A packed line-up of specialist speakers have been confirmed for a large-scale Brexit event to help Cumbria’s tourism businesses with their last minute preparations for the UK’s planned departure from the EU.

UKInbound is among the sector-specific experts to be revealed for the free ‘Are you ready for Brexit?’ conference on Tuesday 29 October 2019, alongside speakers covering a range of HR, legal and financial issues which could specifically affect tourism and hospitality businesses.

Suitable for B&Bs/guesthouses, hotels, visitor attractions, retailers and suppliers, the conference at the Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa will also include three practical workshops covering post-Brexit employment issues, recruitment and retention, and protecting sales.

Cumbria-based companies such as Cumberland Business, Thomson Hayton Winkley, Armstrong Watson, Langdale Hotel & Spa and People Junction will all be on hand to help businesses navigate the maze of uncertainty.

 

Helping hospitality staff welcome international customers:

To coincide with Brexit, Cumbria Tourism has also unveiled plans for a free workshop on ‘Welcoming International Customers’ on Wednesday 30 October 2019, at Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel.

Aimed at front-end staff such as receptionists, concierges, and bar and restaurant staff, a specialist trainer will help participants enhance their understanding of different cultures and build the skills and confidence they need to help attract more international visitors. Everyone who successfully completes the training will receive official Welcome to Excellence certification.

Both events are part of a package of activity being spearhead by Cumbria Tourism, after the organisation was awarded funding from the Government’s Business Readiness Fund to tackle Brexit-related areas of concern for the county’s £3billion tourism industry.

Cumbria Tourism is providing additional help and support to tourism businesses through webinars, targeted newsletters, a new microsite, public relations and social media.

 

Businesses can book now for the ‘Are you ready for Brexit?’ conference (Tues 29 Oct) and the Welcoming International Customers course (Weds 30 Oct).

Thousands of pounds are up for grabs to help fund the promotion of events right across Cumbria, with organisers being invited to begin the applications process for a share of the cash now.

The process to apply for grants from the Lakes Hospitality Association (LHA) has been opened-up to everyone for the first time, with a slice of thousands of pounds available for events taking place outside of the busy tourist seasons.

Those who are successful in their applications for a grant will be provided with funds to assist with each event’s public relations and sales & marketing strategies through working with Cumbria Tourism.

Funds are raised by the Lakes Hospitality Trade Show, which celebrates its 45^th anniversary in 2020 and takes place at the J36 Auction Mart on 25-26 March.

Attracting hundreds of hospitality professionals to Cumbria every year, exhibitors at the show represent everything from décor and furniture to insurance and eco-friendly products.

Describing their event funding offer as “a fundamental principle” of the Lakes Hospitality Trade Show, the LHA says the scheme creates a direct way of ploughing money back into Cumbria’s essential tourism industry.

To further boost all year-round tourism, the LHA are looking for events taking place outside the main tourist season.

Previous funding beneficiaries include Bowness Bay Blues Festival, Kendal Torchlight Carnival, Windermere and Hawkshead Christmas Markets and the Barrow Super Soapbox Challenge.

LHA Director, James Tasker, says, “The Lakes Hospitality Trade Show is unique – not only for being the only show of its kind in the area, but as profits are redirected back into projects and events that will directly benefit local economies, the Bowness Bay Blues Festival and the Kendal Torchlight Festival being a couple of high profile examples – the latter of which sees the population of the town double during the evening, which is a welcome post-summer financial boost.

“While the trade show itself is just a two-day event, its effects are more far-reaching than for just that time-period and for individuals who work in our industry. The whole Cumbrian community feels the benefits of the trade show all year-round, thanks to large chunks of funding being raised for some of the county’s best-loved events. A highlight of the summer was in Barrow, where 14,000 people enjoyed the Super Soapbox Challenge.

“We’re really excited to see our grants scheme grow from strength to strength as we work hand-in-hand with both local businesses and communities to help Cumbria grow and prosper during what we all know are increasingly competitive and uncertain times.”

Working in partnership with Cumbria Tourism, the LHA will review each application thoroughly, so the more information applicants can provide, the better.

Events must take place between September 2020 and August 2021. They can be brand new or established events but must be taking place outside of the main tourist seasons, such as the school summer holidays.

To apply for funding, click here. Please note, the applications process closes on 31 January 2020.

The 45^th annual Lakes Hospitality Trade Show takes place on March 25-26 at the J36 Rural Auction Centre at Crooklands – just a one-minute drive from the M6 motorway.

Train travel for people who live and work in the county is set to become more affordable, thanks to a new long-term offer being launched by Cumbria Tourism’s popular ‘MyCumbria’ scheme.

