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Sustainable tourism managementin the New ForestA case study

Working for people and places in rural England

The Countryside AgencyThe Countryside Agency is the statutory body working:

• to conserve and enhance England’s countryside;

• to spread social and economic opportunity for the people

who live there;

• to help everyone, wherever they live and whatever their

background, to enjoy the countryside and share in this

priceless national asset.

The Countryside Agency will work to achieve the very best for

the English countryside – its people and places, by:

• influencing those whose decisions affect the countryside

through our expertise, our research and by spreading good

practice by showing what works;

• implementing specific work programmes reflecting priorities

set by Parliament, the Government and the Agency Board.

To find out more about our work, and for information about

the countryside, visit our website: www.countryside.gov.uk

Front cover photograph: The New Forest’s access arrangements provide a perfect

place to picnic. NFDC.

Sustainable tourism managementin the New ForestA case study

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Countryside Agency Publications

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© Countryside Agency 2001

December 2001

Sustainable tourism management in the New Forest – a case study

2

ContentsForeword 4

1 Introduction 5

2 Visitors 9

2.1 Delivering a wide spectrum of information services 9

2.2 Using visitor codes in publications 10

2.3 Placing well balanced messages on the website 11

2.4 Balancing information and environmental messages

in visitor centres 12

2.5 Highlighting public transport information and ticketing 12

2.6 Underpinning quality assurance 13

2.7 Working with others on a Visitor Stewardship Scheme 13

3 Industry 15

3.1 Establishing a forum for the industry 16

3.2 Creating a robust organisational structure for

the Association 17

3.3 Establishing and maintaining a strong public-private

sector relationship 18

3.4 Running a joint marketing programme 19

3.5 Working with the industry on environmental issues –

Little Acorns LA21 Tourism Kit programme 20

3.6 Recognising industry achievement in environmental

matters 22

4 Community 24

4.1 Informing visitors about the New Forest way of life 24

4.2 Encouraging tourism enterprises to make local purchases 25

4.3 Encouraging the formation of community tourism groups 26

4.4 Involving community tourism groups in providing local

information 27

4.5 Supporting the local farming community in traditional

management practices 28

5 Environment 30

5.1 Improving environmental standards in the District

Council’s own operations 31

5.2 Developing communication and partnerships between

tourism and environmental interests 31

5.3 Ensuring that planning policies are sensitive to

the environment but support responsible tourism

development 32

5.4 Facilitating the development control process 33

5.5 New Forest Visitor Transport Initiative 34

5.6 Creating a New Forest Cycle Network 34

5.7 Promoting the New Forest Cycle Code 35

5.8 Providing transport information for visitors 36

6 Reflections on the New Forest experience 38

Some strengths of the New Forest approach 38

Some challenges encountered in the New Forest approach 40

Key issues for destinations 42

3

Foreword

In May 2001 the English Tourism Council and the Countryside Agency

launched a five-year strategy for developing rural tourism entitled

Working for the Countryside (CAX 47).

One of the five key principles lying behind this strategy is the need

to take decisions locally based on effective partnership. Within the South

East region we have one of the most successful examples of an effective

tourism partnership.The work that has been undertaken in establishing

this partnership within the New Forest over the last 12 years is of

national significance.The strength of the partnership became evident

during the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak, with the New Forest

Tourism Association providing a direct and effective line of

communication between tourism enterprises and the District Council,

the Regional Tourist Board and various other sources of financial and

technical assistance.

While a great many valuable lessons have been learnt in the New

Forest, the outcomes of this tourism partnership and of the tourism

strategy it adopted have gone largely unrecorded.The following New

Forest case study has been funded by the Countryside Agency and aims

to provide a source of valuable practical information for all those

seeking to pursue sustainable tourism principles within a defined

geographical area.

This case study has been prepared by independent tourism

consultants, with additional support and guidance from the New Forest

District Council Tourism Officer and the Southern Tourist Board. We

would like to thank those people who have contributed to this

document and hope that it will stimulate further thought, discussion

and action by all those involved in different ways in managing tourism

destinations across the country.

Duncan Mackay

Regional Director

Countryside Agency – South East & London Regional Office


4

1 Introduction

The purpose of this case studyThis case study of the New Forest aims to provide a source of

information for all those engaged in the management of destinations

who are seeking to pursue sustainable tourism by involving a range

of stakeholders.

The New Forest is one of England’s most popular tourism

destinations. It is also one of Europe’s most significant rural landscapes.

While a prosperous tourism industry is needed to maintain jobs and the

local economy, pressures from increased numbers of visitors could

undermine the quality of local life and the unique environmental

resource upon which the industry itself depends.

For the last 12 years New Forest District Council has worked with

a wide range of local interests to improve the management of tourism

in a way that resolves conflicts, minimises adverse impacts and brings

benefits to all concerned.

Its experience offers a mix of good practice, lessons learned and

ideas for the future, which can be adapted to suit particular

circumstances across the country.

5

The New Forest is under constant

pressure from a complex variety of

demands.N

FDC

Visitors

The New Forest is enjoyed by

millions of people each year.The

majority of visits (10 million)

are by local people from within

the district; a further 3.5 million

are day visits from further afield;

and 2.5 million are visits by

people staying overnight in the

area.They come primarily for

fresh air, recreation and peace

and quiet.

The tourism industry

There are approximately 500

tourism enterprises in the

district, generating over

£150 million per annum in

direct income.Tourism is a

traditional part of the local

The environment

The New Forest is a

remarkable historic landscape

resulting from a medieval

hunting and pastoral system,

with a distinctive

combination of woodland,

grass lawns and the largest

extent of lowland heath in

Britain. Its intrinsic value is

reflected in current proposals

to designate it as a National

Park and in its consideration

for World Heritage Site status.

Large parts of the New Forest

are of international

importance for wildlife and

are designated as a Special

Area of Conservation.

economy and most enterprises

are locally owned. Although the

industry has performed well in

recent years, there is a clear need

for more business.

Accommodation and attraction

enterprises are trading at

approximately 60% and 40% of

capacity respectively.

The local community

The district has a resident

population of 171,000,

distributed between six main

centres and many small villages.

As in most rural communities

there is considerable concern to

maintain the unique quality of

life, including not only the

attractiveness of the area but

also local services.

Facts about the New Forest

Different interests in tensionFor many years there had been tension between the different interests

affected by tourism in the New Forest. A situation of mistrust prevailed.

The way forward established by New Forest District Council was to

identify the four separate constituencies of interest – visitors, the

tourism industry, the local community and the environment – that had

legitimate concerns about tourism management. Each of these four

constituencies included stakeholders who could on the one hand

influence tourism activity and on the other stand to benefit or lose

through its impact. In the past there was little communication between

the four.There were few attempts to resolve differences, let alone find

common opportunities that could be pursued together.

A local authority can take a broad perspective on management issues

and is often best placed to bring people together. New Forest District

Council accepted this role as ‘honest broker’, recognising that its

primary task in tourism was to help these four constituencies to

understand each other’s position and to appreciate that their interests

were in many ways interdependent.

Local authorities need not act alone in this work.The Southern

Tourist Board has been a supportive partner of New Forest District

Council throughout, delivering subsequent action programmes,

particularly in the areas of research and training.

The first step – new structures creating confidence The first obstacle to overcome was the lack of an effective structure

for communication, both within and between these four constituencies.

A key to the whole approach of the District Council has been to secure

a relationship with the tourism industry and a mechanism for this.

In 1988 they were instrumental in establishing the New Forest

Tourism Association.

The Association’s membership represents all sectors of the local

visitor industry and it currently numbers over 270 local businesses.

Other work has been pursued to establish partnerships relating to the

environment and, more recently, to local communities. This work is

described later in this document, together with more details about the

Tourism Association and other key partners.

The formation of the Association enabled one of the main causes

of tension in tourism in the New Forest to be tackled, namely the very

restrictive planning policy based on prevailing negative local views of

tourism.The Association was able to consider carefully and to articulate

its concerns. Furthermore, the existence of an industry organisation

with which to communicate enabled environmental agencies to support

a more objective and positive set of policies towards tourism

development.These were subsequently approved in the District Local

Plan. In turn, tourism enterprises became more willing to listen and

respond to the concerns of environmentalists and the local community.


6

Cementing the progress – agreeing a strategy togetherAn early step was to clarify local issues and concerns before taking

action together. In 1994 New Forest District Council launched a

consultation on the future of tourism within the local community.

The consultation involved public meetings, media exposure and the

publication of a consultation document on tourism issues. Strikingly,

the District Council addressed the prevailing tensions head on, entitling

the document Living with the enemy?. The question of the title was then

tentatively answered in the following way: “Far from being the enemy,

we believe that visitors and the industry that serves them are our allies,

because, if we are going to make tourism work for everyone’s

advantage, we need their help”.

The document emphasised that the District Council wished

to hear people’s views and the consultation led to lively debate, with

participation by the tourism industry, other managing agencies and local

community groups. Rather than simply publishing the report, the

opportunity was taken to promote discussion very actively.

The next stage was to set out draft policies and these were published

in Making new friends in 1997. Further consultation on these policies,

including TV coverage, led to the production in 1998 of an agreed

Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy, entitled Our future together.

The New Forest Tourism Association proved to be an excellent

vehicle for debating and developing the strategy. It helped to ensure

that Our future together was formulated with, in particular, the full

understanding and support of the industry.The Action Plan, contained

within it, identified 23 objectives, with the Association named as a

partner in the delivery of 17 of them.

