News

Scotland’s Tourism Industry Conference is back for 2022. With a packed programme, the event is designed to celebrate, empower and further propel our industry into the future in line with the national ambition to be leaders in 21st century tourism. 

The landscape our industry operates in has changed significantly over recent years, prompting huge change, unprecedented challenges but also new opportunities. 

A collaboration between ASVA, the Scottish Tourism Alliance and HIT Scotland (Hospitality Industry Trust), the Industry Conference will run across two days. The theme of this year’s event is ‘New World. New Opportunity. New Responsibility’. The conference will bring together an exciting range of speakers to deliver important insights, advice, and inspiration to navigate and flourish in this new world and to embrace the new opportunities and responsibilities it presents. This year’s event will also feature an exhibitor hall as well as a complimentary evening reception offering the ideal chance to catch up, connect and have fun. 

The biggest conference of its kind in Scotland, the much-awaited event of the year is the perfect opportunity for the community to re-connect with industry peers, make new connections, gain invaluable and actionable learnings from expert speakers, share knowledge, and be inspired. 

This is an unmissable event for anyone at any level who works in Scottish visitor attractions or supports our sector in any way. Further programme details will be forthcoming in the days and weeks to follow, but we can promise an array of speakers, from these shores and beyond, who will directly inspire and inform those working in the attractions sector.   The conference will take place at Edinburgh’s EICC on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th November. For more information and to book, please click here.

Who is truly confident they understand their insurance policy? With the changing insurance market – be it reduced insurer capacity, increasing premium rates, growing restrictions or ever more onerous terms and conditions – it is vital to understand what cover you are purchasing and what it is that the insurer may be asking you to do, or comply with, in order for the insurance to be in effect.  So, who can you turn to for advice and support? 

As an additional benefit to our members, the executive team at ASVA have engaged with Circle Insurance Services to provide a free, confidential Helpline service. This exclusive offering can assist you with any insurance or risk management issue, no matter how simple or complex. 

Circle Insurance Services are an independent, Chartered firm of insurance professionals. Their Circle Heritage and Circle Visitor Attractions division, specialise in providing insurance advice, bespoke insurance coverage and claims management to organisations tasked with preserving our history and heritage. 

Circle Insurance Services have been a member of ASVA since 2013 and in that time, they have worked closely with the executive committee. Circle’s experience and insight from working with attractions large and small across the UK has been beneficial to the ASVA executive committee and members alike.  

Impartial and independent advice can be obtained over the phone or by email. Upon contacting the Helpline, your enquiry will be supported by an experienced insurance professional at Circle, who shall help to guide you. 

Please call 01260 292861 or email heritage@circleinsurance.co.uk 

The latest ASVA Visitor Attractions Barometer reports, for June 2022, is now available to view in the Members Area of our website.

As has been noted in previous reports comparing 2022 figures to those of 2021 presents a number of challenges, as even as late as June 21, the sector was still being heavily disrupted by covid regulations. By 5th June ‘21, all of Scotland was either in Level 1 or Level 2, so definite progress had been made, but even at Level 1, restrictions still included limits on the number of people who could mingle from different groups, and of course, physical distancing was still very much in effect.  As a result, the restrictions still considerably impacted on visitor numbers across virtually all attraction types on Scotland for the entirely of the month of June in 2021. It is therefore no surprise at all that, when we compare June 2022 to June 2021, we see visitor numbers up 103% for the month and 202% for the year to date.

It is only when we analyse the 2022 figures against those of 2019, that we can fully understand where the industry is at just now in terms of recovery from the pandemic and a return to ‘normality’. Comparing June ’22 to June ’19, across all ASVA attractions, visitor numbers were down just under 24% for the month and 30% for the year to date. The picture across different locations and attraction types remains somewhat mixed, but it can be ascertained that June was comparatively a better month than experienced by the sector in May.  This may partly be due to more sunny weather leading to more visitors travelling to experience primarily outdoor attractions, and a reduction in the number of covid cases, after a swift upturn in May.

Certainly Outdoor/Nature attractions enjoyed very healthy visitation levels, with attractions in this category reporting numbers are up over 27% on 2019. Other parts of the sector are nowhere near at this level, so this category is an outlier, with other ‘major’ categories such as Museums & Galleries, Distilleries & Breweries and Castles/Forts, reporting numbers that are down by 20%+. 

