Tourism
Newsletter
September 2002
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Tourism
Newsletter
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Site Map | The Dyfi Valley | Map | Join us | Glossary | Useful links | Contact us | Have your say | Search | News | Events |
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Become a member of ecodyfi We want everybody in the Valley to join, so it only costs £1. Drop into Ty Bro Dyfi or send some stamps. The information centre is open Monday to Friday between 10.00 and 3.00. You might even like to get involved in staffing it or in helping to run a project. Please come and see us!
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WelcomeTeresa Walters and Andy RowlandWelcome to the first edition of our tourism newsletter. We hope that it will prove to be a good source of information, and a useful means for you all to keep in touch other tourism businesses in the Dyfi Valley and with the agencies who support them. Not surprisingly, the main news items are on the subject of launches - of the Dyfi Valley as a Tourism Growth Area, of the tourism association which we've been developing over the last year, and of ecodyfi's own web-site www.ecodyfi.org.uk. So many new beginnings - including Teresa's new post of Tourism Growth Area Project Officer - so please read more about them all below! Our focus here is on electronic resources. Over the past year we've been funding and providing training in information systems and electronic communications, tailored to suit tourism and tourism related businesses. We now want to build on that by helping you get your business or group on-line and marketed, either through your own sites or through pages on ours. 
Dyfi Valley Rural Tourism Growth Area (TGA)What is the Dyfi Valley Rural Tourism Growth Area (TGA)? It's one of geographical development initiatives designed by the Wales Tourism Board (WTB) to support tourism investment in various parts of Wales. The initiative ensures that WTB capital funding, for physical developments and improvements, is reserved for this area - although this will have to be matched by at least 50% of private funding/lending and other grants. The Dyfi Valley TGA has a specific theme of sustainability and so the initiative is also a commitment to the development of tourism that is culturally, economically and environmentally sustainable. What are its aims? The TGA steering group (who are to direct the initiative locally) have produced the following vision for tourism in the Dyfi Valley: 'To develop a dynamic and competitive tourism industry in the Dyfi Valley in a sustainable manner which builds on its strengths and fulfils its potential for the mutual benefit of local people, the economy, the environment and the area's cultural heritage and enables it to become the premier UK 'green' tourism destination'. In practical terms, the TGA aims are to help those involved in tourism secure some of the funding needed to launch and develop projects that fit this vision. How did it come about? The TGAs were proposed in order to stimulate growth in the tourism markets targeted by the WTB and their industry and public sector partners. Ecodyfi and the Aberdyfi Partnership were successful in a combined bid for TGA recognition and, in order to provide a strategic context for subsequent tourism development, the WTB, the Mid Wales Partnership, Powys County Council, Cyngor Gwynedd, Welsh Development Agency and Cymad commissioned Ian Parkin, Heritage and Tourism Consultant, to produce a detailed draft report. The TGA steering group now has a summarised version of the document, available to individuals and businesses throughout the area. Where is the TGA? While ecodyfi covers the whole of the Dyfi Valley, the study specifically excluded the area within Ceredigion and also Tywyn and the Dysynni Valley. However, any potential projects outside the TGA area, including joint initiatives, can generate funding through the regular Wales Tourist Board (Section 4) grant programme, Meirionnydd Coastal Towns Initiative, the Objective 1 programme and the Ceredigion Special Tourism Growth Area Initiative covers the Ceredigion area of the valley. Who is involved? Teresa Walters, as TGA Project Officer, will be the first line of contact for potential applicants. She will be managed by Andy Rowland, ecodyfi Manager, and will work alongside an 'Officer Group' from the County Councils, WTB, WDA and other statutory bodies. Direction will come from a steering group in which tourism business interests are represented and from the Director of the Regional Tourism Partnership. Decisions about funding will be made centrally by the Wales Tourism Board. If you would like details about the initiative, advice on making a grant application, or a copy of the summarised action plan, please phone Teresa on 01654 703551 or email teresa.walters@ecodyfi.org.uk
Twristiaeth Dyfi TourismTwristiaeth Dyfi Tourism is the new tourism association for the Dyfi Valley. So far, it has been an information network of ecodyfi members who have expressed an interest in tourism and related issues. The potential, however, is much bigger. The partnership's tourism core group (a committee of volunteers with interests in both sustainability and the tourism economy) has identified the association as a crucial network for developing the local tourism product and an international market for it, through collaborative work, collective marketing and group lobbying. Member benefits include:
If you would like to have a voice on this committee, please let us know before the meeting, or make sure you are there! It costs £1 to join the association. If you would like to do so, please download a membership application from our web-site, phone Teresa on 01654 703551 or email teresa.walters@ecodyfi.org.uk
www.ecodyfi.org.uk - ecodyfi goes on-lineOn July 3 we launched www.ecodyfi.org.uk, a major new on-line information gateway for both residents of the Dyfi Valley and visitors to the area. We hope that all local businesses and organisations will soon be advertising their products, services, events and activities on this web-site. The site includes an on-line events calendar, keeping everyone up to date with what's on, and regular news related to regeneration in the Dyfi Valley. Visitors to the site can also download a membership form to join the partnership and become more closely involved with its projects. Potential visitors to the area, find all the information required to create their own sustainable rural tourism packages. Ecodyfi's tourism project is one year old this month. Recognising that tourism is a major growth industry, the partnership aims to boost tourism that is locally driven, culturally and environmentally aware, and that brings most local benefit. The web-site is central to this strategy, encouraging sustainable practices within the valley and encouraging visitors who appreciate this approach. Teresa Walters, Sustainable Tourism Officer, said that: "the web-site offers a high impact, relatively low-cost means of boosting local businesses and the local economy generally. At the same time, it will provide services to local people and to visitors, on whom many of us are becoming increasingly dependent." The site has been funded by Barclays Rural Regeneration Fund, which was set up by the Barclays Community Affairs team in response to Foot and Mouth Disease. Barclays' assistance also means that the site will continue to be developed over the next three years. So as businesses come forward to join the venture, they can be given advice on developing their web presence, or be directed towards training or local designers. If you would like advice about starting or developing a web-site, use the directory in this newsletter. Members can claim a 10% discount from ecodyfi listed designers! For information on training contact Teresa Walters on 01654 703551 or email teresa.walters@ecodyfi.org.uk
Events NetworkThis year arts, events and festivals organisers in the Dyfi Valley started getting together to share and develop ideas and to produce a calendar of events for residents, visitors and other events organisers. This calendar forms the basis of ecodyfi's new on-line events listing service at www.ecodyfi.org.uk/cgi-bin/plans2/plans.cgi, maintained by Jan Morgan, and of the complementary printed events listing, "Dyfi Diary", which Nat Taplin produces. Brought together earlier this year by ecodyfi, with assistance from Voluntary Arts Wales and a small grant from WCVA, the group held their launch meeting at Celtica on 10 January. Those attending included representatives from Elemental Earth, Gwyl Glyndwr, Y Tabernacl, Machynlleth Cyclefest, Cân ar Dân, Equilibre, Menter Maldwyn, Celtica and Machynlleth Chamber of Trade. The group announced plans to meet three or four times a year to exchange ideas and review the listings service. At the meeting, local cultural tourism writer Allan Wynne Jones stressed the importance of cultural tourism, including the promotion of the Welsh language, to a healthy economy and social life. Bryn Jones of the Wales Arts Council congratulated the group on what is becoming a fruitful network for the cultural life of the area, for tourism and for the organisations involved. The longer-term opportunities for collaboration between arts organisation and their implications for tourism were discussed by Meic Llewellyn of Cân ar Dân. If you have an event to publicise, please contact Jan on events@ecodyfi.org.uk and Nat at Events@dyfidiary.org.uk or phone Nat on 01654 761463. If you'd like to get involved with the network and network meetings, or discuss the timings of your events, please contact Teresa on 01654 703551 or email teresa.walters@ecodyfi.org.uk.
What's on? Consult your "Dyfi Diary"If you're going out, or your guests want to know the place to go, don't forget to consult your "Dyfi Diary". Like the on-line events listing at www.ecodyfi.org.uk/cgi-bin/plans2/plans.cgi, "Dyfi Diary" has all the latest information on events, festivals and activities in the Dyfi Valley. 3,000 copies a month are being distributed and displayed at tourist and community venues in the Valley. You can pick up free copies at any TIC. "Dyfi Diary" is an A3 bilingual listings sheet, produced monthly. The Deadline is the 10th of the month before publication. Events listings are FREE and adverts start at just £10. If you've got an event you'd like to get in then send the details (date, event, time, venue and contact phone number) to: nat@dyfidiary.co.uk or phone 01654 761463.