The overall aim of the strategy was that:• The New Forest should become a tourism destination where the visitor, tourism

industry, local community and environment are in complete harmony, and thus

make a significant contribution to improving the quality of all life.

There are four specific aims which relate to the four constituencies

recognised above:

• to communicate a sense of stewardship in all visitors, welcome

them and fulfil their expectations;

• to work in partnership with industry to provide high-quality,

environmentally aware services and facilities and to market them

to appropriate audiences throughout the year;

• to empower the local community (especially young people) and

create ownership through involvement in tourism matters;

• to promote a better understanding of the environment and manage

all tourism development in a way that, where possible, it has a

positive effect on its surroundings.

7

The model for action that New Forest District Council evolved

centred on these aims and the interdependence between them.

The following chapters are structured around these four aims.

Actions are described within whichever chapter was considered to be

most appropriate, although one action is often relevant to more than

one aim, as it serves to influence or benefit more than one constituency.

The final chapter reflects on the New Forest experience and suggests

some conclusions for other destinations.

Overall approachThe approach adopted by New Forest District Council with each of

the groups of stakeholders representing visitors, the tourism industry,

the local community and the environment is as follows:

• to understand and address their individual needs first, so building

up their trust and confidence;

• to encourage them to understand the concerns of the other

constituencies and to take action to meet them;

• to help them appreciate that this wider action can very often also be

of direct benefit to themselves, and to help them gain this benefit;

• to establish an agreed plan and work with all partners to deliver it,

undertaking regular reviews on the way.


8

‘‘...but perhaps most of all

there needs to be a better

understanding between all of

the interests that make up

such a special and unique

visitor destination, because it

is only when everyone is

working to a common plan

that real success in local

tourism will be achieved.’’From Our future together

2 VisitorsAim: To communicate a sense of stewardship in all

visitors, welcome them and fulfil their expectations.

From Our future together

At least 15 million visitors come to experience and enjoy the New

Forest every year.They support a large number of enterprises, both

directly and less directly concerned with tourism. However, to meet

the needs of the community and the environment, it is important that

visitors appreciate the New Forest’s special qualities and develop a sense

of responsibility towards the area and its unique way of life.

The New Forest approachIn line with New Forest District Council’s overall approach, action has

been taken to meet visitor needs in order also to win their support and

influence their behaviour. Good, well-planned information has been the

key to this. Particular aspects of their approach have included:

• putting an emphasis on welcome – visitors who feel welcomed

are more likely to become more interested and involved;

• tailoring information to meet sustainable tourism objectives –

helping visitors make the right choices on where and when

to visit serves to enhance their experience and also to meet

destination management objectives;

• providing specific messages and guidelines to help visitors

appreciate environmental issues;

• making sure that the tone is always positive, seeking visitors’

support by explaining why they are being asked to behave in

a particular way.

Actions taken or planned

2.1 Delivering a wide spectrum of information services

As one of the three main functions of New Forest District Council’s

tourism service, the provision of visitor information is given a high

priority. A wide range of information services are provided, in order to

reach different types of visitor. Information delivery includes:

• information literature distributed within and outside the district;

• work with the local media;

9

• a destination website;

• three visitor information centres in strategic locations, providing

~ a service to handle visitor enquiries by mail/telephone/email,

~ an accommodation booking service and event ticket sales,

~ a transport information and ticketing service;

• 12 visitor information points in other well-frequented locations.

A particular challenge in the New Forest is how to influence the

large number of local people making visits, who are less likely to use

traditional information services. It is felt that using the title ‘visitor’

as opposed to ‘tourist’ information centres has made them more

appealing to locals.

2.2 Using visitor codes in publications

New Forest District Council publishes three main pieces of destination

literature: the New Forest Where to stay guide, New Forest day visitor guide and New

Forest Official map.

All three include a special section entitled ‘Caring for the future

of the New Forest’ (see box below), which sets out a code of behaviour

for visitors and explains why cooperation is sought from visitors in

particular ways.The use of valuable, revenue-earning space to reproduce

the code within these publications demonstrates the commitment that

exists to enlisting the support of visitors. The general code also provides

an opportunity to develop more specific codes for certain activities,

such as the New Forest Cycle Code, for example.


10

Ringwood VIC – a comprehensive

range of visitor information services

are essential for the effective

management of any destination area.

NFD

C

2.3 Placing well balanced messages on the website

The official destination website for the New Forest is clearly

promoted on the front cover of the visitor guides. As well as enticing

and welcoming visitors and promoting accommodation opportunities,

the site again offers key visitor stewardship messages.

Looking after the interests of the tourism industry is a first priority,

reflected by the initial hyperlink and phone number to order the Where

to stay guide. There is a full selective accommodation search facility.

However, there is also a prominent hyperlink to the ‘Caring for the

future’ webpage, featuring both the visitor code and the cycling code,

with the same simple message as in all of the printed literature.

The New Forest is presented at this point of initial enquiry as a

welcoming and caring destination, with high expectations both for its

visitors and of them.

11

The New Forest has always been

a place where man and nature

can live together in harmony.

All of us can play our part in

preserving this wonderful forest

for future generations, by

observing the following simple

code of behaviour:

Dogs. Dogs can be a serious

problem in the forest. Pets

should be on a lead and under

control at all times.

Access.You may walk on any

footpath or track unless it says

otherwise – by keeping to paths

you greatly reduce the risk of

disturbance to wildlife and their

habitats.

Parking. Parking on the roadside

causes road congestion and

damage to verges. Please use

one of the 150 car parks.

Don’t feed the animals. As

you travel through the forest,

you are bound to encounter

the famous New Forest ponies

and other animals. They

should not be approached as

they can be dangerous,

especially mares with foals.

Ponies and donkeys are wild

and don’t need feeding by

visitors, which also

encourages them to stray onto

dangerous forest roads.They

can also be very aggressive

and young children are

particularly at risk.There are

many signs asking you not to

feed the animals. Remember,

not feeding them is better for

them and better for you.

Cycling. When you are cycling

always follow the New Forest

Cycle Code.

Litter. Litter should always be

placed in litter bins or taken

home. Glass and plastics can

be harmful to wildlife.

Car park thieves. Remember to

lock your car and take valuables

with you – thieves operate from

forest car parks.

Fire. Fire is a great threat to

habitats and wildlife. No picnic

or camp fires are allowed but

barbecue sites are provided by

the Forestry Commission, to

book telephone...

Roads. Driving at 40mph or

below on all unfenced roads

greatly reduces the number of

accidents involving ponies, cattle

and deer, especially at night.

Caring for the future of the New Forest

2.4 Balancing information and environmental messages

in visitor centres

The District Council operates three year-round visitor information

centres (VICs) at Lyndhurst, Ringwood and Lymington. At Lyndhurst,

the VIC is located with the New Forest Museum and Visitor Centre,

offering an exhibition about the Forest’s history, traditions and wildlife.

At Lymington, the VIC is located with the St Bride’s Museum, which

focuses on the Forest’s maritime heritage.

Information material on environmental issues is available at all VICs.

Staff are expected to help promote key messages by drawing attention

to this written material or through advice and information given

verbally to visitors.

An additional information centre on the M27 is operated by the

Southern Tourist Board, using New Forest District Council literature

to orientate new visitors to the area and put across environmental

messages.

2.5 Highlighting public transport information and

ticketing

The comprehensive Visitor Transport Initiative is described in Chapter 5,

‘Environment’. However, provision of information and services about

transport opportunities also has a direct bearing on visitors.

Simple information about how to access and discover the New Forest

by public transport has been well integrated with general tourist

information.The visitor information page on the back of the Where to stay

guide draws attention to the fact that details of public transport to and

around the district can be obtained from all information centres.The

page also encourages visitors to see the area without using a car, by

purchasing an ‘Explorer’ bus ticket or taking a trip on an open-top bus.

Having an idea before leaving home that these attractive opportunities

exist, does make it possible to build them into visit plans.


12

2.6 Underpinning quality assurance

One way of helping to ensure that visitor experience meets expectations

has been to strengthen the application of the national quality assurance

scheme for accommodation.

Following national harmonisation, in the year 2000 New Forest

District Council required all accommodation establishments in the

Where to stay guide to be classified. Introducing such a change can be hard;

rather than raising standards, it could simply mean losing contact with

some accommodation providers.To avoid this, the change was carefully

discussed and agreed with the New Forest Tourism Association

membership in September 1999.This trade support was crucial:

enterprise confidence in the success of the joint Little Acorns Marketing

Programme (see Chapter 3, ‘Industry’) to support this quality assurance

policy, reflected the relationship that had been built up between the

District Council and the Association over the years. In 1999 40% of

Bed & Breakfasts were ungraded: 100% of those still trading took

on inspection by 2000.

2.7 Working with others on a Visitor Stewardship

Scheme

The importance of agencies working together to influence visitors

in future is fully recognised.This has already been happening to some

extent. For example, in its New Forest bus and train timetables

Hampshire County Council includes information about cycling, cycle

hire facilities and the cycle code, together with the code of behaviour

for visitors to the New Forest.

