During the summer of 2006, residents in the Arun District were asked for their attitudes towards tourism in the District. Overall, 4,000 questionnaires were sent out across the District (approximately 10% of households), and in total 862 responses were received.  The results were collated at District level, but then also for specific locations in the District including: Bognor Regis, Felpham, Aldwick, Littlehampton, Walberton, Arundel, Fontwell, Rustington and Barnham.  The study also looked at the factors influencing attitudes to tourism including place of residence, length of residence and current occupation.

The questionnaire was administered by Beverley Marshall, a third year undergraduate student on the BA (Hons) Tourism Management degree, on behalf of Arun District Council. Key results for Bognor Regis are highlighted below:

Key headline results for Bognor Regis

Economic Impacts

70% either disagree or strongly disagree that public funding of tourism promotion and facilities is a waste of tax payers money

Only 29% either agree or strongly agree that there is a wide selection of tourist attractions/facilities (58% either disagree or disagree strongly)

86% either agree or strongly agree that tourism brings important economic benefits to the District

64% either agree or strongly agree that tourism creates shopping opportunity

62% agree or strongly agree that the use of public funds for tourism promotion and infrastructure development is justified by the benefits this brings to the community

Environmental Impacts

71% either agree or strongly agree that increased tourism has caused traffic congestion and made it more difficult to find parking spaces in commercial areas

Only 28% either agree or strongly agree that tourism has increased the pride of local residents in the District

61% either disagree or strongly disagree that tourism has disrupted the peace and tranquillity of the District

49% either agree or strongly agree that tourism has resulted in increased litter in the streets and public places (compared to 32% who either disagree or strongly disagree)

60% either agree or strongly agree that tourism has made residents and local public authorities more conscious of the need to maintain and improve the appearance of the area

Quality of Life and Employment Opportunities

78% either agree or strongly agree that visitors should be tolerated when a decision is made to live in a resort area

73% either agree or strongly agree that tourism is an important source of many people’s income and livelihood

64% either disagree or strongly disagree that visitors are an intrusion on resident’s lifestyles (only 15% either agree or strongly agree)

A real split on attitudes to crime: 34% either agree or strongly agree that tourism has contributed to increased levels of crime and social problems in the District – 32% disagree or strongly disagree and 34% are not sure

80% agree or strongly agree that events are a valuable form of tourism to the District

Only 17% either agree or strongly agree that there is a good level of communication between the residents and local council (48% either disagree or strongly disagree, 34% are unsure)

47% either agree or strongly agree that tourism has increased the cost of living in the District, 50% are unsure and only 3% either disagree or strongly disagree

Dr Andrew Clegg, Subject Leader for Tourism Management at the University of Chichester draws the following conclusions:

Encouragingly, the results tend to suggest that residents in the District do appreciate the value and significance of tourism, and are generally supportive of the tourism industry.  This certainly allays the fears of a previous survey, when 64% of respondents though tourism was detrimental to Bognor Regis.  The situation is not as bad as first feared, but quite rightly residents do have concerns over certain impacts, such as congestion, and these need to be addressed accordingly.

Residents also recognise the importance of local authority spending in this area.  This is quite significant, given the cuts that the Local Authority keeps making to the tourism budget.

Residents are, of course, concerned about the immediate impacts tourism has, in this case issues relating to car parking are quite evident.  In other research of this type, residents have been quite concerned about the impact of crime, however in Bognor Regis, attitudes do seem quite split.  Interestingly, most people seem to recognise that if you choose to live in Bognor Regis, then tourism is a part of life which you must therefore tolerate.  This is quite significant, when the results suggest that only a minority of the resident population are engaged in the tourism industry.  In total, only 9% of respondents were directly linked to the tourism industry. 

Perhaps the most interesting result is that only 17% of residents in Bognor Regis felt that there was a good level of communication between the council and local residents.  At the District level the average value is only 23%.  This clearly suggests that the Local Authority clearly needs to look at the way they are keeping local residents informed about developments in the local area.

In terms of future development, 61% of respondents across the District agreed that further tourism development is beneficial to the community and should be encouraged.  Furthermore, 57% of respondents agreed that any planned developments to attract more tourists is a good idea, and 68% agree that tourism should play a vital role in the future of the District.