Goodbye Green Globe, hello Green Tourism Business Scheme: WTB goes for Scottish and UK-wide alternativeLast month, the Wales Tourist Board (WTB) announced it's decision to
abandon plans to promote the global Green Globe environmental standards
scheme in Wales and go for the As the English Tourism Council But what about Green Globe? It's still available as an additional or alternative standard, most often used by larger global concerns. And what about the businesses that participated in the Sustainable Tourism Business Initiative as a route to a Green Globe "cluster" scheme? WTB has offered to fund a small group to move forward to GTBS - in Autumn/Winter 2002 and the scheme providers are keen to develop the idea of cluster accreditation. While accommodation providers here had hoped that a "green" or sustainable
business scheme might be an alternative to other WTB schemes (the star
grading scheme and the pending statutory registration scheme), this is
not to be. As feared by many, GTBS accreditation will be additional to
both registration and the existing WTB grading systems. This will mean
increased expense. But we are assured that the cost benefit ratio will
make participation worthwhile. GTBS will be accredited by qualified At a recent steering group meeting, WTB underlined the importance of including the language, culture and heritage of Wales in any scheme adopted in Wales. Linda Jones stressed that the culture and language aspects must not simply be 'add-ons' but must become embedded in the scheme. The group were assured that the work done on the Greening Your Business guide, by Festival of the Countryside and Arena Network with tourism groups in the Dyfi Valley and South Pembrokeshire would not be wasted. "The Greening Your Business toolkit will be edited to bring it in line with the GTBS" stated Helen Batte. "And we hope to include several businesses from each area in pilot schemes for the new standard." Readers might like to find out more about the development of European "Ecolabelling" Flower Scheme in tourism, which focuses on environmental impact, but also considers service and style to be important, including reception, food services, common services and communication. Details are available at: http://europa.eu.int/ecolabel.
Upcoming trainingThe National Assembly, ELWa and the WTB have all identified training as a key issue in economic regeneration and the development of the tourism sector. In the Dyfi Valley, we certainly won't be short of opportunities. If you live or work in Powys, a major new scheme called 'Powys Anticipation', developed by Mid Wales Tourism, can provide you with advice on and assistance towards individual training needs, or with organisational support for setting up a training programme tailored to a particular group's needs. For further information, you can contact Liz Tomlinson by emailing lizt@mid-wales-tourism.org.uk or phoning 01691 870250. The project doesn't engage with staff training or statutory training. Over the past year ecodyfi has organised, delivered and/or funded training in a variety of areas, including basic IT skills, web design and development, and database skills, as well as in renewable energy and in sustainable business practices. We hope to secure funding to ensure that this element of our work carries on. As well as working closely with Mike Duggleby, we hope that ecodyfi will be launching our own Dyfi Valley (rather than Powys only) training schemes in the next 1-2 years. The TGA action plan highlights the need and demand for training and advice in the following specific areas (and earmarks some of the funding for):
More news on these as the programmes are developed. But please let us have your comments if you think there are any glaring gaps or duplications with other organisations. The TGA initiative will also supporting the development of outdoor activity courses for local and visitor consumption - i.e. for your customers, not just for you! WTB are now running local training sessions in their new "Destination Management System" (DMS), which is on the new www.visitwales.com web-site. They are coming to Machynlleth on Tuesday 24th September. For details visit the web-site. Don't miss this opportunity to advertise your business to potential visitors from all over the world (accommodation providers need to be WTB, RAC or AA quality graded.) Coleg Powys run basic First Aid and basic Food Hygiene courses. For details contact them direct.
