Notes on the Tourism Partnership North Wales meeting Monday 19th March 2007 – St Asaph

National Cultural Tourism Partnership Update

• At a meeting of the Cultural Tourism Partnership on 5th February, the Chair (David Chapman of WTA) urged the partnership to consider creating a separate and firmly constituted body to take Cultural Tourism further in Wales. This would allow the group to access funding not previously available. It was agreed for the members of the group to take part in a 24 hour focus session to look at this issue. Feedback from this meeting will be received in due course.

• Only two areas of Wales have Cultural Tourism groups – Tourism Partnership North Wales (TPNW) and Capital.

• The Cultural Tourism review within WAG will be complete by 20th July.

• The funded European Cultural Tourism Network will continue. At a meeting in Brussels in May a constitution and membership structure will be discussed. It is currently managed by Wales.

Audit of Current Cultural Tourism Product and Promotion of North Wales as a Cultural Destination.

Angharad Wynne (angharadwynne@btinternet.com) presented her report that was commissioned by TPNW to audit the key elements of its cultural product and activity and to advise upon which can and should form the core part of the cultural offer for visitors alongside the development of a strengthened Sense of Place.

Similar work has been conducted in the Capital Regional and South West Wales, while a scoping study into Cultural Tourism is underway for Mid Wales.

The report looks at the current marketing activity, training needs, key issues and the role of TPNW. Key recommendations include: -

• One day Cultural Tourism seminar for North Wales

• Production of a Cultural Tourism action plan

• Assimilate and disseminate marketing intelligence

• Develop training, knowledge building and business tools for the tourism industry relating to cultural tourism

• Continue Sense of Place training (Visit Wales’ Sense of Place manual available from www.wales.gov.uk/tourism)

Liverpool – European Capital of Culture 2008

The general theme for North Wales will be the Great Outdoors. Any events during 2008 that have a link will be able to be branded ECC2008. There will also be a marketing presence at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Next meeting will be on Monday 17th September.

© 2007 The Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales