South West Tourism will be attending a national Olympic Games strategic marketing meeting on 13 July 2010 to discuss ways the region can benefit from this major international event.
The head of marketing from the Canadian Tourism Commission will be presenting their experiences and findings from hosting the Winter Games. If you have any Olympic based questions or concerns that you would like us to raise at this meeting, please post them on the comments section below and we will take them with us.
We'll feedback in our July Tourism Industry Newsletter and update you on planned activity at regional and national level.
Please leave your comments below.
Date added: Tuesday 29th June 2010
Latest updated: Monday 6th February 2012
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Comments
Jenny Foster
South West Fairtrade is concerned that the producers of Olympic merchandise, eg sportswear, will be fairly paid and that as much as possible be fairly traded and/or have the Fairtrade Mark. Many towns and cities in the south west are Fairtrade towns. Please can you check if there is any SLA around fairtrade and what ethical and sustainable standards are being upheld? I have tried to ask via the Olympic 2012 website but had no response. Thanks
Comment made: Tuesday 6th July 2010
Kirsty Cumming, Deputy Director, South West Tourism
Hi John, I think you raise a very good point around the timing of events in relation to the Olympics and I will certainly raise this at the meeting on 13th July. A well thought through and executed communications plan is key and we'll be looking to work with a broad cross-section of partners to achieve this. It's clear, speaking with a number of leading regional event organisers, that there is scope for stronger links between Festival and Event organisers and Tourism. We can both help one another and 2012 is perhaps the catalyst for this. It would be useful to bring together perhaps 10-12 event organisers from across the region to identify the areas where we can focus our efforts to maximum effect - and to pro-actively feed into and lead the national 2012 events and festivals agenda as it gains momentum. At this point I would suggest two contacts: myself at South West Tourism in relation to multi-destination and national agenda and your DMO who offer promotional opportunities for the event in the shorter term.
Comment made: Monday 5th July 2010
John Braithwaite, Festival Director, Sidmouth FolkWeek Festival
Sidmouth FolkWeek Festival is determined to make the most of the opportunity that having the 2012 Olympic Games in the UK provides, with some events based in the South West, taking place at the same time as the Festival. We would like to know if there is any similar experience from Canada, where an existing cultural event co-incided with the Games and how partnerships were developed. As an event which brings significant tourism to the SW, we would like SW Tourism to provide support for us to enhance the Festival and its tourism impact in the Olympic year. Can you provide a specific contact person to start a dialogue?
Comment made: Friday 2nd July 2010
Kirsty Cumming, Deputy Director, South West Tourism
Hi Pat, thanks for your comment. Yes there is a risk that, if not managed, visitor numbers can drop over the period of a major event such as the Olympics. This is due to a number of reasons, including perceptions that prices will be hiked and that accommodation will be busy. I've been working with VisitEngland on identifying and addressing such issues and there are a number of initiatives that are being pursued. One includes a 'price charter' (that would be promoted by us and your DMO) where participating businesses commit to maintaining their usual pricing and businesses in turn can display the charter on their premises and their promotional material. The thinking currently is that this will be a no cost, informal process - perhaps businesses downloading logo's or certificates for self-completion, from our website. There is also a campaign planned to showcase events and festivals throughout the year (2012 is also the Queens Jubilee year) and make it a year to stay in England (if you're English) or to visit if you're from overseas. Your thoughts on these ideas would be welcome - we'll release more information shortly.
Comment made: Friday 2nd July 2010
Steve Jones, Bristol Hippodrome
It is the Centenary Year of The Bristol Hippodrome in 2012 and wondered how this landmark can also be intergated into the celebrations or olympic related events.
Comment made: Friday 2nd July 2010
Pat Shelley
Is it true that 'normal' visitor numbers drop during the period of the games as everyone assumes accommodation will be in short supply and at premium rates?
Comment made: Thursday 1st July 2010
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