A discussion prompt for our Greater Manchester review of tourism strategy in 2011.

1. Tourism Strategy Review
For Greater Manchester / 2011

2. A tourism review
- This presentation is a briefing and
discussion prompt to help kick start Visit
Manchester’s 2011 review of Greater
Manchester’s Tourism Strategy, which
was published in 2008. It begins with a
‘refresher’ of the strategy, then covers
some performance data for the sector
over the last few years, and finishes
with some discussion points and
questions regarding the review.

3. Scope
- Content - Structure
- Performance against 2008 strategy - Interviews, research and roundtable
- Highlights and successes - Presentation
- Where more work is needed - LinkedIn discussion platform

4. Our GM Tourism Strategy - a refresher

5. A Tourism Strategy for 1. It’s all about us 3. Beyond basics:
Greater Manchester 2008 2013 Our tourism challenge is to create A City to be proud of
an Original Modern visitor destination
This strategy is not, then, about incremental Iconic developments, events and people.
We are each of us tourists in the original modern city
If our quality of life is improved, if our physical improvements in performance and the delivery of a
a City that delivers a better quality package of basic improvements in standards: it is about
environment is transformed and if we are inspired by all The iconic developments we need are not necessarily
of life for the three million people that surrounds us in the form of culture, entertainment, drive and differentiation. just buildings or places. They could be events, or
who live or work here. It's as food and services, then we will have a City Region to people, or collectives. We have to build a global image
be proud of and one that attracts great minds and great We need to aim for something more if we're going to of Manchester that unlocks desire and interest, built
simple as that. move beyond domestic and regional markets in a
businesses as well as a new, global tourism market. around themes that we know are true to our city:
serious way. In order to unlock a bigger global audience industry, innovation, pop culture, sport, radicalism and
If we build a destination that is fit Building the Original Modern brand** for our Original Modern City we need more iconic independence.
More than that, a better tourism product and a more developments and a new level of 'buzz' around our City
for us, the people of Greater Region as well as an across the board revolution in
outward facing industry is pivotal to Manchester's And we already have good examples of these icons.
Manchester*, then we will create a national and international brand. Here the tourism standards and quality. The Manchester International Festival is one such icon
future City that will attract people strategy for Greater Manchester is a wholly owned that has broken away from our existing visitor patterns.
subsidiary of the Original Modern vision for Manchester. An Original Modern tourism strategy will build on the We also have niche offerings such as Manchester Pride
from all over the world, particularly solid delivery of the region's tourism strategy to drive and In The City. There is the Imperial War Museum
those with a thirst for discovery. We must ensure that our visitor destinations, our hotels, and differentiate Greater Manchester's tourism offer North and of course the enduring allure of our global
our galleries and theatres and bars and restaurants are in order to: sporting brands.
all striving to be original, and modern, in everything they
do and seek to do. 1. Create globally recognised and iconic events, Some developments in the pipeline are already set to
developments, initiatives and opportunities; deliver against this call for icons of the future.
We must build a better Manchester 'product' to 2. Ensure a better quality of life for the communities of Mediacity:uk and the move of the BBC to the North is
increase business related tourism in particular and to Greater Manchester and the wider City Region; of pivotal importance in terms of domestic market
secure the continued flow of investment that our City 3. Make the practices of the City Region's tourism growth, business tourism and Manchester's brand; the
Region needs, and deserves, to stay ahead. sector a key plank of delivering against the Original investment plans for a host of venues, from the bold
Modern brand vision; ideas set out for the Museum of Science and Industry
A partnership for Tourism 4. Tackle the tough issues like wider community or Oxford Road to the equally important enhancements
This strategy has been drafted by Visit Manchester in benefits through tourism; accessibility and diversity; of places like Chetham’s School of Music or Whitworth
collaboration with its partners across the City Region a more inclusive nighttime economy; Art Gallery. There are also plans linked to Greater
and wider Northwest. It will be delivered by an 5. Embark on a 'blue skies' strand of long range Manchester's bid into the Transport Innovation Fund
associated action plan. thinking that explores issues such as technological for a revolution in public transport and, potentially,
change, demographic shifts and environmental cycling across the City.
sustainability.
Fostering the iconic, the independent and the
Appendix 1 brings together both local and regional priorities. unexpected will require a campaign around 'hearts and
