Business and Cultural Animation Programme
Business and Cultural Animation
Programme
The designation of the Walled City of Derry as a “Signature Project” is heavily focused on the development of the city as a world class visitor experience. Realisation of Londonderry’s signature status will require a co-ordinated approach of delivery.
The Walled City Business and Cultural Animation Programme is aimed at preparing those who work in the tourism industry to attain professional levels of training, support, product familiarisation and customer care that will provide a truly memorable visitor experience. This includes those that are working in front line services in the retail sector, the creative industries, in public transport and in visitor services within the local area.
Much of the investment in the Walled City will concentrate on world class development of the built fabric, on visitor management and orientation, dressing of the city and enhancement of the Public realm. The Business and Cultural Animation Programme will address these through provision of a number of key measures of intervention which will be funded by the International Fund for Ireland and the Integrate Development Fund in the North West to attain professional levels of training, support, product familiarisation and customer care that will provide a truly memorable experience:
The aims and objectives of the programme are:
- To measure the level of customer service provided within cultural, heritage and leisure attractions, identify perceptions of the local tourism offer through the eyes of an external user and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the local tourism infrastructure
- To help review users of cultural, heritage and leisure business around the City Walls in order to explore the potential new uses for the walls for business, cultural and leisure uses
- To provide an essential baseline measure and the key to understanding visitor dynamics on the Walls
- To understanding existing user profiles on the City Walls and wider product; Measure satisfaction; and identify opportunities for development
- To provide a tailored customer care skills development programme for the attraction/retail/hospitality/community/transport/cultural sectors operating in the tourism environment in
- To provide a tailored hospitality skills development programme for the food and beverage sectors
- This project aims to increase footfall on the City Walls by 20% per annum and to create new opportunities for residents and visitors to experience the City Walls
- This project aims to animate the Walled City through a taster launch event, an incentive programme, consumer campaign development and an associated advertising programme
- This action aims to create a sense of place within the Walled City and branding of the walls themselves through the development of a visually focused campaign targeted at high season wall dressing; branding geographic locations and gates
- To provide web based, up to date information on events and activities
- To encourage economic regeneration by stimulating private sector investment in the provision and upgrading of tourist amenities and through supporting tourism marketing initiatives and staff development
To carry out the Business and Cultural Animation Programme, the scheme is split into four programmes.
PROGRAMME I, MARKET RESEARCH – RESEARCH TO REVIEW USERS OF CULTURAL, HERITAGE AND LEISURE ATTRACTIONS
The Culture and Animation programme was introduced to support the capital development phases of the Walled City Signature Project. The research element is to inform the future development of the project ensuring that it is being delivered in line with what the tourist/customer expects
PROGRAMME II, SKILLS DEVELOPMENT – WALLED CITY OF DERRY SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME TO INCLUDE CUSTOMER CARE AND SECTOR-FOCUSED HOSPITALITY PROGRAMME
There are two actions to this programme.
Action 1: Customer Care Training Programme aims to provide a tailored customer care skills development programme for the attraction/retail/hospitality/community/transport/cultural sectors operating in the tourism environment in Derry. The approach for this initiative will be customer focused and market driven ensuring the future strategic growth of tourism within Derry.
Action 2: Sector Focused Hospitality Skills Development Programme aims to provide a tailored hospitality skills development programme for the food and beverage sectors for example hotel; bed and breakfast; bar; café; restaurant and nightclub sectors.
PROGRAMME III – PUBLIC REALM ANIMATION PROGRAMME WITH ASSOCIATED MARKETING ACTIVITY
There are four actions to this programme.
Action 1: Incentivizing the development of the cultural offer on the City Walls to increase tourist footfall
The aim of this programme is to increase footfall on the City Walls by 20% per annum and to create new opportunities for residents and visitors to experience the City Walls. To do this, a series of development initiatives will encourage cultural and heritage venues to bring their cultural experience onto the city walls for locals and visitors. This will enable facilities to review their product to see how it can be presented, on the walls.
Action 2: Animating the WalledCity as a lively business/cultural environment.
It is envisaged that a number of consumer campaigns are developed that will raise awareness of cultural/business activity within the City Walls. The campaigns could be either audience-led such as families or young adult or they could be activity-led such as through promoting a food festival within the restaurants/hotels, or promoting unique leisure, cultural or heritage activities.
Action 3: Creating a carnival atmosphere within the City Walls to support local businesses and cultural providers
This aims to create a sense of place within the Walled City and branding of the Walls themselves through the development of a visually focused campaign targeted at high season wall dressing, branding geographic locations and gates. The branding of the city will include visible animation in the form of street theatre, stilt walkers, mime artists, puppet shows etc.
Action 4: Improving information about events activity (web based)
This activity hopes to produce a strong visitor information programme, utilizing the campaigns and new product presentation of culture, history and leisure activity, in an easily read and accessible format containing regular information about events and activities.
PROGRAMME IV – TOURISM BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAMME
The aim of this programme is to encourage economic regeneration by stimulating private sector investment in the provision and upgrading of tourist amenities and through supporting tourism marketing initiatives and staff development.