To cement formally the initial steps outlined above, there are plans

for a more structured Visitor Stewardship Scheme. Crucially, it will be

an all-agency partnership that will aim to improve ownership,

understanding and responsible behaviour in all visitors. Its key features

will be:

• coordination and consistency of key messages,

• key messages in branded published material,

• key messages in interpretation and education activities,

• a scheme to invite visitors actively to support conservation activity,

• links to the New Forest Tourism Association and the community

tourism groups via the Local Agenda 21 kit (see Chapter 3,

‘Industry’).

13

Some future areas of co-ordinated activity include the following:

• Strengthening verbal messages to visitors, especially at VICs and

accommodation establishments. As yet, there is no formal system

to promote this, although it is encouraged informally.The Forestry

Commission is keen to increase contact with the tourism sector,

through its ranger team and promotion of its own ‘Forest-friendly

messages’.

• Identifying further contact points and points of influence, especially

for the 3.5 million day visitors.

• The introduction of a New Forest Stewardship leaflet. One side will

present the key stewardship messages and details of the ‘Little

Acorns’ scheme (see Chapter 3).The reverse will give contact details

for, and information about, interpretation and educational

opportunities within the forest.

• The development of related tourism products by different agencies

and enterprises. For example, New Forest Safaris are a programme of

visitor interpretation activities arranged by the Forestry Commission

to offer the opportunity to discover and understand a little of the

New Forest in the company of a member of the ranger service.

Checklist of practical tips• Make good use of the whole spectrum of information services, not

just your own.

• Be consistent in the use of visitor codes in all publications.

• Capture visitor interest at the outset with well-balanced messages on

the destination website.

• Balance information and environmental messages in visitor centres.

• Highlight public transport information and ticketing opportunities

in destination information.

• Underpin commitment to quality assurance with good enterprise

support.

• Develop a Visitor Stewardship Scheme on a cross-agency basis.


14

3 IndustryAim: To work in partnership with industry to provide

high-quality, environmentally aware services and facilities

and market them to appropriate audiences throughout

the year.


The tourism industry in the New Forest has a well-established private

sector base. Some 500 tourism enterprises, mostly locally owned,

provide approximately 3,000 serviced bedspaces, 21,000 self-catering

bedspaces and 4,000 full-time equivalent jobs.The value of tourism to

the local economy is estimated at over £150 million. Although the

industry has performed well in recent years, there is a clear need for

more business. Accommodation and attraction enterprises are trading

at approximately 60% and 40% of capacity respectively.

The New Forest approachProviding a framework for these enterprises to coordinate their activity,

to relate to New Forest District Council and together to contribute to

the Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy, has been a key element in

the New Forest approach. Particular aspects of the approach have been:

• establishing a private sector body, the New Forest Tourism

Association, with long-term support from the District Council;

• paying close attention to the relationship between the District

Council and the Association to try to achieve efficient working and

mutual benefit, while recognising the need for the Association to

be independent;

• recognising the prime importance of the business needs of

Association members and addressing them through marketing

initiatives;

• encouraging and assisting enterprises to undertake environmental

action.

15


3.1 Establishing a forum for the industry

In order to coordinate the activity of the considerable private sector

base, the New Forest Tourism Association was formally constituted in

1989 to work in partnership with New Forest District Council to

promote the New Forest as a quality, year-round holiday and

business destination.

The Association has become recognised and respected as the voice

of the industry in the New Forest. Membership is open to any tourism-

related enterprise that is dependent on the New Forest for a main

source of its business and currently stands at around 270.

New Forest Tourism Association has fully embraced the importance

of sustainable tourism.The membership recruitment leaflet states in its

first paragraph that the Association recognises “the need to preserve and

protect the natural beauty of this sensitive and unique area of England

and to work with other agencies to ensure that all visitors understand

the special nature of the destination”.


16

The aims of the Association are

as follows:

i. To market the New Forest

District as an ideal venue for

staying visitors throughout

the year, in partnership with

New Forest District Council

and all other interested

parties.

ii. To recognise the special

nature of the New Forest and

the importance of conserving

it for future generations.

iii. To promote the case for

tourism in the New Forest

vi. To actively encourage

membership of the

Association by all sections

of the industry, by offering

marketing benefits and by

promoting members’

establishments.

vii.To secure the future of the

industry through planned

growth and development of

the destination’s customer

base.

and ensure that the benefits

the industry brings to the area

are fully publicised and

understood.

iv. To liaise with New Forest

District Council and all other

public bodies on matters

concerning tourism in the

New Forest and, when

necessary, make

representations to such bodies.

v. To ensure that a good standard

of service is offered by all

members to protect the status

of the industry as a whole.

3.2 Creating a robust organisational structure for

the Association

Ten members of the New Forest Tourism Association are elected

annually to a management committee, which meets at least every two

months. New Forest District Council members and officers also serve on

the committee, together with a senior representative of Southern Tourist

Board. Members of the management committee make a substantial time

contribution to the work of the Association.

The Association operates very much at a ‘grass roots’ level.

Membership is divided into sector groups. Open meetings of each

group are held regularly, enabling members to discuss relevant issues

and promote ideas pertinent to them. Each group meets four to six

times a year.

Each sector group elects a marketing representative on to the

Tourism Association/District Council Marketing Committee (see

below).The B&B and Hotel groups each have two representatives.

The New Forest Tourism Association is totally independent

financially. Membership fees raise an annual income approaching

£50,000, which funds the salary of a full-time Director and secretarial

support. In the early years New Forest District Council offered support

in kind, for instance in printing papers and paying postage costs for

joint mailings.

These substantial costs are now met entirely by the Association.

Membership fees are relatively significant and related to the size of a

business: in 2000 the smallest B&B paid £75 per annum and the largest

attraction £1,200.

The generosity of Association members keeps down the costs of

regular meetings. A demonstration of the level of commitment to the

Association is given by the fact that members of the Hotel group

provide the large meeting rooms required by the B&B group for its

meetings of 50–60 members.

New Forest Tourism Association monitors its costs carefully. For

instance, a six-monthly members’ newsletter has stopped (at a saving

of £1,000 per annum), being replaced by information bulletins that

are sent out by email wherever possible.

17

New Forest TourismAssociation sector groups • Hotels

• Bed & Breakfast and

Farmhouses

• Self Catering Houses,

Cottages and Flats

• Holiday Parks

• Camping and Caravan sites

• Pubs, Inns and Restaurants

• Visitor Attractions and

Transport

• Business Tourism

• Corporate

3.3 Establishing and maintaining a strong public-

private sector relationship

Finding the right relationship between the District Council and the

Association is important and has not always been easy. Fundamentally,

the Association is an independent trade body, able to speak for itself and

set its own agenda.Yet it is extremely important that the two bodies pull

in the same direction.

The District Council was instrumental in bringing the New Forest

Tourism Association into being and supporting its development. Over

the years, they have devoted a great deal of time and energy to the

Association, offering practical support, vision and strategic direction.

It has also made substantial contributions in kind.

The District Council has particular aspirations for the Association but

recognises that it is not possible to insist on a shared agenda with the

collective membership of an independent organisation.The relationship

has to work as a balance, with the District Council creating

opportunities for joint cooperation which it perceives will be supported

by the membership of the Association.

The relationship between the two bodies is enshrined in the

Association’s constitution. New Forest District Council itself pays a

membership fee to the Association, set at a level equivalent to the largest

business in membership.

The District Council’s Tourism and Publicity Officer tries to attend

every meeting of the Association Sector Groups to ensure regular

contact and communication.

Distinctions are sometimes blurred within a close working

partnership and it is not always easy for less involved members, let

alone outsiders, to distinguish in their own minds between the

Association and the New Forest District Council Tourism Service. When

other organisations and partnerships are seeking representation from

tourism interests, it has become important for the Association to be

represented in its own right by its own members. While good

communication enables District Council officers to convey the views

of the industry with some confidence, it needs to be clear that they

are not representing them.

In recent months the value of a strong public-private sector

relationship has been fully demonstrated as the Association and the

District Council worked together to tackle the impact of the foot and

mouth outbreak and the temporary closure of the New Forest.


18

3.4 Running a joint marketing programme

The Association/District Council partnership provides a platform from

which to plan and deliver a wide range of coordinated initiatives across

the whole destination area.

New Forest District Council recognises that a primary concern of the

local industry is securing an optimal level of business through effective

promotion. From an early stage it has worked with the Association on

a joint marketing programme.

A central element of the public-private sector partnership is the

District Council/Association Little Acorns Marketing Committee, which

is responsible for the administration of a joint marketing budget.The

committee comprises elected Association sector group marketing

representatives and New Forest District Council’s Marketing Manager,

and is chaired by New Forest District Council’s Tourism and Publicity

Officer.The District Council provides the bulk of the marketing funds,

currently running at around £38,000, through a combination of

direct funding and sales revenue. In some years the Association has

contributed £4,000 from its own funds and the membership

regularly contributes free accommodation and hospitality in kind to

the value of at least £10,000 per annum for familiarisation visits and

all media activity.

All destination literature is credited to ‘New Forest District Council

Working in Partnership with New Forest Tourism Association’.

Association members are highlighted in listings and display adverts,

with the following introduction:

New Forest Tourism is an association of New Forest tourism operators and

accommodation providers. Its members are committed to offering the highest quality

facilities and to ensuring that visitors enjoy the best possible stay in the New Forest.

Members are signified by the acorn emblem.

Members are also encouraged to incorporate the ‘acorn’ emblem in

their own publicity.

While many activities are undertaken in partnership with the District

Council, the Association also undertakes some independent activities.

