East Herts District Council Parish and Urban Conference 2016 Wednesday, 26 October Welcoming and attractive towns and villages David Curtis-Brignell

Who are we? In July 2015, Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership awarded the county’s tourism service to destination management specialists Go To Places. During the autumn and winter of 2015/16, the team engaged with tourism suppliers and other key organisations across the county to firmly establish the new Destination Management Service (DMS) for Hertfordshire. Go To Places Ltd was created by the successful team behind Visit Kent, and specialises in marketing and developing great destinations through partnerships, people, and the public and private sector. The highly experienced team have now developed an engaging destination strategy to strengthen inbound tourism and highlight the wealth of attractions in Hertfordshire. Go To Places

The story so far July > December 2015 Appointed to create and operate DMS Extensive Research Stakeholder engagement January > May 2016 Branding and website development Big Weekend 49 attractions, 2000 tickets, entries Stakeholder events June 2016 > Consumer Brand launched New Website launched – wins 2 awards (September) 30 Investors Successful funding bid from Visit England

Our Investor Partners Hertfordshire County Council Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership East Herts District Council Hertsmere Borough Council Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation St Albans and City District Council Stevenage Borough Council Three Rivers District Council Watford BID Brocket Hall The Caravan Club De Vere Theobalds Park The Grove Laura Ashley Hotel The Manor at Elstree Marriott Hanbury Manor Hotel St Michael’s Manor Govia Thameslink Celtic Harmony Elstree Studios The Galleria Hatfield House Henry Moore Studio and Gardens Knebworth House Lee Valley Paradise Wildlife Park St Albans Cathedral The Snow Centre Vertigo Adventures Warner Bros Studios London, The Making of Harry Potter Willow Farm

Welcoming & attractive Places “ You never get a second chance to make a first impression ” Andrew Grant

Welcoming & attractive Places

What makes welcoming & attractive Places? Awarenessthe visitor’s knowledge of the place and the amount and nature of information seen

Attractivenessthe nature of the destination’s attractions and geographical attributes What makes welcoming & attractive Places?

Awarenessthe visitor’s knowledge of the place and the amount and nature of information seen Attractivenessthe nature of the destination’s attractions and geographical attributes Availabilitythe ease by which bookings can be made and the booking channels available What makes welcoming & attractive Places?

Awarenessthe visitor’s knowledge of the place and the amount and nature of information seen Attractivenessthe nature of the destination’s attractions and geographical attributes Availabilitythe ease by which bookings can be made and the booking channels available Accessthe convenience of getting to and moving around the destination What makes welcoming & attractive Places?

Awarenessthe visitor’s knowledge of the place and the amount and nature of information seen Attractivenessthe nature of the destination’s attractions and geographical attributes Availabilitythe ease by which bookings can be made and the booking channels available Accessthe convenience of getting to and moving around the destination Appearancethe impressions made on visitors on first arrival and during the visit What makes welcoming & attractive Places?

Awarenessthe visitor’s knowledge of the place and the amount and nature of information seen Attractivenessthe nature of the destination’s attractions and geographical attributes Availabilitythe ease by which bookings can be made and the booking channels available Accessthe convenience of getting to and moving around the destination Appearancethe impressions made on visitors on first arrival and during the visit Activitiesthe extent and range of activities and events on offer What makes welcoming & attractive Places?

Awarenessthe visitor’s knowledge of the place and the amount and nature of information seen Attractivenessthe nature of the destination’s attractions and geographical attributes Availabilitythe ease by which bookings can be made and the booking channels available Accessthe convenience of getting to and moving around the destination Appearancethe impressions made on visitors on first arrival and during the visit Activitiesthe extent and range of activities and events on offer Assurancethe sense of safety and security in the destination What makes welcoming & attractive Places?

Awarenessthe visitor’s knowledge of the place and the amount and nature of information seen Attractivenessthe nature of the destination’s attractions and geographical attributes Availabilitythe ease by which bookings can be made and the booking channels available Accessthe convenience of getting to and moving around the destination Appearancethe impressions made on visitors on first arrival and during the visit Activitiesthe extent and range of activities and events on offer Assurancethe sense of safety and security in the destination Appreciationthe sense of welcome and hospitality What makes welcoming & attractive Places?

Actionthe availability of a destination plan and marketing plan Accountabilitythe evaluation of performance of the destination by the Destination Management Organisation What makes welcoming & attractive Places?

Quality Things to do Easy to book Ease of travel Things to see Information First impression Hospitable Welcoming Friendly Clean Safe What makes welcoming & attractive Places?

Review your destination against the checklist Look at your signage as a non-local Welcome training – Greeters/Ambassadors programme Mystery guest checks Encourage TripAdvisor ratings from visitors What makes welcoming & attractive Places? Engage with tourism, understand trends, keep fresh through reinventing