Purpose : For Information
Committee: TOURISM PARTNERSHIP
Date: 11 APRIL 2002
Title: ISLE OF WIGHT
TOURISM UPDATE
REPORT OF HEAD OF TOURISM
SERVICES
To summarise current activity of
Isle of Wight Tourism.
|
RECOMMENDATION To note
the Report |
1. GENERAL
IW Festival IW Tourism commenced
selling tickets for the Rock Festival exclusively on-Island in TICs as from 22nd
March.
Exhibitions IWT attended BTTF in
Birmingham 13th/14th March and were awarded Exhibitor
Excellence Award for overall participation excellence, beating 300 other
exhibitors from around the UK.
Best Value Review completed end March for
submission to Select Committee 22nd April.
Tourist Industry Meeting representatives of
ITIA Executive and IW Tourism held meeting together with Council members and
officers on 11th March to discuss IWC structure in relation to industry.
Wight to be Heard Hal Matthews
represented IW Tourism on panel at debate held at Ryde Theatre on 8th
March, along with Alan Kaye and Shirley Smart from IW Council.
Image Campaign - meeting of Marketing
Strategy Group held 4th March to confirm TV campaign, which
commenced 8 April.
Walking Festival meetings continuing on
a regular basis leading towards launch day in Shanklin on 11th May,
which will be opened by Dr Kim Howells, Government Minister for Tourism.
Vectis Transport have lost a large
volume of Walking Festival leaflets due for insertion in magazines. This has cost IW Tourism in excess of £4,000
and at present Vectis Transport, though admitting the loss, maintain that they
are not liable for the consequential impact on IW Tourism.
IT Business Case David Price, Head of
IWC ICT Department, has visited both Integra and Hampshire Visit to assess
their systems and will report to the Project Board shortly.
2.
MARKETING
Summer Pocket Guide distribution commenced
15th March to IW Tourism members, TICs and on board ferries.
Eating Out Guide in production, with
new photography.
Golfing Guide now in production, Red
Funnel sponsoring. Delivery April.
Teachers Guide On sale, for
production end May.
Walking Festival
Programme
in production for delivery 3rd May.
Attractions Guides formal consultation
with representatives from Visitor Attraction Association and PILLA to review current IW Tourism products and
services prior to recommendations being forwarded at a forthcoming meeting for
all Island attractions.
Internet Site accommodation details
regularly updated by Membership Department.
Cycling Guide confirmation of £13K
funding from Island 2000, to enable production of new guide this summer.
Retail Officer recruitment process
commenced for replacement Retail Officer as Stephen Matthews is leaving end
May.
Ryde TIC redecorating work
taking place, with completion by Easter.
Easter Opening - All seven centres will
be open over the entire Easter weekend. Weeks following, five centres
open seven days a week. Cowes and Ventnor five days a week.
Total Membership 823
Industry Awards Awards Dinner to be
held at Royal Hotel on 7th December.
AA Scheme 26 members signed up
to scheme.
Complaints Service Level
Agreement with Trading Standards under review.
3.
CALL CENTRE & DISTRIBUTION
2002 Guides 99,300 distributed as at 25/3 (97,200 same
time last year). 7 days per week
telephone answering now being undertaken in TICs.
Hotline Total bookings to
date: 1,084 (value £204,300)
Wightlink distribution staff
have been offered free ferry travel, so can now be recruited from the
Island. Interviews currently taking
place.
4.
PRESS & PR
Your Countryside Youre
Welcome
IWT withdrew from participation in this promotional day which was organised
in London by DEFRA on 10th March because of lack of support from
Sunshine Fare.
Tourism
News edition 16
circulated to IWT Members on 11 March 2002.
Journalist
Visits
The
Independent
Round
and About magazine
Kitesurf
magazine
Panorama
Italian Travel magazine
BBC
Question Time
The
express
CBBC coming over to recce island for potential new pre-school age kids programme
Web
Site 61 pictures available for media on www.islandviews.co.uk.
Blind
Date - was filmed on the island last year and will
be broadcast on 30 March.
BBC
Question Time filming on IW on 30th May at
Medina Theatre.
Walking
Festival MP
for Tourism Dr Kim Howells will be visiting the Island to launch the 4th
annual walking festival. Itinerary is currently being planned and agreed.
Competitions are being placed in key regional papers to raise event profile.
Weekly news regarding the festival is being submitted to the County Press.
Amazon World - hosted an open day for industry members to show latest renovations and their two new lesser anteaters the only 2 in the UK.
Round
the Island Race - Isle of Wight Tourism is supporting the
event this year and distributing all race press material.
Events
- Press & PR invested in a new portable media centre for events such as
White Air and Cowes Week to allow the team to set up a satellite mobile office
on site at the event.
Tim
Addison
Head
of Tourism Services