For instance, the Association’s Attractions group produces its own ‘What

to see and do’ leaflet, distributed in large quantities throughout the

region and used by all Association members when servicing their

own enquiries.

With limited funds, media work has proved to be an important

weapon in the marketing armoury. Familiarisation visits involve New

Forest District Council, New Forest Tourism Association, Southern

Tourist Board and BTA.They are often run with one or more Association

sector group. Environmental themes have been used to good effect. For

example, two media weekends were arranged following the publication

of Our future together, introducing travel writers to the sustainable

19

The NFTA Hotels Group in break-out

session during the destination’s Foot

and Mouth recovery workshop, April

2001.

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management of the New Forest as a destination.The New Forest

Museum and Visitor Centre is often used as a starting point for

familiarisation trips to reinforce environmental messages.

3.5 Working with the industry on environmental issues

– Little Acorns LA21 Tourism Kit programme

In order to address some of the environmental issues raised in

Our future together, New Forest District Council introduced, with New

Forest Tourism Association, the Little Acorns LA21 Tourism Kit

programme, which provides an opportunity for individual tourism

enterprises to consider the contribution that they can make to

environmental practice in the New Forest.

This joint programme is supported by Southern Tourist Board

and aims:

• to encourage practices that help look after the destination;

• to save accommodation providers money;

• to promote the New Forest as a special place to visit.

In the early stages of the scheme, given the problems of uptake

in similar projects elsewhere, it was considered important that

participation should be broad. Aiming to have 100% of enterprises

doing 10% of what they could for the environment was thought better

than having 10% of enterprises doing 100%.The approach was to get as

many enterprises as possible thinking about the issues; to offer them a

level of access which was achievable; and to provide an audience of

interested enterprises with which to work in future.

Southern Tourist Board was contracted by New Forest District

Council to construct an LA21 Tourism Kit questionnaire, based on the

Countryside Agency’s Green Audit Kit (CA 25).Two versions were created,

one for hotels and one for B&Bs. Each has four A4 pages of fairly simple

questions about current practice within the enterprise. Questionnaires

were distributed, with a covering letter from the District Council, to all

Association members in the B&B and hotel sector groups. In 2001 this

also included HCIMA’s ‘Hospitable climates’ monitoring forms for

energy conservation.

Every enterprise participating in the scheme is identified in the

Where to stay guide through an acorn symbol, introduced as shown on

page 21. So far, entry into the scheme has been awarded for

participation rather than achievement. All enterprises returning

a questionnaire have been included, simply on the basis that, by

doing so, they were demonstrating environmental consciousness.


20

The Little Acorn symbol was given to 38 B&Bs and 14 hotels in

the Where to stay guide 2000 and was also shown against accommodation

entries on the destination website.The repeat exercise for 2001 attracted

the participation of 55 B&Bs and 17 hotels. As yet, the scheme has not

been offered to other kinds of accommodation or to attractions.

The confidential information collected will enable Southern Tourist

Board to monitor progress over time, although it is intended to do this

for the programme as a whole, rather than for individual enterprises.

In the New Forest scheme, enterprises have been included in the

second round regardless of whether, in the intervening year, they have

made any effort or progress in pursuing wise social and environmental

practices. On the same basis as before, all enterprises returning a

questionnaire were selected for inclusion without any analysis of

returns.There are examples elsewhere in the country of schemes that

are based on agreed improvements undertaken and subject to

independent scrutiny before an award or accreditation is given (see

‘South Hams Green Tourism Project’, Chapter 6).

The level of initial enterprise response marks a good start towards

meeting the scheme’s ambition of presenting the New Forest as being

at the forefront of environmental concerns. However, quality assurance

requires that in future the scheme is able to identify the level of

achievement of an individual enterprise, so that the visitor can

distinguish enterprises with a high commitment to sound

environmental practice from those that are making a more limited

contribution.Three levels of recognition are being considered:

distinguishing initial participation, meeting benchmarks and

surpassing them.

The approach has provided an audience of interested enterprises

with which to work at the outset of the initiative. It now needs to be

backed up by a programme of information, advice and support for the

21

For many years we’ve been encouraging

our local tourism and visitor industry to

actively care for the wonderful landscapes

and unique way of life of the forest –

after all, their businesses rely on it!

Accommodation providers who have a

Little Acorn symbol in their advertisement

are participating in the New Forest Little

Acorns LA21 Tourism Kit Programme,

which aims to help local tourism and

visitor businesses:

• promote the New Forest visitor

stewardship scheme to all guests;

• provide access for all;

• participate in their local town

and village tourism group;

• participate in the New Forest

Hospitality training programme;

• contribute environmental data for

destination research;

• use key environmental and

cultural messages in all marketing.

• set aside at least 10% of their

grounds for wildlife;

• improve waste management and

recycling;

• improve water and energy efficiency;

• increase the use of local suppliers and

services;

• establish walking, cycling and other

car-free activities from site;

• promote the New Forest visitor

transport initiatives to all guests;

• promote healthy activities and

eating options;

development of good practice at an enterprise level. Southern Tourist

Board and New Forest District Council are planning to review the

scheme, and preparing to implement such a programme, including

training in conjunction with Brockenhurst College.

3.6 Recognising industry achievement in environmental

matters

Some individual enterprises have made substantial achievements

in environmental good practice.The District Council/Association

marketing programme recognises this and provides these enterprises

with additional market exposure.This also provides an opportunity

to promote a good image for the New Forest.

All enterprises awarded the Little Acorn symbol are able to make the

most of the opportunity by including in their adverts and descriptions

special aspects of the experience that they offer.


22

Sandy Balls Holiday Centre has,

for four years running, been

awarded a David Bellamy

Conservation Gold Award.

Although the simplicity of the

LA21 Tourism Kit programme

provides limited opportunities

for the Centre to recognise their

own advanced achievements in

the environmental management

of their site and operation, they

acknowledge the importance of

launching the LA21 Tourism Kit

programme at a level that will

attract wide enterprise interest

and participation.

• bulk storage of liquid

chlorine pool water

sanitiser – reducing waste

disposal;

• refuse management system

– including provision of

bottle, can and plastic

bottle banks by New Forest

District Council;

• shower blocks – upgrading

all WCs to 7 litre flush,

and using timers and

sensors to control lighting;

• acquiring two purpose-

built, battery-powered

service vehicles for park

use – non-polluting,

energy efficient, low

running costs, and quiet.

“For Sandy Balls the local

environment and its natural attraction to

visitors is a major marketing asset for our

business.The principles of the LA21 kit

provide both tools for marketing our

activities and tools for potential cost

savings.An environmental kit that can be

used to increase business and cut costs has

got to be worth investing in.

For the customer, there is a real

perception of enhancement of the natural

environment and greater willingness to

play a part, at least whilst on holiday!”

Action taken includes:• hanging basket irrigation

system – saving water and

manpower;

• solar panels heating outdoor

pool – saving on LPG;

Checklist of practical tips:• Establish a forum for the industry with a clear operational structure.

• Lay ground rules for maintaining a strong public-private sector

relationship that is mutually supporting and does not duplicate

effort.

• Plan and implement joint public-private sector initiatives.

• Address the primary needs of the local industry, especially through

marketing.

• Make use of all support for industry, such as the Regional Tourist

Board.

• Find a simple mechanism to raise enterprises’ consciousness of

environmental management and bring them on board.

• Follow this up with training, support and monitoring.

• Recognise individual enterprise achievements in environmental

good practice.

23

New Forest Care Hotels, a

group of four New Forest

Hotels, include the

environmental policy

statement: “Care Hotels have

a unique environmental

policy benefiting our Guests,

our Forest, our World and our

Future.”

The Penny Farthing Hotel at

Lyndhurst: lock-up bicycle

store.

Whitley Ridge Country

House Hotel at Brockenhurst:

some of the best woodland

walks in the country are

Wiltshire House,

Bransgore: three excellent

local pubs are within

walking distance.

Efford Cottage, Lymington:

serves a four-course

breakfast from a wide and

varied menu, together

with homemade bread and

preserves.

Forest Gate Lodge, Ashurst:

railway station is five

minutes’ walk away.

directly accessible from

the garden.

Le Poussin at Parkhill:

a dining room using only

the finest produce, much of

it wild picked in the Forest,

and homemade jams and

marmalades.

Careys Manor Hotel at

Brockenhurst: a large ozone-

treated swimming pool.

Little Forest Lodge at

Ringwood: takes great pride

in serving hearty breakfasts

and delicious dinners (picnics

too!) using local and organic

ingredients where possible.

4 CommunityAim: To empower the local community and create

ownership through involvement in tourism matters.


The New Forest district has a resident population of 171,000,

distributed between six main centres and many small, scattered villages.

A special way of life is associated with commoning in the New Forest.

Without the income and jobs brought about by tourism, the

community would lose many of its services and small businesses,

and its landscape and traditions could also be under threat.

The New Forest approachNew Forest District Council has been proactive in exploring ways in

which tourism can be managed to optimise the benefit to the local

community.Through its partnerships it has encouraged other agencies

to do so as well. Particular aspects of the approach have been:

• making sure that visitors know about and understand the special

qualities of the local way of life;

• encouraging tourism enterprises to generate the greatest local benefit

from visitor spending, by themselves purchasing supplies and

services locally wherever possible;

• encouraging local people to involve themselves in tourism decision-

making and delivery, by developing the community tourism group

as a model for participation;

• considering the special input that community tourism groups can

make to tourism services, through, for example, the provision of

local information;

• exploring the tourism benefits, through maintaining a traditional

landscape and offering locally distinctive produce, of supporting the

local farming community in their traditional management practices.


