Time for Tourism Autumn 08

Welcome to the new look Time For Tourism newsletter.

Here you will find the stories in full from our Autumn e-newsletter.

We start with an introduction from the Chairman Michael Timewell:

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It’s Official, Brits Are Less Boring

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Why do they say that the English always talk about the weather? Well last week I met a foreign national, who surprised me by laughing and saying, “Well you guys have much more to talk about now than the weather” Curious to explore this comment further I asked him exactly what he meant.

Apparently foreigners think we Brits are obsessed with the weather to the point of being boring and despite my valiant attempts to debate the point he reckoned that a new topic has replaced all things weather. So exactly what are these strange new words? Well for starters sub prime mortgages, the economy, credit crunch, rising oil prices, increasing cost of fuel and food, inflation, then add in political uncertainty, tour operator failures and it was clear that this chap was legitimately excited and genuine in his belief that in the space of a few short months we had become a much more interesting nation to converse with.

Turbulent times ahead

Well call me boring, but bring back the old days with when the ‘good ship economy’ sailed merrily along in a steady swell rather than the turbulent and uncertain waters we find ourselves in at present. We have to be concerned about the state of the global economy and how that will be perceived by and affect the consumer. We live in a 24/7 media world where there is constant reinforcement of the current economic crisis that slices through any good news direct to the very people we wish to engage as tourism visitors to Norfolk.

The reality is that the economy is teetering on the brink of a recession with a faltering economy that is squeezing consumer spend with repercussions that will have consequences for all of us as we countdown the remaining weeks of 2008 and plan for 2009 and beyond. If we are to believe the Governor of the Bank of England, inflation is set to peak at 5% then reduce during the latter part of 2009. But as we welcome in the New Year our potential customers are likely to be reeling from rampant inflation that must seriously make them reconsider their spending habits and more importantly their leisure spend in 2009.

Threat or opportunity

Is there anything to combat the doom and gloom, indeed are there opportunities for us that could come out of the turmoil?

Faced with financial pressures many consumers are likely to review their budgets and prioritise accordingly; they may decide that a break in the UK is preferable to overseas. Air travel is in decline with the recent collapse of Zoom, Silverjet and the high profile XL group that left images of tens of thousands of stranded tourists in our minds. Routes are being cut and planes mothballed as high fuel prices bite and consumer spend tightens. And if our finances aren’t hit enough already the pound is weak against both the euro and the US Dollar making trips overseas more expensive.

Staycation

Out of this turmoil has sprung a new holiday word ‘staycation’ as the media tell us what we in the UK tourism industry already know, that we should all stay at home and holiday in our own green and very pleasant land. So despite the financial pressures that will impact on every household there may well be a silver lining as we look toward 2009 with the holiday consumer inclined to stay at home in force. They will be looking for destinations of interest, they will expect quality, value for money and good service. We know all that is good about Norfolk and take pride in the quality of its fantastic diverse natural and built environment, our rich cultural heritage and range of quality accommodation, day visitor attractions, food establishments and retail outlets etc. To ensure that the ‘Staycationers’ are aware of the riches Norfolk has to offer we must make sure that we all continue to work together for the wellbeing and benefit of our industry during the bumpy ride ahead.

Post LGR

And if a global economic crisis is not enough, we have yet more uncertainty on the horizon with a decision due soon on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) for Norfolk and Suffolk. We will of course work with whatever option is imposed on us to ensure the continuity of our vibrant tourism sector. The private sector spends valuable resource courting potential consumers to visit their individual businesses and many support their local district or tourism agency in promotional campaigns. The concern must be that if change is imposed on us in the shape of new boundaries that the public sector does not lose sight of tourism when adapting to the considerable organisational and financial challenges post LGR will impose. Visitors to Norfolk do not recognise boundaries and as we head toward a decision on LGR one thing is vital: that is the public sector continues to fund the promotion of Norfolk’s biggest industry. Post LGR must see support maintained at least to the level it currently enjoys and that the private sector continues to engage with tourism organisations to support and raise further the profile of our industry.

Oh and the weather? Well it snowed on Easter Sunday…

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Time For Tourism Autumn 08 stories

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