 We all know that Mid Wales is often the lesser known region of Wales. The days are long gone when there were big budgets to spend on overseas marketing, brochures, trade shows etc
Tourism is not just accommodation/activity/attraction businesses. Tourism is also your cafes, restaurants, bars, shops and organisations that benefit from the increased footfall tourism brings - A thriving visitor economy means a place where people want to visit, but it also helps to create a place where people want to live and work...It’s about inward investment, skilled jobs, better infrastructure and creating an environment where the next generation have an opportunity to prosper in.
MWT is the only organisation that markets Mid Wales as a complete destination, and our website www.visitmidwales.co.uk generates between 260k - 1.1million page views each month ... but we have a problem, as a ‘Not For Profit’ organisation with no central/public funding this activity is only possible through the support of the business community, and more and more we're finding businesses not truly understanding the importance of this role. We often hear from accommodation providers – “I get all my bookings through booking.com” - that's great, but the large OTA's (booking.com, Laterooms, Expedia etc) only work when visitors know where they want to visit. They don't work if visitors have never heard of your town/village/region, nor do they work if there is seemingly nothing to do when they get there. MWT publishes over a thousand pages of destination information, including walking routes, scenic places, forests, towns/villages, events, travel information etc as well as over 570 individual business pages from businesses who support MWT..Showcasing what is great about our region and providing visitors with compelling reasons to choose Mid Wales as their next holiday destination. Support for our sector is diminishing, we have already lost many of our Tourist Information Centres and many of our area brochures …without businesses pulling together and helping to support the destination marketing we can expect to see the visitor numbers decrease...it’s that simple.. To find out how you can help support your tourism industry and your local community, please see our Mid Wales section for more information or contact our team on 01654 702653 Many Thanks
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We have received a call from a member this morning in Welshpool regarding a threatening call she had received from a man claiming to be from the B&B Directory.
She was told that they have a County Court Judgement against them from York Court, and if she didn't pay £1000 today then they would be sending bailiffs around to their property. These phone calls usually start friendly but can quickly turn threatening with talks of bailliffs. This isn’t the first time this scam has hit the area. Over the years it has been different company names, different amounts and not just phone calls; it can also be through a letter received- but the scam is the same; pay up quickly (for a bill you know nothing about) or expect bailiffs at your door. If you receive one of these phone calls then the best advice is; 1) Don't Panic! We know these can be quite intimidating but these are scammers, they're not in area, and they won't send any bailiffs to your business! 2) If you feel confident enough then attempt to get a a contact number which can be reported. 3) Report it - The place to report these scams is Action Fraud, you can contact them via their live chat/Report online via their website: www.actionfraud.police.uk or call them on 0300 123 2040 If you feel in anyway intimidated then just simply hang up the phone. If you have any concerns then please give us a call on 01654 702653
GDPR Workshop for Tourism Businesses Tuesday 3rd July 2018 10am -4pm MWT Offices, The Station,Machynlleth, SY20 8TG Pre Booking is Essential - Only 12 Places Available 1 Attendee Per Business Only. As requested by members, we're pleased to announce that we have teamed up with Business Wales to provide a GDPR workshop which covers aspects of GDPR which are specific to the tourism industry. Businesses can attend this course Free of Charge. We ask that only one attendee attend per business due to the restrictions in numbers and booking is essential. This will be an all day course with tea & coffee provided with 1 hour for lunch but lunch will not be provided. There are a number of outlets in and around Machynlleth where you can purchase lunch (or bring your own :) The tourism industry processes large volumes of personal and sensitive data in taking bookings and in its marketing activities, including using direct marketing via email and post, websites using cookies and sharing data in offering excursions and making third party bookings etc. In addition to this, the industry must also comply with GDPR in processing employee and seasonal worker data. Come and explore how the new GDPR data protection legislation affects your business and marketing activities. Be clear on what you should be doing, including to audit the data you hold: in taking bookings and payments; for direct mail; on websites; in handling employee data. A policy template and assistance will be provided for you to put in place a data protection and privacy policy and comply with GDPR. It is important that you understand your legal basis for processing data; what privacy notices and consent authorisation you need in place; the role of data protection officers; and review any data sharing arrangements. NEW Membership Benefit: BookKeeping & Accounts