*This strategy refers regularly to Greater Manchester and to the 'Manchester City Region' which is a wider definition taking in minds' that shows the sector what it really means to be
additional 'drive to work' areas such as Macclesfield or Glossop. When reading this strategy, the terms should to a large degree be
considered interchangeable. an original modern hotel, restaurant, venue or transport
company. It will mean taking the sector on a journey.
**Original Modern is the brand vision for the Manchester City Region. This vision calls on the first industrial City to once again be
original and modern in all that it does and seeks to do; it calls to mind the fact that we shaped the world once and will do so again.
Image © Ian Lawson Image © Jamie Hewlett
1 4 5
4. A better quality of life, Appendix 3
for all of Greater Manchester Monocle's recipe for cities (cont)
So is this a strategy for the City Centre only? So the message outlined earlier in this paper, that our 22 24
Absolutely not. quality of life across the City Region must come first if Railway station Bridge
we are to attract a renewed global market, is also of Filisur, Switzerland Paris, France
Marketing and developing the visitor economy is not pivotal importance across the districts of Greater There's no excuse for suburban platforms to be With its undulating pathway and 12m wide plaza
unwelcoming places to wait for a connection to the city suspended above the Seine, the Simone de Beauvoir
just a major opportunity for City Centre attractions and Manchester. We must do it better for ourselves and only
centre. For authorities short on design inspiration, a trip footbridge in Paris, designed by Feichtinger Architects,
businesses. Across the wider City Region there are a then will we know we have a product to be proud of. on the Rhätische Bahn between Chur and St Moritz is a joins the recently redeveloped Bercy district on the
number of strategic opportunities to be seized. good place to start. The tiny station at Filisur shows Right Bank to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France on
what can happen when you reduce a project to the the Left, offering a scenic and relaxing way to
essentials good materials, superior construction and experience the city.
Fundamentally, there is a significant domestic market to Major challenges for local tourism smart design. The wood, concrete and steel structure
be grasped. Here the development of a local, high businesses. fits perfectly with the Alpine setting but would work as 25
quality day visit and overnight stay market could be The pivotal challenge for local visitor destinations across well in the suburbs of Busan. Seamless integration
unlocked that offers a real alternative to short breaks the wider City Region? To accept that with a few Tokyo, Japan
23 Japan is leading the way in imaginative mixed use
overseas. This opportunity applies equally to all ten exceptions theirs is not an international or business
Street seating developments. One of the latest is Tokyo Midtown, a
Local Authority areas across Greater Manchester. tourism market but a domestic leisure offer. Most
Barcelona, Spain €2.23bn retail, office and apartment complex. Along
understand their audiences well enough but there is still Every city needs functional, high quality seating from with carefully selected restaurants and fashion stores
a tendency to forget that there are only a handful of which to watch the world go by. Monocle is a fan of no tacky chains here it also offers first rate food
Economic growth, wellbeing and internationally recognised 'attack' brands across the Barcelona's robust and iconic benches. Find these shopping and a 24 hour supermarket. There's a cultural
scattered throughout the city's streets and public element too, in the Suntory Museum, and a design
a better environment. region and that the best business strategy is to produce
squares and take time out to enjoy the view. exhibition centre.
Developing and delivering this alternative would have a great local product for local and regional markets.
economic benefits for the City Region but would also
have benefits in terms of environmental sustainability.
There are other benefits too, such as unlocking our Extending stays and working together.
citizens from the stultifying grip of the sofa and boosting This means developing more 'mini dispersal' or themed
physical activity, health and mental wellbeing. The promotions. Grouping attractions together to make a
quality of urban space, street trees, public art, an day of it. Becoming the sum of the parts. It sounds
enthralling public realm: all of these should be improved simple but it is not happening enough at the moment
as part of our battle to unlock the closest and most and will require new levels of partnership working and a
readily available market: ourselves. much better understanding of who the visitor is.
Again this is an area where tourism can be a powerful We need to see a sustained push to increase levels of
player in terms of delivering a greater good. Manchester accessibility and quality across the entire City Region,
and the wider Northwest has genuinely challenging using the standards set out in the Northwest's wider
levels of obesity, heart disease and ill health; a better tourism strategy as a starting point.
visitor and leisure product is needed here too, a product
that is so compulsive that you simply have to switch off
the TV, put down the fried drumstick and get out and
enjoy it.
Image © Ian Lawson
8 9 20

