Project Title: Stonehaven it’s Special – Visitor Information Project

Description:

Stonehaven’s Tourism and Marketing strategies identified that the town required a visitor information leaflet and map to supplement what is already available to visitors via the town’s website. This is because not all visitors have access to the internet and visitors arriving in the town would be unlikely to have access at the time or may be visiting on impulse. The information required needed to be simple and easy to produce and in large enough volume for use by local businesses and attractions over more than one season. 

The leaflet and map is sometimes referred to as “on-arrival” information and is an important part of ensuring that visitors and local businesses and attractions alike get the maximum benefit from visitors staying in or near the town or stay longer. It also helps to emphasise to the local community the importance of visitors to the town’s economy and informs them of many of the town’s attractions that they may have overlooked. The town’s residents are important ambassadors for the town and a well-informed public can make for a more welcoming experience for visitors.

The group commissioned a professional design and print based on the existing style used for the town’s new promotional leaflet. This meant it had to prepare a tender brief and invite and judge the tenders received for the work.

The group decided on a style of map, the amount of information that was needed on the map and how it should be segmented.

The topics covered both for the town and its surrounding area were:

·         Things to see & do

·         Where to eat and shop

·         Where to stay

·         Public and emergency services

·         General information of interest to visitors

·         Tourist Information Offices

·         Events diary

Local volunteers provided photographs and volunteers designed the maps.

Objectives:

1.     To establish what is available already and fill any gap found

2.     To provide visitors with essential information that will make their stay more enjoyable, productive and encourage return visits

3.     Promote local businesses to visitors, so that their trade improves and visitors spend more

4.     Encourage the use of all the towns visitor attractions, especially its links to out of town locations like Dunnottar Castle

Process/Stages:

1. Tender brief prepared to cover design and print
2. Competitive tenders completed
3. Contract awarded
4. meetings with design team and information/format agreed
5. Draft  leaflet & map reviewed and amended
6. consultation
7. Leaflet & map completed & distributed to local businesses, attractions and Tourist Information Centre
8. Feedback collated and as a part of the separate market research project

Outcomes/Results:

25,000 leaflets printed and approximately half have been distributed to local outlets. The balance will be used up later in 2007 and into 2008. The project cost £4,889 to complete. The leaflet and map can be downloaded here.

Learning Points:

1. The group learnt how to develop and complete the project and about the sort of information that needed to be included on the map
2. The group decided from the start that it had to promote high quality standards in line with the town’s tourism strategy. This meant that accommodation businesses were required to be in the VisitScotland Quality Assurance Scheme if they were to be mentioned in the leaflet. Not every hotel in Stonehaven is in the scheme and this led to the group trying to encourage the affected businesses to become accredited and some painful decisions where this was not possible. The promotion of high quality was adhered to and remains a key target for the group.
3. The group realised that not every business in the town could be included in the leaflet due to limited space available, so the decision was taken to focus on key businesses of importance to the visitor.
4. The front cover has received a mixed reception, as has the cover of the promotional leaflet and some changes may be made if the opportunity to repeat the work occurs. However, the content of the leaflet has been well received.
5. The project was completed to time and to budget.
6. The distribution of the leaflets relied on volunteer effort from some of the group. Businesses need to be reminded where further supplies can be obtained.

Contact Information: Robert Armstrong, Senior Business Development Executive, Aberdeenshire Council, Stonehaven (Tel: 01569 768294/ Email: Robert.Armstrong@aberdeenshire.gov.uk )