Looking for a bookkeeper who understands how tourism businesses work? Our very own Julie Jones has been managing tourism business accounts for many years. From self assessment to VAT returns. Payroll and accounts set set. Special rates available for MWT members-To find out more click below NEW Membership Benefit: Brochure Exchange
This month we're launching our new Member to Member brochure exchange service. If you are an attraction/activity that provides brochures, then why not sign up for FREE and get your leaflets into local accommodation businesses. We have a few businesses signed up, so accommodation businesses can already start ordering but please look out for updates THE SILVER MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCE, LLYWERNOG, PONTERWYD, ABERYSTWYTH, CEREDIGION, SY23 3AB
At the Silver Mountain Experience there have been very exciting developments recently, in the areas of visitor experience through to the conservation and development of the fascinating heritage here at this unique Silver-Lead Mine, which dates back to over 250 years ago. Silver Mountain would like to invite MWT members to to one of their local business network sessions on Thursday 7th June or Tuesday 19th June. The sessions will include two free guided tours, an opportunity to see the surface attractions and developments around the site, and to join us for a cuppa and a chat in the café. All they ask in return is that you take away some of their leaflets, events flyers and a poster to display in your business. We very much hope you will be able to come. Spaces are limited. If you are unable to make any of these dates, feel free to contact them on 01970 890 620 and they can help arrange another time for you to come for a complimentary visit! Websites Built by MWT Cymru
GDPR - G-Day Tomorrow - Don't panic!
We have had calls from a number of members concerned and confused about the upcoming changes relating GDPR. Firstly - Don't panic. The latest advice on the Information Commissioners Officer website (ICO) can be found on https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/marketing/ and MWT has asked Business Wales to see if they are able to arrange a GDPR session tailored specifically to the tourism industry. For now, we suggest that:
Electronic mail marketingThe most important thing to remember is that you can only carry out unsolicited electronic marketing if the person you're targeting has given you their permission. However, there is an exception to this rule. Known as the 'soft opt-in' it applies if the following conditions are met;
Your Legal Requirements Note - The customer’s rights under the GDPR do not over-ride the requirements of other legislation It is important to note that the customer’s rights under the GDPR don’t over-ride the data requirements of other legislation. For example, the Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972 requires you to record the full name and nationality of all guests and to keep this information for 12 months. As such, a guest cannot ask you to delete this information from your records until 12 months have elapsed. Similarly, a customer cannot ask you to delete any financial information you are required to keep for tax purposes. If you're unsure on GDPR and what it means then the Visit Britain Pink Books has a nice summery from the Tourism Alliance- See here for more info The team at S3 have been out and about in Mid Wales. This 3 day shoot was mainly around Powys so look out for footage on our Instagram & Facebook pages! @visitmidwales remember to keep tagging us into your shots of your #RealMidWales
If you would like more information about this project please contact the team on 01654 702653 Visitor Attractions | Activity Providers | Guided Tours | Workshops | Events & Festivals
MWT is looking for visitor attraction, activity providers or event organisers in Ceredigion that really want to change and improve to the way they use digital selling techniques to attract visitors. The Real Ceredigion Experiences project is a new project run by Mid Wales Tourism, and we are seeking 12 non-accommodation businesses or organisations in Ceredigion to be selected to be part of this exciting pilot project. Businesses must be ready to take the plunge to sell online in real time and are really prepared to put time aside to make this a success. During the course of the Real Ceredigion Experiences programme, we expect businesses to become 'Exemplars' in their own use of new digital technologies, adopting new ways of working and selling successfully on-line to reach and attract a wider audience, and to share their experience with local networks and groups. Participating businesses and organisations will be expected to share their journey / experience. We will be exploring opportunities to develop local networks & cluster groups, and will be developing case studies in order to encourage other businesses in the area to learn from your success. Your Commitment is
More info? – call us on 01654 702653 |
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