7. Key points
- A city to be proud of - Building the Original - A partnership for Tourism
Modern brand
- We are each of us tourists - Collaboration with partners
in the Original Modern city - Pivotal to Manchester's across the City Region and
national and international wider Northwest
- Quality of life, physical
environment, culture, brand
entertainment, food and - Attractions, hotels,
services. galleries, theatres,
restaurants all striving to be
original, and modern
- A better Manchester
'product' to increase
business-related tourism

8. Getting the basics right
- Northwest - Enhanced - Improved products - An improved
Tourism Strategy communication and higher quality infrastructure for
with the region's experiences the visitor
visitors economy
- For the people
- Higher levels of who work in the - Tourism and the
productivity and visitor economy to visitor economy
performance from have, and to be based on the
tourism using, improved principles of
businesses levels of skill sustainable
development.

9. Beyond basics
- Our Original - Globally - Tourism sector as - Tackle tough
Modern vision is recognised and a key plank of issues like wider
to: iconic events, delivering against community
developments, the Original benefits,
initiatives and Modern brand accessibility and
opportunities vision diversity, a more
inclusive nighttime
- A better quality of
life for the economy
communities of - A 'blue skies'
Greater strand of long
Manchester and range thinking that
wider City Region explores issues
such as

10. Iconic...
- Not just buildings or - Good examples - Icons of the future?
places
- Manchester International - Mediacity:uk
- Could be events, or people, Festival
- MOSI
or collectives
- Manchester Pride - Chetham’s School of Music
- Built around themes that - In The City
are true to our city: - Whitworth Art Gallery.
industry, innovation, pop - Imperial War Museum - Still require a campaign
culture, sport, radicalism North around 'hearts and minds'
and independence - Global sporting brands that shows the sector
what it really means to be
original modern?

11. Better performance
- Meeting expectations - Empowering the sector to - A competitive game
fully engage
- Customer service, - Manchester already
information, facilities, - Tourism teams know the benefiting from increased
public realm, food, ease of scale of the task and they visitor numbers - but doing
getting around, know what needs to be nothing is not an option
atmosphere and buzz. done to turn things around.
- Competition tighter in the
They need a voice.
- The experience from years ahead, as other core
arriving at the airport and - Cultural, tourism and arts cities and urban markets
throughout the stay has to sectors working hand-in- across Europe raise their
be of a much higher quality hand with planners, game.
developers and major
institutions.

12. An holistic view
- A better quality of life, for - Quality of urban space, - Still a tendency to forget
all of Greater Manchester street trees, public art. that there are only a
handful of internationally
- A real alternative to short - Major challenges for local
breaks overseas. tourism businesses. recognised 'attack' brands
product for local and
- Economic growth AND - To accept theirs is largely a regional markets.
environmental domestic leisure offer (like
sustainability. 80% of English tourism).
- Boosting physical activity, - Extending stays and
health and mental working together.
wellbeing. - 'mini-dispersal' or themed
promotions.

13. Key challenges

15. First challenges
- Better productivity - More ambition in local - Connectivity
product development
- We need to move our - Good public transport links
destinations and right across the City Region
businesses up the value
- A high quality visitor
chain experience both for us and
- Start competing more for those who are new to
aggressively with the short the City.
breaks market overseas
- Integrated approach to
- Ensure that we make more ticketing.
out of the visitors we have
- Late night Manchester

16. & we included a ‘wish list’...

18. 25 ingredients
- Airport road - Green space projects - Cosy high street
- Street clocks - Fire station - Signage
- Bike lockers - Public loos - Railway station
- Outdoor cinemas - Wi-Fi hot spots - Street seating
- Trams - Perfect park - Bridges
- Well-designed apartments - Covered market - Seamless integration
- Urban landscaping - A modernist mall
- Child's play - City swimming
- Summer houses - Police boxes

19. How are we doing?
Some statistics...

20. 2007 2008 2009
Economic Impact 5.6 billion 5.3 billion 5.4 billion
Employment supported 73,540 73,174 75,268
Visitor Numbers (Total) 94.6 million 96.4 million 97.9 million
Visitor Numbers (Staying) 9.6 million 8.8 million 8.2 million
Visitor Numbers (Day) 85.0 million 87.6 million 89.7 million
Bedstock/bedspaces 40,681 40,550 40,030
STEAM - Greater Manchester Figures inc. provisional data for 2009.

