To consider the submitted consultation draft Destination Management Plan 2022-2027 and evidence base and make recommendations to the Cabinet (Policy Framework document).

(Note:  Alan Denby, Divisional Director for Economy, Environment and Infrastructure, Carl Wyard, Economy and Enterprise Manager - TDA and Councillor Long, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Tourism and Housing and Lynn Stephens, Chair of the Destination Management Group will be in attendance for this item.)

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Steve Darling, Divisional Director for Economy, Environment and Infrastructure Alan Denby, Economy and Enterprise Manager Carl Wyard and the Chair of the Destination Management Group Lynn Stephens attended the meeting to outline the draft Destination Management Plan 2022-2027, which was a sister Plan to the Economic Strategy and responded to the following questions:

·                     What engagement activity had been carried out to develop the draft Destination Management Plan.

·                     What was the reason behind using 2020 and 2021 numbers for visitors as a baseline instead of looking at trends over a longer period.

·                     Similar documents have been produced in the past how confident were offices/Members that we would be able to deliver the actions within the Plan.

·                     What actions need to be done to ensure that Torbay was an all year round tourism destination.

·                     How can we reach a wider audience and expand our international offer.

·                     How can we make the most of our existing assets such as the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, South West Coast Path and links to Agatha Christie.

·                     How can we ensure that this Plan compliments the Economic Strategy.

·                     How was the data collected and analysed.

·                     How can we future proof jobs within the tourism industry in light of increasing cost of living.

·                     How quickly can we get some of the objectives up and running.

·                     What were the key challenges and opportunities.

·                     The Council has a lot of strategies, has consideration been given to expanding the time for this Plan to 2030 to tie up with the Local Plan and Economic Strategy.

·                     How will you evaluate how effective you have been against the Plan.

·                     How will you ensure buy in from local people and businesses.

·                     How will you expand the offer to make it more attractive to different people e.g. younger people, families etc.

·                     What proposals were there for extending our events and have we considered more shows and tea dances to appeal to a wider audience.

·                     You have reviewed what has happened before, one suggestion was that previous plans had too many actions with 27, this Plan proposes 28, should this be reduced to less more focussed actions.

·                     How were we working with South Devon College, schools and local businesses to grow more interest and fill more jobs within the tourism sector.

·                     Has the College considered offering training opportunities for tourism during the Winter so that people can receive training out of season.

·                     Traditionally tourism has seen lower paid jobs what action was being taken to address this.

·                     How does the lack of suitable and affordable housing impact on the delivery of the Plan.

·                     What contingencies have been included for future economic downturn in light of rises in the cost of living.

·                     How do we make tourism jobs more attractive and how do we incentivise people into work.

·                     Quality can be subjective how will you monitor quality and how will you define it within the Plan.

The Board welcomed the approach to the developing the draft Destination Management Plan.

Resolved (unanimously):

That the Cabinet be recommended:

1.         to consider extending the period covered by the Destination Management Plan to 2030 to tie up with the Local Plan and Economic Strategy;

2.         to revisit the number of priorities to ensure a more focussed and targeted approach reducing them from 28 actions and to identify quick wins which could be implemented within a few months e.g. better signage, heritage trails etc.;

3          to regularly monitor the action plans to ensure that proposals are implemented and reprioritised as appropriate;

4.         to continue working closely with South Devon College, schools and local businesses to encourage people into jobs and apprenticeships within the tourism sector in Torbay;

5.         to ensure that the Destination Management Plan dovetails with the emerging revised Economic Strategy;

6.         to consider rewording the start of the document to put it in context with the trends which have evolved over a number of years; and

7.         to ensure better signage and connectivity within individual towns in addition to between the three towns.