Free electronic advertising opportunitiesHave we included a link from www.ecodyfi.org.uk to your site? If not, why miss this free advertising opportunity? And don't forget to include our web-site in your links page. Email your web-site details to david.thorpe@ecodyfi.org.uk. And if don't yet have a site, or don't understand the whole electronic thing, ask us if we can host your page (one only) on our site or find out about training from Teresa, or speak to an ecodyfi listed designer (see below). Walking World, a major UK walkers' web-site is offering free entry in their accommodation directory for walker-friendly hotels, guest houses or B&Bs. Text listings are free, but they charge you if you would like pictures and a mention in their emails. For listing, fill in the form at: www.walkingworld.com. Outdoor Activities NetworkIt's the thing of the future. It's green and clean. It's bringing money into local economies throughout Wales. And it uses the assets we've got plenty of - our countryside. It's activity tourism. It's also high on the list of tourism priorities for Wales. If you're in it, have you thought about linking with accommodation providers? If you're in accommodation, would you like a package to offer your guests? And if you're getting into it, do you need information, training or a network of contacts? The Dyfi Valley Rural Tourism Growth Action Plan identifies activity tourism as central to the area's tourism development plans and the WTB have ring-fenced funding to develop a network to achieve the valley's potential. At the moment we're collecting a database of names - cycle, walking and horse-friendly accommodation, leaders and guides, activity providers and equipment hirers of all kinds. And next? We get together to decide. If you'd like to be part of this growth phenomenon, please contact Teresa on 01654 703551 or email teresa.walters@ecodyfi.org.uk
Cafes and crafts, activities and attractions: on the trail of IdrisAt the end of last year the Made In Mid Wales (MIMW) craft producers' committee produced an ambitious plan to combat the disastrous effects of Foot and Mouth Disease on local crafts people and tourism businesses. By spring this year, with some help from the WDA, they had produced an attractive and inclusive new leaflet, "Cadwyn Cader Idris Country", which promotes all kinds of places of interest for visitors to the area from Borth to Barmouth and eastwards to Llanbrynmair. The voluntary Cadwyn group, led by Alison Williamson of Timberkits, have been extremely busy with design, distribution and advertising sales for the leaflet and for glossy display stands which are being purchased (£3) by accommodation providers to hold advertisers' leaflets. Next year, the group plans an even more ambitious leaflet, with a larger circulation, more craftspeople involved and more advertising opportunities. If you'd like to get involved, or advertise, or order a display stand please contact Teresa on 01654 703551 or email teresa.walters@ecodyfi.org.uk.
Hospitable Climates and up to 40% savings on energyHOSPITABLE CLIMATES — A Warm Welcome in a Changing Environment aims to reduce carbon emissions and their impact on climate change. Participating businesses will receive a free service through a series of Energy Measures fact files offering guidance on how to improve your energy efficiency — saving money while improving the quality of your guests' experience. Buildings account for 50% of all energy consumed in the UK. Estimates by the Building Research Establishment suggest that most hotel businesses could save between 20% and 40% of energy (as much as £400 per bedroom). Hospitable Climates is designed to show you how to make these savings. In April 2001 the Climate Change Levy (CCL), or "carbon tax" was introduced, increasing energy costs in hospitality businesses by around 15% (although some of your existing equipment, such as good quality combined heat and power, for example, and energy from renewable sources, should be exempt). On the other hand the Government has also introduced Enhanced Capital Allowances of 100% in the first year for capital investments in eligible new plant and equipment (e.g. high efficiency lighting systems, motors, boilers and refrigeration, combined heat and power, variable speed drive, pipe insulation and thermal screens.) If you would like a brochure and further details on how to sign up to the scheme, please contact Rosemary Morrison, Director of Special Projects, HCIMA, 191 Trinity Road, London SW17 7HN. Tel: 020 8772 7400, fax: 020 8772 7500 or e-mail: hospitableclimates@hcima.co.uk.
Web-sites - Best practice guideWhat makes a good web-site? It's a complex question. 'User friendly, regularly updated, reliable and informative' spring to mind. But there are all sorts of design, language, visibility, accessibility, speed and other issues to consider. We'd like to hear whose you like the best. Some best practice examples from our members include:
The only major criticism of all three sites, however, is that they are English only. Many businesses find that translation is expensive and tricky. Most argue that the visitor market is more likely to be able to speak English than Welsh. And many designers can't work through the medium of Welsh. Bwrdd-yr-Iaith, however, offer some solutions to these problems, with their small grants schemes, listings of local translators and explanation of why a bilingual approach is so important.
Dyfi Valley Web Designers' DirectoryOver the coming months, we hope to build up an on-line directory of web designers in the Dyfi Valley. If you know of a good local designer who is not listed here, why not ask them to send details to our web-site developer david.thorpe@ecodyfi.org.uk . We've got some of those we work with together to provide a membership promotional offer - 10% discount to members from ecodyfi listed designers. If you'd like to take advantage of this offer, please contact the designers direct. Those that are listed so far are: Business name: Cyberium
If you'd like to contact us
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