Meetings

Call-ins 

9th November, 2020

Cairngorms Tourism Partnership 

2nd November, 2020

Location: Cairngorms Tourism Emergency Response Group - Via Video-Conference

Cairngorms Tourism Emergency Response Group 2nd November 2020, 11am. 

 

1.Welcome and introductions

Present: Janet, Grant, Heather, Pete, Murray, Mark, Chris T, Rhona, Geva, Laurie, Alistair. Apologies: Chris F

2.RESPOND

Business Support update, including Hospitality Hardship Fund issues

Highland Council had paid 260 Hospitality Hardship Fund grants by the end of last week, with more applications received this morning but that’s only approx. half of businesses who are eligible to apply. A press release has gone out to encourage applications.   Eligibility criteria are tightly tied to those businesses who had to close or change business practise due to the 9^th October restrictions.  Accommodation providers are not eligible but are still facing losses, especially as wider travel restrictions come into force.   Mark asked if the council could write to all eligible businesses in future.  Colin will consider that for future funds, but their database does not have enough information to be sure that all the businesses would be eligible.  At the moment, the onus is on businesses to apply for the funding.   Changes to the initial guidelines were frustrating with an initial 30% rejection rate in Highland) for the first few days, which dropped to 18% after clarification.  There has been high compliance with Covid guidelines across the Highlands, so no applications were rejected on that basis.   Murray flagged up that local authorities are also running a town centre regeneration fund, which needs to be committed by March.  There is an opportunity for small-scale tourism shovel-ready projects.   Aberdeenshire Council have also struggled with the lack of clarity of guidelines for the new scheme.  They have received 400 applications, and have processed half of them.  They have received lots of incomplete and ineligible applications.   HIE are continuing to work on their Hotel Support programme, with awards expected to be made towards end November or early December.  They are also speaking to Cairngorms Business Partnership and VisitMoraySpeyside about support through the Destination Management Fund.  

Key issues from DMOs

Cairngorms Business Partnership have updated their status site with tier info as the new structure comes into place today.  The announcement of the English lockdown is another devastating blow, as there are fewer and fewer potential visitor audiences to target.  The most recent accomodatio0n survey went live at 8am this morning, including English cancellation impacts.   Grant advised that the CNPA website now has a map showing local authority boundaries and tier info, and linking to ScotGov website.   Mark suggested that since lockdown eased, we’ve had around 1 million visitors (Heather to try to validate figure) but no visitor-related Covid issues. VisitMoraySpeyside’s Covid check and protect app has had 45 000 check-ins, 9000 users and no data requests to follow-up a Covid case.  CBP’s check & protect app has had 90 000 check-ins and also no data requests.   Janet asked if we should publicise this data to re-assure communities, but Mark pointed out that not all businesses use the app, and there are currently some cases associated with staff at the Boat Hotel.  The key message is that the occasional cases that pop up are currently being well-managed.   Visit Moray Speyside businesses also struggled with the midweek change on guidelines for the Hospitality Hardship Fund, and the potential threat of a full Scottish lockdown is also an issue.  Their marketing campaign worked very well for Sept but it is now very difficult to find suitable target audiences.  Moray Council seem to be slower than Highland Council at processing grants.   Geva gave an update from Aberdeenshire with key points from a report going to VisitAberdeenshire’s board:  

• Over the October holiday period, occupancy was generally high but turnover low due to hospitality restrictions.
• Car parking continued to be overstretched at some sites
• There were still many campervans around
• There were issues with footpaths being very muddy due to volume of walkers and bikers
• Many visitors had dogs with them.

 

VisitScotland Overview

Most VS marketing is now paused apart from committed content in magazines etc.  Social media content remains light touch & inspirational, similar to initial lockdown easing messages. VS are continuing consumer intentions tracking for domestic & overseas markets, but but the situation is changing rapidly. The Quality Assurance team are running virtual advice sessions for businesses, around building online brand and reputation.  This is a free service. Laurie asked for more information as he wasn’t aware of this. Scotland Re-connect is the name of the virtual expo which will run from Nov 23^rd – 25^th on the Event Air online platform.  It will include 15 minute 1-1 sessions with around 200 buyers from key markets, looking at bookings in 2021/22. EventScotland’s event fund has given out about 300 payments to the events supply chain.  

 3.RESET

- CBP & VA hospitality restriction survey results (attached) The results of recent surveys were circulated, but the situation has changed again and a new survey has been launched.  The key message from the surveys, which was picked up by Fergus Ewing, was that taking away one element of visitor experience upsets the other hospitality sectors that form part of the tourism ecosystem.  

4.RESTART

Feedback from recent meetings:

• The STA Destination Meeting on 27/10 was attended by Mark, Murray, Chris F and Laurie.
• The end of season CNP land manager’s visitor management meeting on 28/10 went well.  The next step will be 3 or 4 geographical meetings to discuss infrastructure etc before next season.  There was good feedback on the seasonal rangers.  Their contracts finished on Friday but 2 have been kept on for the winter, and a funding bid has been made to the Scottish Government for future ranger provision.  Looking forward there is a need to identify infrastructure improvements that can be carried out over the winter months for next season, and those that are longer term ambitions.
• At a national level, the Visitor Management group has 3 sub-groups - communications, enforcement and infrastructure, (the latter is led by Grant), and will look at how to make more strategic decision on investments / RTIF across Scotland. Invitations for the next meeting are going out today.  Heather will attend the communications subgroup now that Francoise has left CNPA, until the new Head of Communications, Oliver Davies, starts in January

 

• FLS held a meeting at Glenmore on 27/10 with Pete attended.  Note of meeting is attached.

 

• A full CTP meeting is scheduled for next week and will include the paper discussed by the visitor management group.

 

• Mark and Murray have been invited to give a presentation to the Highland Council tourism committee on 3^rd December about joint work  in  CNP.

 

CNPA digital communications report

The report detailing the results of CNPA’s digital communications over the last 6 moths or so is available at https://infogram.com/1tpy3ep8130pq4f6k7vmweze93s3eq3302y Working with social media influencers worked particularly well in targeting new younger audiences. We need to continue to collectively agree how we communicate visitor management issues.

5.RECOVER

Cairngorms Autumn / Winter marketing campaign plans Plans are currently limited by the travel restrictions, meaning that there are very few suitable target audiences. Vicki Miller from VS is sharing the facebook personas that they use to profile target audiences, and great care will be taken not to target geographical areas under travel restrictions.

6.Any Other Updates

Murray updated on the work to fix the funicular issues as there has been a lot of press coverage about the work starting shortly.  He confirmed that all planning conditions were discharged today.  Gavin Miles will be attending Thursday’s funicular response group meeting from CNPA.

7.Date of next meeting

There will be a full CTP meeting next Monday 9^th November from 10am – 12noon.  It will focus on higher level strategy rather than the usual CTERG updates.

Call-ins 

2nd November, 2020

Equality Advisory Panel 

28th October, 2020

Location: Via video-conference

Call-ins 

26th October, 2020