Our Land South East Protected Landscapes Working on behalf of AONBs and National Parks Malcolm Connor.

Our LandSouth East Protected LandscapesWorking on behalf of AONBs and National Parks

Malcolm Connor

Introduction

• New online marketing initiative and business support service

• For green and responsible tourism businesses

• In the AONBs and National Parks in South East England

• A ground breaking initiative

• £1 million project funded by Rural Development Programme for England (to March 2014)

The Partners

• AONB Units / Conservation Boards / National Park Authorities

• responsibletravel.com

• Team of Project Consultants

• Hundreds of tourism businesses

Who’s Eligible?

• Tourism business in a rural area or market town

• In, or very close to, the protected landscape

• Be online and comfortable working that way

• Able to monitor where business comes from

• Not received significant state aid in the last three years

CURRENT PRIORITY

• Farms and B&Bs• Eco-style accommodation• Caravan and camp sites• Self-catering• Country house and market

town hotels• Restaurant and pub

accommodation• Youth, group and hostel

accommodation• Narrow-boats and cruisers

EXTENDED BY SPRING

• Heritage and cultural attractions

• Countryside centres• Cycle hire• Pubs and inns, restaurants,

cafes and tearooms• Farm and organic shops• Local food and drink producers• Independent shops• Arts, crafts, courses and skills

Who’s Eligible?

• Understand and appreciate your local landscape

• Know your area inside out

• Tell your story and tell it well

• Show some passion and creativity

Our Approach• Identify, visit, help and recruit businesses

• Help to build local tourism clusters / networks

• Provide one-to-one mentoring and set up training workshops

• Generate a legacy stretching well beyond three years – the brand, the visitors and the business clusters

First travel agencies in UK dedicated to responsible tourism

One of the largest and most successful holiday marketing companies of this type in the world

Based in Brighton, in business for 10 years

Featured over 4,000 holiday experiences

Web site with 350,000 visits per month

The Marketing• Short breaks – London and South East

• Young couples – cash rich, time poor – romance, relaxation, adventure

• Families with children – value for money – half term breaks

• Newly retired couples with friends – discover and explore

• Lone, like-minded, groups of travellers

www.our-land.co.uk• Generates overnight bookings and disperses visitors locally

• Homepage• Nine AONBs and National Parks• Destinations• Accommodation businesses• Themes and activities that link it all together• Search facilities by area, location, type of experience,

activity• Provides hints, tips and ideas• Seasonal feel to it

A Business Page• Contact details• A promotional tag• Photo gallery• Description and activities• Pricing• Google map• Links to other local businesses

• No charge for small businesses• Options to include additional copy and video for a nominal

cost

Enquiries go direct to the business by

email

Not handling bookings

or ticketing

Not taking commission

from small businesses

Key Message: Your Story

• Why are you running the business?

• What excites you about the location?

• Why do you want to share it?

• From the heart, with personality and passion

Businesses must honour The Promise to Our Land

Three parts

Landscape – Environment - Community

The Landscape PromiseExperiences in the landscape

(Mandatory to sign)

• We enhance our visitors experience by offering or promoting experiences in the landscapes that provide enjoyment and learning in ways that sustain these special places.

The Environment Promise(Select at least 2 from 7)

• Wildlife - We know our wildlife, are committed to conserving it and encourage visitors to follow our lead.

• Waste - We free the land, sea and waterways from rubbish and pollution.

• Water - We show we understand why water is too precious to waste and, when it rains, we savour every drop.

The Environment Promise• Energy - We reduce our energy and find local renewable

energy sources.

• Buildings - We build, restore and equip using carefully sourced local materials and in a style that tells the cultural or geological story of the landscape.

• Transport - We recommend low carbon transport and make the journey as stimulating and sustainable as the stay.

• Suppliers - We choose suppliers that match our environmental values.

The Community Promise(Select at least 2 from 6)

• Friends & neighbours - We know where to find all things local and we support / recommend our neighbours, spreading tourism income to those most in need.

• Campaigning for change - We recognise local issues and actively campaign to address them.

• Volunteering & charity - We support local projects and people through volunteering, fundraising or charity.

The Community Promise• A fair deal - We offer local people good working conditions,

a fair wage, and empower them with training opportunities.

• Local crafts and culture - We sustain jobs and cultural diversity by supporting local craft makers and artisans, and promoting cultural attractions.

• Travelling with respect - We work to create good relationships between tourists and the local community.

Five Quick and Easy Steps

1. Self-register – get a user name and password

2. Build your own page

3. Submit it to us – we screen it

4. Goes live

5. Amend and update it whenever you wish

Cotswolds Status

• 20 live products (target 30 by end March)

• 22 accommodation in the pipeline and 7 others

• Good geographic spread

• 30% Oxfordshire

• 27% South (of A419)

• 20% North (of A44)

Next Steps

• Ongoing - build the database – target approach

• Live businesses each recommend 5 local places to approach

• Spread the word via Tourism Officers and TICs

• Network via Business Associations / Chambers of Trade

• Local “Our Land” workshops / demo sessions – Walkers Welcome destinations?

• Build more local momentum – product development support sliding scale over 3 years

Business Benefits

• More bookings, higher occupancy, more visitor footfall

• Tap into the growing green tourism market

• For most – no cost to participate for 3 years

• Web presence and national marketing behind it

• Networking opportunities, learn from best practice

www.our-land.co.uk