Scotlands Nature

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Scotlands Nature Tourism A Marketing
Perspective

• 1st May 2002

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Vision

• Scotland is a must-visit destination where
  visitors needs come first and tourism makes a
  vital contribution to economic profit.
• Scotlands Wildlife Natural Environment is an
  essential component of this vision

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Marketing Strategy

• Strong brand - to position Scotland in the minds
  of consumers as a must visit destination
• Streamlined product portfolio - to make it easier
  for consumers to find what they want in a visit
  to Scotland

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Product vs Brand

• A product is something tangible
• A brand is a set of values and associations that
  exist only in the mind of consumers

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The Brand Promise

• A brand is fundamentally a promise.
• At one level this simply makes the decision
  process easier... at a higher level it can
  actually add to the consumers beneficial
  experience of a product thus creating a value for
  which people may be prepared to pay.

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The Brand Promise
Enduring
Dramatic
Human

• Combined unique experience
• Interpreted to permeate all marketing
  communication
• Consistent across product portfolio

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Making it Happen

• Generic campaign(s) to establish Scotland on the
  list of options
• Thematic campaigns to reinforce consumer
  perceptions and underpin Brand
• Portfolio specific campaigns aimed at target
  markets focusing on their preferred areas of
  interest
• Tactical campaigns to take advantage of
  short-term opportunities
• International campaigns adapted from the above.

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Interest in the Environment - Trends

• Growing worldwide environmental awareness
• Interest in healthy living / getting away from it
  all
• WWF - 5 million supporters worldwide
• Birdwatching - the fastest growing outdoor
  pastime in the world
• Two million birdwatchers in the UK
• RSPB membership gt1 million and growing
• Widespread media coverage of the natural world
• USA -
• 43 million eco-travellers
• 24 million people booked specific wildlife trips

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Importance of Wildlife Tourism to Scotland

• Expenditure - 73.6m
• 3rd after Golf and Walking
• Number of Trips - 287,000
• 2nd after walking
• Share - 31 of UK market for Wildlife-related
  tourism
• Regionally important
• Moray Firth Dolphins -750k
• Mull Marine Wildlife - 650k

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Activity as main purpose of trip - Expenditure
(m)
Source UKTS 2000
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Main Attraction which influenced decision to
visit Scotland
Source TAS 2001
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Pre-Visit Associations with Scotland
Source TAS 2001
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Post-Visit Associations with Scotland
Source TAS 2001
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Scotlands Environmental Advantage

• 24 species of whale dolphin - almost 1/3 of
  the world total - have been recorded off Scotland
• Probably the most important habitat in Europe
  for these cetaceans Hebridean
  Whale Dolphin Trust
• Scotland holds 2/3 of the UKs most important
  sites for birds RSPB
• Seabirds/waders/wildfowl/Birds of Prey are
  significant on a world scale RSPB

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Scotlands Environmental Advantage

• Minke Whales are more common in Scotland than
  anywhere else in the UK
• Scotland have almost 1/2 the world population of
  grey seals
• Uniqueness - Capercaillie, Pine Martin,Crested
  Tit, Golden Eagle
• Success stories - Sea Eagles, Red Kites, Ospreys

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Competitive Advantage

• The ability to do something better than your
  competitors
• low cost operation
• scale advantages / barriers to entry
• superior contacts / knowledge
• perceived advantage
• superior product benefit

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Competitive Advantage

• The best way to corporate growth is through
  product superiority
• Consumers buy product benefits - not advertising
• Marketing is irrelevant unless the underlying
  product is of good quality
• All elements of the marketing mix ( advertising,
  promotions,pricing,packaging) respond best to a
  superior product

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Successful International Brands are-

• Differentiated
• Appealing
• Address needs which exist internationally
• Consistent
• Supported by Advertising / Promotion
• Carefully nurtured and managed over time (
  emphasising quality)

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Applied to Scottish Wildlife-

• Differentiated
• Appealing
• Address needs which exist internationally
• Consistent
• Supported by Advertising / Promotion
• Carefully nurtured and managed over time
• ( emphasising quality)

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Environmental Facilities

• Visitor Centres
• Ospreys at Loch Garten / Loch of the Lowes
• North Berwick Seabird Centre
• Remote Viewing Facilities
• Sea Eagles - Skye Mull
• Red Kites - North Kessock
• Hides
• Otters at Kylerhea,Skye
• National Parks
• Loch Lomond / Trossachs, Cairngorms

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Environmental Facilities

• Wildlife Guides - eg Speyside Wildlife
• Wildlife Centres - eg Highland Wildlife Park
• Boat Trips - eg Dolphin Ecosse
• Activity Holidays - eg Glencoe Outdoor Centre
• Guided tours - eg Jacobite Cruises
• Country Parks, Forests, Estates eg Culzean
• Nature Reserves - eg Beinn Eighe
• Conservation Trusts - Hebridean Whale Dolphin
  Trust

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Product Development

• Diversity is a strength but is difficult to
  market !
• Focussed messages and motivating products meeting
  consumer needs work best

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Issues

• Huge variation in quality scale of product
• Infrastructure
• Fragmented ownership of sites
• Sustainability ie balance between developing a
  wildlife tourist product and protecting the
  natural environment

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Issues

• Need for greater interpretation learning
  facilities
• More hides viewing areas
• More local guides, walks trails
• Enhanced visitor wildlife experience under local
  expert guidance
• Training of local people
• Codes of Practice for wildlife viewing

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Product Development
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Product Development

• Product Building blocks needed
• Packages or Themes to be developed
• Birds of Prey Trail
• Otter watch
• Killer Whale trips
• Short-break focus / independent travellers and
  packaged trips
• Excitement / new dimensions - eg Beavers

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Proposed Vision

• To become one of the worlds leading sustainable
  ecotourism destinations
• Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural
  areas that conserves the environment and sustains
  the well being of local people

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VisitScotland Committment

• Full support to Green Tourism Environment Forum
• Continued roll out of Green Tourism Business
  Scheme
• Dedicated marketing resource within new product
  portfolio structure
• Marketing Plan to be developed
• Future Development - dedicated web-site and
  brochure, advertising, promotions,direct mail.

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The Product Portfolio

• Freedom of Scotland
• - Wildlife
• Active Scotland
• City Breaks
• Culture and Heritage
• Business Tourism

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Practical / Local Marketing

• Phase 1
• Understand existing consumers and their needs -
  maintain a dialogue
• Look for ways to improve the product
• Form local partnerships and initiatives
• Use ATB and local TICs
• Combine resources - create packages
• Phase 2
• Advertise / promote in targetted publications
• Feedback to ATBs / VS / TEF

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Summary

• Potential Competitive Advantage
• VS dedicated resource to develop a marketing plan
• First step - Product Audit / Development
• Local groups / initiatives / packages the
  building blocks
• Partnerships the way forward

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We need you !Together we will make Scotland one
of the worlds leading sustainable ecotourism
destinations
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We need you !Together we will make Scotland one
of the worlds leading sustainable ecotourism
destinations