Issue - meetings

Destination branding

Meeting: 29/07/2014 - Cabinet (Item 24)

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Sands)

Report of Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Sands)

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning) which provided information on the two new destination brands for Lancaster (including the Lune Valley) and Morecambe Bay and proposed arrangements for the future management and use of the brands.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

	Option 1: Cease funding the distribution of printed Visitor Guides for the district, using alternative ways to make up to date visitor information more widely available as part of destination marketing.	Option 2: Continue to provide funding for the distribution of the Visitor Guides and identify alternative sources of funding.
Advantages	More effective in reaching potential visitors far away and works well to raise initial interest Much easier to provide ‘real time’ up to date and current information Demand for digital information is increasing year by year Extremely cost effective Can be high impact if supported by right skills and expertise to support content and positioning Timing of the change works well alongside the launch of the two new destination brands, which opens up wider opportunities Would allow destination marketing costs to be managed within existing budgets	Some tourism businesses like the Visitor Guides for marketing their services and produces
Disadvantages	Some tourism businesses like the Visitor Guides for marketing their products and services – details of other options would need to be provided	Additional budgets would be required to support destination marketing costs The Visitor Guides are less able than other options to reach potential visitors on the scale or in the locations required Information in the guides is published once and cannot be changed to reflect current activities Difficult to assess impact once distributed but some evidence shows that internet can be up to 5 times more effective than brochures in attracting first time visitors
Risks	No specific risks identified	No specific risks identified

The officer preferred option is Option 1. This represents a cost effective approach to marketing the district allowing budgets to be used to greater effect.

The two new ‘destinations’ brands for Lancaster, incorporating the Lune Valley and Morecambe Bay are the culmination of many months of work on the part of partners in the district and the South of Cumbria. Potentially these will have a significant impact on the visitor economy and jobs as well as generating future investment in these destinations and their assets. It is very important that future arrangements to ensure the brands work effectively are secure and sustainable. Proposals in this report suggest ways that this can be achieved cost effectively, working with partners and making more of opportunities to engage with visitors on a far wider scale than before, with current, up to date information about what is on offer and why these are great places to visit.

Councillor Sands proposed, seconded by Councillor Bryning:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1) ... view the full minutes text for item 24