Winter visitors could bring Yorkshire tourism out of deep freeze: Susan Briggs

I’ve built on what I learnt from previous crises such as foot and mouth and 9/11 and on what’s happening in other countries post Covid-19, to think about what we need to do to bring about tourism recovery in Yorkshire.

We look back to the pre-coronavirus times as the halcyon days of tourism. But the industry wasn’t without its issues. Some areas suffered from over-tourism. Some were under-visited. Few tourism businesses were operating at peak capacity or profitability. Tourism growth was ad hoc.

Some issues were much discussed but never resolved: the need to disperse visitors away from honeypots, the need to develop off-peak tourism and how to reduce over-reliance on online travel agents.

Covid has caused enormous human and financial losses. Many aspects of life have been affected. As we eventually move forward, now may be an opportunity to re-think tourism. We’re in the unusual situation of having to re-start an industry out of almost complete hibernation.

We’ve talked about sustainable and responsible tourism for a long time. Growth has remained the focus for many destinations, with little time to stop and re-set. Now could be the time.

We have an opportunity to think about the sort of visitors we really want.

I’m looking forward to increased interest in sense of place and local distinctiveness. People have started to see things on their daily walks they didn’t notice before. Minds are opening to small pleasures.

One outcome of the pandemic is the increased recognition of the value of local communities and small actions that collectively contribute to better outcomes.

We may not have previously promoted very strongly to local people, yet they are set to become an important market, both directly and indirectly. There is an important ripple effect. How can we make better use of local and regional ambassadors?

This is a good time to consider about different ways of connecting with audiences and potential visitors and the importance of building relationships and engagement.

The desire to travel is still strong, possibly even increased by lockdown.

Common sense and research indicate that day-visiting the local market will be first, followed by regional visitors, then domestic and eventually international visitors. It is likely that car travel will be the initial preference, avoiding public transport and air travel.

Visitors will need to know where it’s safe to go. They will want to feel they will be welcomed by locals.

It will be essential to build trust and confidence.

The Safe Clean Legal kite-mark scheme developed by Quality in Tourism and the proposed VisitEngland/VisitBritain schemes will play a key part in reassuring visitors.

Along with the urge to explore and discover new places, some anxiety and caution are likely.

Visitors may initially spend more time in local destinations than they might normally consider.

We need to make this an active, positive decision with a good outcome, not just seen as “making do”.

Anticipation is part of the enjoyment of travel.

Now is the time to stimulate anticipation. Visitors want to be able to share their plans and talk about their discoveries.

They will need some direction to find the places on their doorstep they haven’t yet enjoyed.

It’s likely the tendency for last-minute booking will increase still further.

Visitors will need to feel secure about their bookings and have the opportunity to delay or ask for a deposit refund should plans have to change.

Many visitors will want to avoid logistical challenges: we will need to demonstrate ease of arrival.

It’s looking likely that we’ll miss the bulk of the summer season.

If that is the case, then many visitors will be more than ready to enjoy time away in autumn and winter. Some of the usual concerns about weather may take a back seat when there’s an opportunity to enjoy free time in a different place.

We’ve talked about increasing off-peak business for a very long time. Now might be the chance to experiment with winter openings to change perceptions once and for all.

Susan Briggs is director of The Tourism Network and is based in Masham.

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