Agenda item

Consider update by Corporate Transformation and Services Director (copy attached).

4.1       With reference to paragraph 5 of the Minute of 3 November 2015, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Corporate Transformation and Services Director providing an update on how VisitScotland was responding to changes in the way visitors now accessed information and made holiday decisions and how this was impacting on the performance of the manned visitor information service in the Scottish Borders. The Chairman extended a welcome to Douglas Wilson, Regional Director of VisitScotland, who was in attendance.  Mr McGrath highlighted the main points of the report.  VisitScotland currently operated and managed five VisitScotland iCentres in the Scottish Borders, providing face to face information services, including an accommodation and ticketing service.  The VisitScotland iCentres were partially funded via an annual Minute of Agreement (MOA) between Scottish Borders Council and VisitScotland.  The centres located in Jedburgh, Peebles and Hawick operated all year round while centres in Melrose and Kelso operated on a seasonal basis.  The report referred to trends indicating that online usage for visitor information and booking would continue to rise.  In line with this trend, Scottish Borders VisitScotland iCentres had experienced an overall decline in footfall in recent years while there had been a significant rise in website visits and digital referrals to Scottish Borders businesses.  Overall, Scottish Borders VisitScotland iCentres had experienced a 12% decline in footfall between 2015/16 and 2014/15.  There was also a 21.9% fall in the overall number of bookings made in the same period.  The specific results and analysis were set out in an appendix to the report. Recognising the change in consumer behaviour and demand, VisitScotland was undertaking a national review of information provision and the overall customer experience, looking at the best way to ensure that information was delivered to more people in more places using the channels that visitors used the most.

4.2       In a discussion of the report and the visitor iCentres data provided, local Members for Hawick pointed out that the numbers visiting the iCentre in Hawick had actually increased by about 4,000 over the last 5 years and they expressed disappointment with the negative perception of the figures given within the report. It was suggested that the prominent position of the iCentre next to the Heart of Hawick complex may have contributed to the increase in visitor numbers at this location.  With regard to the business membership of VisitScotland and the management of bookings Members recognised that there were a number of issues impacting on the figures.  They suggested a distinction between those businesses who managed their own marketing through other prominent well-used tourist websites and those who joined VisitScotland for marketing services and booking arrangements.  Mr Wilson emphasised that the key to the way forward was the way people were accessing information and that the reality was a decline in physical visitor numbers to centres.  He accepted that the question of how to include and engage with the section of businesses referred to was challenging as VisitScotland may not necessarily fit their business models.  It was agreed that the provision of tourist information was part of digital transformation not necessarily centred on buildings.  Members indicated that they would like to see more use of ‘Interactive Screens’ at key outdoor locations and it was agreed that free WiFi and/or improved mobile coverage in town centres would be a significant attraction for visitors.

DECISION

AGREED:-

(a)          to invite senior managers from VisitScotland to provide a briefing for all elected Members on VisitScotland’s Customer Experience Strategy and its developing approach to information provision in the Scottish Borders and the rest of Scotland; and

(b)         to request that a further report on tourism information provision be brought to the Committee in 2017 once VisitScotland had finalised its review.