The resident community is an integral part of the destination environment in Bognor Regis.  The results show that residents recognise the value of tourism, but I think we need to be looking at ways of trying to engage more effectively with the host community to ensure that they are aware of developments, and that they have an opportunity to express their views about how Bognor Regis should develop.  This becomes more relevant given the current redevelopment plans for Bognor Regis that are already in the pipeline.

Dr Andrew Clegg, Subject Leader for Tourism Management at the University of Chichester, is celebrating his nomination in the 2007 National Training Awards, the UK's number one accolade for businesses, organisations and individuals who have achieved lasting excellence and success through training and learning.

Andrew’s nomination is a reflection of the training work he has undertaken for Tourism South East over the last couple of years, which has focused on developing tourism-related training packages tailored specifically to the needs and interests of rural tourism businesses, designed to enhance business competitiveness, networking, and the development of a sustainable rural tourism industry.

Since 2004, the wider Rural Welcome programme, which Andrew has supported with specific course delivery focusing on Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Awareness, Welcoming Walking and Cyclists, and sustainable tourism, has been delivered to over 392 businesses and 465 people.

As Dr Andy Clegg explains, “I have been supporting the Tourism South East Rural Welcome programme since 2004, and the feedback that has been received illustrates that businesses now have a greater appreciation of the protected areas within which they are located, and that they also have a greater awareness and confidence in their ability to develop their own green credentials.

“I have gained a great deal personally from the experience, and have been able to embed that experience innovatively within the Tourism Management degree programme at the University. Our reciprocal training work with the local tourism industry provides valuable ‘real life’ examples of tourism partnerships and the practical realities associated with implementing tourism programmes within destination environments.

“This in turn has benefited the content of our degree, provided work placement opportunities and ensured that the student experience is suitably contextualised by a practical and informed understanding of the issues facing the tourism sector.”

The nomination process for the Awards involved the submission of a 3,000-word supporting application, within which local businesses were asked to comment on the training provided.

As Sandy Colbourne at the Manor Guest House, Worthing, highlighted, “The style and flair, enthusiasm, content and industry relevance that Andrew has brought to the usual boring training seminars, have truly been inspirational and changed not only the direction but the success of my business and others.”

Similar comments were made by Norman Dingemans from Arun District Council, “I have attended several of Andy’s training sessions and he runs them well with an ability to keep the interest up and by challenging ideas and generating discussion that involves everyone present.”

As Sandra Barnes-Keywood of the Old Chapel Forge B&B in Lagness comments, “As a small B&B, I attended a course given by Andrew on running a business in an AONB. His style of presentation was exciting, the content was cutting edge and different in that he related the content to the businesses that attended. As a member of the South Downs Tourism Network, I am conscious that our own success and inspiration would not have been gained without such an outstanding trainer.”

Third year Tourism Management students studying ‘Sport and Event Tourism’ had an opportunity to experience life at the sharp end of event management last weekend.  They joined Sue O’Keefe, Events Co-ordinator at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, to assist with the ‘Autumn Countryside Celebration’.               

The set-up on Friday was severely hampered by appalling weather and it was soon apparent that the most essential piece of equipment in any Event Manager’s kit is a decent set of waterproofs.  Several hours were spent running about in the rain, marking out plots for trade stands and directing the few brave stall holders who arrived early to put up their stands.

Thankfully the rain stopped in the nick of time and the groups who visited on Saturday and Sunday were able to enjoy the sunshine as they stood at the gate chasing Gift Aid donations.  The event was a huge success.  Even the ice cream stall which had looked very forlorn on Friday did brisk trade. It was a dramatic reminder that the best planned event will always be at the mercy of our unpredictable British weather!

David Rudkin, Director of Fishbourne Roman Palace was awarded an Honorary Master of Arts Degree at the University's graduation ceremony on Saturday.

David Rudkin has been Director of Fishbourne Roman Palace since 1979, during which time in excess of two and a half million visitors have been to see the Palace and its mosaics. Up to 30,000 children a year visit the Palace where David Rudkin’s improvements in the educational facilities have been recognised through the prestigious Sandford Award for educational excellence twice.

Dr Andrew Clegg, Subject Leader for Tourism Management at the University, who nominated David Rudkin for the award, said that the award was testiment to David's outstanding contribution to the development of Fishbourne Roman Palace, and the role that he has played in bringing such rich cultural resources to the local community.