4.1 Informing visitors about the New Forest way of life

Promoting an understanding of the ancient system that underpins

the special New Forest landscape that visitors come to enjoy is seen

as the key to gaining their respect for local communities, as well as

the environment.


24

The Where to stay guide and the Official map both include a full spread

entitled ‘Naturally... a way of life’. It explains the role of the Ancient

Verderers Court in administering the commoning system; of the

Agisters in dealing with the daily management of over 5,000 roaming

ponies and cattle; and of the Keepers, employed by the Forestry

Commission on behalf of the Crown to undertake a range of wildlife,

conservation and recreation duties.

4.2 Encouraging tourism enterprises to make local

purchases

The tourism strategy, Our future together, puts special emphasis on the way

that visitors and the community are tied to each other.

The LA21 Tourism Kit explores this area of management through the

monitoring questionnaire that enterprises are asked to complete.This

asks for estimates to be made of local purchasing (see below). Although

enterprises may find it difficult to make a reliable estimate of these

figures, this is at least a starting point and requires people to think

about the issues involved.

Enterprises are also always encouraged to recruit local staff.

25

‘‘When visitors trade with

local businesses, they purchase

supplies and services. Local

businesses in turn purchase

the supplies and services they

need to operate and through

successive rounds of purchases

the initial direct spend of a

visitor multiplies throughout

the local and regional

economy. In many cases

visitor spending is what keeps

these businesses going.’’ 6. SUPPLIES AND SERVICES

You can support your local economy by buying goods and services

from local suppliers within a 30-mile radius.

Can you estimate what proportion of your expenditure under the

categories below is spent with companies that are located within a

30-mile radius?

Stock/goods for resale %

Advertising/marketing %

Materials not for resale (eg cleaning materials, uniforms etc) %

Professional fees (eg solicitors, accountants) %

Repairs, maintenance & cleaning (external contractors) %

Extract from LA 21 Kit Questionnaire

4.3 Encouraging the formation of community tourism

groups

New structures have been established by New Forest District Council

to help to involve local people more actively in tourism within their

communities. It was found that existing community level organisations

often had limited interest in tourism, so separate community tourism

groups were set up, upon which a range of interests could be

represented. For example, there are significant numbers of businesses,

especially shops, pubs and cafés, that do not feel the need to participate

in the wider New Forest Tourism Association but which are willing to

engage at the level of their own community.

A network of 13 town and village community tourism groups has

been established across the district, although not all of them are active

at any one time.There were six active groups at the end of 2000.

Membership usually includes:

• parish councils;

• Chambers of Trade;

• New Forest Tourism Association members;

• local groups;

• individual businesses and residents.

When they set up the community tourism groups, New Forest

District Council hoped that they would each develop their own local

tourism strategy linking to Our future together. In practice some have found

this quite difficult. In order to maintain member interest, the groups

need to demonstrate that they are more than a talking shop and can

achieve some practical local outcomes.

The District Council has not been in a position to offer ongoing and

active support to the whole community tourism group network, but has

taken a number of steps to stimulate and focus action, including:


26

Through a partnership between

the public and private sectors,

the Ringwood Tourism Group is

committed to the long-term

development, management and

promotion of Ringwood as a

residential, cultural, social and

commercial market town of the

New Forest and Avon Valley.

• to encourage

environmental

improvements;

• to encourage effective

promotion of local

services;

• to improve business

performance.

Its objectives are:

• to promote Ringwood’s

tourism potential;

• to improve

communication/liaison/

coordination between

interested parties and groups;

Aims of the Ringwood Tourism Group

• providing a checklist of tasks that could be met by the community

tourism groups and offering support with this;

• encouraging the groups to prepare their own local tourism plans –

four have done so;

• arranging visitor surveys to enable destination benchmarking of

satisfaction levels with local amenities;

• organising workshops to assist with prioritisation of action and

enable the community to discuss concerns and ideas with people

responsible for tourism, planning, transport, etc.

Support has sometimes come from elsewhere.The Town Centre

Coordinator, shared by Hythe and Ringwood, has been able to get

involved in some of the community tourism group initiatives.

It is perhaps inevitable that interest in such groups will wax and

wane. Lack of success with one project can lead group members to

become disheartened. For example, after active discussion with the

Highways Agency and Hampshire County Council for 18 months about

signing from the A31, Ringwood Tourism Group failed to achieve the

outcome it desired and lost momentum.

Sometimes special circumstances reawaken interest in a community

tourism group. Concerned that the town was excluded from the draft

New Forest National Park boundary, Ringwood Tourism Group was

ready to engage in the consultation process by organising meetings to

debate the issue with the wider community.

4.4 Involving community tourism groups in providing

local information

A practical role for the community tourism groups is the provision of

local information that will help to retain visitors’ interest and spending

in the immediate area they are visiting, with the economic, social and

environmental benefits that follow.

New Forest District Council has worked with six community

tourism groups to prepare individual town and village leaflets.

Originally published separately, these have now been amalgamated into

The New Forest visitor guide. This 36-page, A5 booklet gives details of where

to go, eat, drink and shop in 13 settlements within the district, together

with town and village maps.

The next step in this direction will be to invite community tourism

groups to take over the management of their local visitor information

point, choosing material, keeping it up-to-date and generating

advertising revenue for themselves.

27

Fordingbridge Tourism Group researched the needs of coach

operators visiting the town and prepared and published a coach leaflet.

The group also funds its own visitor information centre, managed by

Southern Tourist Board throughout the summer.

4.5 Supporting the local farming community in

traditional management practices

Traditional farming practices, especially commoning, have been central

to the culture, landscape and ecology of the New Forest for hundreds

of years. Commoners are an integral part of the New Forest community

and help to sustain the familiar environment through their stock

management. Having fallen previously, the number of practising

commoners has recently increased to more than 400. However,

commoning in the New Forest is under great pressure as incomes fall.

Many commoners already derive a part of their income from offering

tourism services, especially accommodation.

The Forest Friendly Farming Project is an initiative set up by the

New Forest Committee to work with local communities to help them

develop a sustainable future for farming, forestry and commoning.

A project officer is working with a partnership of stakeholders to

explore practical ways to support farming, commoning and woodland

management.This could include such diverse initiatives as encouraging

locally accessible abattoir facilities; supporting regular farmers’ markets

within the New Forest; or helping to increase the use of locally

produced and branded goods by visitors and the local community.

New Forest District Council is a funding partner, along with the

Countryside Agency, Christopher Tower Foundation, English Nature,

New Forest Committee, National Trust, Hampshire County Council and

the Hampshire Wildlife Trust. The District Council’s contribution is

provided from the leisure service budget and the District Council will

be leading on any marketing initiative arising from the project. New

Forest Tourism Association is represented on the project delivery group.

A key opportunity for the wider tourism industry will be to encourage

tourism providers to make every possible use of local produce, an idea

that is already being promoted through the LA21 Tourism Kit.


28

Checklist of practical tips• Place messages about local communities and the way of life in

visitor information material.

• Encourage tourism enterprises to think about the origins of their

purchases and use local alternatives.

• Set up working structures to encourage local people to become

more involved in tourism at a community level.

• Help community tourism groups to make a practical input to

tourism services.

• Explore the tourism benefits of supporting the local farming

community in their traditional management practices.

29

5 EnvironmentAim: To promote a better understanding of the

environment and manage all tourism development in

a way that, where possible, it has a positive effect on

its surroundings.


The New Forest is of international significance to nature conservation

and includes large areas of important, but now fragmented, habitats,

which are rare in lowland western Europe.These habitats do not occur

anywhere else on such a large scale. Within the district’s overall area of

290 square miles, 120 square miles is designated as a Special Area of

Conservation, 126 square miles as a Special Protection Area/Ramsar Site

and 134 square miles as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The New

Forest Heritage Area has equivalent planning protection to a National

Park and the Forest is currently being designated as a National Park.

The New Forest approachNew Forest District Council has recognised the weight of its

responsibility towards this important habitat and historic landscape in

its role as managing tourism in the destination. It has promoted widely

an awareness of the interdependence of the tourism industry and the

environment, and actively engaged in debate, policy making and

initiatives that encourage responsible growth and greater recognition

of environmental issues.

Particular aspects of their approach have been:

• forming constructive partnerships between tourism and

environmental interests;

• helping the tourism industry to engage in the planning process;

• creating planning policies that support responsible tourism

development;

• encouraging tourism enterprises to follow environmentally sound

practices (see Chapter 3);

• working with others to promote car-free tourism, through transport

and cycling initiatives, backed by visitor information;

• looking carefully at the relative needs and opportunities for

recreation and tourism, both in more remote and vulnerable parts

of the Forest and in those more robust parts of the district that may

have further potential.


30


5.1 Improving environmental standards in the District

Council’s own operations

New Forest District Council’s tourism unit has taken steps to reduce the

environmental impact of its own activities. For example, both the Where

to stay guide and the Official map are printed on paper produced from trees

planted in sustainable forests.

5.2 Developing communication and partnerships

between tourism and environmental interests

The environmental significance of the New Forest means that there are

many organisations and groups that discuss issues and make plans that

impact on both the environment and on the tourism industry. New

Forest District Council has been very active in ensuring effective

communication and building partnerships, based on winning respect

among tourism and environmental interests.