What is becoming increasingly clear is that we are not going to be in a position to talk about the sector experiencing a ‘full recovery’ in 2022.  Though visitor numbers are gradually improving, the improvement rate is very incremental and indeed very patchy. On top of this recruitment challenges and the rapidly developing cost of living crisis is impacting and will continue to impact on our sector’s recovery for the rest of the year (and likely beyond).  In our ongoing dialogue with the Scottish Government and STERG, ASVA will continue to shine a spotlight on these challenging conditions and the need for action to support our industry, which is so important both economically and culturally to Scotland.

Leading legal experts – and ASVA trade member organisation – Anderson Strathern – have shared a legal update with ASVA which will have implications for many employers in our sector.

Last week, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision around holiday pay, noting that nothing in the Part-Time Workers Regulations prohibited part-time workers from being treated more favourably than their full-time counterparts.

In summary; all permanent members of staff – i.e., those on continuing employment contracts (as opposed to casual, self-employed or consultant workers) – are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ pay in accordance with the Working Time Regulations. Notably, this includes employees on zero hours permanent contracts who may go many weeks without performing any work and other weeks working the full week. The decision means they have an automatic right to 5.6 weeks’ holiday regardless of the amount of time they work.

Employers who previously utilised 12.07% to determine holiday pay for permanent part-year employees (using a 12-week reference period) should now calculate holiday pay based on the employee’s average weekly remuneration in the previous 52 weeks.
 
Employers may want to review their holiday pay arrangements to ensure they are compliant with the Supreme Court Judgement.

Anderson Strathern has shared a briefing note with us which includes details of the decision and how to correctly calculate holiday pay. This briefing note can be found here.
 
If you have any specific questions about this, please contact our CEO, Gordon Morrison, at gordon@asva.co.uk and he will liaise with ASVA’s key contact at Anderson Strathern on your behalf.
 
In related news, the UK Government has also produced new guidance on employment status and employment rights matters to support individuals and businesses to better understand what rights apply to them. The guidance can be found at this link.

• Special subscription offer to be featured on Good Journey’s website with journey planners will help attractions boost their welcome to the 24% of UK households without a car, plus international visitors

• Marketing platform and Good Journey Mark endorsement will enable ASVA members to attract new visitors by train, bus, bike and foot – whilst supporting sustainable tourism and carbon reduction

ASVA is delighted to have teamed up with Good Journey to encourage and enable more people to visit attractions all over Scotland by train, bus, bike and foot.

The Good Journey website is the go-to for guidance on how to get around the UK without a car – providing visitors from both the home and overseas markets with super-easy travel information and transport solutions to help them plan journeys and access all that’s on offer around the country. Good Journey helps visitors decide where to spend their leisure time by providing simple-to-use journey planners highlighting travel options for places of interest to visit by rail, bus, shuttlebus, fixed-price taxi, bike or on foot.  

Sites and venues subscribed to the Good Journey site – and promoted by the Good Journey Accreditation Mark – can:

• attract new visitors (24% of UK households don’t have access to a car and the majority of international visitors do not hire one whilst holidaying in Scotland)
• cut overall carbon emissions – typically over 50% is from cars
• increase their income – car-free visitors spend around 20% more
• reduce congestion in their car-parks and access roads
• meet their sustainability goals

ASVA was extremely pleased to join forces with Good Journey (which recently joined ASVA as a trade member) as we are keen for more attractions throughout Scotland to capitalise on the considerable benefits offered by Good Journey subscription and to support our members with their own environmental sustainability goals.   

And thanks to the new partnership, ASVA attraction members can take advantage of very special introductory terms to sign up to Good Journey. Subscriptions to join range from £75 to £450 depending on visitor numbers and Good Journey has very generously offered ASVA attraction members a special introductory rate of two years’ subscription for the price of one.  

ASVA CEO, Gordon Morrison, said: “I’d urge ASVA attraction members of all types throughout the country to make the most of these great terms offered by Good Journey to boost the welcome they offer to car-free visitors, join the movement for green travel, and support the growth of sustainable tourism in Scotland.”

Good Journey Director, Nat Taplin, added: “Welcoming car-free visitors is a win-win for all involved. You’ll be opening your doors to the huge number of potential visitors, from both within the UK and overseas markets, who don’t have access to a car, as well as helping to cut carbon and reduce traffic and congestion on roads and at leisure sites. So whilst you are helping to keep Scotland and its wonderful natural environment special, you are also supporting the growth of your business and the success of your local economy.”

With easy travel information on Good Journey’s website and a green travel discount to reward car-free visitors – Good Journey subscribers are recognised and endorsed by the Good Journey Mark and benefit from a bespoke travel page and door-to-door journey planners to enable them to welcome many more visitors by train, bus, bike and foot. As a member, you’ll also receive Good Journey’s toolkit on Welcoming Car-free Visitors and support with any aspects of improving or promoting sustainable travel – from shuttle buses to cycle racks.