Fishbourne Roman Palace has strong ties to the University, and David has been supportive of Tourism Management students using the museum for project work and dissertations.

Tourism Management staff at the University of Chichester have delivered the first Holiday@Home Host workshop for Arun District Council. The session, held at the Look and Sea Centre in Littlehampton, was attended by businesses from the Littlehampton area.

As Dr Andrew Clegg, Subject Leader for Tourism Management at Chichester University explains 'the aim of the course is to increase the awareness of local businesses about the tourism industry on their doorstep'. The course also looks at the importance of delivering high quality visitor experiences.

The course has been developed by the University for the Arun District Council, as part of their wider Holiday@Home Initiative.

If you are a local business and are interested in this scheme then please contact Dr Andrew Clegg at the University on 01243 8121017.

Details to follow...

Dr Andrew Clegg, Subject Leader for Tourism Management at the University, enjoyed a taste of F1 hospitality after accepting an invitation to a corporate open day at WilliamsF1 headquarters in Grove, Oxfordshire.

The aim of the open day held by the RBS WilliamsF1 conference centre was to show case the conference services that they provide. Among the activities during the day were F1 Scaletrix, a full-blown F1 simulator, a tour of the Williams F1 Grand Prix collection and the excellent conference facilities.

Motorsport Tourism is featured in a Level 3 module on Sport and Event Tourism at the University, and as Dr Clegg explains 'the development of the conference centre highlights how leading F1 teams are diversifying into a range of business activities, and in this case making an important contribution to business tourism in the Oxfordshire region'.

For more information about the RBS Williams F1 centre click here.

The University of Chichester, on behalf of Arun District Council, is conducting a major survey of the attitudes of local residents towards the tourism industry in the District. The survey, being undertaken by Level 3 Tourism Management student Beverley Marshall, is the largest of its kind undertaken in the District. The survey is being supervised by Dr Andrew Clegg, Subject Leader for Tourism Management at the University. As Dr Clegg explains "last year research into the tourism industry revealed that a high percentage of residents in Bognor Regis, do not like the tourism industry. Given that Bognor is a major seaside resort, this came as quite a surprise. Given the current development proposals for Bognor Regis, and Butlins’ recent announcement that they intend to invest heavily in the Bognor Regis site, it is essential to have a clear understanding and appreciation of the views of local residents".

The aim of the research is to explore resident attitudes towards the tourism industry, looking at key areas such as economic impacts, quality of life, and the environment. The research also aims to identify what factors are influencing resident perceptions, for example whether they are employed in the tourism industry or whether they live close to main tourist areas. In total, 4,000 questionnaires have been mailed to households across in the District. As Richard Edwards, Tourism Manager at Arun District Council points out "having a host community which understands the benefits of tourism, and which welcomes visitors is a fundamental requirement for a successful visitor destination. The need for this research was highlighted in the new Sussex by the Sea Visitor Strategy. It will give us a good idea of how the attitude of Arun's residents match up to the ideal of a welcoming community. I am very grateful to the University of Chichester's Tourism Management department for helping us to undertake this research, and in particular to student Beverly Marshall, who is doing the work and to Dr. Andrew Clegg, who is supervising the study".

The Tourism Management programme at the University of Chichester is to undertake a full economic impact assessment of the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July and the Revival meeting in September, on behalf of the Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit.

As Dr Andrew Clegg, Subject Leader for Tourism Management explains, "This is a really exciting project. Goodwood is a major event in the local area, and attracts over 150,000 visits, which is comparable to visitor numbers to the British Grand Prix. However given its significance, we do not actually know the precise economic impact it has on the local economy. The aim of the research is to try and quantify the actual value of the event."

The research will revolve around a large-scale visitor survey over the course of the Festival, to ascertain visitor profiles and how much money people have spent onsite during the course of the Festival and on local accommodation and other services.

Working in collaboration with Goodwood, access will also be given to the Formula 1 teams attending and other participants and exhibitors. A similar research strategy will then be put in place to measure the economic impact of the Goodwood Revival meeting in September.

As Dr Clegg explains, "The research will allow us to look at the impact of the two events separately, but then we will be able to consolidate the results, to look at the overall economic impact of two major events in the local area."

This research forms part of a long-term strategy looking at the overall economic impact of the Goodwood portfolio in the local area.