MyCumbria has teamed up with train operator Northern to offer a third off off-peak day single or day return tickets for journeys on services within Cumbria, along with Silverdale, Carnforth and Lancaster. That covers rail travel between almost 50 train stations, including:

Cumbrian Coast line: Barrow-in-Furness – Carlisle
Furness line: Barrow-in-Furness – Lancaster
Lakes line: Oxenholme Lake District – Windermere
Settle & Carlisle line: Carlisle – Dent
Tyne Valley line: Carlisle – Brampton (Cumbria)
Lancaster – Oxenholme Lake District

MyCumbria cards are produced by Cumbria Tourism and are available for anyone who lives or works in a CA or LA postcode area. There are already around 250 special offers available for MyCumbria card holders, including a wide range of places to eat and drink, things to do and shopping discounts on Northern train routes.

The new Northern offer is set to run for at least 12 months and also coincides with a wider travel marketing campaign being spearheaded by Cumbria Tourism and Northern to encourage more people to make use of the train to travel around the county.

This summer Northern launched its brand-new trains in Cumbria with the state-of-the-art services operating on the Cumbrian coast line and from Barrow and Windermere down to Manchester Airport. The trains, which have replaced Northern’s older stock, feature free customer Wi-Fi, air conditioning, at-seat charging and customer information screens; all of which means customers can not only save with this new offer – they can do so while travelling in more comfort than ever before.

Beatrice Hooson oversees the MyCumbria card scheme at Cumbria Tourism. She says,

“Living and working in a county like Cumbria, it’s easy to forget the vast range of attractions on our doorstep. MyCumbria is all about encouraging residents to explore different parts of the county and make the most of the world-class locations we sometimes take for granted. This latest rail offer is a great way to promote days out by rail to locals, by making it a little easier and more affordable to get around by train.”

 Mark Powles, Commercial Director at Northern, said: “Cumbria is a fantastic county with breath-taking scenery and wonderful towns and villages. We’re delighted to be working with Cumbria Tourism to showcase all that the county has to offer, with rail travel at a fraction of the usual price. And, of course, many journeys in Cumbria are now made on our brand new trains which have been serving our customers since the summer.”

 MyCumbria cards cost £20 for 12 months and are available online at www.cumbriatourism.org/shop/mycumbria-card/ or by contacting Cumbria Tourism on info@mycumbriacard.co.uk / 01539 822222.

 The new offer is applicable to one person per MyCumbria card and is valid on Northern services only (not TransPennine Express or Virgin Trains).  The discount applies at all times during weekends and Bank Holidays, as well as Monday to Friday on trains timed to depart from 9am onwards.

 Train tickets can be purchased prior to travel from ticket offices, online, mobile apps or ticket machines.

As the final countdown to Brexit continues, the organisation representing Cumbria’s tourism businesses says it’s more important than ever for businesses to contribute to vital research capturing the current successes and challenges facing the £3billion industry.

With the prospect of a ‘No Deal’ Brexit on 31 October still a very real possibility, Cumbria Tourism says the uncertainty around a wide range of Brexit-related issues is having a major impact. However, with other destinations nationally also vying for government attention, it needs first-hand evidence from tourism operators to continue making the county’s voice heard the highest level.

Cumbria Tourism carries out a ‘Tourism Business Health Check’ every six months to find out how the sector is performing, but never before have the responses been so useful for supporting the future direction of Cumbria’s visitor economy.

The organisation’s latest health check covering April-September 2019 is carried out in association with asset and wealth management specialists, Lamont Pridmore. It also includes new targeted questions around skills, staff retention and inclusivity – all hot topics as Brexit looms ever closer.

The survey gives people the chance to comment anonymously and although it only takes 5-10 minutes to complete, it provides rich data which Cumbria Tourism can use to help make the county’s case for future investment, strategy and business support, as well as informing key partners such as local authorities, the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Lake District National Park in their work on behalf of the sector.

Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, Gill Haigh, says, “As we approach the great unknown of Brexit, there has never been a more important time to work together to gather up-to-date, accurate feedback from businesses. This survey is quick and easy to complete, and by taking part, businesses are helping us to continuously improve as a world-class visitor destination and sustain almost 65,000 full and part-time jobs across the county.

 “Just this week, we have seen the House of Lords’ Select Committee debating the importance of tourism to the rural economy.  It follows an earlier session at Westminster where I was invited to join a panel of experts giving evidence about the current and emerging issues faced by our industry. This is a prime example where we can use research gathered from businesses here in Cumbria and feed it directly into our lobbying work with national decision-makers.       

 “With the continued participation of businesses in this survey, we can keep up this type of pressure to strengthen not just the visitor economy, but Cumbria’s economy as a whole.”

 Chief Executive of Lamont Pridmore, Graham Lamont, says, “Cumbrian businesses are facing growing uncertainty around the implications of Brexit, regardless of whether the UK leaves with or without a deal. Not knowing what lies ahead in terms of legislation, tariffs, supply chains and staffing makes it challenging for small business to plan and successfully mitigate against. 

“It is increasingly important that businesses complete Cumbria Tourism’s Business Performance Survey.  It will provide the team with a robust understanding of issues and present a firm evidence base from which to lobby for change and increased support for the county’s tourism industry.”

 Complete the survey here now.