Visitor Economy Action Plan

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

• Landscape – Malvern Hills AONB, Malvern Hills and Abberley Geopark, Teme Valley, Malvern Chase, SSSI’s, open spaces, greenery, nature, trees, rivers, meadows, views, geology etc.
• Historic towns with unique stories – Malvern, Tenbury Wells and Upton upon Severn
• Location – access, landmark on M5, central, transport links
• Walking and cycling track
• Cultural heritage – Sir Edward Elgar; Benedictine Orders; English Civil War, famous fiction writers J.R.R. Tolkien, S. Lewis and William Langland; The Malvern Water Cure and the wells, springs and spouts, agriculture, apple and hop picking; folk traditions, arts and music etc.
• Heritage - iron-age hill forts, stately homes, places of worship, Morgan Motor Factory, architecture, local museums and visitor centres
• The Arts - Malvern Theatres, Coach House Theatre, The Regal in Tenbury, The Firs: Elgar’s Birthplace Museum, art galleries, art studios and art exhibitions e
• Three Counties Showground (shows and large events).
• Festival and event calendar – Elgar Festival, Autumn in Malvern Festival, Midsummer Malvern, Malvern Walking Festival, Malvern Well Dressing & Water Festival, Upton Folk Festival, Upton Jazz Festival, Upton Blues Festival, Tenbury Applefest, Tenbury Mistletoe Festival, Tenbury Countryside Show etc
• People – intelligent, creative, technological, friendly and welcoming.
• Local food and drink – agriculture, farm shops, vineyards, orchards, hops, cheese, meats, and fruit & veg etc
• Education – Independent boarding schools with pupils attending from around the world
• Unique town centres with a plethora of independent shops
• Family fun activities at Eastnor Castle and Boundless Outdoors.
• New attractions, shops and restaurants opening during the pandemic, including the Morgan
• Experience Centre, The Water Cure, Hamper Fayre and The Fish Wife.
• Recognition from Malvern Hills District Council that tourism is a key sector for economic growth and health and well-being.
• Connections to technology and radar.

Weaknesses

• Under-selling itself as a tourism destination.
• Unique Selling Point – lack of identity
• Poor public transport once in the area to move around.
• Signage – particularly entry points and motorway – J7 M5.
• Reduced public sector funding for tourism.
• Seasonality and limited number of wet weather attractions.
• Limited number of family fun attractions.
• Number tourism businesses sharing Visit The Malverns and each other’s content on social medi
• Risk of flooding and building on flood plain.
• Large area to cover to disperse visitors around.
• Tiredness of the town centres – public realm, footpaths etc
• Public footpaths in the countryside need maintenance.
• Wellness opportunities/marketing.
• Spa offering could be improved.
• Limited number of high-quality restaurants
• Lack of bicycle storage facilities
• Lack of car charging points.

Opportunities

National

• Staycation effect from Covid-19 and Brexit
• Possible dissolution of EU Package Holiday Regulations to create new tourism experiences i.e. hotels can sell attraction tickets

Experience

• Increase the number of responsible travellers by becoming a recognised environmentally friendly destination, with a green destination accreditation and a new Green Tourism Award for tourism businesses around The Malverns.
• Develop our visitor experiences in-line with our Unique Selling Points to attract more national marketing coverage, including health and well-being (Mind, Body and Soul), literary connections’ trails, myths and legends trails, heritage trails, church trails, new tours, and new experiences etc.
• Development of outdoor activities – walking and cycling trails, water-sports, adventure, children’s fun etc
• Increase footfall with regular entertainment and events in town centres working with local community groups, schools, local artists, and musicians etc. (With Covid-19 safety measures in place).
• Develop Malvern Well Dressing and Water Festival to become an internationally recognised
• ‘health and well-being’ festival with cultural significance to promote the heritage of Malvern spring water.
• Improve children’s recreational facilities and encourage more family fun events and activities to attract families with younger children.
• Develop the festival and event calendar with Covid-19 safety measures, as well as adding new event features to attract new and repeat visitors throughout the year.
• Encourage tourism businesses to help improve biodiversity with dedicated nature area.
• Improve access to electric vehicles available to hire.
• New radar technology heritage centre.
• Improve accessibility for visitors with disabilities and special needs.
• Work with partners to develop new walking and cycling trail.

Marketing

External

• Increase experience-led content on the VisitEngland website and engage in national campaigns.
• Engage with journalists from national newspapers and specialist travel press to increase national marketing coverage.
• Work with partners on local, regional, and national marketing campaign
• Cross-marketing with other destinations like Cumbria, the Peak District, and the Cotswolds
• New Worcestershire Parkway – access to new visitors from Nottingham and Cardiff.
• Benefit from low cost targeted marketing via online marketing advertising.
• Increased scope to attract overnight stays from residents living within a shorter ‘drive-time’.

Internal

• Use photography which shows off our ‘WOW’ factor to promote The Malverns more effective.
• Rename ‘Malvern Walking’ App to ‘The Malverns’ Walking App and add more cycling routes and walking trails to it and the website to disperse visitors around the district to Tenbury Wells in the Teme Valley and Upton upon Severn.
• Promote outdoor recreational activities – walking, cycling, garden visits, flying a kite, boating, bird spotting, quad-biking, hot air-ballooning etc
• Promote the unique heritage of the area – cultural heritage, historic houses, museums, visitor centres, visitor-friendly churches, festivals, anniversaries, etc.
• Promote creative industries – local arts and crafts, theatre, live music, exhibitions, arts markets etc
• Promote rural experiences – stay on a farm, horse-riding accommodation, and equestrian centres, farm parks, agricultural shows, learn a new skill etc.
• Promote the unique retail offer in each of the town centres.
• Promote food and drink tourism, including brewery and winery tours, farm shops, PYO, local food shops, food festivals, farmers’ markets, cookery schools and classes, eateries serving local food and drink et

Networks

• Share VisitBritain/VisitEngland tourism updates, tourism news, information on training courses, how to access grants e via the Tourism Business e-newsletter.
• Encourage sharing best practice between tourism businesses.
• Sponsorship of festivals by local businesses.
• Stronger links with major attractions – Three Counties Showground, Malvern Theatres, Morgan Experience Centre, National Trust, English Heritage.
• Tourism businesses to share more content from Visit The Malverns social media.
• All tourism business and destination marketing to target the same areas to ensure marketing budgets are maximised.
• Work with rail transport partners to increase arrivals by train and encourage the use of sustainable transport once in the area e.g. electric bike.

Threats

• Continued pandemic and potential lockdown restriction.
• Tourism business and town centre recovery from Covid-19.
• Brexit – potentially affecting the food and drink supply chain and access to staff with language skil Instability with visitors not wanting to go on holiday but save instead.
• Increase in unemployment and lack of disposal income for recreational activity
• Climate change resulting in unpredictable weather causing more flooding.
• Day visitors causing traffic and damaging reputation.
• Local environmental impact – litter, erosion, traffic and overcrowding.
• Competition. Not keeping up with competing destinations/complacency.
• Reduction in EU funding for tourism and local food projects.
• Not keeping up with new tourism experience technology.
• Not embracing new trends, new visitor markets or changing market tastes.
• Fragile nature of voluntary sector tourism provision and volunteer fatigue.
• Terrorist Threat.
• Other viruses and diseases.