The District Council often participates in such discussions and

partnerships. Likewise, the New Forest Tourism Association has played

an important role in representing directly the views of its membership

and in interpreting environmental issues or proposals to them.

It has sometimes proved helpful to maintain a distinction between

the New Forest District Council Tourism Service and New Forest

Tourism Association.They do not necessarily always share the same

agenda.The view was expressed by one environmental agency that the

New Forest District Council Tourism Service should have a clear role in

setting the policy context within the district, while the Association

should provide a voice for the trade and facilitate joint working with

those responsible for managing the New Forest resource.

Over time considerable trust has been built up between

environmental managers and tourism interests. For example, the New

Forest Committee coordinates the work of key organisations with

responsibilities for the care of the Forest. Following close consultation,

the Committee was happy to endorse Our future together as the tourism

strategy for the Forest, which was in line with their own policies. They

are identified as the lead agency for some of the action identified in the

strategy and their work plan includes a commitment to implement the

LA21 kit with visitors, industry and the local community and to

encourage its wide adoption.31

5.3 Ensuring that planning policies are sensitive to

the environment but support responsible tourism

development

For years poor communication between planners and the tourism

industry resulted in policies that were not well accepted or understood.

Great strides have now been taken to bring planners and tourism

interests together to develop policies which support both the imperative

of environmental protection and the reasonable needs of tourism

businesses.

The advent of the New Forest Tourism Association as a well-

organised and respected voice for tourism meant that they were able

to make a constructive input to the New Forest District Local Plan.They

were well placed to promote wide discussion of the issues involved

among their members and to marshal their arguments. Where they felt

that their concerns had not already been met, formal representations

were coordinated on behalf of the industry on particular policies. The

resulting Local Plan is both well understood and supported by the local

tourism industry.

It was especially important for small and disparate enterprises to

be able to put forward a collective view. Following representations from

the Association’s B&B group, a policy for Bed & Breakfast was included

in the Local Plan.This recognised that the small-scale provision of

visitor accommodation in private accommodation had minimal

environmental impact, but could make an important contribution

to the local economy.

The New Forest District Local Plan was adopted in November 1999.

The policies for tourism “seek to strike a balance between protecting

the environment and support for the local tourist industry”. For

planning purposes the New Forest is equivalent to the designated area

of a National Park, where government planning guidance points to a

presumption of restriction on development. However, the policies

included in the New Forest District Local Plan enable limited extensions

to established accommodation enterprises within the New Forest. This

allows some flexibility to modify their operations and adapt their

businesses in response to the changing expectations of their customers.

For example, in 1999 the Park Hill Hotel in Lyndhurst was granted

planning permission for an extension, based on the argument that, in

order to remain viable as a business, it was essential to offer improved

rooms and facilities to guests.

The Forestry Commission has ten camping and caravan touring sites,

offering 3,300 pitches. Permission will not be granted in the New

Forest for new holiday parks, or touring caravan and camping sites.


32

However, policies do allow the relocation of existing touring caravan

or camping sites to less sensitive locations to be given sympathetic

consideration.The Forestry Commission, a member of the New Forest

Tourism Association, is drawing up proposals to relocate some of its

sites within the spirit of this policy, offering the possibility of clear

gains to the environment.

5.4 Facilitating the development control process

The Tourism and Publicity Officer is able to play an important role

as an intermediary between District Council planners and any tourism

enterprise considering a development. He is known to tourism

enterprises throughout the Forest through his involvement with the

Association. He has the ear and respect of both the industry and

the planning officers and understands the parameters within which

each operates.

He can make sure that any enterprise thinking about a development

fully understands the development control policies and the expectations

of the planning officers; sometimes this can lead to a complete rethink

of a proposal.

Sometimes the Tourism and Publicity Officer introduces a potential

applicant to the planning officers, helping to draw up and put forward

their case in the context of the needs of the local industry.This enables

discussions to be constructive, rather than adversarial, and minimises

the number of applications that go to appeal.

The New Forest Tourism Association plays an important role in

keeping open channels of communication and ensuring that their

members are up to date on planning matters. The B&B group, for

instance, invited the Development Control Officer to attend one of

its meetings to talk about planning policies related to tourism.

33

Communicating key destination

messages is a major role of NFDC’s

visitor information services.

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5.5 New Forest Visitor Transport Initiative

The journeys that visitors make both to and within the New Forest are

recognised as having a significant impact on the environment. Of visits

to the New Forest, 96% are made by car.Traffic volumes can affect the

forest environment in a number of ways:

• accidents involving animal stock;

• recreational use, causing severe erosion in some parts;

• decreasing the sense of wilderness;

• recreational pressure threatening internationally important habitats;

• disturbance to sensitive species.

In order to address these and other transport issues, the New Forest

Transport Strategy was adopted in 1998.

As part of the Transport Strategy the New Forest Visitor Transport

Initiative is being developed to promote car-free tourism, including

public transport through-ticketing, new cycle networks, cycle parking

at railway stations and the introduction of privately run pre-booked

cycling holidays based at Brockenhurst Station. Other initiatives planned

include the provision of a minibus running from Brockenhurst Station

to hotels in the Forest area.

5.6 Creating a New Forest Cycle Network

Cycling is recognised as being an environmentally friendly mode of

transport, where there have been some important achievements in the

New Forest. The Transport Strategy seeks to promote the use of the cycle

as an acceptable alternative to car travel and a more appropriate and

enjoyable way for visitors to explore the Forest.

However, uncontrolled cycling in the New Forest can itself impact

on the Forest habitat and its remote areas. When the Forestry

Commission first published its cycle network in 1995, some


34

Controlling the impact of traffic on

the New Forest is central to the future

of all local tourism.

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To seek to achieve a more

sustainable future for the

New Forest, a cleaner

environment and an

improved quality of life for

local people, by reducing the

use of motor vehicles without

undermining the economic

prosperity of the area, while

respecting the special

character of the area.

New Forest Transport Strategy Vision:

organisations challenged the proposals. These included the Court of

Verderers, which has a statutory veto over any recreation proposal that

may affect the interest of commoners.

The tourism industry was able to play a part in championing this

opportunity for car-free visits and the District Council and the

Association made representations to the Verderers in support of a new

set of Forestry Commission’s plans.The new proposals were accepted

for a more restricted network of off-road, way-marked, gravel track

routes around the Forest. Further changes to the network are approved

by the Verderers on a year-by-year basis.

To ensure that visitors have good information about where they

can cycle, the Forestry Commission, supported by New Forest District

Council and Hampshire County Council, has produced a map-based,

folded A2 leaflet Cycling in the New Forest: “A useful guide that gets you

to off-road cycling routes through some of the New Forest’s most

spectacular scenery”.

To complement the off-road network, the Forestry Commission,

Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council are jointly

developing the New Forest Cycle Network.This provides an area-wide,

on-road cycle network connecting towns and villages, visitor attractions

and places of interest. The 40 mph speed limit on unfenced roads,

initially introduced in the New Forest to protect animals and reduce

accidents, offers the extra benefit that the New Forest is a safer place

to cycle.

The first stage was opened in 1998, providing an attractive, safe

and well-signed on-road cycle route linking the railway station at

Brockenhurst with Bolderwood, Fritham and Linwood, plus a number

of the Forestry Commission’s off-road, way-marked, gravel track routes

around the Forest.

In order to collect information on usage, a number of cycle

monitoring sites have been installed on key routes, both on-road and

off-road, within the New Forest.

Opportunities for cycle hire have developed alongside the network

and there are now ten cycle hire businesses in the Forest – all are in

membership of the Association.

5.7 Promoting the New Forest Cycle Code

However much care is taken in planning the network, it is important

to make sure that it is used responsibly. A Cycle Code has been agreed

between the Forestry Commission, New Forest District Council and

Hampshire County Council and is set out in a simple, one-third A4

Forestry Commission leaflet that is widely distributed through cycle

hire operators.

35

Cycle routes have been planned in

the New Forest to create a safe,

integrated network linking

settlements and visitor sites.

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The Code is also used consistently in print, including a full page in

the Where to stay guide, on the Official map, the website and the local annual

bus and train timetable.

One individual Association member, New Forest Cycle Experience,

has taken an even more direct approach with potential users. Based at

Brockenhurst Railway Station, it includes the following statement in its

own promotional leaflet:

To help protect the forest environment and improve visitor enjoyment, an off-road and

road-based cycle network has been created.The network links the main New Forest villages

with the railway station at Brockenhurst by the safest and most attractive routes. Please

keep to waymarked gravel tracks and follow the New Forest Cycle Code, available from

Cycle Shops,Visitor Information Centres and the Forestry Commission.

5.8 Providing transport information for visitors

Visitors need good information about what alternative transport is

available, if they are to support these resource management initiatives.

To have maximum effect, this information needs to be offered to all

visitors at the point when they are first thinking about their visit. As

well as a prominent mention on the back page, the Where to stay guide

includes a whole ‘Naturally car free’ page full of practical suggestions.


36

• Please keep to waymarked gravel tracks only

when cycling in the forest.

• Think ahead and be aware of animals, other

cyclists, pedestrians and drivers whether you are

on gravel track or on the road.

• Always ride in a single file when roads are

narrow and never ride more than two abreast.

• Keep your speed down, give way to walkers and

be friendly to other road users.

• Make sure you are visible by wearing bright

colours.