Results reported by a host of leading UK attractions that have already joined Good Journey highlight the success it has achieved for them. Blenheim Palace, for example, increased car-free visitors by over 25,000 in just two years – with 500 people a week using Blenheim’s Good Journey page to plan car-free journeys. The attraction promotes 30% off entry for car-free visitors, using the Good Journey Mark throughout its marketing.

ASVA members wishing to take advantage of Good Journey’s exclusive subscription rate can find details of how to do this via our website’s Members Exclusive Offers page.

As we look ahead to autumn/winter, we recognise attractions’ usual concerns around footfall and demand, that are associated with normal seasonal fluctuations, are amplified considerably this year by the pressing need to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and rebuild consumer confidence. Current and very significant issues including the cost-of-living crisis, public transport disruptions, increased outbound international travel, and ongoing staffing and recruitment challenges are further intensifying operators’ anxieties.

Last year VisitScotland ran a collaborative Days Out campaign which successfully stimulated demand and usage of Scotland’s visitor attractions, day tour excursions and activities over the off-season. With an incentive for visitors of up to 50% off admission per ticket to the value of £20, VisitScotland delivered a country-wide programme of marketing activity across paid, owned and earned channels resulting in 26,993 business referrals from VisitScotland’s Days Out landing page.

Unlike last year, there is no additional funding to support this programme of activity, but following dialogue between ASVA and VisitScotland, there is a belief that there are opportunities to build on the success and legacy of the last Days Out campaign for the sector’s benefit.

Whilst addressing seasonality and supporting visitor numbers to attractions remains at the forefront of VisitScotland’s activity across owned, earned and paid activity, both ASVA and VisitScotland are seeking to better understand the position of the industry in order to build on the Days Out proposition further for 2022/23.

With this in mind, we would be grateful if attraction operators could undertake a very brief (5 minute) survey, exploring the appetite for such support measures and your intentions for the off-season (October to March).

The survey is completely anonymous and will remain open until midnight on Sunday 31 July. It can be completed via this link:  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VSDaysOut.

Thank you in advance for providing your insights.

The latest ASVA Visitor Attractions Barometer reports, for January 2022, is now available to view in the Members Area of our website.

Comparing May 2022 figures to those of May 2021 presents a number of challenges, as the sector was only slowly reopening in May 21, with the country only moving out of Level 4 restrictions (virtually a complete shutdown) at the end of April. Indeed most of Scotland had to endure Level 3 restrictions until 21^st May and then moved into Level 2 after this date, though notably both Glasgow and Moray remained in Level 3 for the duration of May due to increased infection rates. As a reminder, Level 3 rules allowed for non-essential travel between the different countries in the UK and between the different regions within Scotland, however there were considerable limits on numbers who could meet (6 people from 2 households could meet in an indoor setting) and 2m physical distancing was to be observed. As a result, Level 3 restrictions still considerably impacted on visitor numbers across virtually all attraction types on Scotland and therefore a comparison between May 21 and May 22, where we see visitor numbers up 122.6% for the month and up 258% for the year to date, does not provide us with an accurate picture of where the sector is at currently in terms of consolidation and recovery.

It is only when we analyse the 2022 figures against those of 2019, that we can fully understand to what extend the sector is building back from the pandemic.  Comparing May ’22 to May ’19, across all ASVA attractions, visitor numbers were down by 32.8% for the month and down 31.7% for the year to date. The picture within the sector is somewhat mixed, but overall it would appear that May has not been quite as good a month as April, partially driven by particularly inclement weather (Scotland endured it’s wettest May for 7 years), as well as an upturn in covid cases across many regions and, of course, the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Looking at the figures in a little more detail, the inclement weather may certainly help to explain why outdoor attractions did not have quite as successful a month, with Gardens down almost 21% and Nature attractions down by over 37%. However, this just puts those outdoor operators at a similar level to those operating indoor attractions, where the recovery has been slower so far this year. For example, Museums & Galleries were down by almost 27% for the month and Other Historic Properties down by over 48%.

There are of course, also other factors that are affecting numbers. Recruitment challenges continue to impact on some members’ ability to trade at capacity, and there are still some attractions that are not yet open following the covid disruptions of the last few years, including a number of properties under the stewardship of Historic Environment Scotland which are currently undergoing extensive conservation works.  

As reported in April, we are yet to be in a position where we can say that we have a sector in ‘full recovery’ and whilst numbers are better than they have been for a couple of years, we must recognise that conditions remain challenging. In our ongoing dialogue with the Scottish Government and STERG, ASVA will continue to shine a spotlight on these challenging conditions, including recruitment, rising costs of doing business and the escalating cost of living crisis.

