays), Katy Smith (Smithy’s Bunkhouse), Caroline Danby (Brecon Beacons Holiday Cottages), Anna Heywood (Drover Holidays), Amy Mackintosh (Swan at Hay), Sharon Birch (Glasbury OEC), Catherine Maggs (Brynich), Geoffrey Marshall (Brecon Cathedral), Seamus Keays (The Allt B&B), Richard Lewis (Middle Ninfa), Julie Dawson (Westview Guesthouse), Mick Collins (Outdoors@Hay), Liz Matthews (Aberhyddnant Farm Cottages), Francis Lawson (YHA Llwyn-y-Celyn), Laura Miles (Felin Fach Griffin), Sue Collins (Ty Gwyn B&B), Gary Evans (Hawk Associates/SWOAPG), Elaine & Zoe Williams (Usk & Railway Inn), Ceri Scott Howch (Coity Bach Farm Cottages), Frank Marr (AMA), Sheila Jenkins (Cantref Coach House), Leanne Jenkins & Rachel Morgan (Welsh Venison Centre), Patrick & Rose Vyvyan-Robinson (Alltybain Farm Cottages), Clare Wright (School Annex), Jeff Calligan (Mountain & River Activities), Deborah Haylock (The Angel Hotel), Davina Hogg (Penpont), Janet & Olivia Williams (Pilgrims), Bill Richards (Tourism Research & Marketing), David Hedley Williams (Grange Guesthouse), Mary Davies (Pyscodlyn Caravan), Diana Blowfield (Courtyard Cottage), Ivan Langford & Hilary Davies (Langford Training), James Hitchings (YHA Wales)
Apologies: Jillie Gardner, Huw Dulea, Mark Callaway, Ty Llew, Sue Shaw, Kevin Walker, Cathey Morgan, Tony @ The Bell, Phil Park, Nicola Newhams, Zena Davies, Pat James, Dawn Farnworth, Pam Bell.
Agenda Points
Elizabeth welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked Martin and his team at Buckland Hall for hosting the meeting. There have been many success stories recently; BBT has been awarded £5,000 from The Tourism Society to support their development and work with in – area partners on what is required for an effective Destination Partnership. BBT member Penderyn Distillery has received 2 Gold awards for their whisky at the prestigious World Whiskey Masters 2011 and a Gold award for their gin in the Worldwide Gin category at the 2011 International Wine and Spirit Competition – the spirit industry’s “Oscars”.
BBT update:
Forthcoming events:
Good Business Sense Seminars:
…..Sustainable tourism equals good business management –
Thurs 16th Feb – Running a ‘Good’ Hospitality Business
For Hotels, B&Bs and Guesthouses
10am – 3pm, Llansantffraed Court Hotel, Abergavenny
Tues 21st Feb Running a ‘Good’ Attraction Business
10am – 3pm, Brecon Beacons National Park Visitor Centre (The Mountain Centre), Libanus
Tues 28th Feb Running a ‘Good’ Self-Catering Business
10am – 3pm, The Barn at Brynich, Brecon
Further dates to note for your diary include:
Tuesday 6th March Renewable Energy: A Gentle Introduction
Venue TBC
Tue 20th March Renewable Energy Master Class
Venue TBC
Book via Nicola.Senior@breconbeacons.org
Visit Wales Roadshow – Innovating Tourism Together:
6th February, The Elephant & Castle Hotel, Newtown
9th February, Ty Newydd Hotel, Penderyn
Speakers include LJ Rich from the BBC Click Team and an afternoon of optional workshops including Clare Birt of Vibe PR with practical Marketing tips, David Edwards with a Cheese Tasting Masterclass and a visit to Penderyn Whiskey to find out about VAQAS (Grading for attractions).
Newtown event – Book with Rhian Watt of Tourism Partnership Mid Wales
rhian.watt@tpmw.co.uk
Penderyn event – Book with Alice Brown of Capitol Regional Tourism via www.capitalregiontourism.org/skills
Support available for tourism:
• TISS (+ Building for 2012)
Visit Wales 0845 010 8020 ….tiss@wales.gsi.gov.uk
http://wales.gov.uk/topics/tourism/investsupport
• Sustainable Powys
tourism.trade@powys.gov.uk 01874 612281
Advisory day – 20thFebruary, 9.30 -1pm – Usk & Railway Inn, Sennybridge
21st February, 9.30 – 1pm – Media Resource centre, Llandrindod Wells
• Business Support:
www.business.wales.gov.uk/newsletter
• Punch requested accommodation businesses to submit their monthly occupancy to Visit Wales as these figures are then disseminated to destinations. The figures help partners to better understand how the area is performing – to register to receive the monthly emailed forms – email occsurvey@tns-global.com.
• The leaflet distribution service is beginning again for 2012 on the 8th of Feb and the drop off points are listed on the BBT website www.getactive-beacons.co.uk/news.
• Tourism Week is starting 27th February & BBT are planning to host Kirsty Williams AM & William Powell AM on Friday March 2nd at Penderyn Distillery for a tour and Q & A session.