• Always use your lights in the dark or in poor

daytime visibility.

• Keep well away from any work going on in the

forest.

• Do not pass any vehicle loading timber until

you have been told it is safe to do so.

• Plan your route to be out of the forest by dusk.

New Forest Cycle Code – “Keep on Track”

Cars are not naturally a part of the Forest and more

and more visitors are wanting to use far more

enjoyable ways of getting around the destination.

Last year we launched the first stage of our ‘car

free’ visitor project, linking trains, ferries, buses,

bikes and walking networks.

Where to stay guide 2001

Naturally ... car free

The page offers simple information and contacts to enable visitors

to start planning a stay that will not depend wholly on using their car.

There are short features about using trains, walking, wagon rides, bus

and coach services, cycling, ferries and the Pony Express.

For the visitor who has decided to explore car-free possibilities,

Hampshire County Council publishes two free publications providing

more detailed transport information: New Forest annual travel guide: bus & train

timetables, including cycle information and Discover the New Forest by bike and train.

Checklist of practical tips• Set a good example to others by improving internal environmental

practice.

• Develop partnerships between tourism and environmental interests.

• Encourage tourism interests to engage constructively in the planning

process.

• Create planning policies that support responsible tourism

development.

• Help constructive liaison between tourism enterprises and

development control officers.

• Look at all visitor transport opportunities as an integrated network.

• Create alternatives to the car – make them part of an enjoyable

visitor experience.

• Provide clear messages that promote responsible access by visitors.

• Provide and promote excellent transport information for visitors.

• Consider carefully the special roles that might be played by the

most fragile and more robust areas.

37

Open-top vintage bus tours

connect many New Forest

villages with the Hythe Ferry

and the trains at

Brockenhurst. A hop-on, hop-

off service connects with

walking routes and cycle

tracks. Contact the Visitor

Information Centre for

further details.

The Pony Express

Organising car-free connections is an

important aspect of the New Forest

Visitor Transport Initiative.

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6 Reflections on the New Forestexperience

This chapter considers the positive aspects of the New Forest experience

and also the challenges that need to be met. It then translates this into

some conclusions for destinations as a whole.

Some strengths of the New Forest approachA clearly identifiable destination

The New Forest has the great advantage of being a destination where

the District Council and other key agencies serve an area that is

coterminous with the tourism brand. Enterprises relate readily to the

identity of the New Forest and the geography of the area allows them

to relate easily to one another.

Strong leadership

New Forest District Council has been accepted by a wide variety of

stakeholders as the lead partner in tourism destination management

in the New Forest. A central role has been played by the Tourism and

Publicity Officer, who has acted as a driving force, as well as spending

much time networking between the interest groups and keeping his

finger on the pulse.

Continuity of players

The New Forest has benefited from the stability of personnel in the

ownership and management of tourism enterprises. Key individuals

in the industry and other sectors, including the Tourism and Publicity

Officer, have been involved for a number of years.

Long-term commitment

Destination management in the New Forest has been planned as

a long-term approach and commitment to it sustained over a

considerable period of time. Limited access to external funding

opportunities has meant that they have been free of the distractions

of short-term projects.

A positive local profile

The creation and maintenance of a strong profile for the tourism

operation of the District Council among local residents, and the

success in delivery of services to them, has been a strength.This is

demonstrated by the fact that a Citizens’ Panel gave a score of 82%

satisfaction with the Council’s Tourism Service, which was higher

than other services measured.


38

The New Forest has a strong tourism

brand image, but leadership,

partnership, commitment and trust by

everybody involved is still needed to

make it all work.

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An understandable model

The original model, based on visitors, the tourism industry, the local

community and the environment, and the interdependence between

them, has proved to be a simple and helpful way of looking creatively

at what had previously been perceived as a problem. It has led to a very

well-balanced approach, that is easily and well understood by all

interests and groups.

Strategy and structure working together

The Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy, Our future together, and the

process that led to it has worked well in providing a shared vision and a

common set of aims for all of the partners involved in the New Forest.

Structure and strategy go hand in hand. Both in its development and

in its delivery, the success of the strategy has depended on the

comprehensive involvement of stakeholders. A vital role has been played

by the New Forest Tourism Association and by the structure of

committees and working groups that has provided for integration with

and between other agencies.

Many important stakeholders have been influenced in their policies

towards tourism, including the planning and highway authorities, the

Forestry Commission and various environmental agencies.The New

Forest Committee has adopted the tourism policy developed by New

Forest District Council and the debate on the establishment of the new

National Park has avoided conflict over tourism issues by reflecting the

positive relationships established.

Securing trust – changing the culture

The overall approach of building up the trust of all stakeholders has

worked. Our future together provided reassurance to managers of the

environmental resource that the tourism services team at New Forest

District Council saw the importance of putting environmental and

community concerns at the heart of tourism in the New Forest. The

private sector has been prepared to support the leadership of the

District Council on these issues, because the District Council has

understood the need to look after the ‘bread and butter’ interests of

tourism businesses as a prerequisite to engaging them in other matters.

Strong, shared marketing activity is required to drive the whole process.

The result has been a change in culture. Effectively, the

environmental resource and the visitor destination can now be seen as

one and the same thing. Initiatives once seen as quite radical and

challenging, may now be taken for granted as the right approach.

Good regional and sub-regional relationships

The support of the Southern Tourist Board has been very important for

success in the New Forest. Time has also been spent by New Forest

District Council in working with other local authorities to develop the

39

Dorset and New Forest Tourism Partnership to provide a sub-regional

organisation.This Partnership works together on joint marketing,

training and research programmes within the sub-region, supported

by both the Southern Tourist Board and South West Tourism, thereby

increasing impact and economies of scale. In future it will tackle

sustainability issues across the sub-region, based on the New Forest

experience, but taking account of localised conditions.

Some challenges encountered in the New ForestapproachThe New Forest District Council, the New Forest Tourism Association

and others are aware of continuing weaknesses and challenges that still

need to be addressed. Some are already identified in the long-term plan;

some relate to actions previously identified but delayed. In particular,

the Best Value exercise carried out for the District Council’s tourism

service raised some important questions and generated new thinking.

Clarifying relationships between the District Council and the

Tourism Association

Although the Association has proved to be a considerable success, its

relationship with the District Council needs continually to develop and

evolve.There can be confusion between them.The roles and

responsibilities for action taken by the two bodies need to be more

clearly established.The Association wishes to demonstrate its

independence, while also wanting to ensure that the services to it and

to tourism provided by the District Council are maintained.There needs

to be a more formal agreement between the two bodies.

Within the Association, thought needs to be given to the relationship

with its own members.This can be quite sensitive; for example, recently

the restructuring of subscriptions led to increases for many members

and significant fall-out in one sector group.

Within the District Council, moves to distinguish their role from

the Association more clearly are planned, such as the revival of a

separate newsletter.

Avoiding over-dependence on individuals

The central role of the Tourism and Publicity Officer has led to

sustained vision, but there are dangers in relying so much on one

individual. The demands of keeping in touch with, and making links

across, the whole network of tourism enterprises, environmental

organisations and District Council officers and members are enormous.

Other demands placed on that officer’s time can quickly lead to

potential system breakdown. One of the key outcomes of the Best Value

exercise is the need for the Association and other partners to become

more involved to eliminate over-reliance and share the workload.


40

Keeping environmental initiatives going

New Forest District Council’s policy of trying to get as many

enterprises as possible to make some progress towards environmental

improvement, rather than concentrating on a few, is a good starting

point. However, there need to be clear plans, backed by advice and

training, to ensure that enterprises take action, otherwise the scheme

might lead to complacency among them and be misleading to

consumers.The work of creating a receptive group of businesses is

now being built upon, through training packages developed by

a local college.

Stimulating community involvement

Finding ways to involve the community in tourism issues has been

challenging. It has proved less difficult to involve one particular section

of the community drawn from the whole area, such as the commoners,

than to develop community tourism groups based on local geographic

areas. Parish councils and Chambers of Trade have proved hard to

engage. In the light of this, the fact that six community tourism groups

exist and four have produced a local tourism plan is a positive result.

Central input is required to: set the framework for the local agenda;

maintain the momentum; and support and encourage the individuals

involved. In some cases an alternative support figure such as a Town

Manager has been available. However, their aims and objectives are

not necessarily the same as those of the New Forest District Council

tourism team.

Reviewing and maintaining the strategy

The Tourism and Visitor Management Strategy is intended to be part

of an ongoing process. There is a real need to maintain the effort that is

invested in its creation and implementation.The approach is recognised

nationally, but the contents and their achievement need to be made

more widely known locally.The Best Value project has meant that the

formal process of reviewing and reporting on the action plan was put

off for a year. It is now proposed that the Strategy is reviewed on a

three-yearly cycle. In 2001 there will be a new round of consultation.

The intention is to find ways of continuing the vision, by developing

the detail and engaging greater input to the action plan from partners.

Integrating tourism within the District Council

The Best Value exercise looked at the relationship between tourism

activity and the whole of the local authority service and raised a

number of concerns. Integration into the local authority – its members

and its corporate planning – is an important issue, especially when it

comes to securing support for the service.

41

Leisure Services plans include an objective for 2000–03 to secure

additional resources and support for the Council’s tourism marketing

activity.This will need to be backed up by political support.

Key issues for destinationsThe purpose of this case study was to tell the story of the New Forest.