IAAPA – the Global Association for the Attractions Industry, is hosting its 2022 IAAPA Expo Europe in London this year. The event will take place at the ExCel Exhibition Centre from 13-15 September, with the conference programme commencing the day before.

ASVA is delighted to report that, following conversations with our friends at IAAPA, our members have been offered an exclusive 25% discount to attend. To take advantage of this discount, all you need to do is e-mail MarketingEMEA@IAAPA.org and quote ‘ASVVIP’

As well as experiencing the largest international conference and trade show for the leisure and attractions industry in the Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) region, attendees will be able to enjoy:

• Nine networking events.
• 50 speakers in a diverse education conference programme.
• 15 EDUSessions on topics such as how to use data to improve guest experiences; leadership techniques; dynamic pricing strategies; food and beverage innovations; iconic attractions; hospitality and guest services; crisis communications; and the importance of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA). 

ASVA trade members should note that the event provides a unique platform to present your products to buyers from over 80 countries. In 2021, the event in Barcelona attracted over 8,000 attendees, 80% of whom were decision-makers, ranging from owners, operators or senior management of amusement, water or theme parks, family entertainment centres, aquariums, zoos, museums, malls, resorts, and other attraction facilities from all over the world.

Details of exhibitors already signed up for IAAPA Expo Europe 2022 can be viewed at Exhibitor List 2022. A real-time floorplan to view booth availability is accessible here. The IAAPA Exhibit Sales Team, who will be happy to assist with booth selection and planning, can be contacted at ExhibitSales@IAAPA.org or on tel. +32 2 790 6018.

For more information about this exciting event, please click on this link.

Our colleagues at the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) have shared with ASVA the findings of their most recent research into visitor sentiment across the UK. Commissioned by ALVA and undertaken by Decision House, this latest research was carried out over the first full week of June and examines the current barriers preventing the UK public from visiting attractions and the prospects for visitor admissions during the summer period.

Some of the key take outs of the research include:

• The attractions sector is set for improved domestic visitor admissions in 2022, with over a third of attraction audiences claiming that they will visit more often than in 2021 compared with less than 15% who feel that they will visit less often.
• There is a prevailing sense of happiness and relief among the public to return to ‘normality’ following the pandemic. However, lingering concerns relating to avoiding crowds and a feeling that the covid virus is still circulating are continuing to hold some audiences back from visiting, particularly those aged 55 or over.
• The rising cost of living has emerged as a significant barrier to visiting attractions this summer/autumn.  40% of the public feel worse off than last year and this large group is much more likely than the rest of the public to say that they will visit attractions less often this year.
• As a result of the cost-of-living crisis, free attractions are set to benefit at the expense of paid attractions, with half of this financially squeezed group feeling that they will visit free attractions more often and paid attractions less often this summer autumn.
• Whilst a proportion of attraction members will squeeze as much value as possible out of their membership subscriptions this year, this is likely be tempered by lower renewal and acquisition rates among those feeling worse off.
• The return of longer overseas holidays is also likely to limit opportunities for visiting UK attractions this summer and autumn, with domestic short breaks being the trips most likely to be sacrificed – 35% of the public have either taken or intend to take an overseas holiday of 5+ nights in 2022, compared with just 18% in 2021 

As always, we are grateful to ALVA for providing these findings free to ASVA members. You can access the full report at this link.

The latest ASVA Visitor Attractions Barometer reports, for April 2022, are now available to view in the Members Area of our website.

As with the reports generated from January to March, comparing April 2022 figures to those of April 2021, is still largely irrelevant for the majority of attractions, or at least certainly for those whose activity is undertaken indoors. For virtually the whole month of April 2021 (up until 26th April), most of Scotland remained in Level 4 and therefore virtually all indoor attractions across the country were closed. Many outdoor attractions were open of course – and indeed were trading well – but the overall picture remained one where the majority of the sector was unable to trade. With that backdrop, reporting an increase in visitor numbers in April ‘22 of over 343% when compared to April ’21, does not provide us with an accurate picture of where the sector is at in terms of consolidation and recovery this year so far.

