Meeting

Cairngorms Tourism Partnership

15th February, 2021

Cairngorms Tourism Emergency Response Group - Via Video-Conference

Cairngorms Tourism Emergency Response Group
15th February 2021, 11am.

 Present: Janet, Mark, Laurie, Chris F, Colin, Belinda, Geva, Murray, Pete, Heather

Apologies: Alistair, Rhona, Chris T, Grant

 

1. Welcome and introductions

2. RESPOND

Business Support update

Belinda and Colin gave an update on Local Authority Funding Schemes.  There remain some areas that need further clarification, including:

– Whether significant additional Discretionary Fund budget will be made available and how LAs will then  choose to allocate the funding .

– How numbers of qualifying businesses have been identified for the new schemes for B&B’s, larger (7+bed) self-catering premises and exclusive use venues.

– Whether self-catering providers paying domestic rates can apply for Strategic Framework Funding.

– Whether self-caterers with multiple units under one rateable value can apply for the larger self-catering scheme.

 

Key issues from DMOs

VisitAberdeenshire met with CBP and CNPA last week to discuss current visitor communications.  Their focus in the short term will be on responsible local access messages, with paid external campaigns on hold for the moment.

 

CBP have also halted their paid campaign for summer bookings in light of cautious government messaging around summer breaks.  They have submitted their application to the HIE destination management funding scheme.

 

VisitMoraySpeyside have been successful in their application for HIE funding, and will be recruiting in the next few weeks.  They have identified areas of partnership working with the neighbouring DMOs.  Otherwise their main priority has been assisting businesses to access financial support.

3. RESET

Winter lockdown issues and messaging

There were no major incidents reported at visitor hotspots over the weekend, perhaps because of inclement weather.  Geva has discussed with Olly some messaging around wildlife disturbance during the winter and spring, especially in the context of increased dog ownership.  It was agreed that the messaging must be positive and engaging.

 

4. RESTART

National visitor management groups

Mark and Olly sit on the Visitor Management Communications & Education group which met last week to discuss the input of the various themed sub-groups looking at particular issues.  The campervan subgroup is led by CNPA and has been slightly delayed by Olly taking over the work, but will meet next week.  Mark stressed the importance of this work in reaching new audiences, rather than just ‘shouting’ at our existing engaged audiences.

 

The National Access Forum is also meeting this week and campervan issues are also on the agenda for that.

 

Planning for easing of lockdown

CNPA are interviewing this week for 8 seasonal rangers to work from mid-March until October.  A proposal for a permanent ranger service will go to the CNPA board in March.

 

CNPA have given funding for quick car park improvements at key sites including Loch an Eilein, Glen Tanar and Linn of Dee. A regular land manager’s meeting will again take place from 10^th March.

 

#cairngormstogether community meetings

The next community meeting has been scheduled for Monday 1^st March and is being promoted.  Pete flagged up that anecdotal concern about number of lockdown visitors doesn’t mean that any of those visitors are breaching the guidance in place.

 

5. RECOVER

CNP Green Recovery Fund 2

• CNPA has received a healthy budget settlement for 2021/22 and it is likely that another, possibly larger, Green Recovery Fund may run this year, again in partnership with the Cairngorms Trust. CNPA also  had further funding made available for capital projects over a four year period  which was very welcome.

 

CAGOUL project

Plans for the Cairngorms and Glenmore Outdoor Use and Learning project are moving forward, with two meetings last week: one a wider Traveltech workshop looking at case studies from elsewhere; one with local land managers to identify priorities for use of the data.  The project will use the Internet of Things network to develop a network of path and traffic counters to give real time visitor information and trend data.  This data will, for example:

• In the short term, guide timely distribution of resources such as rangers
• Provide more accurate information about visitor volume to feed into the STEAM model.
• Inform larger interventions through projects such as Heritage Horizons.
• Potentially link to data on visitor experience.

The project will be discussed in more detail at the next CTP meeting

 6. Any Other Updates

There was a discussion about accurate re-opening visitor information about businesses and facilities that were open or partially open.  Mark confirmed that the CBP website would again include this information for businesses, and could potentially also include similar details for car parks etc.

 

The next CNPA board meeting in March will include an update and discussion on the Tourism Action Plan.

 

CNPA have seen an advance draft of the HIE Cairngorm Estate Masterplan, and will be feeding comments back.  Murray confirmed that CNPA do not currently have a view on the calls for an independent enquiry about the funicular railway.

7. Date of next meeting

It was agreed that timing of the next meeting would depend on any announcements on restrictions easing from upcoming government lockdown reviews, but would be 8^th March at the latest.