21. Charge 2009 2008 2007
Attraction 1 - The Quays Free 843,035 841,496 800,000 (1)
Attraction 2 - Castlefield Free 532,763 852,262 (1) 704,975 (2)
Attraction 3 - Dumplington Entry Charge 484,722
Attraction 4 - City Centre Free 408,539 394,205 (3) 393,650 (3)
Attraction 5 - Bolton Free 374,079 309,865 (5) 267,483 (4)
Attraction 6 - Oxford Rd Free 329,752 244,265 (7) 234,648 (7)
Attraction 7 - Trafford Entry charge 309,397 326,654 (4) 263,325 (5)
Attraction 8 - City Centre Free 253,041 262,114 (6) 251,540 (6)
Attraction 9 - Manchester Airport Entry charge 241,000 228,000 (9) 226,087 (8)
Attraction 10 - The Quays Free 236,529 238,794 (8) 222,791 (9)
Manchester Visitor Attractions Monitor + STEAM - Greater Manchester Figures

22. Greater Greater
Ranking Ranking Ranking
Country of origin Manchester Country of origin Manchester Country of origin Visits (000)
2009 2008 2007
Visits (000s) Visits (000s)
1 Irish Republic 183 1 Irish Republic 172 1 Irish Republic 200
2 Germany 85 2 Poland 105 2 Germany 109
3 Spain 76 3 Germany 104 3 Poland 102
4 USA 74 4 USA 82 4 USA 101
5 France 62 5 Spain 72 5 Spain 96
6 Poland 44 6 France 60 6 France 56
09 08 07
7 Netherlands 33 7 Netherlands 33 7 Netherlands 45
8 Australia 30 8 Australia 32 8 Italy 33
9 Norway 28 9 Italy 30 9 Australia 32
10 Switzerland 25 10 Canada 28 10 Norway 32
11 Sweden 23 11 Norway 21 11 Canada 31
12 Canada 22 12 Sweden 19 12 Portugal 22
13 Italy 20 13 Denmark 16 13 Pakistan 19
14 Denmark 18 14 Belgium 15 14 Sweden 18
15 Belgium 16 15 India 15 15 Czech Republic 16
16 India 9 16 Switzerland 12 16 Denmark 16
17 Finland 9 17 South Africa 12 17 Belgium 12
18 Portugal 8 18 Portugal 12 18 Israel 10
19 China 8 19 China 11 19 Turkey 10
20 South Africa 7 20 New Zealand 9 20 Japan 9

23. How are we doing?
What should we include in our review?

24. Basic standards?
- STEAM 2007-9
- Occupancy data 2007-9
- Attraction Visitor numbers 2007-9
- Number of welcome to excellence places taken 2007-9
- Information on the role out of the basic standards
- WHAT more do we need?

25. Iconic?
- Manchester new VIC
- Urbis / National Football Museum
- MediaCity
- Xmas 09 marketing campaign
- World Sport 08
- WHAT more do we need?

26. Sector profile?
- Political conferences
- Best practice example
- Conference Ambassador Programme
- WHAT more do we need?

27. Connectivity?
- Ports of Entry Welcome Project at
Manchester Airport
- Piccadilly Station: Network Rail looking
to implement visitor welcome
Improvements (following audit) across
all station using this one as a pilot
- WHAT more do we need?

28. Sense of place &
sustainability
- Successful bid for RDPE money to
promote Manchester’s Countryside
- Spinningfields Public Realm?
- Bury Town Centre redevelopment
- WHAT more do we need?

29. Business performance
- Tourism award winners
- Chill Factore - Accessibility
- The Lowry Hotel Outstanding Customer
Service Award
- Radisson SAS Hotel - Sustainability
- Numbers of people who’ve attended
Welcome to Excellence Training courses
- WHAT more do we need?

30. Inclusive nighttime
economy?
- CityCo / town centre managers
- Markets that extend into the evening
(such as the xmas markets)
- WHAT more do we need?

31. Blue sky thinking
- Pathfinder initiative - Visit England
- Creative Tourist
- www.visitmanchester.com
- the Manchester Conferences website
- WHAT more do we need?

32. The future...
- Future predicted tends and stats
- Weather and events (snow, volcanos,
temperature swings, seasons merging etc)
- VAT/Tax/APD
- Staycation trends
- Use of technology – pushing boundaries,
quick turnaround, and social media needs
to be mainstream in communications
- Dark Periods (ie quiet times in city)
- Events strategy required
- WHAT more do we need?