Join in & get more off-peak business

We've got an ambitious plan to tackle seasonality. Everyone in tourism talks about this challenge but few really get to grips with it. We're taking a different approach that we think could be successful. No guarantees, but it will be more focused and intentional, trying to fill off-peak gaps than anything I've seen anywhere in my 3 decades of tourism marketing. 

Yes, that sounds like a bold claim! Here's how I hope this will be different: 

• we're being much more analytical, not just saying 'off-peak' but identifying the most important times for each individual business to get more business
• we're not just thinking 'make it cheaper and hope they'll come'
• we're looking at a variety of carefully thought through angles 
• we're going to try different approaches, experiment and focus on those that work best

The other difference is that this isn't something we are just going to do, and then hope it benefits you. We want to create a programme and work on it with you.

Be the first to benefit

We'd like to work with a group of committed businesses who are ready to work together and support each other. This will mean taking you step by step through a series of activities, sharing advice, examples and experiences. We'll do some of the work, and will provide support but you'll have to take action too. None of the suggested activities will be difficult or expensive. They are aimed at developing your off-peak business but will probably be beneficial in other ways as well. 

We can't make any promises or guarantee this programme will make your fortune, but we do want to go into it with real vigour, enthusiasm and expertise. 

We're initially looking for just a small group of businesses who're ready to get involved and make things happen. 

We're asking for a participation fee for this activity. This is for two reasons. If you pay, you're more likely to participate fully; and doing this sort of work takes a lot of our time. Funding is limited.  

If you decide to participate, I will be in touch with some initial activities, but appreciate most people are busy now. The bulk of activity will start at the beginning of September. 

If you're not able to participate now, don't worry. There will be other chances to get involved although the participation fee will increase for future participants. It will be just £35+VAT for those who're involved from the start. 

If I don't think you can benefit, for whatever reason, I will be honest and let you know.  

About Project Thrive

​Are you ready to look forward? To make good things happen? We* are!

We've just started what we're calling Project Thrive, actively planning for better times. 

We're working on three important elements: 

• Identifying market needs and new opportunities (some existing market place developments and those arising from the pandemic), to create a plan to inform marketing activity, product development ideas, and ways to support businesses to become more market-focused.

 

• Product development and creation of new experiences. The above plan will inform this activity, so it will be rooted in market need and practical, offering businesses direct advice and support to create new experiences and products. The aim is to make tourism in the NYMNP more sustainable, both environmentally and economically by supporting the creation of new products. We need to make sure NYMNP can cater for a changing market.

 

• Tackling the challenges of seasonality. Post-Covid we have an opportunity to attract more visitors during the traditional off-season and to re-assess how we can even out peaks and troughs in demand. This topic has been discussed across the industry for at least three decades, without any resolution.

 
By combining market needs + product development + forensic analysis of when visitors could be attracted + how the NYMNP & businesses can collaborate on promotional activity, we have a unique opportunity to counteract seasonality. To my knowledge, no other destination is doing this. Just as the NYMNP & NYMTN partnership has been used as a national example (via Tourism Management Institute) of good practice in business engagement and support, it is hoped that we can become leaders in off-peak tourism.
 
It’s too early to comment on the exact sectors and opportunities that I might uncover but it’s likely that I’ll need to look at the following (additions welcome):

• Nature and wildlife tourism
• Food and drink – eating, learning, producing
• Outdoor activities
• Cultural and creative activities, including heritage
• Mind, body and spirit – wellbeing tourism
• Accommodation quality, innovations, and collaborations with activity providers
• Sense of place and how we can make greater use of the NYMNP special qualities

 
The intention is that we'll help to develop new experiences and products which have a greater chance of success because they are more market-focused.
 
The off-peak activity will draw on the above work, moving on to more direct solutions to the challenge. 

* In case you're wondering who 'we' are - it's me, Susan Briggs, Director of the Tourism Network, and voluntary manager of the North York Moors Tourism Network, and the tourism team (led by Catriona McLees) at the North York Moors National Park.