Destination Marketing Website
Paul Funnell, IT Manager at the BBNPA and project sponsor for the new destination website on behalf of the Brecon Beacons Marketing Coordination Group (BBMCG) updated the meeting on the progress re the destination website. A company called Rippleffect have been appointed and will work with the BBMCG and One Bright Space who will provide the mapping elements of the site to produce a visitor facing website for the NP bringing together the re-purposed visitor information from the BBNPA site and the business information. The collaborative nature of the partnership of the group has enabled more money and skills to be brought to the project.
The website will include tourism businesses details, area information Ripple Effect have lots of creative ideas and are eager to work on the project and the website will be accessible for mobile phone and tablet use. It is planned that businesses will have direct control of their information on the website.
Roger Hunter has been employed as Project Manager for the next 6 months to take the project to launch date (1st June) and to iron out the detail following the launch. As part of the development stage he is hoping to speak to a small number of visitors to gauge the kind of information they want when they research holidays and trips to the area and asked businesses if they could offer contact details of visitors who would be prepared to talk him – Roger will issue an introductory email for businesses to send to visitors.
There will be weekly updates available via e-mail and the website is expected to go live on the 1st of the June
Roger Hunter can be contacted on Roger.Hunter@breconbeacons.org
BBT PR
Frank Marr reported the PR/media activity in 2011 and the plans for 2012. In 2011 Alexandra Marr and Associates (AMA) attended a number of national events including the National Cycle Show, World Travel Market and Welsh Tourism Conference. Over 13 press trips have been organised and press releases and relationships have been created with the national and regional newspapers and publications as well as with businesses who are prepared to host journalists.
More press trips are planned for 2012 including with the Independent, Lonely Plant guides and the Disability Magazine, plus they are in talks with a number of other magazines and journals. Early 2012 activity will focus on the Crickhowell Walking Festival and the Canal Anniversary.
Late deals are a good way to get into media, so anyone with last minute availability or special deals should send details to AMA. Any story ideas, images, promotions, blog content or press releases should also be sent to the Marrs.
Cycling & Mountain Biking Strategy
Anna Heywood reported on the recent consultancy work she had undertaken on the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority (BBNPA)
The project was entitled – ‘MTB/Cycling Champion’ the purpose of which was to support the development of the cycling offer in the Brecon Beacons in collaboration with local business clusters already developed under COLLABOR8 and to be done by helping clusters deliver the actions identified in the Cycling & Mountain Bike Strategy May 2009.
During 2011the work included informing businesses and individuals in the hub areas about the mountain biking product and to look at new ways for businesses to update content on the Brecon Beacons Mountain bike website. Feedback from the hub businesses has also been collected. The existing 14 mountain bike routes have been mapped online so businesses can pass on the route information to visitors in both a paper and online format.
The routes have been adopted by local people so that they are ridden on a regular basis and the condition of the route and any access or way marking issues can be identified and dealt with.
The need for pre-planned road routes have been identified and the BBNPA is developing GPS downloadable information on these.
Abergavenny has also been suggested as a hub, although a recent meeting to develop this was not well attended.
A FB page has been created
www.facebook.com/pages/MTB-Brecon-Beacons/241848795878542
Anyone who has a Facebook account can add photos and write on the wall.
A public feedback form about the hubs has been created and is accessible via :- http://tinyurl.com/6sq9thp
B-Bug project Update
Alison Kidd updated the meeting on the B-Bug trial which explored a green alternative to the car and tested whether visitors would use them.
There have been difficulties with insuring the B-Bugs for on-going use but Zurich Municipal has now provided a group insurance for the B-Bugs allowing them to continue to be used. A B-Bug Cooperative (BBC) has been set up to cover the costs in the insurance. Ideally five businesses are sought who will act as renters of the bugs to visits in the 2012. Anyone interested in the project please contact Alison direct alison@prospectory.co.uk.
Social Networks in the Brecon Beacons
Frank Marr reported that Google Hotel Finder has just been launched which aims to offer a similar service to Trip Advisor. It works in tandem with Google Places and any accommodation business registered with Google Places will be able to be shown in the finder. Essentially a search system Hotel Finder adds in reviews, accommodation summary, maps, costs and accommodation details. Hotel Finder will be expanded into activity providers and things to do soon.
The Brecon Beacons has a Facebook page www.facebook.com/thebreconbeacons and businesses should comment and post on here as much as possible.
For those who Twitter #BBTourism or #BreconBeacons are used.
There is also a Brecon Beacons blog http://breconbeacons.wordpress.com – if you would like to contribute to this please get in touch via breconnews@gmail.com
BBT is hoping to source funding for some one:one / drop in sessions for businesses and will email a list of proposed subjects for businesses to prioritise. There might need to be a small charge levied – TBC
Next Meeting
BBT 2012 meeting dates:
- Wednesday, 28th March 2012 – AGM – to include a trip to Brecon TIC
Tourism In Action Conference:
- Tuesday, 13th March 2012 – Theatr Brycheiniog
