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In this Newsletter:  
Who Are We?  |  
Coastal Tourism Report  |  New Opportunities  |  On the Resource Hub  |  Coming Up

What is the National Coastal Tourism Academy and how can we help you?

Welcome to the National Coastal Tourism Academy newsletter. The NCTA was set up in 2013 to understand the nature of coastal tourism in the UK - our purpose is to help drive economic growth in the visitor economy around the coast. 

We’ve spent two years trialling projects to improve the visitor experience and have undertaken cutting-edge research to unearth new opportunities to help coastal destinations and the businesses that operate within them.

We’d like to work with you to help accelerate coastal tourism and share best practice nationally. Discover more about our projects and how we can work together here.

While there are plenty of research projects and reports available, the NCTA’s are unique in that we focus exclusively on the attributes and challenges faced by coastal destinations and what makes them genuinely special.

This month, we’re taking a new approach to our research and would like to offer you the opportunity to select the theme of our next major project. Have a look at the options here.

Do forward our newsletter to colleagues who might find it useful. I hope you find our work of interest and we look forward to speaking with you.

Samantha Richardson
Director



Coastal Tourism Report

 

Our 2015 Coastal Tourism report is packed with insights into visitor profiles, employment, key segments and sectors. Visits to the coast generate more than £9bn, average length of stay was just over four nights and coastal trips still represent the largest market share of all domestic holiday trips. Yet domestic coastal tourism is often misunderstood and seen as in decline.



Read about the opportunities, key findings and recommendations.

New Opportunities on the Coast!

Health and Wellness Tourism

In the UK, one in five people take a dedicated wellness break and the health and wellness market is forecast to be worth £1bn by 2018. Yet only 8% of trips are to the coast despite 59% of respondents saying they would opt for a coastal setting out of choice.

Our new research into the thriving health and wellness tourism sector has exposed a real opportunity for coastal destinations.    

Explore the market’s potential here.

On our Resource Hub!

Visitor Profiles

Retirees, walkers, families, coach parties, families, business travellers – the demands and expectations of these markets are diverse and changing.

Our series of snapshot Visitor Profiles details each sector’s characteristics and offers top tips on how destinations could tap into emerging markets.

Coming up.... 

Under 35s - Big Potential

 

The 18 to 35 age group is currently under represented among coastal visitors and seem dissatisfied when they visit. But why? We’ll be unveiling new research which reveals the awareness, perceptions and activities of this group and identifies the new opportunities to promote growth.

Look out for more in our next newsletter.
 

Vote for New Coastal Research Project!

We’re embarking on new research to help unlock coastal tourism growth and are offering you an opportunity to choose our next commission. Attracting international visitors, the impact of the sharing economy, employment….what are the biggest challenges? Vote for your choice and we’ll commission the research and share the results on our Resource Hub.

Click here to vote!

Best Practice Guides

What makes a business truly exceptional, making customers return time after time, while others manage simply to scrape by?

Our Best Practice Guides range from a water park in Blackpool to an award-winning B&B on the Northumberland coast.

We’re looking for more examples of best practice, do let us know if you have an outstanding business we could profile.

Enticing the Empty Nesters

Most coastal destinations find attracting visitors in summer and the school holidays relatively straightforward, but not so the shoulder season. NCTA research has identified the over 55s, so-called ‘Empty Nesters’, as a potential target market. We’re commissioning new research to pinpoint the opportunities for product development, branding or marketing to boost visitor numbers.

We’ll share the results on our Resource Hub, but to find out what Empty Nesters want on holiday, read our guide here.

Get in touch

 

If you ‘d like to discuss how we can work with you, contact John Carmichael, NCTA Deputy Director, who’ll arrange a visit to your destination. 

Email: john.carmichael@coastaltourismacademy.co.uk
Tel: 01202 962 072

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