Key information
Decision type: Director
Reference code: DD2024
Date signed:
Decision by: Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Executive Director of Development, Enterprise and Environment
Executive summary
London and Partners (L&P) have requested £30,000 towards the cost of an external consultant to conduct research around visitor satisfaction (£30,000 is a contribution to the total cost of the research which is £100,000) to help inform interventions in the London Tourism Strategy (which the GLA is funding to £90,000 as approved under cover of DD1364).
While primary research around why visitors choose to come to London has been undertaken, a gap in research around visitor satisfaction was identified. Such research will evaluate the relative satisfaction of visitors from key markets of different aspects of their visit to London (such as welcome, transportation, accommodation, attractions and food). This additional research is required in order to be able to fully inform the interventions in the London Tourism Strategy that L&P is currently preparing. The publication of the strategy –originally expected December 2015- was delayed by L&P in order to ensure full buy-in from the new Mayoralty.
The London Tourism Strategy will set out a long-term vision for London’s leisure and business tourism economy, behind which the industry can galvanise. It will seek to define a vision, aims and objectives, and what London would need to do to remain a global capital for tourism.
Decision
To approve expenditure of up to £30,000 as a contribution to London & Partners’ costs of visitor satisfaction research to inform the interventions in its London’s ten-year Tourism Strategy.
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
1.1 The Greater London Authority (GLA) has previously approved funding of £90,000 towards the development of a ten-year tourism strategy for the capital (under cover of DD1364). The Tourism Strategy, which is currently under development, will set out a long-term vision for London’s leisure and business tourism economy, behind which the industry can galvanise. It would seek to define “what good looks like” and what London would need to do to remain the global capital for tourism.
1.2 This funding request relates to a contribution towards an external consultant to conduct research around visitor satisfaction to help inform interventions in the London’s Tourism strategy.
1.3 Work on the strategy is already underway. In recent months, London & Partners (L&P) has held over 130 consultation meetings and a public consultation, and has conducted qualitative and quantitative research on markets and consumer needs.
1.4 The Economic Development Working Group (EDWG) of the London Enterprise Panel (LEP) has endorsed the proposal for further research to refine the Tourism Strategy, which would evaluate the relative satisfaction of visitors from key markets of different aspects of their visit to London (such as welcome, transportation, accommodation, attractions and food) and inform the relative importance of specific interventions that would have the most impact in attracting new and repeat visitors to the capital. It is anticipated that successful interventions from the strategy could influence an additional £6bn spend per annum from 2025 and the creation of an additional 150,000 jobs.
2.1 The overarching objective of this research is to enable London & Partners to have a greater understanding of visitors (by market, type of visitor) whilst they are in London. Specifically:
• The drivers to visiting London (including the relative importance of different drivers)
• How important different factors of the trip are to overall satisfaction
• How satisfied visitors are with each separate aspect of their trip
• Differences between first time and repeat visitors
2.2 The research will contribute to the broader objectives and expected outcomes of the Tourism Strategy, which are to:
• develop a comprehensive tourism strategy for London behind which government and industry can galvanise;
• develop a long-term vision for London’s leisure and business tourism economy;
• identify what London needs to do to remain the global capital for tourism.
3.1 The research will help inform potential interventions within the Tourism Strategy in relation to accessibility issues for disabled tourists and issues related to other protected equalities groups (such as age, religion, sexual orientation etc.).
4.1 Links to Mayoral priorities:
The Tourism Strategy is in line with statutory duties to promote economic development and tourism.
4.2 Impact assessment and consultation:
The research for the Tourism Strategy will be developed in close consultation with senior GLA staff, particularly from GLA Economics, to ensure alignment with Mayoral priorities and plans.
4.3 Key Risks & Issues:
The grant funding of up to £30,000 in 2015/16 to London and Partners to support further research to develop a London Tourism Strategy will be met from the London Enterprise Panel Strategy Funding Grant, as agreed by the Mayor through the LEP ‘urgent decision’ process in April 2016.
6.1 This report indicates that:
6.2 the decisions requested of the director fall within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development, and wealth creation in Greater London; and
6.3 in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:
• pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people further details on equalities are set out in section 3 above) and to the duty under section 149 of the 2010 Act to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation as well as to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not;
• consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
• consult with appropriate bodies.
6.4 The report above indicates that the contribution of £30,000 to L&P amounts to the provision of grant funding and not payment for services. Officers must ensure that the funding is distributed fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equalities and in a manner which affords value for money in accordance with the GLA’s Contract and Funding Code.
6.5 Officers must make sure that an appropriate funding agreement is put in place between L&P and the GLA before any commitment to fund is made.
7.1 The research brief has been prepared (attached) and interviews with consultants will be held imminently. It is intended that the first survey results are produced as early as late May. L&P would like the new Mayor to consider the strategy with a possible publication date in October 2016.
Signed decision document
DD2024 London Tourism Strategy (signed) PDF