Mourne-Gullion-Strangford Experience Development Plan and Workbook CONTENTS Introduction ……………………………………………………. 3 1. Understanding the visitor…………………………. 9 2. Experience development framework……..… 15 3. Destination themes.…………………………………. 18 4. Theme-based experiences –creating EPIC Moments 26 5. Enabling success ……………………….……………. 46 6. Developing your experience………………….…. 49 This document has used images from the following sources: • Tourism NI • NMDDC • TEAM-Tourism 2 MOURNE-GULLION-STRANGFORD EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN & WORKBOOK Introduction Mountains, Myths and Maritime Where the spirit of land and sea meet Where fire and ice have moulded Where the myths of fact and fiction merge Where the flavours of mountains and maritime mingle Where the challenges of peaks and currents motivate Where viewscapes and tranquility mesmerises 3 MOURNE-GULLION-STRANGFORD EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN & WORKBOOK WELCOME to this Experience Plan This Plan complements the 5-year Tourism Part 1 looks at the visitor and what and Workbook. It has been designed to Strategy that was launched at the outset of motivates them to travel. Increasingly our 2017. Its success will be based on everyone visitors are seeking unique experiences and support the development of unique visitor recognising its relevance as a strategic way ways of emotionally connecting with the experiences within the Mourne-Gullion- forward in ensuring the ongoing sustainable place they are visiting, so Part 2 outlines the Strangford upland and coastal area in a way growth of an industry that was worth £61 concept of experience development and that highlights the distinctive attributes of million to the local economy in 2016. It what is involved. the destination and establishes a strong aims at helping all businesses raise the bar market position for it. It has been written to Stories are generally the core of a and work in synergy to bring our assist you –whether you are an individual memorable experience –they provide the “mountains, myths and maritime” strengths business, a cluster of businesses, or a insights that the visitor is looking for in to life in a vibrant and unique way. tourism-related agency –in the visiting a destination and they are often the development of visitor experiences, and has This Plan will stimulate new ideas, new basis of the memories long after the visit is been prepared by Newry, Mourne and Down ways of thinking and new approaches to over. Part 3 presents a thematic structure District Council (NMDDC). working together to deliver new for bringing our stories together, and Part 4 experiences. outlines a series of potential EPIC The purpose of the Experience Plan experiences that can be offered as It is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, examples of how to use the thematic This Experience Plan is a tool. It presents a and the outcome of extensive consultation structure to animate our destination. These framework that will guide the strengthening with business operators and agencies. It is a are IDEAS –some may already exist as of existing experiences and the development structured plan and workbook combined, experiences, but many will need to be of new experiences to provide compelling that will give you a fresh understanding of discussed as concepts for developing new reasons for visitors to come to visit our how to deliver experiences that your experiences. Would the idea work? Who mountains, coastal areas and communities. visitors will never forget. doyouneedtoworkwithtobringthe With the right experiences in place, we will experiencetogether? How oftenisit attract new visitors from the Republic of How is this Experience Plan feasibletodeliver the experience? How Ireland, the UK, and from other countries structured? many can participate in the experience? overseas year-round –visitors that tend to The Introduction provides an overview of stay longer and spend more –and we can Part5looksat what is required from the Tourism Strategy 2017-2021, and create a much stronger sense of businesses to ensure success in delivering highlights the linkages between this ‘destination’ in the marketplace. experiences. The lastsection, Part 6, Experience Plan, the Strategy and the provides a number of worksheets that will Global Geopark initiative. The Strategy help you get started in your planning. identified the need for this type of plan, and Ideally, you will work through these pages it is helpful to see how the two documents in a workshop or small group setting. inter-relate. 4 MOURNE-GULLION-STRANGFORD EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN & WORKBOOK Strategy Framework Our Headline The five-year Strategy sets out the strategic Our Promise direction for the tourism industry within the Delivering ‘EPIC’ moments Mountains, Myths and District of Newry, Mourne and Down. It Maritime outlines the current situation, the strategy Our Goals Newry, Mourne and Down has long been framework, and a series of To work collaboratively toward assisting recognised for its spectacular scenery; the recommendations that are designed to Northern Ireland achieve its targeted dramatic relationship between the achieve the vision and goals, and to ensure growth rate of 6% per annum in overnight mountains and the sea; the myths and that industry is in the business of delivering expenditure by: stories that highlight the rich cultural EPIC moments. heritage of the region; and the unique • Focusing on developing visitor Vision 2021 destination experiences that will deliver opportunities to experience the outdoors against this composite backdrop of Newry, Mourne & Down is a ‘EPIC moments’. landscape and culture. premier, year-round • Building a unified and entrepreneurial Our headline, mountains, myths and industry that is customer-focused. mountain and maritime maritime, helps to develop a shared story • Ensuring that the development of that will begin to create a stronger image of destination in Ireland tourism is undertaken sustainably and what makes this area distinctive -both in recognised for its EPIC contributes to the enhancement of the minds of industry and ultimately within social, cultural and environmental experiences in outdoor the marketplace. values. adventure, its rich tapestry of It sets the stage for the Strategy’s focus on creating destination experiences that are cultural heritage, myths and associated with the mountains and the unique stories, and its coastline, and for its emphasis on the stories that give the destination experiences authentic local life. a unique quality. 