Tourism and the role of Bath Tourism Plus

Tourism is good for the economy of Bath Supports 8,652 jobs 1 in 10 jobs in B&NES Earns £348m for the city Source: SWT Research 2008

Operates busiest Tourist Information Centre in the UK (535,000 visitors) Delivers good value marketing – PR coverage is worth £1.7m per year Bath Tourism Plus does a good job

For every £1 of public sector funding BTP generates £1.65 The statistics for for the last 5 years make impressive reading: million unique visitors 38,000 accommodation bookings 130,000 bed nights worth around £5.8 million

Example - Jane Austen: £700,000+ of PR coverage Audio tour downloaded 35,000 times Over 100,000 visits to Jane Austen section Bath Tourism Plus does a good job BTP Marketing Campaigns – form the basis of marketing activity

BTP in partnership Supports City Centre Manager with marketing and PR expertise Works with Bath Festivals Trust and other event organisers to publicise events to visitors Works with attractions in the area and promotes packages Is part of Future Bath Plus and coordinates activity with South West Tourism and the regional development agency

Bath is one of the greatest assets of tourism in England Worldwide recognition of Bath World Heritage Site Will be one of ‘attract brands’ used by Visit England in their marketing Satisfied customers – 97% say they are likely or very likely to recommend Bath to friends Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

Bath is often recognised with Awards Rated “Top UK destination in Europe and World”, and best “British Relaxation & Spa” destination by TripAdvisor UK’s “Best Fashion Street” Roman Baths “UK’s most romantic place” 4 th best “Christmas Market in Europe”

What are the Issues?

Who comes to Bath? Source: SWT Research 2008 Type of Visitor NumbersSpend Domestic staying 631,000£104m International254,000£78m Day Visits3.6m£166m Total4.5m£348m

Who comes to Bath? Main Reason for Visit Holiday / Leisure VFR Special Shopping Trip Business / Conference Language student Other Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

Opportunities for growth Conference facilities to encourage business visitors Hotel development Events that encourage visitors to stay mid week and in low season Marketing focus on encouraging visitors to stay overnight

What do you most like about Bath? Top 10 Visitor Likes of Bath Source: Bath Visitor Survey Architecture/buildings (29%) 2. History/heritage (16%) 3. Atmosphere/relaxing/peaceful/city-vibe (14%) 4. Roman baths (8%) 5. Natural beauty/attractive/pleasant/scenery (3%) 6. Abbey (3%) 7. Cultural/different nationalities/continental feel/cosmopolitan/unique (3%) 8. Good entertainment/street entertainment/music in streets (3%) 9. Shops (3%) 10. Accessible/compact (2%)

Top 10 Visitor Dislikes of Bath What, if anything, spoilt your visit to Bath? 1. Poor signposting (3%) 2. Car parking poor/high prices (2%) 3. Beggars/drunks in street/vagrants/yobs (2%) 4. Too crowded (2%) 5. Need a ring road/poor access/traffic (2%) 6. Weather (1%) 7. Accommodation (1%) 8. Birds/pigeons/seagulls (1%) 9. Expensive (1%) 10. Paying for map/no free maps (1%) Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

Well Above Average Above Average Attractions – range Places to eat & drink – range Shops – range Upkeep of parks & open spaces General atmosphere Feeling of welcome Attractions – quality of service Shops – quality of shopping environment Safety from crime TIC – usefulness of information received Overall enjoyment of visit Opinions of Bath compared to other historic cities Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

Opinions of Bath compared to other historic cities Below Average Well Below Average Ease of parking Attractions – value for money Places to eat & drink – value for money Road signs Public toilets – cleanliness Cost of parking Public toilets – availability Overcrowding Source: Bath Visitor Survey 2008

City Development Investment in public realm and movement strategy will help visitors Bath Transport Package Investment in refurbishment of Tourist Information Centre

How can you help? Recognising the importance of tourism to B&NES Support BTP in terms of its role and remit Support destination improvements, e.g. additional accommodation, conference facility, public realm & improving general infrastructure

2008 Data Thank you