It is only when we analyse the 2022 figures against those of 2019, that we can fully understand to what extent the sector is building back from the devastating last two years caused by the pandemic. Comparing April ’22 with April ’19, across all ASVA attractions, visitor numbers were down by 24.6% for the month and down 31.2% for the year to date. These are reasonably encouraging figures, especially considering that the Easter holidays in 2019 were notably busy for many members. These relatively good numbers certainly back up what I have been hearing anecdotally from members over the last few months, with many feeling cautiously optimistic about the year on the back of comparatively good visitor numbers. Of course, had there been no pandemic and had we been reporting visitor numbers down by almost a third for the year, we would not be using phrases like ‘cautiously optimistic’ or ‘comparatively good’. However, these figures are certainly a lot better than we have been experiencing over the last two years and at least put many members on the path towards recovery.

The main reading to take from the April data is that we cannot yet say that we have a sector in ‘full recovery’. I have stated for a number of months that this will be a year of consolidation at best for many and having reviewed the data for April, I see no reason to alter this prognosis. In our ongoing dialogue with the Scottish Government and STERG, ASVA will continue to shine a spotlight on the challenging conditions we face impacting the recovery, including recruitment, rising costs of doing business and, of course, the cost of living crisis.

The past two years have transformed how visitor attractions operate online forever. With the increased need for online bookings, additional revenue drivers, and a seamless on and offline experience, it’s more important than ever for attraction marketers to understand how their website is performing. But, knowing what good looks like is almost impossible until we uncouple attractions from the travel and tourism industry sector skewing the data. A new survey being conducted by ASVA member Rubber Cheese will do just that.

ASVA and ALVA, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, are supporting Rubber Cheese in its efforts to encourage attractions all over the country to take part in this research exercise to help our vibrant sector grow. We’d urge you to complete the 2022 Visitor Attraction Website Survey, which is anonymous, as its findings will greatly benefit businesses and our sector as a whole. Taking part will enable you, as an attraction operator, to:

• Benchmark your website against national averages
• Deep-dive into specific attraction types in specific locations and compare website performance within those sectors
• Know ‘what great looks like’ and where you sit currently
• Build arguments for future investment in your website and digital channels
• Plan for the future and ongoing recovery of the sector

The survey just takes 15 minutes to complete and you will need access to your Google Analytics to do so. Everyone who takes part in the research will access to the 2022 Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report – and an invite to the launch event.

Please do participate and complete this highly relevant sectoral survey here.

The results of ASVA’s most recent survey of Scotland’s visitor attractions, published at the beginning of June, underlined the extent to which venues and sites of all types across the country continue to be affected by staffing challenges, and the significant impact these are having on operations and visitor services.

With the aim of helping alleviate these very considerable issues – which are not only limiting attractions’ performance but also their post-pandemic business recovery efforts – ASVA has produced a recruitment video to shine a spotlight on the outstanding career opportunities the dynamic visitor attractions sector offers.

The short film Why Choose A Career In Visitor Attractions? features footage from a range of ASVA member organisations and attractions –including Historic Environment Scotland, The National Trust for Scotland, The Real Mary King’s Close, Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, and Belhaven Brewery. The video features attractions staff speaking about what working in the sector is like, highlighting the wide and diverse range of roles and great variety it offers, the key skills that are most important to have – and what they love about their jobs. The video link is: https://youtu.be/UFWVIs8Un0o.

ASVA is encouraging its attraction members, and colleagues in the wider sector, to use the video to support their recruitment activities. The film is featured on the homepage of ASVA’s website – which includes our jobs page https://asva.co.uk/jobs/ promoting vacancies within the attractions sector – and has been shared with industry stakeholders including VisitScotland, Skills Development Scotland, and The Scottish Tourism Alliance.

ASVA is working with a number of partners to support recruitment in the attractions sector and encourage potential candidates to choose jobs and careers within it. The Association has, for example, been liaising closely with the Department For Work & Pensions (DWP) to raise awareness of the sector’s number and type of vacancies, and scope of career opportunities. These activities are designed to enable and encourage the DWP’s work coaches to share this information to jobseekers and inspire them to apply to attractions’ vacancies. The recruitment video will further support these efforts in the weeks and months ahead.

The video will also be shared with academic institutions to ensure visitor attraction career opportunities are highlighted to students and alumni, supporting and encouraging recruitment into the sector.

ASVA CEO Gordon Morrison said: “The sector-wide survey that we conducted in May highlighted that, of the 850-plus attractions operating in Scotland, more than 55% are experiencing challenges recruiting staff. Ours is a sector that provides more than 17,000 jobs to the people of Scotland, and there a huge range of exciting roles available in every corner of the country. A common misconception is that working in tourism is a job, not a career. We hope this video goes some way to dispelling this. The range of fantastic job opportunities within our sector is unparalleled and, for those who want it, there is a hugely enjoyable and fulfilling career to be had working in some of Scotland’s most iconic, awe-inspiring venues, locations, and world-class experiences.“