Poole Tourism thanks partners for your support for 2010! 

We recognise 2010 may be a challenging one for us all and although there are trends tjat favour stay at home tourism, the effects, at present are unknown.    We would like to assure you that we will do our best for our partners to ensure that any information received to assist tourism through these uncertain times will be passed on to you or published within these pages for your information.

Customer Service Training
Accommodation Know How
Recession news
2012
Accessibility
TomTom

Making your Website Work for You

Following on from Dr Philip Alford's internet course "Making your website work for you" run for our partners at Bournemouth University on the 11th March we now have copies of the presentation available for those partners that were unable to attend.  (see above).  After feedback both from this course and from the Annual Tourism Conference where Dr Alford gave a short presentation we are hoping to be able to offer some more courses in the future.

Staff from the tourism industry are the focus of a £85,000 Bournemouth and Poole council backed campaign to drive up awareness and quality of customer service and its commercial spin off.

So far 45 staff have completed the free 4-day Customer Service Training programme, based on the leading customer service scheme for the industry to become the area’s first Customer Service Champions.

‘Our first Customer Service Champions come from all walks of tourism and hospitality – from hotels, guest houses, tour services, taxi drivers, restaurants …some are owner-managers while many work in reception and front of house’ said Debra Horlock from Dorset New Forest Tourism Partnership, managing agents for the campaign.

‘We can all maximise business through great customer service’ continued Debra. ‘2009 is a year of opportunity with between 5 – 10 million people predicted to holiday back in Britain. The air festival will attract many new customers, and we also have 2012 on the horizon. The area is preparing for the world spotlight as never before’.

Kate Laycock who runs a small guest house in Broadstone, Poole is one of the first to take part in the training ‘I have been running Honey Lodge for 10 years and thought I knew what customer service was all about. I learned loads from the programme and have already secured a very nice booking as a result’.

Customer Service Champions were celebrated at a special pre-season event for the industry at Bournemouth’s Marsham Court Hotel. Each received a certificate and badge presented by the Mayor of Bournemouth Cllr Stephen Chappell.

Customer Service training is currently free to anyone who’s can influence the visitor experience. To take part the business must have less than 50 staff and be in Bournemouth or Poole. To find out more please call Dorset New Forest Tourism Partnership on 01202 451151

  FREE subscription to Accommodation Know-How

From 1 April 2009 accommodation know-how will be provided FREE to all accommodation businesses (with online access) that are participants in the VisitBritain Quality in Tourism (QIT) assessment scheme. This is a new membership benefit for 2009 worth over £30.00.

This is in recognition of VB's continued commitment to raising the level of knowledge and quality in tourism accommodation in England and in response to requests from QiT participants to include the Accommodation Know-How online service as a scheme benefit.

This is an important benefit to accommodation providers, as it gives you complete reassurance that you are complying with the law.

• Keeps you up-to-date with any important changes (via the e-alerts)
• Reduces the risk of penalties for non-compliance or insurance claims
• Can improve the efficiency of your business
• Reduces stress and saves valuable time and money in looking for information
• Can increase bookings
• Can offer an improved visitor experience to guests

For more details please visit accommodation know.how  

 What recession means for Tourism in South West

According to a recent report by Visit Britain and Enjoy England the recession offers opportunities as well as threats to domestic tourism.   Although 45% of people questioned were cutting back on holiday spend, the exchange rate, flight costs and unpredictability in the holiday industry make going abroad less attractive.  The report survey finds that as the downturn develops, consumers will plan and research their breaks and day trips more, looking for pomotions and offers.   The report recommends that promotions should address different needs - as well as money saving - as consumers seek both inspiration and ways to enhance the experience if they decide to stay in the UK.

So promotions that control cost while at the same time improving the quality of the experience help reduce the perceived risk of domestic breaks.    A summary of the report is available from www.visitbritain.com .

 2012

Dont miss out on the opportunities for Dorset businesses!  Click onto the Team Dorset "Business ready for 2012" pdf above for information and ideas to help your business benefit from 2012 including case studies and find out how to join Team Dorset.   Why not take up the "Welcoming our  World" free Customer Service Training offered by Dorset New Forest Partnership to business of 50 staff or less.  Click on the Welcome our World pdf or for further details call 01202 451151 or email dnftp@bournemouth.gov.uk. 

 Make access easy

Accessibility of large hotel premises & hotel chains

The British Standards Institutution (BSI) has worked with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and VisitBritain to develop a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) that standardises the accessibility and services offered to disabled people or people with a long-term health condition in the UK by large hotel premises and hotel chains. The guidance provides information for large hotel premises and hotel chains seeking to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995. More info .

VisitBritain is pleased to announce the launch of a new brochure to help tourism businesses improve their accessibility. Entitled ‘Easy does it’, this 12 page brochure breaks down the visitor journey into six stages. You can request a free copy of the brochure by emailing qad@visitbritain.org, or download a free copy from our website.

 GET YOUR BUSINESS ON TOMTOM

 VisitBritain have recently signed a new partnership with TomTom, the world's largest navigation solutions provider, to put Points of Interests (POIs) such as attractions, tourist information centres and quality assessed accommodation across England onto TomTom satellite navigation systems.

Driving with a TomTom device saves time, reduces stress and generally makes driving a safer and greener experience. For visitors to the South West of England using a TomTom satellite navigation system will enable them to locate over 9,500 quality assessed accommodation, 49 official partner Tourist Information Centres and over 1000 Attractions.

Visitors can download the information to their TomTom devise on www.enjoyengland.com/tomtom, enabling them to plan their route with ease. Each POI will appear on their device with relevant icons indicating to the visitor a nearby attraction or tourist information centre, which they can simply re-route at the touch of a button.

This partnership adds further benefit to being part of the quality assessment schemes recognised by VisitBritain.

The AA is launching its own AA Self Catering Scheme which will operate throughout the UK. Properties will be inspected and star rated by one of their professional AA inspectors who will come and visit during the day at a pre-arranged date and time.

If you would like further information please call 01256 844455.