The intention has not been to imply that all destinations pursuing

sustainable tourism should follow this model. The particular context

of the New Forest, with its sizeable tourism enterprise resource and its

array of visitor management issues, may not be matched in many other

locations. Furthermore, as we have shown, the approach has

encountered some problems as well as successes. Destinations should

consider, within this overall framework, which parts of the New Forest

programme are most relevant to their own circumstances.

There are various other sources of information and ideas, including

policy frameworks and practical guidance, to call upon. For example,

from 2001 the Countryside Agency and the English Tourism Council

have a joint Rural Tourism Strategy that they wish to encourage local

authorities to embrace.The English Tourism Council also has a

Sustainable Tourism Strategy that is based on numerous case studies.

Both organisations have collaborated on the Green Audit Kit, which

provides advice to businesses.The English Tourism Council is also

investigating the potential for a national green accreditation scheme.

At a European level, the EU has published a guide to Integrated Quality

Management of rural tourism destinations, with examples from

13 countries.

At a local level, many local authorities are working with their

local communities and tourism sector, taking positive steps towards

sustainable tourism.Two examples are illustrated below, developed

in circumstances rather different from those in the New Forest.

The Tourism Management Institute, with a considerable membership

among local authority officers, is including the broad framework of

the New Forest approach in its business plan and can help in

networking between local destinations and in the dissemination

of good practice.

Increasing interest in the potential environmental benefits of

creatively managed tourism has led to many new ‘tourism managers’.

The role is well established within National Parks, but more recently

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) teams and National Trail

officers have been taking a much more proactive approach to tourism

associated with their resource.They are bringing in some exciting

new ideas, but can sometimes be detached from traditional tourism

support networks.

Whatever the context and the motive, the experience of the New

Forest, coupled with consideration of this wider national picture,


42

suggests that there are five key issues that destination managers

should address when seeking to work in partnership with others

on sustainable tourism.

Selecting the right area

It is easier to coordinate action in an area with a well-established

identity.The New Forest has the added advantage of coterminosity:

a coherent destination equating with the local authority area.This is

not always the case and sometimes a choice has to be made about the

destination or product that will provide the most effective vehicle for

both economic development and environmental management.The

appropriate geographical area may not always be the traditional tourism

destination or local authority area: it could be a protected area, such as

an AONB, or the corridor surrounding a National Trail. The factors

which might need to be considered include:

• the destination brand and visitor perception;

• how strongly tourism and other enterprises relate to the area;

• designations applying to the area or parts of it;

• the range of agencies present in an area and the boundaries to

which they relate;

• the success of the tourism product;

• potential for integration with established tourism development

and marketing campaigns.

A strong lead

The role of lead partner is crucial to successful destination management.

It is essential that all stakeholders acknowledge and support the

leadership of that partner and also that the lead partner is prepared to

take on the responsibility and commitment that the role requires.

Sometimes it is very clear that one particular organisation is ideally

placed for the leadership role, but it is not always so. In practice,

leadership is provided not only by an organisation but also by an

individual officer from within the organisation: what is actually

required is a combination of organisational and personal qualities.

The organisation should be able to demonstrate:

• capacity – be sufficiently well resourced and secure in its future to

service the role;

• objectivity – be recognised by all parties as capable of setting aside

any particular interest;

• mandate – be clear that the task that they are leading falls within the

interest of their own organisation and confident that all the partners

will support the role that they are taking on.

43

Making effective and consistent use of

the New Forest’s brand image in all

activities is important for visitor

recognition and support.

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The individual will need to be able to command:

• the respect of the tourism industry and of environmental managers;

• the trust of all parties that they will act with objectivity and

integrity;

• the support of their own senior managers.

An appreciation of the situation of private sector operators

The tourism industry is highly diverse and disparate, and its

performance can be highly variable.Tourism operators recognise the

benefits that can accrue from working together, but they are also well

aware that their co-operators are also their competitors. Developing

loyalty to an organisation, and holding interest, depends very heavily

on recognising the whole range of their needs.

Issues that might otherwise be perceived as marginal or even

threatening to a tourism enterprise, such as raising quality standards,

containing visitor impact, restricting car movements or improving

environmental management, need to be introduced very carefully.They

are more likely to be well received and supported by the industry if that

can be done in a way that demonstrates the wider plan, and within it an

appreciation of their need to thrive as businesses.

They will naturally feel positively about a partnership that fulfils

their requirements for the strong destination management and

marketing that will support their customer base and, therefore, their

business. That same organisation is then well placed to build on that

relationship and to introduce all the other less obviously commercial

issues.

It is important to build up an audience of enterprises to work with.

In the early stages, this might mean treading softly and placing a small

demand on a lot of different enterprises. Elsewhere, the Lake District

Tourism and Conservation Partnership has taken that view. It has not

placed any requirements on its members, preferring to build up a group

of supportive tourism businesses with whom it can develop good

practice in raising support for conservation projects. It is essential that

the intention to make this progress is put into practice, otherwise

labelling becomes misleading and consumer expectation is not fulfilled.

Finding an effective structure

Any structure that is established to deliver a planned and coordinated

approach to sustainable destination management needs to strike a

balance between being sufficiently complex to involve all the

stakeholders in an informed working partnership and sufficiently

simple to be operational. While this is an issue for the range of agency

partners, it is of prime importance for the involvement of tourism

enterprises.

New Forest Tourism Association is a complex structure requiring

a high level of commitment from its members in both time and


44

membership subscriptions.They are prepared to make such a

commitment because they perceive that it is justified by the benefits

that the organisation brings to them. Maintaining the high level of

contact with them that is required if their views are to be put across

effectively to agencies is also demanding on the time of District

Council officers.

Not all private sector associations create such demands.Two

examples for other rural districts are presented here.

45

South Hams District Council

has chosen to establish a less

structured relationship with the

industry than the New Forest in

order to progress its green

aspirations.

South Hams Tourism Forum

has been instrumental in

developing a strategy for South

Hams, with a stated vision to

become “the UK’s acknowledged

‘green’ tourism destination by

2005”. Like the New Forest, this

vision encompasses aims for

visitors, industry, community

and the environment.

The Forum is a semi-formal

private-public sector body that

meets four or five times a year

out of season. Membership is

free and open to anyone with

an interest in tourism.Tourism

operators come along to meet,

discuss topical issues, do

• realisation of green

accreditation for

businesses;

• green business training

events;

• promotion and extended

usage of the Green Audit

Kit;

• establishment of a payback

initiative.

The payback initiative has

a separate business working

group to lead on action.There

is also a quarterly Green

Tourism Business Scheme

newsletter, green suppliers’

list, email support and advice

as well as advisory visits and

information pack to engage

businesses in the Green

Tourism Project.

business with each other and

hear the latest tourism news.

Members elect trade sector

representatives, with many

of those elected being pilot

businesses that act as champions

for the green approach.

South Hams Green Tourism

Project is a year-long Regional

Tourist Board and Countryside

Agency national pilot project.

The project has been built upon

the AONB Management Plan and

South Devon’s success as the

1995 England for Excellence

Award Winner in the Tourism

and the Environment category.

The project is guided by a

steering group of funding

partners, business and Local

Agenda 21 representatives.This

group meets quarterly to discuss

issues relating to the core aspects

of the project:


46

Green Awareness Day for the South

Hams Tourist Information Centres.

South Ham

s Green Tourism

Project

The Association for the Promotion of

Herefordshire supporting local orchard

produce.

The Association for the Prom

otion of Herefordshire

The Association for the

Promotion of Herefordshire

works closely with Herefordshire

Council’s tourism team but

retains its independence: in fact,

it predates the authority by at

least ten years and was

instrumental in ensuring that a

tourism strategy was developed

for Herefordshire even before

Herefordshire became a unitary

authority in 1998.

The Association includes

an environmental agenda

amongst its aims and objectives,

encouraging members:

“to support programmes of

sustainable tourism within the

tourism industry and respect

two members of

Herefordshire Tourism,

meets monthly to discuss

production, format and

distribution of the guide.

The group also oversees

other developments in the

EU-funded Marketing

Herefordshire project.

In addition to its own

cycle of committee meetings,

the 400+ members of the

Association for the Promotion

of Herefordshire have the

opportunity to meet twice

a year with Herefordshire

Council at its Tourism Forum

meetings.

environmental issues throughout

all business activities”.

Membership fees are

relatively modest (£30–£55),

which is appropriate to an area

seeking to establish itself as a

destination.The main

Herefordshire and Wye Valley

Visitor Guide is published by

the Association and marketed

in partnership with the

Herefordshire Tourism Unit at

Herefordshire Council, which

manages an EU-funded project

that supports the advertising and

distribution programme.The

Herefordshire Marketing Steering

Group, which is made up of two

members of the Association and

Agreeing a strategy and work programme

A wide range of interests can only operate together effectively if they

can agree a common framework. A strategy that is widely discussed and

carefully negotiated provides that framework. It needs to be owned by

each of the interest groups that will take it forward. A clear action plan

can then be developed from the strategy, at the point of its adoption,

which can inform the work programme of each organisation.There

needs to be an agreed mechanism for monitoring progress on the

action plan on an annual basis and for taking it forward.The strategy

itself will also need to be reviewed on a regular, but less frequent, basis.

47

John Dower House, Crescent Place

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3RA

Telephone 01242 521381

Fax 01242 584270

www.countryside.gov.uk

ISBN 0 86170 679 X

CA 73

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