Chris Melia, partner director at Amion Consulting, presents on Liverpool as a destination and new ways of approaching tourism strategies

1. Developing Liverpool’s Visitor
Economy
– a new approach
June 2016
Chris Melia

2. The truth about tourism strategies
They begin with good intentions and clear thinking. But the end result is often
a long winded, over-complicated, bureaucratic document. This is further
compounded by the non-binding nature of them.

3. Setting strategy in business - an example
(hotel)
Overall goal - objective Strategy Action plan
To increase annual
revenue by 30%
1. Invest in a luxury spa
development to attract
new markets.
2. Convert under utilised
function rooms into
bedrooms to service
additional demand.
1. Market research.
2. Commission design team.
3. Financial feasibility.
4. Assemble the finance.
5. Commission build team.
6. Devise marketing
strategy.
7. Launch and operate.

4. Setting strategy - destinations
Goal/objective
To increase the value of
tourism to £xxxx
Overall goal - objective Strategy
1. Invest in xxx to attract new
markets.
2. Improve xxx to ensure that
existing markets return.
3. Develop a marketing fund
of £xxx to target new
markets.
4. Continue to target existing
markets with a marketing
fund of £xxx.
This can be done - based on market intelligence, trends,
analysis, evidence, judgement and consensus.
Action plan
??????????????
Lack of control,
influence or authority

5. Different types of tourism strategy
The
Tourism
Manager’s
Plan
The
Advocacy
Strategy
The Place
Making
Strategy
Marketing,
Tourist Information
Centres, Events
Regeneration
Development
Influences
Advocates
Aligns

6. Overall Goal?
Attract an additional
300,000 tourists by 2020?
From 2.2m to 2.5m
Measured by STEAM

7. Where are we now and where have we come
from?
Capital of Culture
Growth fuelled by
tourists from overseas
Number of tourists
from overseas declines
whilst domestic
tourism surges
Both domestic and
overseas tourists grow

8. Where are we now and where have we
come from?
In 2004, Liverpool was the 10th most
visited destination in England (staying
tourists).
10 years on, it ranks 4th in England.
1.
2.
3.
4.
London
Manchester
Birmingham
Liverpool
19,500,000
3,700,000
3,200,000
2,200,000

9. Where are we now and where have we come
from?
Domestic Leisure Tourists
International Leisure Tourists
Domestic Business Tourists
International Business Tourists
60%
23%
10%
7%
The leisure market accounts for 83% of the 2.2m
visitors.

10. Leisure markets
Domestic - 1.3m
London and the South East
North West
Scotland
Yorkshire
26%
16%
12%
10%
East Midlands 10%
West Midlands 8%
North East 4%
Wales, East Anglia, N. Ireland 8%
Ireland
Spain
Norway
Germany
19%
9%
8%
5%
USA 5%
France 5%
Australia 4%
Denmark 3%
International - 0.5m

11. Business markets - staying tourists
- 374,000
Venues and
Hotels
185,000
50%
Meetings
not in
venues
120,000
32%
ACC
69,000
18%
Add 500,000 day delegates using ACC (24,000) hotels
and venues (476,000)

12. Business markets - day and staying
International 500+ (ACC)
International <500 (other)
Domestic 500+ (ACC)
Domestic <500 (ACC & other)
8,000
29,000
85,000
632,000
International meetings
Domestic meetings
108,000
12,000

13. So back to that goal….

14. Growth target?
2.5m
2.35m
2.25m

15. Growth markets
Grow the
number of
international
leisure
tourists by
80,000
+16%
Grow the
number of
domestic
leisure
tourists by
166,000
+12%
Grow the
number of
business
tourists by
54,000
+13%
Ireland - 14,000
Spain - 18,000
Norway - 8,000
Germany - 2,500
USA - 12,500
France - 3,000
Priority on near markets
and London and
South East
50% growth from ACC
generating an additional
34,000 staying delegates
10% growth from other
venues and hotels
generating an additional
20,000 staying delegates
Australia - 7,000
Denmark - 3,000
China - 2,500
Canada - 6,500
Others - 3,000

16. Enough of the numbers….

17. Defining what is
distinctively
Liverpool
Lonely Planet
Few English cities are as shackled by reputation as
Liverpool, and none has worked so hard to outgrow the
clichés that for so long have been used to define it.
A hardscrabble town with a reputation for wit and an
obsessive love of football, Liverpool also has an
impressive cultural heritage: it has more listed
museums than any other city outside London, its
galleries are among the best in the country, and it has
recently undergone an impressive program of urban
regeneration.
And then there's the Beatles. Liverpool cherishes them
not because it's stuck in the past and hasn't gotten
over the fact that they're long gone – it's because their
worldwide popularity would make it crazy not to do
so.

18. 6
Buzzing
night life
4
Obsessive
about
football and
sport
1
Magnificent
built
heritage
3
Fascinating
museums
and
galleries
2 Birthplace
of the
Beatles
5
Shopping,
shopping,
shopping
7
Dynamic
theatres and
venues
Wit, humour,
welcome,
cosmopolitan

19. Magnificent built
heritage
Anglican Cathedral (1)
Central Library (3)
Pier Head (12)
Catholic Cathedral (14)
St George’s Hall (16)
Radio City Tower (22)
Town Hall (30)
Birthplace of the Beatles
Taxi Tours (2)
Sightseeing Tours (7)
Mendips (9)
Casbah (10)
Beatles Story (11)
Forthlin Road (13)
Matthew Street (23)
Fascinating museums
and galleries
Maritime Museum (4)
Museum of Liverpool (5)
Walker Art Gallery (8)
Speke Hall (15)
World Museum (20)
Obsessive about
football and sport
Anfield (6)
Shopping, shopping,
shopping
Liverpool ONE (19)
Nightlife
Bars and clubs (21) - the
Cavern, Philharmonic pub,
Grapes etc.
Dynamic theatres and
venues
Echo Arena (24)
Royal Court (27)
Philharmonic
Empire and Playhouse
Anomolies:
Ferries
Waterfront
Tate
Albert Dock
Empire

20. So we know what our visitors think…

21. Destination Brand

22. So what are we going to do?

23. A strategy focussed on achieving
investment & aligning with
partners’ plans…..