5 MOURNE-GULLION-STRANGFORD EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN & WORKBOOK Strategy Framework A focus on ‘EPIC’ –The underlying approach The concept of “EPIC” underlies the Strategy framework. It relates to a new approach to developing experiences and working together. It has been used as both a concept and an acronym, and is designed to act as a ‘cue’ to inspire new thinking. Delivering EPIC moments means delivering impressively great experiences. It means working in partnership to ‘join up’ existing disparate products to create experiences that are EPIC. Taken as an acronym, it challenges industry to think in terms of delivering tourism products that are: 6 MOURNE-GULLION-STRANGFORD EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN & WORKBOOK How was this Plan developed? The process of preparing this plan was initiated The core destination by NMDDC and facilitated by TEAM-Tourism This Experience Plan is applicable to the entire Consulting. The work involved : District of Newry, Mourne and Down. • Establishing a Working Group with But like any destination, there is a core area representatives from the tourism sector that has a particular appeal to visitors and this and all the key agencies that have a role in lies at the point where the ‘headline’ concept destination management or the delivery of of mountains, myths and maritime appears to tourism. This Working Group played an intersect. important advisory role. Right at this convergence, lies the proposed • Undertaking a series of community UNESCO Global Geopark that will incorporate workshops to begin identifying key stories, the Mourne Area of Outstanding Beauty themes and potential EPIC experiences. (AONB), including the more ancient, craggy uplands of Slieve Croob, the Ring of Gullion • Engaging business operators through site AONB and the Strangford and Lecale AONB. visits and participation in an extensive This area taken together represents the range of activities. primary focus for the Experience Plan, Pursuing Global Geopark status • Reviewing the stories and themes, and although the Plan can be applied to areas To be successful in achieving designation, it is establishing a framework that would beyond. important to begin immediately on provide meaningful structure for The Global Geopark initiative has the potential developing and offering experiences that are developing and enhancing experiences. to really define our destination in the visitor’s tied to the concept of the Geopark, and to be • Reviewing the framework and an initial mind. Designation will give the Mourne- building on the geo-heritage that makes this collection of potential experiences with the Gullion-Strangford area international area globally significant. This Plan is designed tourism industry, the Working Group and significance, and will provide opportunities to to be a tool that will help businesses move in NMDDC. explore working with partners across this direction. Many of the experience ideas administrative boundaries into County Louth, are concepts that can animate proposed At all stages, the discussions with tourism and into neighbouring local government areas. ‘geosites’ and will add a new level of visitor operators were used as an opportunity to engagement with the site, and appreciation explore new opportunities for building on the for its significance. EPIC acronym and creating experiences that would embody experiential, personalised, iconic and immersive, and creative elements. 7 MOURNE-GULLION-STRANGFORD EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN & WORKBOOK INTRODUCTION Reviewingourcontext The strengths andopportunitiesthatcharacterise thedestinationwere assessed withinthe Tourism Strategy, togetherwiththe strategic challenges thatfacethegrowthofthetourismsector. Thesearesummarisedbelowandprovidefurtherrationaleforanewapproach: STRENGTHS & OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES • Outstanding and diverse scenic beauty and ecosystems, with the • A long list of ‘things to do’, but no strong cohesive sense of ‘promise’ unique combination of mountains and maritime landscapes or destination identity • Volcanic and glaciation geology of international significance that tells • A wealth of stories but no regional approach to developing consensus the tale of two oceans on these stories and limited efforts to utilise them effectively in • An exceedingly rich cultural heritage that embraces ‘the story of building experiences and creating destination identity Ireland in microcosm’ • A range of access challenges relating to internal public transportation • A living landscape that has been shaped by centuries of maritime, linkages, accessing water, carrying capacity of rural roads, signage, and farming, industrial and commercial heritage parking at local points of interest • Strong recognition for adventure and outdoor-based recreation such • Tourism operators that generally do not relate to the wider as mountain biking, hiking and an array of marine and inland water- destination experience from Ring of Gullion to Strangford Lough based activities • A fragmented marketing message and limited collaboration in the • A burgeoning local foods and drinks sector, increasing emphasis on delivery of experiences wellness, and international awareness of its golf • Over dependence on the domestic market 8 MOURNE-GULLION-STRANGFORD EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN & WORKBOOK 1. Understanding the Visitor 'The customer experience is the next competitive battleground.’ Jerry Gregoire(DELL CIO) 9 MOURNE-GULLION-STRANGFORD EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN & WORKBOOK THE VISITOR Do you collect data on your visitors? If you do, look at where they are coming from and Our current visitors While N. Ireland visitors will always remain see how your volume compares with important to our destination, the need to Northern Ireland as a whole and with As a starting point, let’s look at the current expand market share in out-of-state Newry, Mourne & Down. visitors. Our destination is particularly markets, particularly the Republic of Ireland attractive to domestic residents –visitors and Great Britain, will increase the value of Which are your most important geographic from elsewhere in N. Ireland –in fact more tourism. However, success in these markets markets in terms of numbers? so than anywhere else in the country. While is dependent on creating new and Newry, Mourne and Down local government compelling reasons to visit. district has benefitted from the highest level of growth in trips and overnight stays in 2016 throughout the province, it is still characterised by a low length of stay and a low average spend. The graphs below show the volume of trips to N. Ireland from the various markets, together with the level of spend from each market. Those visitors travelling further If you have data on visitor spend, which clearly tend to spend more –highlighting the visitors tend to spend more at your benefits to be gained from attracting out-of- business? province visitors. 10 MOURNE-GULLION-STRANGFORD EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN & WORKBOOK