Our Vision for Visitor Information Provision in 2020

The essence of the Vision

The primary driver for visitor information policy in 2020 will be to ensure the availability of excellent information, tailored to the needs of the individual visitor, when, where and how it is most useful.

Visitors inspired to enjoy the many destations and experiences that England offers will easily access information about products and services that interest them and move quickly to booking with providers who met their needs. The simplicity and speed of this process will set England apart from its competitors and thereby assist in securing more visitors to Englandand increasing visitor revenue.

The substance of the Vision

The provision of visitor information is likely to change dramatically over the next 10 years. Information will be communicated to visitors in many different ways. More and more visitors and potential visitors will use the Internet to plan their visit. In-destination information will see a growth in the use of smart phones to access information on demand, but 'face to face' information and advice will continue to be important and will be available in many different locations. Business such as retailers, restaurants, travel agents, tansport operators, car rental companies, public houses, village shops, petrol stations and post offices will have found that they can increase their business and increase customer satisfaction by providing visitor information as part of their service.

Aims

To contribute to achieving competitive advantage for England, by:

• maximising the conversion of consumers from interest to booking, by ensuring that they have access to excellent information and efficient routes to booking.

• providing high quality services and warmth of welcome to visitors, thereby maximising their enjoyment and providinmg compelling reasons for them to return to England and to recommend others to visit.

• maximising economic value of the visit, by presenting information as attractive offers in line with customer wants and needs in a range of formats and locations.

• maximising the impact of marketing campaigns through provision of quality information tailored to the objectives of the campaign.

• monitoring provision and consumer behaviour to constantly improve visitor information provision and its impact on visitor economy growth.

Roles and Responsibility

VisitEngland will drive and aid the process of change and the modernisation of visitor information by:

• analysing consumer behaviour and providing intelligence to providers of visitor information to enable them to adapt and respond to these changes.

• analysing consumer usage of visitor information and monitoring the rate of adaption of the sector.

• providing guidance on best practice in innovation and excellence.

• Identifying opportunities for collaboration with partners in the private and public sectors to produce increased cost-effectiveness.